System for monitoring plant assets including machinery
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for monitoring machine data, comprising, in combination:
- a plurality of machines to be monitored, sensor means operatively coupled to each of said plural machines, each said sensor means delivering an output signal correlative of the machine data, and conduit extending proximate to said sensor means and leading to a signal processor, a sealed instrument package removably coupled to said conduit and operatively coupled to at least one of said sensor means for allowing communication between said at least one of said sensor means and said signal processor via signal conductors passing from said at least one of said sensor means, through said instrument package and to said signal processor, and said sealed instrument package comprised of an encapsulated circuit and an exposed manually manipulable addressing means operatively coupled to said encapsulated circuit such that said manually manipulable addressing means is exposed and manually settable to provide said sealed instrument package with a unique address when said sealed instrument package is decoupled from said conduit and such that said exposed manually manipulable addressing means is sealed within said conduit when said sealed instrument package is coupled to said conduit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring machine data which avoids the need for the cumbersome placement of junction boxes adjacent machines that heretofore had required installing the junction boxes on walls, studs, or stanchions. Instead, a rigid conduit having conductors therein communicate with an integrated sealed instrument package that allows the conductors'"'"' communication between an asset such as a machine to be monitored via transducers to a signal processor at a remote location. A multiplicity of assets can be monitored through this arrangement by providing signal differentiation for the various machines.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A system for monitoring machine data, comprising, in combination:
-
a plurality of machines to be monitored, sensor means operatively coupled to each of said plural machines, each said sensor means delivering an output signal correlative of the machine data, and conduit extending proximate to said sensor means and leading to a signal processor, a sealed instrument package removably coupled to said conduit and operatively coupled to at least one of said sensor means for allowing communication between said at least one of said sensor means and said signal processor via signal conductors passing from said at least one of said sensor means, through said instrument package and to said signal processor, and said sealed instrument package comprised of an encapsulated circuit and an exposed manually manipulable addressing means operatively coupled to said encapsulated circuit such that said manually manipulable addressing means is exposed and manually settable to provide said sealed instrument package with a unique address when said sealed instrument package is decoupled from said conduit and such that said exposed manually manipulable addressing means is sealed within said conduit when said sealed instrument package is coupled to said conduit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system for monitoring machine data, comprising, in combination:
-
a conduit extending proximate to a plurality of sensors and leading to a signal processor, each said sensor coupled to a machine to be monitored;
at least one conductor running through said conduit and electrically coupled to said signal processor;
an opening in said conduit exposing a terminal of said at least one conductor;
a sealed instrument package coupled to at least one of said sensors and removably coupled to said conduit at the opening;
said sealed instrument package including;
a connector removably attachable to said terminal;
an encapsulated control logic circuit, and an exposed manually manipulable addressing means comprised of a plurality of switches operatively coupled to said encapsulated control logic circuit such that said manually manipulable addressing means is exposed and manually settable to provide said sealed instrument package with a manually settable unique address for adjustably setting a unique address of said control logic circuit for identifying said sealed instrument package when said sealed instrument package is decoupled from said conduit and such that said exposed manually manipulable addressing means is sealed within said conduit when said sealed instrument package is coupled to said conduit;
wherein signals engendered from at least one of said sensors are communicated through said sealed instrument package and to said signal processor after said control logic circuit is addressed by said processor with said manually settable unique address. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system for monitoring machine data, comprising in combination:
-
a conduit extending proximate to at least one sensor and leading to a signal processor, said at least one sensor coupled to a machine to be monitored;
an instrument package coupled to said conduit for allowing communication between said at least one sensor and said signal processor via signal at least one conductor passing from said at least one sensor, through said instrument package and said conduit, and to said signal processor;
wherein said instrument package includes a circuit having a unique address means for uniquely identifying said instrument package such that when said signal processor outputs said unique address to said circuit, said at least one sensor transmits a calibration signal and an output signal through said instrument package and conduit, and to said signal processor via said at least one conductor, and wherein said circuit includes a multiplexer means for multiplexing both said calibration signal and said output signal from said at least one sensor onto said at least one conductor for sequential transmission of said calibration and output signals through said instrument package and conduit, and to said signal processor, and wherein said calibration signal is comprised of a low calibration signal and a high calibration signal, said low calibration signal being obtained by switching said at least one conductor to a ground line providing ground for said at least one sensor and said high calibration signal being obtained by switching said at least one conductor to a voltage line powering said at least one sensor.
-
Specification