A device which enables a person to record the location of measurements made by a hand held nonconducting probe is described. The hand probe is coupled to a linear potentiometer and a sine-cosine potentiometer by means that varies the output of the linear potentiometer proportional to the distance between the hand probe and the linear potentiometer and that varies the output of the sine-cosine potentiometer proportional to the angular movement of the hand probe relative to the sine-cosine potentiometer. The output of the linear potentiometer is applied directly to one input of the sine-cosine potentiometer and is applied through an inverter to the other input or the sine-cosine potentiometer. The cosine and sine outputs of the sine-cosine potentiometer are applied to the X and Y outputs, respectively, of an X-Y recorder

Flagge, B.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

REPLY TO
ATTN OF: GP
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20546
SEP 2 4 1974
TO: KSI/Scientific & Technical Information Division
Attn: Miss Winnie M. Morgan
FROM: GP/Office of Assistant General
Counsel for Patent Matters
SUBJECT: Announcement of NASA-Owned U.S. Patents in STAR
In accordance with the procedures agreed upon by Code GP
and Code KSI, the attached NASA-owned U.S. Patent is being
forwarded for abstracting and announcement in NASA STAR.
The following information is provided:
U.S. Patent No.
Government or
Corporate Employee
Supplementary Corporate
Source (if applicable)
NASA Patent case No.
v
NOTE - If this patent covers an invention made by a corporate
employee of a NASA Contractor, the following is applicable:
YES /—7 NO
Pursuant to Section 305(a) of the National Aeronautics and
Space- Act, the name of the Administrator of NASA appears on
the first page of the patent; however, the name of the actual
inventor (author) appears at the heading of column No. 1 of
the Specification, following the words '^ ...with respect to
an invention of ..."
Bonnie L. Woerner
Enclosure
SK
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19740024764 2020-03-19T16:31:33+00:00Z
United States Patent
Flagge
[ i i ] 3,832,781
[45] Sept. 3, 1074
[54] MEASURING PROBE POSITION
RECORDER
175 | Inventor: Bruce Flagge, Yorktown, Va.
173 | Assignee: The United States of America as
represented by the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration, Washington, D.C.
[22] Filed: Jan. 12, 1973
[21] Appl. No.: 322,998
[52] U.S. Cl 33/23 R, 33/1 M, 338/89,
340/347 AD, 346/33 R
[51] Int. Cl GOlb 7/28, GOld 5/16
[58] Field of Search 346/29, 33 R; 178/18, 19,
178/20; 33/1 M, 23 B, 23 R, 174 L; 340/347
AD; 235/189, 186; 338/89, 90, 91
[56] References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS
3,122,673 2/1964 Dutton et al 338/89 X
3,182,339 5/1965 Price 33/23
3,500,379 3/1970 Gibbons et al 340/347 AD
3,561,125 2/1971 Zeidler 33/174 L
Primary Examiner—Joseph W. Hartary
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Howard J. Osborn; William
H. King; John R. Manning
[57] ABSTRACT
This invention is a device for enabling a person to re-
cord the locations of measurements made by a hand-
held noncontacting probe. Thq hand probe is coupled
to a linear potentiometer and a sine-cosine potentiom-
eter by means that varies the output of the linear po-
tentiometer proportional to the distance between the
hand probe and the linear potentiometer and that va-
ries the output 'of the sine-cosine potentiometer pro-
portional to the angular movement of the hand probe
relative to the sine-cosine potentiometer. The output
of the linear potentiometer is applied directly to one
input of the sine-cosine potentiometer and is applied
through an inverter to the other input or the sine-
cosine potentiometer. The cosine and sine outputs of
the sine-cosine potentiometer are applied to the X and
Y outputs, respectively, of an X-Y recorder. Hence,
as the hand probe moves over a model the stylus on
the X-Y recorder makes corresponding moves over
the X-Y recorder. Consequently, the person using the
hand probe can move the probe along the outline of
the model causing a similar outline to be reproduced
on the X-Y recorder. Then the person can make
structural measurements on the model and when inter-
esting measurements are made, he can, with the aid of
the stylus, mark the points on the recorded outline
where these measurements are made.
1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures
LINEAR
POTENTIOMETER
17
MOTOR
SINE-COSINE
POTENTIOMETER
18
29
-r
^
I:
i !
^\
XY RECORDER
30
MODEL
(NASA-Case-LflR-10806-1) MEASURING PROBE
POSITION RECORDER Patent (NASA) 3 p
CSCL 14B
00/14
N74-32877
Unclas
47516
PATENTEOSEP3 io?4
SHECM OF 2
3,832,781
10
o
cc
UJ
CM CM oa.
PATENTEDSEP3 1974
SHEET 2 OF 2
3,832,781
IDto
•
 v
-
•
\
\L
ro
tr.
ui-
cr ^
2 o
z »-
o.
- i
•+-"-! 2i J 1 K
^o
•
O
HH
io
.— ^
) %v L J
> -<4s. 1 "/'
— F ! 'NT-
<f LJ
to
IO
CMto
Ul
z
OT
OO
U
Z
(E
U
H
Z
o
z
UI
1-
o
a.
m
O
.
CM
a:
UJt-
ac
ui
•* ^A/^J
3,832,781
1 2
MEASURING PROBE POSITION RECORDER In a second embodiment of the invention a mounting
noii-iKi /->c TUC ixn/cKirrrkXT means is attached to the shaft of the sine-cosine poten-
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION tiometer. In this embodiment, the coupling means is a
The invention described herein was made by an em- rigid means which is mounted on the mounting means
ployee of the United States Government and may be 5 so as to impart a rotation to the shaft of the sine-cosine
manufactured and used by or for the Government for potentiometer whenever the hand probe moves angu-
governmental purposes without the payment of any .larly with respect to the potentiometer. The linear po-
royalties thereon or therefor. tentiometer is also mounted on the mounting means
with a sprocket wheel that meshes with a chain that is
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ,0 attached to the ngjd means. Consequently, when the
The invention relates generally to recorders and hand probe moves either away from or toward the
more specifically concerns a recorder for recording the mounting means, the chain imparts a rotation to the
locations of measurements made by a hand-held non- sprocket which varies the linear potentiometer.
contacting probe. . . , _ . ' ,, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Displacement measurements of structural vibrations ID
have only recently been possible using a hand-held FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment
noncontacting probe. Information on peak and mini- of tne invention;
mum vibration locations at different exciting frequen- FIG 2 is a schematic top view of the first embodi-
cies is helpful in a study of a structure. In the past, to ment of the invention;
obtain this information the investigators have drawn on 20 F10- 3 is a schematic drawing of the electrical circuit
the model or made band sketches of the model modes. used bv the invention;
This invention is a device which enables the investiga- FIG- 4 is a schematic side view of a second embodi-
tor to draw an outline of the model with an X-Y re- ment of the '"vention; and
corder and then locate on the outline drawing points of „ ^ 5 is a schematic end view of the second embodi-
interest. The device gives the investigator an accurate 25 ment of ">* 'nvention.-
fix on the location, at any time, of the hand-held non- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
contacting probe. . , .. , , .Turning now to the first embodiment of the invention
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION selected for illustration in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing,
The invention includes a means for coupling a hand- 3° the number 11 designates a noncontacting hand-held
held noncontacting probe to a linear potentiometer and Probe' Attached l° the.end off Prob' "^ V^*™ A
a sine-cosine potentiometer that varies the output of for «™>ving over the surface of a model 13. Connected
the linear potentiometer proportional to the distance tosensor 12 ,s a transducer 14 for producing an electn-
. . .. . . , * .
K
. .. . .. cal signal proportional to the distance between sensorbetween the hand probe and the linear potenUometer
 35 12 * J^. ^ out t of t^^er 14 is mea-
and that vanes the output of the sme-cosme potentiom-
 sured g meter lg H^ ^ m investi moves
eter proportional to the angular movement of the hand
 sensQr (2 Qver ^ surface rf modd J3 * meam Qf
probe relative to the sine-cosine potentiometer. The ^
 n he can ^ the readi on met(?r 15<
output of the linear potentiometer is applied directly to
 Han(J ^ j j js ^ to ^ shaft ,fi rf a ,inear
one of the inputs of the sine-cosine potentiometer and 40 p0tentiometer 17 by means of a spool 19 on the end of
is applied through an inverter to the other input of the
 the shaft ^  a flexib,e member guch „ a strj 18 The
sine-cosine potentiometer. The cosine and sine outputs
 shaft of a motor 2fl fa Ied to shaft 16 b means of
of the sine-cosine potentiometer are applied to the X
 a be,t 21 to maintain a constant tension on string 18.
and Y inputs, respectively, of an X-Y recorder. Conse- Consequently, as hand-probe 11 moves away from the
quently, the stylus of the X-Y recorder assumes posi- 45 ,inear potentiometer 17 string 18 turns shaft 16 in the
tions on the X-Y recorder corresponding to the posi-
 direction to increase the output of the potentiometer;
tions of the hand probe as it moves over a model.
 and ^ probe n moves in ^e direction of linear poten-
In one embodiment of the invention the coupling
 tiometer 17, motor 20 by means of belt 21, turns shaft
means is a flexible string that is wound around the shaft jg
 m t|,e direction to rewind string 18 on spool 19
of the linear potentiometer. The shaft of the linear po- 50
 tnereby decreasing the output of linear potentiometer
tentiometer is coupled to a motor which maintains a 17.
constant tension on the string. Hence, as the hand Located between hand probe 11 and potentiometer
probe moves away from the linear potentiometer the n js a sine-cosine potentiometer 22 having a shaft 23.
