Control system for metering pump and method

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a speed of a motor of a metering pump providing pressurized fluid at a dispensing gun. The dispensing gun is opened and closed to dispense fluid onto a substrate being carried by a conveyor past the dispensing gun. The apparatus has a pressure control producing first motor speed signals as a function of changing speeds of the conveyor and changing fluid pressures in the dispensing gun when the dispensing gun is open. A flow control produces second motor speed signals as a function of the changing speeds of the conveyor. During changes in conveyor velocity, a motor speed control provides the first motor speed signal to the pump motor which operates the motor at speeds causing the pump to provide fluid to the dispensing gun at pressures changing at a rate tracking a rate of change of the speed of the conveyor. When full conveyor speed is detected, the motor speed control provides the second motor speed signal to the pump motor which operates the motor at speeds determined by the full conveyor speed. In addition, there are methods for generating pressure related and conveyor speed related motor speed signals and automatically switching between those signals as a function of the conveyor speed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.