Photoelectric detector for bobbin of a weaving loom

Claim 2

An improved system for detecting in a specified area the presence or absence of material having a first reflecting surface comprising: a. means having a second reflecting surface for supporting said material; b. means for providing light to said specified area; c. first means arranged to sense said light reflected from said specified area in the presence or absence of said material, said first means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting tHe distance between said specified area and said first means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. second means arranged only to sense light reflected from said specified area in the presence of said material, said second means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. utilization means; f. third means coupled between said first and second means and said utilization means for activating said utilization means in accordance with a predetermined ratio of impedance of said first and second means responsively to the presence or absence of same material; and g. fourth means coupled to said third means and mounted in close proximity to said first means, for activating said third means upon sensing light reflected by the absence of said material from said specified area.

Claim 3

An improved system for detecting in a specified area the presence or absence of material having a diffuse reflecting surface comprising; a. means having a specular reflecting surface for supporting said material; b. means for providing light to said specified area; c. first means arranged to sense said specular and diffuse light reflected from said specified area in the presence or absence of said material, said first means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. second means arranged only to sense diffuse reflected light from said surface area, said second means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. utilization means; f. third means coupled between said first and second means and said utilization means for activating said utilization means in accordance with a predetermined ratio of impedance of said first and second means responsively to the presence or absence of said material; and g. fourth means coupled to said third means and mounted in close proximity to said first means for activating said third means upon sensing specular light being reflected from said specified area in the absence of said material.

Claim 4

An improved system for detecting in a specified area the presence or absence of material having a diffuse reflecting surface comprising; a. means having a specular reflecting surface for supporting said material; b. means for providing light to said specified area; c. first means arranged to sense said specular and diffuse light reflected from said specified area in the presence or absence of said material, said first means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. second means arranged only to sense diffuse reflected light from said surface area, said second means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. utilization means; f. third means coupled between said first and second means and said utilization means for activating said utilization means in accordance with a predetermined ratio of impedance of said first and second means responsively to the presence or absence of said material; and g. fourth means coupled to said third means and mounted in close proximity to said first means for activating said third means upon sensing specular light being reflected from said specified area in the absence of said material.

Claim 5

An improved system for detecting in a specified area the presence or absence of material having a specular reflecting surface comprising: a. means having a diffuse reflecting surface for supporting said material; b. means for providing light to said specified area; c. first means arranged to sense said specular and diffuse light reflected from said specified area in the presence or absence of said material, said first means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. second means arranged only to sense diffuse reflected light from said surface area, said second means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. utilization means; f. third means coupled between said first and second means and said utilization means for activating said utilization means in accordance with a predetermined ratio of impedance of said first and second means responsively to the presence or absence of said material; and g. fourth means coupled to said third means and mounted in close proximity to said first means for activating said third means upon sensing a lack of specular light reflected from said specified area in the absence of said material.

Claim 6

An improved system for detecting in a specified area the presence or absence of material having a specular reflecting surface comprising: a. means having a diffuse reflecting surface for supporting said material; b. means for providing light to said specified area; c. first means arranged to sense said specular and diffuse light reflected from said specified area in the presence or absence of said material, said first means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. second means arranged only to sense diffuse reflected light from said surface area, said second means having an impedance proportional to the amount of light sensed and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second means to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. utilization means; f. third means coupled between said first and second means and said utilization means for activating said utilization means in accordance with a predetermined ratio of impedance of said first and second means responsively to the presence or absence of said material; and g. fourth means coupled to said third means and mounted in close proximity to said first means for activating said third means upon sensing a lack of specular light reflected from said specified area in the absence of said material.

