Method and apparatus for impacting a surface with a controlled impact energy
First Claim
1. A method of impacting a surface with a desired kinetic impact energy comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an impacting device which can apply a variable impact energy corresponding to the magnitude of an input control signal;
(b) placing said impact device adjacent the surface to be impacted;
(c) thereafter applying an input control signal of a preset magnitude to said impact device to initiate an impact;
(d) determining the kinetic energy of the impact;
(e) comparing the value of the determined kinetic energy with a value corresponding to the desired kinetic impact energy;
(f) indicating the results of the comparison;
(g) adjusting the preset magnitude of the signal used for said control signal to reduce any difference as a result of comparison; and
(h) thereafter repeating steps (c) to (g) until a repeatable impact of the desired impact energy is determined and indicated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for impacting a surface with a desired kinetic impact energy wherein an impacting device which can apply a variable impact energy corresponding to the magnitude of an input control signal is provided and placed adjacent the surface to be impacted. Thereafter, an input control signal of a preset magnitude is applied to the impact device to initiate an impact, the kinetic energy of the impact is determined, the value of the determined kinetic energy is compared with a value corresponding to the desired kinetic impact energy, the results of the comparison are indicated, the preset magnitude of the signal used for the control signal is adjusted to reduce any difference noted as a result of the comparison, and the process is repeated until a repeatable impact of the desired impact energy is determined and indicated. Preferably, the impacting device is a solenoid whose plunger provides the impact, the input control signal is an input voltage applied across the solenoid coil, and the impact energy is determined by measuring the velocity of the plunger just prior to impact by: sampling the magnitude of a signal, whose magnitude is proportional to the distance moved by said plunger, at uniform time increments; subtracting the sampled values from successive sampling times to provide difference values; and, upon detecting a zero difference value, indicating that impact has occurred, utilizing the immediately previously provided difference value as a measure of the velocity of the plunger just prior to impact, and thus of the kinetic impact energy.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of impacting a surface with a desired kinetic impact energy comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an impacting device which can apply a variable impact energy corresponding to the magnitude of an input control signal; (b) placing said impact device adjacent the surface to be impacted; (c) thereafter applying an input control signal of a preset magnitude to said impact device to initiate an impact; (d) determining the kinetic energy of the impact; (e) comparing the value of the determined kinetic energy with a value corresponding to the desired kinetic impact energy; (f) indicating the results of the comparison; (g) adjusting the preset magnitude of the signal used for said control signal to reduce any difference as a result of comparison; and (h) thereafter repeating steps (c) to (g) until a repeatable impact of the desired impact energy is determined and indicated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for impacting a surface with a desired kinetic impact energy comprising, in combination:
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first means for applying a controllable impact force, corresponding to the magnitude of an input signal, to an adjacent surface; second means, responsive to an input control signal, for supplying an input signal of a preset magnitude to said first means to produce said impact force; third means for determining the kinetic energy of the impact; fourth means for comparing the kinetic energy of the impact with a desired kinetic energy value and for producing an output signal corresponding to any difference; fifth means for indicating the results of such comparison; sixth means, responsive to said output signal from said fourth means for adjusting said preset magnitude of said input control signal to reduce any error; and seventh means for supplying said input control signal at desired times to initiate an impact. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for impacting a surface with desired kinetic impact energy comprising in combination:
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a solenoid having a coil and a plunger of known mass; means, responsive to an input control signal, for applying an input voltage of a preset magnitude across said coil for a given time period; means for detecting the position of said plunger and for producing an output signal corresponding to the instantaneous said position; means for sampling said output signal at uniform time intervals, and for storing at least the last three sampled values; first comparing means for comparing successive sampled values and for stopping the sampling when no difference between two successive sampled values is detected; second comparing means for comparing the difference between the last two different sampled values and a constant value corresponding to the desired impact energy, and for producing an output signal indicative of any difference; means for indicating the results of the comparison by said second comparing means; means, responsive to the output signal from said second comparing means, for adjusting said preset magnitude of said input voltage to reduce any error; and means for thereafter supplying a further control signal to said means for applying to cause same to apply an input voltage of the adjusted preset magnitude to said coil. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification