Method and apparatus for analyzing a composition of an alloy

Claim 1

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a basis line corresponding to said basis metal and alloy lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; simultaneously comparing each of the integrated alloy signals with an adjustable portion of the integrated basis signal and generating a plurality of difference signals; and simultaneously evaluating all of said difference signals.

Claim 2

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a basis line corresponding to said basis metal and alloy lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; simultaneously comparing each of the integrated alloy signals with an adjustable portion of the integrated basis signal and generating a plurality of difference signals; and simultaneously evaluating all of said difference signals.

Claim 3

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; comparing each of the integrated signal corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements with an adjustable portion of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of the basis metal and generating a plurality of difference signals; and evaluating said difference signals by feeding same to a display upon exceeding respective predetermined threshold levels.

Claim 4

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; comparing each of the integrated signal corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements with an adjustable portion of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of the basis metal and generating a plurality of difference signals; and evaluating said difference signals by feeding same to a display upon exceeding respective predetermined threshold levels.

Claim 6

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; comparing each of the integrated signals corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements with a respective portion of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of the basis metal and generating a plurality of difference signals; setting the portions of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of said basis metal to the integrated signals corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements so that said difference signals are minimized when the alloy being tested has a predetermined desired composition; and evaluating said difference signals by feeding same to a display only when they lie outside predetermined respective ranges, whereby said display is only activated when an alloy is tested whose composition varies from the ranges.

Claim 7

A method of testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements by comparison with a given test piece, said method comprising the steps of: generating from said alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a plurality of electrical signals each corresponding to a respective one of said lines and each having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; integrating each of said signals; comparing each of the integrated signals corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements with a respective portion of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of the basis metal and generating a plurality of difference signals; setting the portions of the integrated signal corresponding to the line of said basis metal to the integrated signals corresponding to the lines of said alloy elements so that said difference signals are minimized when the alloy being tested has a predetermined desired composition; and evaluating said difference signals by feeding same to a display only when they lie outside predetermined respective ranges, whereby said display is only activated when an alloy is tested whose composition varies from the ranges.

Claim 8

An apparatus for testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a diffraction spectrum having lines corresponding to said basis metal and to each of said alloying elements; means for converting each of said lines into an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; means for integrating said signals and for forming respective integrated signals corresponding thereto; means for deriving from the integrated signal corresponding to the line for said basis metal a plurality of partial alloy signals each for a respective alloying element; a plurality of comparators each having one input receiving one of said integrated signals corresponding to the line for one of said alloying elements, another input receiving a respective partial alloy signal, and an output carrying an output signal corresponding to the difference between the signals received by the respective inputs; and a display connected to each of said outputs.

Claim 9

An apparatus for testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a diffraction spectrum having lines corresponding to said basis metal and to each of said alloying elements; means for converting each of said lines into an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; means for integrating said signals and for forming respective integrated signals corresponding thereto; means for deriving from the integrated signal corresponding to the line for said basis metal a plurality of partial alloy signals each for a respective alloying element; a plurality of comparators each having one input receiving one of said integrated signals corresponding to the line for one of said alloying elements, another input receiving a respective partial alloy signal, and an output carrying an output signal corresponding to the difference between the signals received by the respective inputs; and a display connected to each of said outputs.

Claim 10

An apparatus for testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a diffraction spectrum having lines corresponding to said basis metal and to each of said alloying elements; means for converting each of said lines into an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; means for integrating said signals and for forming respective integrated signals corresponding thereto; a plurality of comparators each having one input receiving one of said integrated signals corresponding to the line for a respective one of said alloying elements, another input receiving the integrated signal corresponding to the line for said basis metal, and an output carrying an output signal corresponding to the difference between the signals received by the respective inputs; a display connected to each of said outputs; and threshold circuits between each of said outputs and said display for feeding the respective output signal to said display only when the respective output signal lies without a predetermined range.

