Moisture detector

Apparatus for detecting the moisture content of material comprising:

• conductive conveyor means for receiving said material and moving the same in a first direction,
• a first conductor plate disposed in spaced facing relation to said material, and a plurality of second conductor plates disposed in spaced facing relation to said material in offset relation to the first conductor plate along said first direction so the major electrical path between said first conductor plate and each of said second conductor plates extends substantially along said material, said second conductor plates being positioned in locations spaced substantially across the path of said material as it moves in said first direction,
• energizing means coupled to said first plate for providing a voltage at said first plate with respect to a first reference potential reference and with respect to a second potential reference,
• detector circuits coupled to receive their respective inputs from the second conductor plates with respect to said first potential reference, each said detector circuit indicating moisture in said material substantially adjacent the second conductor plate to which the detector circuit is coupled,
• and means connecting said conductive conveyor means to said second potential reference.

Apparatus for detecting the moisture content of material comprising:

• a conductive conveyor for receiving said material and transporting the same in a first direction,
• first and second conductive plates disposed in spaced facing relation to said material on said conveyor and in offset relation to one another along said first direction for respectively providing capacitive coupling to moisture in said material,
• A.C. voltage source means providing an A.C. voltage connected to produce an alternating current signal along a circuit path including said plates and via capacitive coupling to said moisture in said material,
• detector means responsive to the alternating current signal in said circuit path for determining the moisture content according to the conductivity of said circuit path,
• a return path for completing a circuit to said source means at a potential reference differing from that of said conductive conveyor,
• and means for connecting said conductive conveyor to a second potential reference at said source means different from the A.C. voltage of said source means and said return path.

Apparatus for detecting the moisture content of material comprising:

• a conductive conveyor for receiving said material and transporting the same in a first direction,
• energizing means for providing a signal voltage difference between a first potential point and a second potential point with respect to said first potential point,
• means for connecting said conductive conveyor to said second potential point to provide a signal path to moisture in said material received and transported by said conveyor,
• conductive receiving plate means disposed in spaced facing relation to said material on said conveyor for providing capacitive coupling to moisture in said material,
• and a detector circuit for indicating moisture in said material, said detector circuit receiving an input from moisture in said material via said receiving plate means, said detector circuit being returned to said first potential point as a reference.

Apparatus for detecting the moisture content of material comprising:

• conductive conveyor means for receiving said material and moving the same in a first direction,
• energizing means for providing a signal voltage difference between a first potential point and a second potential point with respect to said first potential point,
• means for connecting said conductive conveyor means to said second potential point to provide a signal path to moisture in said material received and transported by said conveyor,
• a plurality of conductive receiving plate means disposed in spaced facing relation to said material for providing capacitive coupling to moisture in said material, said conductive receiving plate means being positioned in locations spaced substantially across the path of said material as it moves in said first direction,
• and a plurality of detector circuits coupled to receive respective inputs from said conductive receiving plate means with respect to said first potential point to which said detector circuits are returned as a reference, each said detector circuit indicating moisture in said material substantially adjacent the conductive receiving plate means to which the detector circuit is coupled.