Claims
- 1. A conveyor control assembly including a vehicle (12) which moves along rails (20) wherein said vehicle (12) is powered from rail voltages (18) and the rails are in isolated sections for applying different signals to each isolated section, said assembly comprising; a vehicle (12) including wheels (16) for mobility, a variable speed motor (14) within said vehicle (12) for rotating said wheels (16), a plurality of rails for supporting said vehicle (12), said plurality of rails including power rails (18) for supplying power to said motor (14), said assembly characterized by said plurality of rails including at least one command rail (20) independent from said power rails (18) for producing a bipolar digital command signal along said command rail (20) indicative of requested speed wherein the magnitude of each polarity establishes a portion of said requested speed, and control means (22) within said vehicle (12) for receiving said bipolar digital command signal and interpreting each polarity to produce binary coding representing said requested speed to drive said motor (14) to move said vehicle (12) to said requested speed.
- 2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said control means (22) including speed select means (92) for producing two bits of binary code from said command rail (20) to represent the requested speed.
- 3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by said speed select means (92) including optic isolators for preventing electrical noise to said vehicle (12).
- 4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 further characterized by said command rail (20) comprising a plurality of isolated sections of rail for providing a command signal on each of said sections of rails and isolated from said command signal on the next adjacent section.
- 5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 further including generating means (26) for supplying said command signals on the isolated sections of rail to move said vehicle (12) at various speeds wherein said command signal is one of a plurality of requested speeds which drives said motor (14) at various speeds dependent upon which of the separated sections of rail said vehicle (12) is within.
- 6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 further characterized by said generating means (26) includes a plurality of reverse and forward directional speeds for moving said vehicle (12) in the reverse and forward directions along the plurality of rails at one of said plurality of requested speeds.
- 7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 further characterized by said command rail (20) comprising at least two rails for transmitting a three bit coded signal and a forth bit for the reverse direction.
- 8. An assembly as set further in claim 6 further characterized by said generating means (26) including generating a polyphase signal on said rail (20) wherein each phase represents one bit and the polarity of all the phases represents an additional bit of binary coding.
- 9. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 further characterized by said control means (22) including override means for overriding and changing said requested speed to drive said motor.
- 10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 further characterized by said override means including command integration means for adjusting said command signal to adjust the speed of said vehicle (12) to produce a drive signal (32) to said motor (14).
- 11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 further characterized by said override means including run integration means (FIG. 3) for turning on and off said motor (14) responsive to said drive signal (32) of said command integration means.
- 12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 further characterized by said speed select means including digital reversing means.
- 13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 further characterized by said speed select means (92) including triac (164, 158) and resistive means (R167, R168) for limiting leakage current.
- 14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by said speed select means (92) including capacitive-resistive network (C6, R75, C7, R76, C8, R78, C9, R79) for producing a continuous signal from said digital command signal.
- 15. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 further characterized by said speed select means (92) including decoding means for decoding said bits of binary code (B1, B2, B3) to produce said speed select signal X) representative of requested speed.
- 16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 further characterized by said decoding means including multiplexing means (108) for receiving said bits of binary code (B1, B2, B3).
- 17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 further characterized by said decoding means including display means (110) for visually displaying said selected speed in response to said multiplexer means (108).
- 18. An assembly as set forth in claim 17 further characterized by said decoding means including binary to decimal decoder (114) for transposing the output of said multiplexing means (108) into a seven bit binary signal.
- 19. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 further characterized by said decoding means including speed switch means (116) for determining the speed associated with each of said seven bit binary signals.
- 20. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 further characterized by said decoding means including digital to analog converter (118) for producing said speed select signal (X) in response to said speed switch means (116).
- 21. An assembly as set forth in claim 20 further characterized by said decoding means including analog multiplexer means (112) for changing said bits of binary code into said speed select signal (X). PG,58
- 22. An assembly as set forth in claim 21 further characterized by said motor including an inverter (24) for driving said motor from said control means (22).
- 23. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 further characterized by said control means (22) including sensor input means (38, 40, 47) for sensing external activity, said input means including in que input (44) producing an in que signal (C) for short distance sensing, trip input (42) producing a trip input signal (M) for sensing overheating by over driving, and overload input (46) producing an overload input signal (D) for sensing overheating of said motor (14).
- 24. An assembly as set forth in claim 23 further characterized by said command integration means including tracking means for preventing less than a minimum distance between said vehicle (12) and an adjacent vehicle by controlling said command integration means.
- 25. An assembly as set forth in claim 24 further characterized by said tracking means including a range sensor (40) for measuring the distance to an adjacent vehicle.
- 26. An assembly as set forth in claim 25 further characterized by said tracking means including range fault means (54) for stopping said vehicle (12) when the input of said range sensor (40) is below a predetermined limit.
- 27. An assembly as set forth in claim 26 further characterized by said run integration means including a failure protection means (86) for stopping said vehicle (12) in response to a failure in said control means (22).
- 28. An assembly as set forth in claim 27 further characterized by said run integration means including a brake means for stopping said vehicle (12) in response to said command integration means and said run integration means.
- 29. An assembly as set forth in claim 28 further characterized by said run integration means including a motor monitor means (82) for actuating said brake means (80) when the speed of said motor (14) falls below a predetermined speed.
- 30. An assembly as set forth in claim 29 further characterized by said control means (22) including reversing means (88) for receiving said command signal and producing a reversing signal.
- 31. An assembly as set forth in claim 30 further characterized by said command integration means including adjustment means for adjusting said requested speed in response to said tracking means.
- 32. An assembly as set forth in claim 31 further characterized by said command integration means including manual operation means (74) for jogging said vehicle (12) forwards and backwards in response to grounding specified input terminals.
