Ram velocity measuring apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring the velocity of an object comprising a. a primary signal source positioned proximate said object for generating first and second primary signals; b. means affixed on said object adapted to produce said primary signals for a predetermined length along the direction of motion of said object; c. first and second circuit means positioned proximate said object for generating a start signal pulse (S) and a timed signal pulse (T) responsive to said first and second primary signals respectively; d. reference clock circuit means for providing reference timing pulses; e. direction sensing circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means and said reference clock circuit means for providing an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock reference timing pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said direction sensing output pulse being proportional to the duration of said timed signal pulse; f. first and second integration circuit means, said integration circuit means having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, said first integration circuit means being coupled to said first input terminal of said second integration circuit means, said first input termial of said first integration circuit means being coupled to a reference voltage or a ground reference responsive to a switching signal, said first integration circuit means integrating said reference voltage responsive to the duration of said direction sensing output pulse, said second input terminal of said first integration circuit means being coupled to a reference ground, said second integration circuit means being adapted to integrate the voltage appearing at said output terminal at said first integration circuit means; g. comparator circuit means having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, said comparator means first input terminal being coupled to said second integration circuit means output terminal, said comparator means second input terminal being coupled to said reference voltage or sAid ground reference responsive to a switching signal, said comparator means output terminal being coupled to said second input terminal of said second integrator circuit means responsive to a switching signal, said comparator circuit means providing a change in output signal voltage at said comparator means output terminal when said comparator means input terminal reaches a predetermined voltage; h. switching and counting circuit means, said switching and counting circuit means being coupled to said first integration circuit means, said second integration circuit means and to said comparator circuit means output terminal, said switching and counting circuit means being coupled to said reference clock circuit means and providing said switching pulses and determining the sequence of operation of said first integration circuit means, said second integration circiut means and said comparator circuit means, said switching and counting circuit means counting said reference timing pulses provided by said reference clock circuit means from the time said timed pulse (T) ends until the time said comparator circuit means provides a change in signal voltage at said comparator circuit means output terminal; and i. display means coupled to said switching and counting circuit means for displaying the number of clock timing pulses counted as an indicia representing units of velocity.

Claim 2

An apparatus for measuring the velocity of an object comprising a. a primary signal source positioned proximate said object for generating first and second primary signals; b. means affixed on said object adapted to produce said primary signals for a predetermined length along the direction of motion of said object; c. first and second circuit means positioned proximate said object for generating a start signal pulse (S) and a timed signal pulse (T) responsive to said first and second primary signals respectively; d. reference clock circuit means for providing reference timing pulses; e. direction sensing circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means and said reference clock circuit means for providing an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock reference timing pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said direction sensing output pulse being proportional to the duration of said timed signal pulse; f. first and second integration circuit means, said integration circuit means having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, said first integration circuit means being coupled to said first input terminal of said second integration circuit means, said first input termial of said first integration circuit means being coupled to a reference voltage or a ground reference responsive to a switching signal, said first integration circuit means integrating said reference voltage responsive to the duration of said direction sensing output pulse, said second input terminal of said first integration circuit means being coupled to a reference ground, said second integration circuit means being adapted to integrate the voltage appearing at said output terminal at said first integration circuit means; g. comparator circuit means having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, said comparator means first input terminal being coupled to said second integration circuit means output terminal, said comparator means second input terminal being coupled to said reference voltage or sAid ground reference responsive to a switching signal, said comparator means output terminal being coupled to said second input terminal of said second integrator circuit means responsive to a switching signal, said comparator circuit means providing a change in output signal voltage at said comparator means output terminal when said comparator means input terminal reaches a predetermined voltage; h. switching and counting circuit means, said switching and counting circuit means being coupled to said first integration circuit means, said second integration circuit means and to said comparator circuit means output terminal, said switching and counting circuit means being coupled to said reference clock circuit means and providing said switching pulses and determining the sequence of operation of said first integration circuit means, said second integration circiut means and said comparator circuit means, said switching and counting circuit means counting said reference timing pulses provided by said reference clock circuit means from the time said timed pulse (T) ends until the time said comparator circuit means provides a change in signal voltage at said comparator circuit means output terminal; and i. display means coupled to said switching and counting circuit means for displaying the number of clock timing pulses counted as an indicia representing units of velocity.

