Apparatus for monitoring the delivery of material

An apparatus for monitoring the unwinding of a length of material from a spool means as said material is drawn therefrom comprising:

• shaft means for accommodating and fixedly securing said spool means thereon, said shaft means comprising a rod dimensioned for insertion through said spool means and at least one clamp for fixedly securing said spool means to said rod;
• means for positioning said shaft means at a predetermined location relative to a supporting surface, said positioning means permitting the free rotation of said shaft about the longitudinal axis thereof, said positioning means comprising a housing, a suitable bearing assembly rotatably affixing said shaft means to said housing, a support being fixedly secured to said housing, said support for securing said housing to said supporting surface;
• means for providing a pulsed electrical signal upon rotation of said shaft means, said pulsed electrical means having at least one element thereof directly coupled to said shaft means for rotation as a result of the rotation of said shaft means, said pulsed electrical signal means comprising a disk fixedly secured to said shaft means, said disk having a plurality of apertures disposed therethrough and arranged so that each of said apertures passes through a preselected location upon rotation of said disk, light source means providing a beam of light directed through said apertures when each of said apertures are disposed at said preselected location, and light receptor means positioned to receive said light beam, said disk being disposed intermediate said light source and said receptor means, said light receptor means providing a pulsed electrical output as a result of the rotation of said shaft means and therefore said disk;
• control network means for receiving the output of said pulsed electrical signal means, said control network means comprising a two stage timing means, the input of the first stage of said timing means being coupled to the output of said pulsed electrical signal means, the output of said first stage of said timing means being coupled to the input of said second stage of said timing means, the output of said first stage of said timing means providing an electrical signal at a first level for a finite time when said shaft means rotates. Said first stage of said timing means providing at the output thereof an electrical signal at a second level when said shaft means rotates at a speed below said minimum preselected speed or if said shaft means stops, said output of said first stage of said timing means returning to said second level after said finite interval, said second stage of said timing means providing a signal at the output thereof if said signal of said first stage at said first level is not received thereby at a preselected interval;
• and
• switching means coupled to said output of said second stage of said timing means, said switching means changing condition upon receipt of said signal at said output of said second stage of said timing means, said switching means adapted to shut off power to an electrical apparatus performing work on said material, said electrical apparatus pulling said material from said spool means when said electrical apparatus is in an operating mode, said switching means simultaneously shutting off power to said electronic control means and to said electrical apparatus means;
• and
• means being provided for manually resetting said switching means to reactivate said control network means and said electrical apparatus.