Claims
- 1. A system for controlling a plurality of motors comprising starting circuitry for sequentially starting said motors in accord with a predetermined cyclic motor order, and stopping circuitry for sequentially stopping said motors in accord with said cyclic motor order; said starting circuitry comprising a master starting control circuit for respectively developing first and second states in response to the sensed presence and absence of a predetermined first condition, a plurality of motor control starting circuits which are coupled to and operate under the control of said master starting control circuit for starting the respective motors, and a plurality of starting circuit conditioning circuits which are coupled to and for conditioning the respective motor control starting circuits to respond sequentially to successive developments of said first state, said starting circuit conditioning circuits being coupled to said master starting control circuit and operating under the control thereof to respond to second state developments by said master starting control circuit; and said stopping circuitry comprising a master stopping control circuit for respectively developing third and fourth states in response to the sensed presence and absence of a predetermined second condition, a plurality of motor control stopping circuits which are coupled to and operate under the control of said master stopping control circuit for stopping the respective motors, and a plurality of stopping circuit conditioning circuits which are coupled to and for conditioning the respective motor control stopping circuits to respond sequentially to successive developments of said third state, said stopping circuit conditioning circuits being coupled to said master stopping control circuit and operating under the control thereof to respond to fourth state developments by said master stopping control circuit.
- 2. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 1 wherein said master starting control circuit comprises first sensing means for sensing the presence and absence of said first condition, first master control means which is coupled to said first sensing means for respectively developing said first and second states in response to the sensed presence and absence of said first condition thereby, and first timing means for controlling said first master control means to develop its second state for a limited time interval during a prolonged sensed presence of said first condition and which is coupled to said first master control means to respond after the development of said first state for a predetermined time period; each one of said motors is associated with a respect one of said motor control starting circuits, and a respective one of said starting circuit conditioning circuits; said one motor control starting circuit comprises first relay means for energizing said one motor, and first circuit means which is coupled to said first relay means and said first master control means for energizing said first relay means; said one starting circuit conditioning circuit comprises second relay means which is coupled to said first circuit means for conditioning said first circuit means for response to a first state development by said first master control means, and second circuit means which is coupled to said second relay means and said first master control means for energizing said second relay means, said second circuit means being conditioned for response to a second state development by said first master control means when said one motor is de-energized and the motor next preceding said one motor in said cyclic order is energized and comprising means coupled to said first relay means for enabling and disabling said second circuit means when said first relay means is respectively de-energized and energized, and means coupled to the first relay means of the motor control starting circuit associated with said next preceding motor for enabling and disabling said second circuit means when the first relay means of the motor control starting circuit associated with said next preceding motor is respectively energized and de-energized.
- 3. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 2 wherein said master stopping control circuit comprises second sensing means for sensing the presence and absence of said second condition, second master control means which is coupled to said second sensing means for respectively developing said third and fourth states in response to the sensed presence and absence of said second condition thereby, and second timing means for controlling said second master control means to develop its fourth state for a limited time interval during a prolonged sensed presence of said third condition and which is coupled to said second master control means to respond after the development of said third state for a predetermined time period; said one motor is associated with a respective one of said motor control stopping circuits, and a respective one of said stopping circuit conditioning circuits; said one more control stopping circuit is coupled to said second master control means and comprises third relay means which is coupled to said one motor control starting circuit and said one starting circuit conditioning circuit for de-energizing said second relay means and the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit; and said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit comprises fourth relay means which is coupled to said one motor control stopping circuit for conditioning said one motor control stopping circuit for response to a third state development by said second master control means, and third circuit means which is coupled to said fourth relay means and said second master control means for energizing said fourth relay means, said third circuit means being conditioned for response to a fourth state development by said second master control means when said one motor is energized and said next preceding motor is de-energized and comprising means coupled to the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit for enabling and disabling said third circuit means when the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit is respectively energized and de-energized, and means coupled to the first relay means of the motor control starting circuit associated with said next preceding motor for enabling and disabling said third circuit means when the first relay means of the motor control starting circuit associated with said next preceding motor is respectively de-energized and energized.