- 33. An assembly as set forth in claim 32 further characterized by said command integration means including in que integration means (78) for changing the output of said second adjustment mean in response to said in que input (44) producing said drive signal (32).
- 34. An assembly as set forth in claim 33 further characterized by said run integration means including signal control means (22) for turning OFF said motor (14) in response to said failure protection means (86) and said timer means (84) and said drive signal (32).
- 35. An assembly as set forth in claim 34 further characterized by said tracking means including deceleration means (52) for slowing said vehicle (12) when said vehicle (12) senses another vehicle (12) within at least one forward predetermined distance.
- 36. An assembly as set forth in claim 35 further characterized by said command integration means including stopping means (63) for producing stop signal (T) and for stopping said vehicle (12) when another vehicle is sensed within a stop distance, which is less than said forward predetermined distance, a que comparator (62) for receiving said range input (40) and stopping said vehicle (12).
- 37. An assembly as set forth in claim 36 further characterized by said deceleration means (52) including a first deceleration comparator (64) for receiving said range input to slow said vehicle (12) when within a first forward predetermined distance in the absence of activation of said spacing means (50), a second deceleration comparator (66) for receiving said range input to slow said vehicle (12) when within a second forward predetermined distance, a deceleration gate means (67) for allowing said vehicle (12) to pass in the absence of a change in the speed.
- 38. An assembly as set forth in claim 37 further characterized by said control integration means including deceleration enable means (70) for activating said deceleration means in response to said adjustment means (68, 72).
- 39. An assembly as set forth in claim 38 further characterized by said tracking means including spacing means (50) for maintaining a predetermined distance between said vehicle (12) and a adjacent trailing vehicle so that said vehicle will run at said requested speed and the adjacent trailing vehicle will vary its speed to maintain said predetermined distance.
- 40. An assembly as set forth in claim 39 further characterized by said spacing means (50) including leading comparator (56) means for receiving said range input signal to slow said vehicle (12) by a programmed percentage, base comparator (58) means for indicating lack of presence of another vehicles (12) and to run at said requested speed, lagging comparator (60) means for receiving said range input signal to increase the speed of said vehicle (12).
- 41. An assembly as set forth in claim 40 further characterized by said electrical command signal comprising a single phase digital signal having positive and negative halfwaves wherein each halfwave represents one bit of binary coding.
- 42. An assembly as set forth in claim 41 further characterized by said electrical command signal comprising a polyphase digital signal having halfwaves for each phase wherein each phase represents one bit of binary coding and the polarity of said phases represents an additional bit of binary coding.
- 43. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by including generating means (26) for supplying said command signal on said rail, said command signal comprising a single phase signal having a positive a negative half-wave wherein each half-wave represents one bit of binary coding.
- 44. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by including generating means (26) for supplying said command signal on said rail, said command signal comprising a polyphase signal having a half-wave at each phase wherein each halfwave represents one bit of binary coding and said half-waves being of the same polarity representing a bit of binary coding.
- 45. A conveyor control assembly including a vehicle (12) which moves along a rail (20), where said vehicles (12) receive an electrical signal from the rail (20), said assembly comprising; a vehicle (12) including wheels (16) for mobility, said vehicle (12) including control means for receiving a digital signal comprising a half-wave off the rail (20) and interpreting the magnitude of said half-wave to produce one bit of binary coding indicative of requested speed.
- 46. An assembly as set forth in claim 45 further characterized by said digital signal being of a predetermined phase and frequency.
- 47. An assembly as set forth in claim 46 further characterized by said digital signal comprising a polyphase signal having half-waves for each phase wherein each phase represents one bit of binary coding and the polarity of said phases represents an additional bit.
- 48. An assembly as set forth in claim 47 further characterized by said digital signal comprising three phases for producing a four bit binary code.
- 49. A conveyor control assembly including a vehicle (12) which moves along a track including conductive rail (20), wherein the vehicle (12) transmits a digital signal to the rail (20) the digital signal comprising opposite polarity half-waves wherein each polarity represents a bit of binary coding, said assembly comprising; a vehicle (12) including wheels (16) for mobility, said vehicle including transmitting means for transmitting a digital signal on a rail (20), said digital signal comprising a half-wave wherein the magnitude of said half-wave represents a bit of binary coding.
- 50. An assembly as set forth in claim 49 further characterized by said digital signal being of a predetermined phase and frequency and having positive and negative halfwaves.
- 51. An assembly as set forth in claim 49 further characterized by said digital signal comprising a polyphase signal having half-waves for each phase wherein each phase represents one bit of binary coding and the polarity of said phases represents an additional bit of binary coding.
- 52. An assembly as set forth in claim 51 further characterized by said digital signal comprising a three phase signal for producing four bits of binary coding.
- 53. An assembly as set forth in claim 49 further characterized by including sensing means (404) for sensing the absolute location of said vehicle (12) along the track, and said transmitting means receiving said absolute location and said digital signal indicative of said absolute location.
- 54. A conveyor control assembly including a vehicle (12) which moves along a rail (20), where said vehicles (12) receive an electrical signal from the rail (20), said assembly comprising: a vehicle (12) including wheels (16) for mobility; said vehicle (12) including control means for receiving a bipolar digital signal off the rail (20) comprising a half-wave for each polarity and interpreting the half-wave of each polarity to produce a two bit binary coding comprising a bit interpreted from the half-wave of each polarity.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 028,793 filed Mar. 23, 1987 pending.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Motor Control Circuit; IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, F. K. Allen; pp. 51-52, vol. 2, No. 5, Feb. 1960. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
28793 |
Mar 1987 |
|