HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE MEASURING INSTRUMENT

• US 3,729,989 A
• Filed: 12/10/1970
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald R. Little
• Original Assignee: Donald R. Little
• Inventors: Little, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myracle, Jerry W.
• Application Number:
  US05/096,725
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 73/117,134,133R,116
• US Class Current: 73/862.192
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/00 Measuring torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency, in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 3/24 Devices for determining the value of power, e.g. by measuring and simultaneously multiplying the values of torque and revolutions per unit of time, by multiplying the values of tractive or propulsive force and velocity

Abstract

This invention relates to a readily portable apparatus and the related method of determining the useful torque and horsepower wherein the apparatus includes a first unit which provides a velocity signal directly proportional to the velocity of rotation of the prime mover and has as an output a signal indicative of the velocity of rotation of the prime mover. A second unit is coupled to the first unit to provide a signal directly proportional to acceleration. A third unit is coupled to the first and the second units, respectively, and provides an output which is directly proportional to the useful horsepower and torque developed at any given instant during operation of the prime mover.

Claims

1. A readily portable apparatus for determining the useful horsepower of any prime mover at any point along its power train inclusive of the final drive element in the power train, said apparatus including, a. a pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means having an input indicative of the velocity of rotation delivered by said prime mover and a first and a second output said first output is a d.c. level velocity of rotation signal directly proportional to said velocity of rotation of said prime mover, said second output is a pulsed output directly proportional to said velocity, b. a differentiator means electrically coupled to said pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means to receive said first output and having a d.c. level acceleration signal output, c. a multiplier circuit means coupled respectively to both said second pulsed output and said d.c. level acceleration signal outputs to thereby provide an output signal which is a multiplication of said second and said acceleration signals, d. a time constant circuit coupled to said multiplier circuit means output, said time constant circuit having an output which is directly proportional to said useful horsepower and torque developed at any given instant during operation of said prime mover.

2. A readily portable apparatus for determining the useful torque and horsepower of any prime mover at any point along its power train inclusive of the final drive element in the power train, said apparatus including, a. a pulsed signal source indicative of the velocity of rotation delivered by said prime mover at any point along said power train, b. a pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means which receives said pulsed signal having a first and a second output, said first output is a d.c. level velocity of rotation signal directly proportional to said velocity of rotation at any of said points along said power train, said second output is a pulsed output directly proportional to said velocity, c. a differentiator means coupled to said first output of said pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means to receive said first output and having a d.c. level acceleration signal output, d. a multiplier Circuit means coupled respectively to both of said first and said second pulsed and d.c. level signal outputs to thereby provide an output signal which is a multiplication of said first and said second signals, e. a time constant circuit coupled to said multiplier circuit means output, said time constant circuit having a time constant parameter, said parameter is proportional to the mass driven by said prime mover, said time constant circuit means thereby having an output which is directly proportional to the useful horsepower or torque developed at any given instant during operation of said prime mover.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said pulsed signal source has an rpm signal generating source means having a primary coil which has an output electrically coupled to breaker points, said breaker points controlling said output from said primary coil to provide a pulsed output which is directly proportional to the revolutions per minute at which said internal combustion engine is operating, said pulsed output having an a.c. portion which is superimposed on the d.c. level at which said engine ignition d.c. power supply is operating, a. a low pass filter means electrically coupled to said pulsed output which substantially recovers a d.c. wave form while rejecting the a.c. component of said pulsed output and thereby producing a low pass filter output, b. a switching amplifier means electrically connected to said low pass filter output to thereby extract the d.c. level from the switching wave form to thereby produce a pulsed signal output that has a repetition rate equal to the velocity of rotation of said internal combustion engine.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means includes an adjustable monostable multivibrator electrically coupled to said pulsed signal output and having a square wave output with a repetition rate directly proportional to the velocity of rotation of said engine, a. a two-stage switching amplifier electrically coupled to said square wave output and having a primary output which is a pulsed output directly proportional to said velocity and a secondary output which is said second output of said pulsed and d.c. level velocity signal means, b. a time constant circuit electrically coupled to said primary output and having an output which is said first output of said d.c. level velocity signal means.

5. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said pulsed signal source includes an rpm signal generating source means which is a pulsed tachometer.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said pulsed signal source includes an rpm signal generating source means which includes a rotating element driven at a speed directly proportional to engine rpm, said rotating element having regions thereon spaced such that a detecting means in a region near said rotating means will detect the passing of said regions and produce said pulsed signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said rotating element is a shaft having regions that are of retroreflective material and said detecting means is a photosensitive optical pickup to produce said pulsed signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said rotating element is a disc with a plurality of peripheral reflective and nonreflective regions and said detecting means is a photosensitive optical pickup to produce said pulsed signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said rotating element is a disc with a plurality of peripherally spaced transparent regions and said detecting means has a light source positioned on one side of said disc near said peripherally spaced transparent regions and said detecting means is an optical pickup which produces said pulsed signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said rotating element is a disc with a peripheral toothed portion, each tooth having a permanent magnetic characteristic and said detecting means is a magnetic field sensing means which produces said pulsed signal oUtput.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said rotating element is a shaft having regions that are of retroreflective material and said detecting means is a switching phototransistor means electrically coupled to a switching amplifier which produces said pulsed output.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said rotating element is a cooling fan of any prime mover and has a light source on one side of said fan and said detecting means is an optical pickup which produces said pulsed signal.

13. A readily portable apparatus for determining the useful horsepower of any prime mover which delivers a driving force to a finally driven component at any point along its power train inclusive of said prime mover itself and said final driven component, said apparatus including, a. means to provide a pulsed d.c. velocity signal output directly proportional to the velocity of rotation of said prime mover and having an input signal received from any point along said power train indicative of said velocity of rotation of said prime mover, b. means to provide a d.c. level signal directly proportional to said driving force, c. multiplier means receiving said d.c. level signal input, said multiplier means electrically coupled to said pulsed d.c. velocity means output to provide an output signal which is a product of said pulsed d.c. level velocity signal and said d.c. level driving force signal, d. a time constant circuit coupled to said multiplier circuit means output signal, said time constant circuit having an output which is directly proportional to said useful horsepower developed at any given instant during operation of said prime mover.