Claim 7

A loom weft detecting system for detecting the exhaustion of weft having a diffuse reflecting surface from a specified area comprising: a. a bobbin for supporting said weft, said bobbin having a specular reflecting surface relative to that of the weft; b. means illuminating said specified area by a beam of light incident to said bobbin surface at an angle to the normal to said bobbin surface; c. a first photocell for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. a second photocell for receiving diffuse reflected light from said surface area being positioned closely adjacent said incident beam of light and at a distance from said surface substantially equal to the distance said first photocell is from said surface and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. means for deriving a DC voltage related to the ratio of the resistance of said first and second photocells; f. means establishing a threshold voltage, said threshold voltage being intermediate in value between the values of the voltages established by the photocells in the presence and in the absence of said weft on the surface of the illuminated area; g. means responsive to the derived DC voltage value exceeding said threshold voltage for actuating a solenoid when said weft is exhausted from said bobbin; and h. a third photocell coupled to said DC voltage deriving means for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area being affixed proximate said first photocell, said third photocell inhibiting said means for deriving a DC voltage until it senses specular light being reflected from said specified area.

Claim 8

A loom weft detecting system for detecting the exhaustion of weft having a diffuse reflecting surface from a specified area comprising: a. a bobbin for supporting said weft, said bobbin having a specular reflecting surface relative to that of the weft; b. means illuminating said specified area by a beam of light incident to said bobbin surface at an angle to the normal to said bobbin surface; c. a first photocell for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. a second photocell for receiving diffuse reflected light from said surface area being positioned closely adjacent said incident beam of light and at a distance from said surface substantially equal to the distance said first photocell is from said surface and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. means for deriving a DC voltage related to the ratio of the resistance of said first and second photocells; f. means establishing a threshold voltage, said threshold voltage being intermediate in value between the values of the voltages established by the photocells in the presence and in the absence of said weft on the surface of the illuminated area; g. means responsive to the derived DC voltage value exceeding said threshold voltage for actuating a solenoid when said weft is exhausted from said bobbin; and h. a third photocell coupled to said DC voltage deriving means for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area being affixed proximate said first photocell, said third photocell inhibiting said means for deriving a DC voltage until it senses specular light being reflected from said specified area.

Claim 9

A loom weft detecting system for detecting the exhaustion of weft having a specular reflecting surface from a specified area comprising: a. a bobbin for supporting said weft, said bobbin having a diffuse reflecting surface relative to that of the weft; b. means illuminating said specified area by a beam of light incident to said bobbin surface at an angle to the normal to said bobbin surface; c. a first photocell for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. a second photocell for receiving diffuse reflected light from said surface area being positioned closely adjacent said incident beam of light and at a distance from said surface substantially equal to the distance said first photocell is from said surface and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. means for driving a DC voltage related to the ratio of the resistance of said first and second photocells; f. means establishing a threshold voltage, said threshold voltage being intermediate in value between the values of the voltages established by the photocells in the presence and in the absence of said weft on the surface of the illuminated area; g. means responsive to the derived DC voltage value exceeding said threshold voltage for actuating a solenoid when said weft is exhausted from said bobbin; and h. a third photocell coupled to said DC voltage deriving means for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area being affixed proximate said first photocell, said third photocell inhibiting said means for deriving a DC voltage until it senses the lack of specular light being reflected from said specified arEa.

Claim 10

A loom weft detecting system for detecting the exhaustion of weft having a specular reflecting surface from a specified area comprising: a. a bobbin for supporting said weft, said bobbin having a diffuse reflecting surface relative to that of the weft; b. means illuminating said specified area by a beam of light incident to said bobbin surface at an angle to the normal to said bobbin surface; c. a first photocell for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said first photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; d. a second photocell for receiving diffuse reflected light from said surface area being positioned closely adjacent said incident beam of light and at a distance from said surface substantially equal to the distance said first photocell is from said surface and being provided with means for adjusting the distance between said specified area and said second photocell to increase its sensitivity only to light reflected therefrom; e. means for driving a DC voltage related to the ratio of the resistance of said first and second photocells; f. means establishing a threshold voltage, said threshold voltage being intermediate in value between the values of the voltages established by the photocells in the presence and in the absence of said weft on the surface of the illuminated area; g. means responsive to the derived DC voltage value exceeding said threshold voltage for actuating a solenoid when said weft is exhausted from said bobbin; and h. a third photocell coupled to said DC voltage deriving means for receiving specular and diffuse light from said surface area being affixed proximate said first photocell, said third photocell inhibiting said means for deriving a DC voltage until it senses the lack of specular light being reflected from said specified arEa.