US3774098A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Machine tool control
Assignee: Morfax Ltd
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Filing: 1971-02-22
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Granted: 1973-11-20
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Expires: 1991-02-22
Abstract
Abstract The invention is concerned with the production of recorded program for the continuous path control of machine tools. The program is produced by means of a line follower device or equivalent means, and the driving means for displacing the line follower in response to steering movements of a rotary member of the latter as it follows the line produces alternating current signals the frequency of which lies above or below a reference frequency which is also recorded preferably with a further signal recording the planned movement of a cutting tool towards and away from the cutting position. Such a recorded program actuates servo motors on the machine tool for displacing the workpiece relatively to the tool the drive of the motors being controlled by comparison of the reproduced reference frequency with the recorded control signals to provide a control output to the drive motors dependent on the variable recorded frequencies representing the desired movements of the workpiece relatively to the tool.
Inventors
- 👤 B Moss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:37
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/42; G05B19/4202; G05B19/4205
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
A method of producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool, comprising eliminating a contour outline representing an article to be machined on said machine tool, scanning said outline by means of an automatically movable electro-optical line follower device, deriving signals from light-sensitive means within said device to cause said device to automatically move progressively along said outline, deriving a rotary movement from the movement of said device which is associated with means adapted to produce an alternating current signal from a said signal having a frequency which varies above a reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in one direction and varies below the same reference frequency according to thE rate of said rotation in the other direction, the derived rotary movement being imparted to a first rotary member within said device, cooperating with a second rotary member within said device driven at a constant speed, one of said rotary members comprising a light-sensitive device and the other of said rotary members comprising a sector wheel movable across the field of said light-sensitive device to cause the latter to produce said variable frequency alternating current signals dependent upon said movement, and recording said signals on a recording medium for later reproduction of said movement.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
211 words
A method of producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool, comprising eliminating a contour outline representing an article to be machined on said machine tool, scanning said outline by means of an automatically movable electro-optical line follower device, deriving signals from light-sensitive means within said device to cause said device to automatically move progressively along said outline, deriving a rotary movement from the movement of said device which is associated with means adapted to produce an alternating current signal from a said signal having a frequency which varies above a reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in one direction and varies below the same reference frequency according to thE rate of said rotation in the other direction, the derived rotary movement being imparted to a first rotary member within said device, cooperating with a second rotary member within said device driven at a constant speed, one of said rotary members comprising a light-sensitive device and the other of said rotary members comprising a sector wheel movable across the field of said light-sensitive device to cause the latter to produce said variable frequency alternating current signals dependent upon said movement, and recording said signals on a recording medium for later reproduction of said movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the follower device is displaceable in two directions on a co-ordinate system and two alternating current signals are recorded on the recording medium, such signals representing the respective co-ordinate movements by comparison with a reference frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a reference frequency is recorded on the recording medium in addition to the alternating current signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
208 words
Apparatus for the continuous path control of the displacement of a movable member on a machine tool in which a recorded variable frequency program includes a reference frequency signal and a displacement control signal recorded at a frequency which differs from the reference frequency by an amount which represents the required rate of displacement, said apparatus including means for reproducing said signals, a power drive for the movable member, said power drive being a rotary servo-motor coupled to the movable member by means of one of a lead screw and a lay shaft driven by said lead screw, a first rotary member on one of said lead screw and said lay shaft reproducing the actual movement of said movable member, and a second rotary member arranged coaxially with said first rotary member and synchronized to the reference frequency and cooperating with the first rotary member to generate a feedback signal representing the said displacement, one of said rotary members comprising a toothed sector wheel and the other of said rotary members including a sensor responsive to said sector which to produce the feedback signal which feedback signal is compared with the recorded displacement control signal to cause the power drive to effect controlled displacement of the movable member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
208 words
Apparatus for the continuous path control of the displacement of a movable member on a machine tool in which a recorded variable frequency program includes a reference frequency signal and a displacement control signal recorded at a frequency which differs from the reference frequency by an amount which represents the required rate of displacement, said apparatus including means for reproducing said signals, a power drive for the movable member, said power drive being a rotary servo-motor coupled to the movable member by means of one of a lead screw and a lay shaft driven by said lead screw, a first rotary member on one of said lead screw and said lay shaft reproducing the actual movement of said movable member, and a second rotary member arranged coaxially with said first rotary member and synchronized to the reference frequency and cooperating with the first rotary member to generate a feedback signal representing the said displacement, one of said rotary members comprising a toothed sector wheel and the other of said rotary members including a sensor responsive to said sector which to produce the feedback signal which feedback signal is compared with the recorded displacement control signal to cause the power drive to effect controlled displacement of the movable member.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
214 words
