US PATENT SUBCLASS 83 / 72
WITH MEANS TO MONITOR AND CONTROL OPERATION (E.G., SELF-REGULATING MEANS)

Current as of: June, 1999
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83 /   HD   CUTTING

72WITH MEANS TO MONITOR AND CONTROL OPERATION (E.G., SELF-REGULATING MEANS) {3}
73  DF  .~> Including means to monitor product
74  DF  .~> Including means to correct the sensed operation {2}
76  DF  .~> Including means to compensate tool speed for work-feed variations

DEFINITION

Classification: 83/72

(under the class definition) Apparatus, each of whose parts has a desired operating condition according to a law of operation; such apparatus being provided with a detector for sensing a deviation of a part(s) (or all of the apparatus) from its or their desired operating condition; and including means to modify - in response to a signal or impulse transmitted by said detector - (a) the cyclical operation of such part(s) (or the entire apparatus) to correct the deviated operating condition; and/or, (b) the normal cyclical operation of another part(s) to compensate for the deviated condition; whereby, in either event, the maintenance of a normal cyclical desired operating condition of the apparatus as a whole is achieved.

(1) Note. The sensing or detecting may be direct; i.e., by determining the operation of a component of the device (as, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 2,175,828, wherein a driven feed roller is coupled to a roller-speed detector); or may be indirect, i.e., by determining the result of the operation of a component of the device (as, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 1,961,538, wherein work is moved by feed rollers, indicia on the work are scanned stroboscopically to detect any variations in work speed imparted by the feed rollers, and such speed variations are eliminated by correcting the feed roller speed).

(2) Note. Merely stopping or starting a cyclic component of the device to effect the functioning thereof is not considered to be modifying the operation of a component. However, a regulating means, which accomplishes such modification of a cyclic operation, may itself be started or stopped (to effect the cyclic operation), in response to the detection of a deviation in the desired condition. (See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 2,023,243, wherein the leading edge of the work initiates the actuation of a regulating means, which means compares the position and speed of the entering work relative to the angular position and speed of a flying cutter and modifies the angular position of the cutter to compensate for the entrance timing of the work).

(3) Note. The imposition of a change upon a component by an operator (e.g., physical relocation of a component) is not considered a deviation within the meaning of the definition above. Thus, patents claiming means for detecting operator-imposed changes, and means to vary the operation of the device in response to detection of such changes, will be

found in other subclasses; e.g., subclasses 399+, below.

(4) Note. Detection of an irregularity in the work, which irregularity is not the result of a deviation in the desired operation, but is a part of the work, is not considered a deviation detection within the meaning of the definition above. Thus, devices claiming means to detect such irregularities and means to vary the operation of a cutting device in response to the detecting means, will be found in other subclasses; e.g., subclasses 360+, below.

(5) Note. For Search Note relating to other Control Functions, see the Notes in subclass 399, below. SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

226, Advancing Material of Indeterminate Length,

10+, for means to sense material and control the operation of material feeding means.