Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1981-09-23
1983-08-30
Ruggiero, Joseph F.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
33366, 114126, 114275, 318640, 318648, 364434, 364559, G05D 108, B63B 122
Patent
active
044018886
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of level sensing controls and more particularly relates to a sensor and controls for automatically sensing an off-level or off-vertical attitude and automatically signaling corrections.
2. Background Art
Boats, particularly vessels of small and medium size, are quite susceptible to roll and pitch when under way due to changes in course or speed, passenger loading or shifting, waves, currents, and winds. Those vessels which are equipped with trim tabs may require constant corrections to the position of the trim tabs in order to maintain the vessel in a desirable attitude. Accordingly, it is and has been a source of irritation and frustration to boat operators to be engaged in continual manual correction of the vessel's trim. In fact, continuous manual correction is impractical, especially when the vessel is constantly rolling either to port or starboard or the fore/aft plane needs to be corrected. Additionally, there are other applications for level sensing such as for example oil drilling platforms, under water cable-laying and bull-dozer and grader blade angles which require accurate indication of off-horizontal and/or off-vertical conditions for effective operation.
There is presently no known working unit on the market which automatically controls trim tab conditions. Among those systems which have made attempts at automatic control, some have failed because they would sense only one negative condition in the vessel's attitude at a time. Another short-coming has been that in the event of a severe planing and listing condition in the vessel at the same time, then there might be no correction whatsoever. On other units, if the trim tabs were correcting a bow plane attitude with both tabs full down, then there was no travel left in the tabs for correcting list. Certainly there has been no known system of preferential correction, as for example starboard/port listing before fore/aft attitude correction. There has been an attempt at trim tab control with mercury switches but the reaction characteristics are almost totally random and therefore not predictable. There has been in the mercury switch approach no dampening or means by which to prevent over-reacting of the controls which in rough water could be nearly chaotic. The fact that prior art devices have been incapable of reading more than one negative attitude at a time, that is a starboard or port list or an off plane condition, that even if sensed, the unit would respond at random without giving priority to one correction first. An additional part of the problem has been that there is no specific control over the time period of correction or control over the response time to prevent overcorrection. There are also no known level sensing devices for applications other than boats in which an off-horizontal and/or off vertical attitude is sensed and correcting signals generated a response to the conditions detected.
Among the prior art devices which are known as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,344; 3,695,204; and 3,777,694, none of which references are anticipatory of the instant invention.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Automatic control system for boat trim tabs which includes a sensor and switching mechanism which provides simultaneous list and planning signals for vessel attitude corrections. The sensor and signal generating system is also adaptable to other uses. Signals from the sensing and switching device are amplified and then directed to switching relays for the trim tabs. A sequencer circuit times the period for which a correction is made and allows only one dorrection at a time. If additional correction is needed, it will be sensed and the correction made during the next cycle of the timer circuit. By cycling the controls over compensation or correction is avoided. The signals from the sensor are enabled by the sequencer and, as permitted by the sequencer, are directed to relays for actuation of the appropriate trim tab. The system provides an override switch to eliminate bow, stern correction
REFERENCES:
patent: 3156209 (1964-11-01), Ask
patent: 3695204 (1972-10-01), Bennett
patent: 3777694 (1973-12-01), Best
West Donald O.
West Richard D.
Garrison David L.
Quentron, Inc.
Ruggiero Joseph F.
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