A method of producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool, comprising illuminating a contour outline representing an article to be machined on said machine tool, scanning said outline by means of an automatically movable electro-optical line follower device, deriving signals from light-sensitive means within said device to cause said device to automatically move progressively along said outline, deriving a rotary movement from the movement of said device which is associated with means adapted to produce an alternating current signal, said signal having a frequency which varies above the reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in one direction and varies below the reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in the other direction, the derived rotary movement being imparted to a first rotary member within said device cooperating with a second rotary member within said device driven at a constant speed, one said rotary member including an inductor coil or equivalent signal-producing means and the other of said rotary members comprising means adapted cooperatively with said inductor coil to produce signals the frequency of which is dependent upon the direction and rate of rotation of said rotary member representing said movement and recording said signal on a recording medium for later reproduction of said movement.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
214 words
A method of producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool, comprising illuminating a contour outline representing an article to be machined on said machine tool, scanning said outline by means of an automatically movable electro-optical line follower device, deriving signals from light-sensitive means within said device to cause said device to automatically move progressively along said outline, deriving a rotary movement from the movement of said device which is associated with means adapted to produce an alternating current signal, said signal having a frequency which varies above the reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in one direction and varies below the reference frequency according to the rate of said rotation in the other direction, the derived rotary movement being imparted to a first rotary member within said device cooperating with a second rotary member within said device driven at a constant speed, one said rotary member including an inductor coil or equivalent signal-producing means and the other of said rotary members comprising means adapted cooperatively with said inductor coil to produce signals the frequency of which is dependent upon the direction and rate of rotation of said rotary member representing said movement and recording said signal on a recording medium for later reproduction of said movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
194 words
Apparatus for producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool comprising means to automatically displace an electro-optical line follower device along a contour outline of an article to be machined on said machine tool by relative displacement of the fOllower device and the contour outline, said device including a first rotary member representing the displacement in a given direction of said device relative to the representation of an article to be machined, said device further including a second adjacently positioned rotary member driven by a constant speed member, signal-producing means associated with said rotary members to produce variable frequency signals at frequencies lying above and below a reference frequency corresponding to the stationary position of said first member, such variable frequency signals being recorded on a recording medium for use in the continuous path control of the machine tool, one of said rotary members being in the form of a sector wheel and the other of said rotary members comprising a light-sensitive device and a light source to produce said variable frequency signals dependent upon the relative speeds of said rotary members and lying above and below said reference frequency.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
194 words
Apparatus for producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool comprising means to automatically displace an electro-optical line follower device along a contour outline of an article to be machined on said machine tool by relative displacement of the fOllower device and the contour outline, said device including a first rotary member representing the displacement in a given direction of said device relative to the representation of an article to be machined, said device further including a second adjacently positioned rotary member driven by a constant speed member, signal-producing means associated with said rotary members to produce variable frequency signals at frequencies lying above and below a reference frequency corresponding to the stationary position of said first member, such variable frequency signals being recorded on a recording medium for use in the continuous path control of the machine tool, one of said rotary members being in the form of a sector wheel and the other of said rotary members comprising a light-sensitive device and a light source to produce said variable frequency signals dependent upon the relative speeds of said rotary members and lying above and below said reference frequency.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
126 words
An apparatus for producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool comprising means to automatically displace an electro-optical line follower device along a contour outline of an article to be machined on said machine tool by relative displacement of the follower device and the contour outline, signal-producing means operable by said relative displacement to produce a frequency which varies as a continuous function dependently upon the rate of such displacement, means for recording such signal on a recording medium for use in the continuous path control of the machine tool, and manually controlled means provided for recording additional information on said recording medium representing the cutting feed or axial displacement of a cutting tool relative to the work piece to be produced.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
126 words
An apparatus for producing a continuous path recorded program for control of a machine tool comprising means to automatically displace an electro-optical line follower device along a contour outline of an article to be machined on said machine tool by relative displacement of the follower device and the contour outline, signal-producing means operable by said relative displacement to produce a frequency which varies as a continuous function dependently upon the rate of such displacement, means for recording such signal on a recording medium for use in the continuous path control of the machine tool, and manually controlled means provided for recording additional information on said recording medium representing the cutting feed or axial displacement of a cutting tool relative to the work piece to be produced.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the means for recording said additional signals comprises a control panel having a plurality of digital selector switches by which the intended displacement of the tool can be preset, a variable speed motor controlled from said panel according to the intended cutting or axial feed, signal-producing means operated by a constant speed motor corresponding to the reference frequency for producing and recording signals representing the cutting feed, and counter elements operated from said variable speed motor as predetermined by the pre-selection of the digital selector switches to enable a sequence of signals to be recorded representing the desired cutting feed or axial movements of the cutting tool and the workpiece.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-19 | 1977-05-21 | 1977-11-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-19 | 1981-05-21 | 1981-11-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-19 | 1985-05-21 | 1985-11-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |