Width utilization prompter/monitor system for wide-belt abrasive machines

In a wide belt abrasive surface treating apparatus having a frame supporting a conveyor with drive means and an endless belt with a drive axis and a top flight for transporting workpieces along said top flight from an infeed end to a discharge end with at least one workpiece treating station operationally positioned between said ends and having a wide abrasive belt operatively superimposed adjacent said top flight for contacting and surface abrading workpieces being transported thereon;

• the improvement comprising:
• (a) an abrasive belt use monitor system operatively coupled to said wide belt abrasive surface treating apparatus, said belt use monitor system comprising an array of individual axially spaced apart signal generating workpiece sensors operatively positioned across the width of said belt and transverse to said drive axis, with each sensor creating a signal in response to the presence of a workpiece moving along a certain predetermined corresponding segment of said conveyor belt;
• (b) readout means for receiving signals from each of said sensors, with each readout means including a readout indicator responsive to a selected one of said sensors;
• (c) data processing means coupled to said readout means and said sensors, said data processing means being adapted to:
• (1) determine the accumulative duration of time that each sensor operably detects the presence of a workpiece at said corresponding segment of said conveyor belt;
• (2) compare the respective accumulative times among each of said sensors to define a cumulative time range limit;
• and
• (3) generate and deliver signals to said readout means for operable indication thereat of accumulated time differentials of respective said sensors with respect to such range limit.