Patent FR1235057A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4209258A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic continuous mixer apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1978-02-14
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Granted: 1980-06-24
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Expires: 1998-02-14
Abstract
Abstract Mixing apparatus comprises a continuous mixer supplied with ingredients by a plurality of speed controlled motor driven pumps and having flow meters providing signals representative of ingredient flow rates. A programmed digital computer controls the pump motors in response to any differences between actual flow rates and selected reference flow rates so as to maintain the actual flow rates substantially at the reference values. The reference values are set into thumb wheel switches on a control panel having devices for displaying the actual flow rates or the errors between the actual and the set-in rates, and a plurality of switches selectively settable to establish the mode of operation of the apparatus. The computer periodically determines the set-in flow rates and the switch settings and updates the information displayed on the panel. The computer also detects the occurrence of malfunctions and initiates actions to warn the operator thereof and to shut down the apparatus automatically if required remedial action is not taken by the operator in time.
Inventors
- 👤 W. Peter Oakes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:33
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D11/00; G05D11/02; G05D11/13; G05D11/131; G05D11/132; B; B01; B01F; B01F35/00; B01F35/20; B01F35/22; B01F35/2201; B01F35/2209; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/2496; Y10T137/2514
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
In fluid control apparatus including a conduit for a fluid and pumping means for impelling fluid along said conduit, the improvement comprising means for generating a sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous flow rate in said conduit, sampling means for periodically counting the number of said pulses generated per unit of time, means for generating a first signal that is a binary digital representation of the number of counts counted by said sampling means, manually settable means for generating a reference signal value representative of a selected flow rate, means generating a second signal that is a binary digital representation of the setting of said settable means and means jointly responsive to said first and second signals providing a difference signal for controlling said pumping means to maintain a predetermined relation between said pulse repetition rate and said reference value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
In fluid control apparatus including a conduit for a fluid and pumping means for impelling fluid along said conduit, the improvement comprising means for generating a sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous flow rate in said conduit, sampling means for periodically counting the number of said pulses generated per unit of time, means for generating a first signal that is a binary digital representation of the number of counts counted by said sampling means, manually settable means for generating a reference signal value representative of a selected flow rate, means generating a second signal that is a binary digital representation of the setting of said settable means and means jointly responsive to said first and second signals providing a difference signal for controlling said pumping means to maintain a predetermined relation between said pulse repetition rate and said reference value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
Fluid flow control apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the pulse sequence generating means comprises flow meter means in said conduit providing a mechanical output accurately representative of the instantaneous flow rate of the fluid in said conduit with means responsive to said mechanical output for generating a sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous flow rate in said conduit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
Fluid flow control apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which the output of the flow meter means is a shaft rotation representative of the flow rate in said conduit, which shaft rotation embodies an inherent periodic, undesired velocity modulation during each revolution, whereby the repetition rate of the pulses generated in response to said shaft rotation is correspondingly modulated, together with means for generating correction values to compensate for said undesired frequency modulation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
120 words
Fluid flow control apparatus as defined in claim 3 together with means providing an index pulse once each revolution in said shaft rotation, together with information storage means for storing a table of correction values to compensate for the inherent periodic velocity modulation of the flow meter shaft rotation, means jointly responsive to said index pulses and to said information storage means for synchronizing the pulses generated in response to the flow meter shaft rotation with the correction values stored in the information storage means, and means jointly responsive to the flow rate representative pulses and to the information storage means for applying corrections to the former to compensate for the inherent velocity modulation of the flow meter shaft rotation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
87 words
Fluid flow control apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which the output of the flow meter means is a shaft rotation that is representative of the flow rate in said conduit and the pulse generating means comprises a radiant energy source, a photosensitive device disposed to receive radiant energy from the source, and a disc connected to receive said shaft rotation and carrying a plurality of uniformly spaced indicia thereon, said disc being disposed to interrupt radiant energy passing from said source to said photosensitive device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
Fluid flow control apparatus as defined in claim 1 together with means for determining if the difference signal is smaller or larger than a predetermined value, means rendered operative for difference signals smaller than the predetermined value for effecting one form of control of said pumping means at a given rate, and means rendered operative for difference signals larger than the predetermined value for effecting a different form of control of said pumping means at a greater rate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
Fluid flow control apparatus according to claim 6 in which, for difference signals smaller than the predetermined value, the pumping means is controlled to effect small increments of change in fluid flow rate and, for difference signals greater than the predetermined value, the pumping means is controlled in accordance with an exponential function of the difference signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
158 words