Claim 6

The method of measuring the velocity of an object comprising a. obtaining first and second primary signals from said object along the direction of motion of said object, at least said second signal being generated by means representative of a predetermined distance thereon; b. generating a start signal pulse (S) and a timed signal pulse (T) responsive to said first and second primary signals; c. providing reference timing pulses from a reference circuit means; d. obtaining an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said output pulse being proportional to the duration of said timed signal pulse (T); e. integrating a fixed reference voltage for the duration of said timed signal pulse (T) in a first integration circuit means and providing an output signal voltage; f. integrating the output signal voltage obtained from said first integration circuit means; g. comparing the output voltage from said second integrating circuit means and said reference voltage in a comparator circuit means adapted to a change in polarity of output signal voltage when said input signal voltage thereto reaches a predetermined voltage; h. providing switching and counting means for generating switching pulses to determine the operating sequences of said first and second integrator and said comparator circuit means and for counting the timing pulses for the duration of said timed signal pulse (T); and i. displaying said number of pulses counted in indicia representing units of velocity.

Claim 7

The method of measuring the velocity of an object comprising a. obtaining first and second primary signals from said object along the direction of motion of said object, at least said second signal being generated by means representative of a predetermined distance thereon; b. generating a start signal pulse (S) and a timed signal pulse (T) responsive to said first and second primary signals; c. providing reference timing pulses from a reference circuit means; d. obtaining an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said output pulse being proportional to the duration of said timed signal pulse (T); e. integrating a fixed reference voltage for the duration of said timed signal pulse (T) in a first integration circuit means and providing an output signal voltage; f. integrating the output signal voltage obtained from said first integration circuit means; g. comparing the output voltage from said second integrating circuit means and said reference voltage in a comparator circuit means adapted to a change in polarity of output signal voltage when said input signal voltage thereto reaches a predetermined voltage; h. providing switching and counting means for generating switching pulses to determine the operating sequences of said first and second integrator and said comparator circuit means and for counting the timing pulses for the duration of said timed signal pulse (T); and i. displaying said number of pulses counted in indicia representing units of velocity.

Claim 8

An apparatus for measuring the velocity of an object comprising first and second circuit means for obtaining a start (S) and a timed (T) electrical signal pulse, respectively, said start (S) and timed (T) pulses being responsive to the position of a moving object, said timed (T) signal pulse additionally being proportional to a predetermined length alonG the direction of motion of said object. reference clock circuit means for providing timing pulses, direction sensing circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means and said reference clock circuit means for providing an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock reference timing pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said direction sensing output pulse being proportional to the direction of said timed signal pulse (T), first and second intergration circuit means for integrating a voltage, said first integration circuit means being adapted to integrate a reference voltage responsive to the duration of said direction sensing output pulse, said second integration circuit mans being adapted to integrate the output voltage from said first integration circuit means appearing at the termination of said direction sensing output pulse, comparator circuit means for comparing the output voltage from said second integration circuit means with said reference voltage, said comparator circuit means providing a change in output signal voltage when said second integrator circuit means output voltage reaches a predetermined value, switching circuit means coupled to said first and second integrator circuit means and said comparator circuit means for determining the sequence of operation of said first and second integration circuit means and said comparator circuit means, said switching circuit means being responsive to the leading and trailing edges of said timed signal pulse (T), counting circuit means coupled to said clock circuit means for counting said reference timing pulses from the time said timed pulse (T) ends until the output voltage from said comparator circuit means provides said change in output voltage, and display means coupled to said counting circuit means for displaying the number of clock timing pulses counted in indicia representing units of velocity.

Claim 9

An apparatus for measuring the velocity of an object comprising first and second circuit means for obtaining a start (S) and a timed (T) electrical signal pulse, respectively, said start (S) and timed (T) pulses being responsive to the position of a moving object, said timed (T) signal pulse additionally being proportional to a predetermined length alonG the direction of motion of said object. reference clock circuit means for providing timing pulses, direction sensing circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means and said reference clock circuit means for providing an output pulse responsive to the coincidence of the leading edges of a clock reference timing pulse and a timed signal pulse (T) only when preceded by a start signal pulse (S), said direction sensing output pulse being proportional to the direction of said timed signal pulse (T), first and second intergration circuit means for integrating a voltage, said first integration circuit means being adapted to integrate a reference voltage responsive to the duration of said direction sensing output pulse, said second integration circuit mans being adapted to integrate the output voltage from said first integration circuit means appearing at the termination of said direction sensing output pulse, comparator circuit means for comparing the output voltage from said second integration circuit means with said reference voltage, said comparator circuit means providing a change in output signal voltage when said second integrator circuit means output voltage reaches a predetermined value, switching circuit means coupled to said first and second integrator circuit means and said comparator circuit means for determining the sequence of operation of said first and second integration circuit means and said comparator circuit means, said switching circuit means being responsive to the leading and trailing edges of said timed signal pulse (T), counting circuit means coupled to said clock circuit means for counting said reference timing pulses from the time said timed pulse (T) ends until the output voltage from said comparator circuit means provides said change in output voltage, and display means coupled to said counting circuit means for displaying the number of clock timing pulses counted in indicia representing units of velocity.