Claim 11

An apparatus for testing an alloy formed of a basis metal and a plurality of alloying elements, said apparatus comprising: means for generating a diffraction spectrum having lines corresponding to said basis metal and to each of said alloying elements; means for converting each of said lines into an electrical signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of the respective line; means for integrating said signals and for forming respective integrated signals corresponding thereto; a plurality of comparators each having one input receiving one of said integrated signals corresponding to the line for a respective one of said alloying elements, another input receiving the integrated signal corresponding to the line for said basis metal, and an output carrying an output signal corresponding to the difference between the signals received by the respective inputs; a display connected to each of said outputs; and threshold circuits between each of said outputs and said display for feeding the respective output signal to said display only when the respective output signal lies without a predetermined range.

Claim 16

A method of determining whether an alloy contains substantially the same proportion of a plurality of given alloying elements as a test piece, said method comprising the steps of: spectroscopically analyzing the alloy and generating a plurality of alloy reference signals each corresponding to the proportion of a respective alloying element in the alloy; establishing each of said reference signals as a respective reference level for a respective alloying element; spectroscopically analyzing the test piece and generating a plurality of alloy test signals each corresponding to the proportion of a respective alloying element in the test piece; comparing each of said test signals with the respective reference level for the same alloying element and generating difference signals each corresponding to the extent of variation in proportion of the respective element between the alloy and the test piece; and evaluating said difference signals.

Claim 17

A method of determining whether an alloy contains substantially the same proportion of a plurality of given alloying elements as a test piece, said method comprising the steps of: spectroscopically analyzing the alloy and generating a plurality of alloy reference signals each corresponding to the proportion of a respective alloying element in the alloy; establishing each of said reference signals as a respective reference level for a respective alloying element; spectroscopically analyzing the test piece and generating a plurality of alloy test signals each corresponding to the proportion of a respective alloying element in the test piece; comparing each of said test signals with the respective reference level for the same alloying element and generating difference signals each corresponding to the extent of variation in proportion of the respective element between the alloy and the test piece; and evaluating said difference signals.

Claim 18

A method of determining whether an alloy including a basis metal contains the same proportion of a plurality of alloying elements as a test piece containing substantially the same proportion of the basis metal as the alloy, said method comprising the steps of: generating from the alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a basis reference signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of said line of said basis metal and a plurality of alloy reference signals having respective signal levels corresponding to the respective intensities of said lines of said alloying elements; comparing said alloy reference signals with respective portions of said basis reference signal and generating a plurality of difference signals; varying each of said portions so as to minimize the respective difference signal and thereby establishing for each of said alloying elements a respective alloy ratio between the respective alloy reference signal and said basis reference signal; generating from the test piece a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a basis test signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of said line of said basis metal for said test piece and a plurality of alloy test signals having respective signal levels corresponding to the respective intensities of said lines of said alloying elements of said test piece; comparing said alloy test signals with respective proportions of said basis test signal and generating a plurality of test difference signals; setting the portions of said basis test signal with which said alloy test signals are compared in accordance with the alloy ratios for the respective alloying elements established for the alloy; and evaluating said test difference signals.

Claim 19

A method of determining whether an alloy including a basis metal contains the same proportion of a plurality of alloying elements as a test piece containing substantially the same proportion of the basis metal as the alloy, said method comprising the steps of: generating from the alloy a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a basis reference signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of said line of said basis metal and a plurality of alloy reference signals having respective signal levels corresponding to the respective intensities of said lines of said alloying elements; comparing said alloy reference signals with respective portions of said basis reference signal and generating a plurality of difference signals; varying each of said portions so as to minimize the respective difference signal and thereby establishing for each of said alloying elements a respective alloy ratio between the respective alloy reference signal and said basis reference signal; generating from the test piece a diffraction spectrum having a line corresponding to said basis metal and lines corresponding to each of said alloying elements; forming a basis test signal having a signal level corresponding to the intensity of said line of said basis metal for said test piece and a plurality of alloy test signals having respective signal levels corresponding to the respective intensities of said lines of said alloying elements of said test piece; comparing said alloy test signals with respective proportions of said basis test signal and generating a plurality of test difference signals; setting the portions of said basis test signal with which said alloy test signals are compared in accordance with the alloy ratios for the respective alloying elements established for the alloy; and evaluating said test difference signals.