Angular motion detection apparatus
AssigneeBurroughs Corporation
InventorsDewie E. Black, Donald F. Fabry, Thaddeus Dombrowski
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Abstract
An apparatus for automatically detecting angular motion of a test object, such as a clutch output, utilizing photoelectric devices in combination with helically apertured light shutters, the electric outputs of the photoelectric devices being interpreted by analog logic. Provision is made for a predetermined number of warm-up rotations of the test object to assure normal working conditions, for a predetermined reference threshold of detected motion, for controlled sequencing of the test object for testing for motion at various predetermined angular positions, and for determining malfunctioning of the test sequencing control.
Claims10
In an apparatus for detecting angular motion of a rotatable member, said apparatus including means for providing a path of light emissions, and light detecting means responsive to said path of light emissions for providing an electrical output corresponding to the detected emissions, the improvement comprising:
- stationary optically apertured means disposed in said path of light emissions said stationary optically apertured means having a pattern radiating helically from a point on said stationary optically apertured means outward of alternating light permeable and opaque areas;
- and
- rotatable optically apertured means disposed in said path of light emissions and coupled to said rotatable member for rotation therewith, said rotatable optically apertured means having a pattern radiating helically from the axis of rotation of said rotatable optically apertured means outward of alternating light permeable and opaque areas, said helical patterns interacting in said path of light emissions for continuously varying the amount of light from said path detected by said light detecting means in response to rotation of said rotatable optically apertured means relative to said stationary optically apertured means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.