In continuous automatic mixing apparatus including a mixer and adjustable flow rate pumping means for feeding at least one ingredient through a conduit to said mixer, the improvement comprising means generating a sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous rate of flow of said ingredient, sampling means for periodically counting the number of said pulses generated per unit of time, means for generating a first signal that is a digital representation of the number of pulses counted by said sampling means, manually settable means for generating a reference signal value representative of a desired flow rate for said one ingredient, means for generating a second signal that is a digital representation of the setting of said settable means, and means for subtracting said second and third signals to provide a difference signal for controlling said pumping means to maintain a predetermined relation between said actual flow rate and said desired flow rate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
158 words
In continuous automatic mixing apparatus including a mixer and adjustable flow rate pumping means for feeding at least one ingredient through a conduit to said mixer, the improvement comprising means generating a sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous rate of flow of said ingredient, sampling means for periodically counting the number of said pulses generated per unit of time, means for generating a first signal that is a digital representation of the number of pulses counted by said sampling means, manually settable means for generating a reference signal value representative of a desired flow rate for said one ingredient, means for generating a second signal that is a digital representation of the setting of said settable means, and means for subtracting said second and third signals to provide a difference signal for controlling said pumping means to maintain a predetermined relation between said actual flow rate and said desired flow rate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 8 together with digital signal information exhibiting means, and means operable selectively to connect the exhibiting means to exhibit information representing said second signal or information representing said difference signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
154 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 9 together with second adjustable flow rate pumping means for feeding a second ingredient through a second conduit to said mixer, second means for generating a second sequence of pulses having a repetition rate accurately representative of the actual instantaneous rate of flow of said second ingredient, second sampling means for periodically counting the number of said second sequence of pulses generated per unit of time, second manually settable means for generating a second reference value representative of a desired flow rate for said second ingredient, means for generating a fourth signal that is a digital representation of the number of counts counted by said second sampling means, means for generating a fifth signal that is a digital representation of the setting of said manually settable means, and means for subtracting said fourth and fifth signals to provide a second difference signal for controlling said second pumping means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 10 together with second digital information exhibiting means, and means operable selectively to connect the second information exhibiting means to exhibit information representing said fourth signal or information representing said second difference signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 11 together with means operable selectively to connect one of said information exhibiting means to exhibit information representing the sum of said second and fourth signals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 10 together with means selectively operable to connect said second manually settable means to generate a second reference value representative of a desired flow rate for said second ingredient that is a selected percentage of a desired preset flow rate for the first ingredient.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
83 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 10 in which said first and second manually settable means each includes means for temporary storage of the first and second reference values, respectively, generated thereby, and selectively operable means is provided for connecting said first and second manually resettable means to be resettable to different values while maintaining said third and fifth signal generating means effective to generate third and fifth signals representative, respectively, of said first and second reference values stored in said storage means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 14 in which the selectively operable means is actuatable to render said third and fifth signal generating means effective to generate third and fifth signals representative, respectively, of said different reference values.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 10 together with means rendered operative whenever the pulse count by one of said first and second sampling means drops below a specified value for actuating an alarm and preparing the apparatus for shutdown, and means rendered operative after continued operation of the apparatus under such condition for a predetermined interval of time for effecting shutdown of the apparatus.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
76 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 16 in which said shutdown effecting means includes means for stopping said first and second pumping means, means for introducing a solvent into said mixer for a specified period of time, means for introducing a gas into the mixer to create substantial turbulence therein, means for diverting the output of the mixer to a waste receiver, and means for stopping said mixer at the end of said specified time period.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 17 in which both said predetermined interval of time and said specified time period are adjustable.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 8 together with means rendered operative upon detection of an operating malfunction in said mixer for actuating an alarm and preparing the apparatus for shutdown.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 19 together with means rendered operative a predetermined time after actuation of said alarm for effecting shutdown of the apparatus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 20 in which said predetermined time is manually adjustable.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 20 together with means responsive to detection of a malfunction for providing a diagnostic indication thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 22 in which the means for actuating an alarm and preparing the apparatus for shutdown is rendered operative upon detection of an excessive temperature in the mixer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 20 in which said shutdown effecting means is rendered operative immediately upon detection of a catastrophic malfunction.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
Mixing apparatus as defined in claim 8 together with means rendered operative upon failure of the sampling means to reach a specified count within a selected time interval after the apparatus is first started for effecting shutdown of the apparatus.
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) | 1983-06-24 | 1983-12-24 | 1984-06-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-06-24 | 1987-12-24 | 1988-06-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-06-24 | 1991-12-24 | 1992-06-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |