Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for counting turns when making threaded joints including an increased resolution turns counter

US4446745A · kind A · utility

83Cited by
5References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 10, 1981
Grant dateMay 8, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 10, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/53687
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the number of turns made and the torque applied during the operation of making a threaded joint includes a high resolution turns counter. The turns counter senses the rotation of a member of the joint and generates a pulsed signal, each pulse representing a predetermined increment of rotation. The turns counter includes an idler wheel driven by one member of the joint and in turn driving an encoder which generates a relatively large number of pulses per revolution of the idler wheel. A presettable divide-by-N circuit is utilized to divide the encoder pulses to generate a pulse train to a monitoring and control apparatus for indicating whether a good or a bad joint has been made. The divide-by-N counter can be preset to generate a predetermined number of pulses per revolution of the joint member or pulses representing a predetermined percentage of a total number of turns to be made.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.