output of the linear potentiometer is increased and as Attached to shaft 23 for rotation therewith is a rigid
the hand probe moves toward the linear potentiometer 55 elongated member 24 that extends in the direction of
the output of the linear potentiometer is decreased. hand probe 11. Elongated member 24 can be, for ex-
Since the motor maintains a constant tension on the ample, a piece of channel iron with small openings in
string, when the output of the linear potentiometer is its ends through which string 18 passes. Thus, as probe
decreased the string is rewound on the shaft of the po- 11 moves angularly relative to sine-cosine potentiom-
tentiometer. In this embodiment an elongated, rigid eter 22, string 18 exerts force against member 24 which
member is attached to the shaft of the sine-cosine po- turns shaft 23 of sine-consine potentiometer 22 thereby
tentiometer with the string extending through the elon- providing sine and cosine outputs proportional to the
gated member such that as the hand probe moves angu- angular movement of probe 11. The cosine and sine
larly with respect to the sine-cosine potentiometer the
 65 outputs of sine-cosine potentiometer 22 are applied to
string applies a force to the elongated rigid member the X and Y inputs, respectively, of an X-Y recorder
thereby causing the shaft of the sine-cosine potentiom- 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the slider output of potentiom-
eter to follow the angular motion of the hand probe. eter 17 is applied directly to one of the inputs of poten-
3,832,781
tiometer 22 and is applied through an inverter 26 to the
other input of potentiometer 22. The slider outputs 27
and 28 of potentiometer 22 are applied to the inputs of
the X-Y recorder 25. Therefore, if hand probe 11 is
moved to extend string 18 by a length L and to rotate 5
potentiometer 22 through an angle 0, the X input to
X-Y recorder 25 would be L cosine 6 and the Y input
to recorder 25 would be L sine 0 which would be the
two coordinates of the sensing element 12.
In the operation of this invention the investigator 10
moves the hand probe 11 along the periphery of model
13'which causes an outline 29 of the model to be drawn
on the X-Y recorder 25 by means of a stylus 13. The
investigator then makes measurements on model 13
and when he discovers or makes an interesting reading 15
that he wants to make a record of, he causes stylus 13
to make a dot within the outline 29 on recorder 25
thereby making a permanent record of the location of
the interesting reading.
In the second embodiment of the invention selected 20
for illustration in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a
mounting means 31 mounted for rotation on the shaft
of a sine-cosine potentiometer 32. -A rigid member 33
such as a piece of angle iron is mounted on mounting
means 31 by means of wheels 34 and 35 which allow 25
the rigid member to move back and forth on the wheels
relative to the mounting means 31. Also mounted on
mounting means 31 is a linear potentiometer 36 which
has its shaft coupled to a sprocket wheel 37. A chain
38 is attached to rigid member 33 such that the teeth 30
of sprocket wheel 37 mesh with the chain. Attached at
one end of rigid member 38 is a hand probe which is
not shown in the drawings. Hence, as the operator
moves the hand probe back and forth, sprocket wheel
37 is rotated which varies the output of linear potenti- 35
ometer 36. Also, as the position of the hand probe va-
ries angularly with respect to sine-cosine potentiometer
32, the rigid member 33 rotates mounting means 31 on
the shaft of the sine-cosine potentiometer thereby vary-
ing its output. The other parts of this embodiment of 40
the invention are exactly the same as the first embodi-
ment of the invention described above.
The advantage of this invention is that it enables the
investigator to draw the model shape with an X-Y re-
corder and then locate on the drawing points of inter- 45
est.
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by
Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. Apparatus for making a sketch of a model and for
marking on the sketch the locations of interesting
measurements made on the model by a hand-held non-
contacting measuring probe comprising:
an X-Y recorder having an X input and a Y input;
a sine-cosine potentiometer with its cosine and sine
slider outputs connected to the X input and Y in-
put, respectively, of said X-Y recorder;
an inverter;
a linear potentiometer means for producing at its
slider output a voltage that is directly proportional
to the position of the slider and with its slider out-
put connected directly to one of the inputs of said
sine-cosine potentiometer and connected through
said inverter to the other input of'said sine-cosine
potentiometer; and
means coupled to said hand probe and to the sliders
of said linear and sine-cosine potentiometers for
varying the position on the slider of said linear po-
tentiometer means proportional to distance be-
tween said hand probe and said linear potentiom-
eter means and for varying the position of the slider
outputs of said sine-cosine potentiometer propor-
tional to the angular movement of said hand probe
relative to said sine-cosine potentiometer;
wherein said means coupled to said hand probe, and
to said linear and sine-cosine potentiometers is a
flexible member wound on the shaft of said linear
potentiometer means so as to vary its output as said
probe moves relative to said linear potentiometer
means, a motor means coupled to the shaft of said
linear potentiometer means for maintaining a ten-
sion in said flexible member and an elongated rigid
member attached to the shaft of said sine-cosine
potentiometer, extending in the direction of said
hand probe, and containing said flexible member;
whereby the stylus on said X-Y recorder will assume
positions on said recorder corresponding to the po-
sitions of said probe as it moves over said model.
* * * *. *
50
55
60
65


Measuring probe position recorder

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server