- 4. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 3 wherein said one motor control starting circuit comprises fourth circuit means for maintaining the energized condition of the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit and which is coupled to the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit for response when the first relay means of said one motor control starting circuit is energized; said one starting circuit conditioning circuit comprises fifth circuit means for maintaining the energized condition of said second relay means and which is coupled to said second relay means for response when it is energized; said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit comprises sixth circuit means for maintaining the energized condition of said fourth relay means and which is coupled to said fourth relay means for response when it is energized; and said sixth circuit means comprises means for disabling the sixth circuit means and which is coupled to the fourth relay means of the stopping circuit conditioning circuit associated with the motor next succeeding said one motor in said cyclic order for response when the fourth relay means of the stopping circuit conditioning circuit associated with said next succeeding motor is energized.
- 5. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 1 wherein each one of said motors is associated with a respective one of said motor control starting circuits, and a respective one of said starting circuit conditioning circuits; said one motor control starting circuit comprises a first component for energizing said one motor, first "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said first component for energizing said first component and which has a first input that is coupled to said master starting control circuit, and a second input; and said one starting circuit conditioning circuit comprises second components with an output that is coupled to said second input for conditioning said first "and" circuit means to respond to a first state development by said master starting control circuit, second "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said second component for energizing said second component, said second "and" circuit means being conditioned for response to a second state development by said master starting control circuit when said one motor is de-energized and the motor next preceding said one motor in said cyclic order is energized and having a first input that is coupled to said master starting circuit, a second input that is coupled to an output of said first component for enabling and disabling said second "and" circuit means when said first component is respectively de-energized and energized, and a third input that is coupled to an output of the first component of the motor control starting circuit associated with said next preceding motor for enabling and disabling said second "and" circuit means when the first component of the motor control starting circuit of said next preceding motor is respectively energized and de-energized.
- 6. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 5 wherein said one motor is associated with a respective one of said motor control stopping circuits and a respective one of said stopping circuit conditioning circuits; said one motor control stopping circuit comprises third components with an output that is coupled to said one motor control starting circuit and said one starting circuit conditioning circuit for de-energizing said second component and the first component of said one motor control starting circuit, third "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said third component for energizing said third component and which has a first input that is coupled to said master stopping control circuit, and a second input; and said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit comprises fourth components with an output that is coupled to the second output of said third "and" circuit means for conditioning said third "and" circuit means to respond to a third state development by said master stopping control circuit, and fourth "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said fourth component for energizing said fourth component, said fourth "and" circuit means being conditioned for response to a fourth state development by said master stopping control circuit when said one motor is energized and said next preceding motor is de-energized and having a first input that is coupled to said master stopping control circuit, a second input that is coupled to an output of said first component for enabling and disabling said second "and" circuit means when said first component is respectively energized and de-energized, and a third input that is coupled to an output of the first component of the motor control starting circuit of said next preceding motor for enabling and disabling said second "and" circuit means when the first component of the motor control starting circuit of said next preceding motor is respectively de-energized and energized.
- 7. A system for controlling a plurality of motors in accord with claim 6 wherein said one motor control starting circuit comprises fifth "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said first component for maintaining the energized condition of said first component, said fifth "and" circuit means being responsive when said first means is energized and said third component is de-energized and having a first input that is coupled to an output of said first component for enabling and disabling said fifth "and" circuit when said first component is energized and de-energized respectively, and a second input that is coupled to the output of said third component for enabling and disabling said fifth "and" circuit when said third component is de-energized and energized respectively; said one starting circuit conditioning circuit comprises sixth "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said second component for maintaining the energized condition of said second component, said sixth "and" circuit means being responsive when said second component is energized and said third component is de-energized and having a first input that is coupled to the output of said third component for enabling and disabling said sixth "and" circuit when said third component is de-energized and energized respectively, and a second input that is coupled to the output of said third component for enabling and disabling said fifth "and" circuit when said third component is de-energized and energized, respectively; and said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit comprises seventh "and" circuit means with an output that is coupled to said fourth component for maintaining the energized condition of said fourth component, said seventh "and" circuit means being responsive when said fourth component is energized and the fourth component of the stopping circuit conditioning circuit of the motor next succeeding said one motor in said cyclic order is de-energized and having a first input that is coupled to an output of the fourth component of said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit for enabling and disabling said seventh "and" circuit when the fourth component of said one stopping circuit conditioning circuit is energized and de-energized, and a second input that is coupled to an output of the fourth component of the stopping circuit conditioning circuit associated with said next succeeding motor for enabling and disabling said seventh "and" circuit when the fourth component of the stopping circuit conditioning circuit associated with said next succeeding motor is respectively de-energized and energized.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 941,324, filed Sept. 11, 1978 now abandoned and entitled An Automatic Sequence Control System.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
941324 |
Sep 1978 |
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