An encoding device includes two circular arrays of five equally spaced windings disposed in opposite relationships to sandwich a rotatable metallic disc provided with four openings. The openings are arranged such that, as the disc is rotated according to the measured decimal measurand, any two of them are always put between selected two pairs of opposite windings. With one of the winding arrays energized the selected two windings of the other array induce voltages indicating the measured measurand in the form of a set of two out of five codes. For the multifigure measurand, output windings one for each figure place can be serially interconnected while driving windings five for each place are sequentally energized through respective switching transistor to serially produce corresponding two-out-of-five codes from the output windings. Alternatively driving windings one for each place may be serially interconnected and successively energized through respective switching transistors while sets of corresponding output windings for all places are scanned for each place through individual transistors one for each set.
A digital position indication system for displaying the relative position of at least one movable element with respect to fixed known coordinates. A sensory system is provided for each movable element and is responsive to the element's position to provide discrete electrical outputs indicative thereof. The discrete electrical outputs are encoded in the form of a corresponding gray code. Two sensory groups per element are described, constructed in an interleaved array with the signals from each group processed separately in independent signal trains. The signals within the individual trains contain the information required to indicate the element's location within one-half of the overall resolution of the system. Each encoded signal is assigned an address and the information carried by the two trains are separately multiplexed through a system of independent interfaces to a control system which demultiplexes, periodically updates, and stores the information corresponding to each element. The control system combines the information conveyed by each train to provide full resolution of the element's position and organizes the resulting data for presentation on a visual pictorial display. A universal interface provides inputs compatible with most computers for further signal processing and monitoring. Additionally, a fault detection system is built into each train to monitor electrical malfunctions and block affected signals providing an error indication in its place. Thus, a malfunction in one train will not disable the system but will merely reduce the resolution of the position information conveyed.
A wheel is mounted on a rotating shaft and cooperates with at least one pair of inductors fixedly mounted in juxtaposition to the wheel. The wheel has at least one opening formed therein for generating a signal whenever the opening in the wheel is substantially aligned circumferentially with the pair of inductors. An electronic control circuit, responsive to the signal, actuates a remote meter for providing a remote indication of the shaft position. In a preferred embodiment, this improved sensing means is applied to the remote reading of a conventional household electric meter. Two pair of inductors are provided for cooperation with five equiangularly-spaced closed slots formed in the wheel, thereby providing ten signals (or counts) for each complete revolution of the wheel. The wheel is mounted on the shaft of the unit decade dial in the meter. The remote meter comprises a digital counter, responsive to the pulse generated by the electronic control circuit, for providing a remote digital read-out of the accumulated kilowatt hours on the meter.
An electromagnetic position indicator to continuously indicate the position of a linearly movable mobile, such as a nuclear reactor control rod, operatively connected to magnetic core means which vary the inductive coupling between primary and secondary windings. One of the windings, preferably the secondary winding comprises pairs of oppositely connected coils spaced apart in the direction of movement of the core means to improve the measurement precision. Analog or digital means may be provided to process the output signal.
An improved pick-up means for the remote monitoring of a rotating shaft, or a wheel mounted on the shaft, utilizes the inductive coupling effect between an aperture formed in an annular conductive member and at least one pair of coils or inductors fixedly mounted radially of the annular member. As applied to the remote monitoring of a standard electric service meter, the annular member comprises a metallic rim on the circumference of a plastic disc mounted on a shaft which is journaled within the top front panel of the meter, concentrically within the unit decade dial. Preferably, three inductors are employed, including first and second inductors and a third common inductor therebetween, thereby forming two pairs of inductors; and the signal is generated in the third common inductor whenever a respective aperture on the rim of the disc circumferentially bridges a respective pair of inductors at a predetermined position of the disc.
A wheel is mounted on a rotating shaft and cooperates with at least one pair of inductors fixedly mounted in juxtaposition to the wheel. The wheel has at least one opening formed therein for generating a signal whenever the opening in the wheel is substantially aligned circumferentially with the pair of inductors. An electronic control circuit, responsive to the signal, actuates a remote meter for providing a remote indication of the shaft position. In a preferred embodiment, this improved sensing means is applied to the remote reading of a conventional household electric meter. Two pair of inductors are provided for cooperation with five equiangularly-spaced closed slots formed in the wheel, thereby providing ten signals (or counts) for each complete revolution of the wheel. The wheel is mounted on the shaft of the unit decade dial in the meter. The remote meter comprises a digital counter, responsive to the pulse generated by the electronic control circuit, for providing a remote digital read-out of the accumulated kilowatt hours on the meter.
