Press feeder control apparatus

Claim 2

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train having a manually adjustable pulse repetition rate, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, and means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position.

Claim 3

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train having a manually adjustable pulse repetition rate, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, and means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position.

Claim 4

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train having a manually adjustable pulse repetition rate, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, and means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said generating means includes means for increasing the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train from zero to maximum value as said member moves from said first position, and means for decreasing said pulse repetition rate from said maximum value to zero as said member reaches said second position, the rate of decrease of the pulse repetition rate being equal to the rate of increase of the pulse repetition rate.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2 including a second counter, means for connecting said pulse train to said second counter during the period in which the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train is increasing to a maximum value, and thereafter manifesting the number of pulses counted by said second counter while said pulse repetition rate is maintained at said maximum value.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 including a comparator connected to said main counter and to said second counter and responsive to a coincidence between the content of said main counter and said second counter to produce an output signal, and means connected to said comparator and responsive to said output signal for intiating a decrease in the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1 including connecting means for interconnecting said train of pulses with said drive means, said connecting means being adapted to selectively insert additional pulses into said pulse train.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 incluDing manually operable means for selecting the frequency of pulses inserted into said pulse train.

Claim 10

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, increasing said pulse repetition rate from zero to a maximum value as said member moves from said first position, and decreasing said pulse repetition rate from said maximum value to zero as said member reaches said second position, the rate of decrease of said pulse repetition rate being equal to the rate of increase of said pulse repetition rate, a second counter, means for connecting said pulse train to said second counter during the period in which the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train is increasing to a maximum value, and thereafter manifesting the number of pulses counted by said second counter while pulse repetition rate is maintained at said maximum value, a comparator connected to said main counter and to second counter and responsive to a coincidence between the content of said main counter and said second counter to produce an output signal, means connected to said comparator and responsive to said output signal for initiating a decrease in the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, a third counter, means for generating said pulse train having a pulse repetition rate proportional to the product of the content of said third counter and the pulse repetition rate of an input pulse train, means for increasing the content of said third counter as said member is moved from said first position, and means for decreasing the content of said third counter in response to the output signal from said comparator unit.

Claim 11

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, increasing said pulse repetition rate from zero to a maximum value as said member moves from said first position, and decreasing said pulse repetition rate from said maximum value to zero as said member reaches said second position, the rate of decrease of said pulse repetition rate being equal to the rate of increase of said pulse repetition rate, a second counter, means for connecting said pulse train to said second counter during the period in which the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train is increasing to a maximum value, and thereafter manifesting the number of pulses counted by said second counter while pulse repetition rate is maintained at said maximum value, a comparator connected to said main counter and to second counter and responsive to a coincidence between the content of said main counter and said second counter to produce an output signal, means connected to said comparator and responsive to said output signal for initiating a decrease in the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, a third counter, means for generating said pulse train having a pulse repetition rate proportional to the product of the content of said third counter and the pulse repetition rate of an input pulse train, means for increasing the content of said third counter as said member is moved from said first position, and means for decreasing the content of said third counter in response to the output signal from said comparator unit.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 7 including a source of clock pulses, and adjustable means having a storage device, said adjustable means being connected to said source of clock pulses and adapted to produce a train of pulses having a pulse repetition rate proportional to the product of the pulse repetition rate of said clock pulse source and a quantity manifested in said storage device, and means for connecting said adjustable means with said second counter.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 7 including a source of clock pulses, adjustable means having a storage device, said adjustable means being connected with said source of clock pulses and adapted to produce an output pulse train having a pulse repetition rate proportional to the product of the pulse repetition rate of said clock pulse source and a quantity means to said third counter for incrementing said counter from zero to a maximum value in response to each of the pulses produced by said adjustable means.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 7 including means for increasing the content of said third counter at a uniform rate until a maximum content is reached, and means causing said third counter to manifest the number of pulses applied thereto during the period of increase of the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train.

Claim 15

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating A pulse train, means adapted for simultaneously connecting each pulse of said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter and to said drive means for moving said member, said generator means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, increasing said pulse repetition rate as the first pulses of said pulse train are applied simultaneously to said main counter and to said drive means, and decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position.

Claim 16

In apparatus for controlling the movement of a member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating A pulse train, means adapted for simultaneously connecting each pulse of said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter and to said drive means for moving said member, said generator means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train, increasing said pulse repetition rate as the first pulses of said pulse train are applied simultaneously to said main counter and to said drive means, and decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position.

Claim 17

In apparatus for controlling the movement of the member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train for the first group of pulses applied to said drive means as said member moves away from said first position and for decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position and for maintaining said pulse repetition rate at a constant value between said first group of pulses and the period of decreasing pulse repetition rate, and manually operable means for selecting the value of said constant pulse repetition rate.

Claim 18

In apparatus for controlling the movement of the member from a first position to a second position including drive means operable in response to a train of pulses having a separate pulse for each increment of movement of said member, the combination comprising: a main counter, means presetting said main counter to manifest a quantity proportional to the distance between said first and second positions, generating means for generating a pulse train, means for connecting said pulse train to said main counter for decrementing said counter with each pulse of said pulse train, means adapted for connecting said pulse train with said drive means, said generating means including means for varying the pulse repetition rate of said pulse train for the first group of pulses applied to said drive means as said member moves away from said first position and for decreasing said pulse repetition rate to substantially zero when said member reaches said second position and for maintaining said pulse repetition rate at a constant value between said first group of pulses and the period of decreasing pulse repetition rate, and manually operable means for selecting the value of said constant pulse repetition rate.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 12, including manually operable means for selecting the length of the periods over which said pulse repetition rate is increasing and decreasing.