Cable failure detection system

A cable failure detection system is provided that detects changes in the magnetic field of a cable that has been magnetized said changes in the magnetic field coming about due to a flaw in said cable. Said changes are sensed by a gauss meter which generates a signal, said signal being converted into a visual or audio signal for early warning of failure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of Invention 
The cable failure detection system is an apparatus and method to detect 
cable failure. 
The instant invention relates generally to cable failure detection and 
specifically said invention will detect a small break, wear, fraying or 
any other type of cable flaw in a magnetized cable and said system will 
activate a sensing means so that corrective measures may be taken to 
prevent the small break, wear, fraying or any other type of cable flaw 
from not materializing into a complete cable failure. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The prior art is void of any simple low cost effective means to detect 
cable damage which ultimately may lead to cable failure and accordingly 
the instant invention provides such a system. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention detects change in the magnetic field of a magnetized cable 
or cables due to an inconsistancy or fault in said magnetized cable or 
cables. Said magnetic change is sensed by a gauss meter which generates a 
signal to an electronic detection device which in turn converts said 
signal into a visual and/or audio signal so that the inconsistancy or 
fault in said cable becomes apparent. 
The instant cable failure detection system is to aid in the safety of the 
public and aid in the manufacturing of new cables to insure that said 
cables have been manufactured without flaws or defects. 
Said cable failure detection system may be easily adaptable for use on all 
ferrous or magnetizable types of metal cables and by the use of magnetism 
said detection system can detect any single or multiple strand break or 
damage in addition to wear, fraying, etc. and may be used on any type of 
cables so long as said cables have magnetizable capabilities. Said cable 
failure detection system is directed for use to insure the safety of 
people and typical installations would be for use on ski lifts, elevators, 
tramways, cable cars, window washer cables used on skyscrapers, etc. Said 
failure detection system may also be used at cabling manufacturing plants 
as a quality control device to inspect manufactured cables. 
The cable failure detection system operates with magnetism and electronic 
equipment by means of magnetizing the cable prior to its encounter with a 
magnetic sensing device said magnetic sensing device being commonly known 
throughout the industry as a gauss meter/detector or magnetometer. In 
operation the cable is magnetized by being passed through a magnetic field 
thereby creating lines of flux around the magnetized portion of the cable 
which is created by the magnets. The cable then moves past the magnetic 
sensing device which scans said cable and its lines of flux and detects 
whether any lines of magnetic flux have changed its state or conditions. 
After the cable passes through said magnetic field, the magnetized states 
of the cable will be in one of the two following conditions (a) when there 
are no breaks or damages in the cables, the logical state of the lines of 
flux are equal to "zero"; and (b) when there is a definite break or damage 
in the cable the lines of flux changes its state from a "zero" condition 
to a "1" condition. Said magnetic sensing device generates a signal. When 
said signal stays in a uniformed type of fashion, the cable is considered 
in a zero or a low state. When the magnetic sensing device generates a 
signal with a spike or spikes (be it, that the spike is going high in a 
positive (+) upward area or low on a negative (-) downward area), this 
represents a "1" condition or high state. It is the state of the cable's 
conditions that determines said "zero" or "1" state, that is, if there is 
no breakage or damage of a single strand or strands a low or zero 
condition exists. If there is a breakage or signs of damage (i.e. wear, 
fraying, etc.) of a single strand or strands, a high or "1" state exists. 
The magnetic sensing device senses these patterns of "zeros" or lows (no 
breaks or no damages) and "1" or highs (with breaks or damages) and when 
said magnetic sensing device has detected the breaks or damages it 
generates a positive (+) or negative (-) pulse on its electronic signal 
path. Said pulse is communicated from the magnetic sensing device to 
electronical equipment which is designed for signal rejuvenations, 
amplifications, filtering, triggering of electronic gates, relays, and 
finally sounding of an alarm or other informative type of equipment. 
The aforementioned system may also be used as a portable cable scanning 
device (manual or automatic) or a centralized computer scanning device for 
an entire network of elevators, ski lifts, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The cable failure detection system consists of four (4) components: 
(Components 2, 3 and 4 use power supplies) 
1. Magnets and their different shapes with their supporting brackets (10, 
10a, 40 and 40b). 
2. Magnetic sensing devices and their different shapes with their 
supporting brackets (12 and 40a). 
3. Electronic detection device/unit (14). 
4. Alarm unit (16). 
Referring to FIG. 1, magnets 10 and 10a are provided and are sized and 
oriented according to the requirements of a particular use such as for ski 
lifts, elevators, tramways, skyscraper window washers' cable, cable cars 
for amusement parks, etc. said magnets being held in place by supporting 
brackets 40 and 40b. Sensing device 12 is provided with supporting 
brackets and the electronic detection device 14 is typically located near 
said magnetic sensing device 12 or may be located in a monitoring room or 
where elevators, ski lifts, etc. would be monitored depending upon the 
need of the users. 
For cable runs in excess of 50 feet from the magnetic sensing device 12 or 
the electronic detection unit 14 a line repeater device would be used 
between those units 12 and 14 and their terminating points. Line repeaters 
amplify the signal/s to prevent deterioration of signals being sent via 
cable from one unit to another. Line repeaters are a common device used 
throughout the electronic industry for the transmission of electronic 
signals. Fiber optic components and cable would also be used in the 
transmission of the signals from component 12 to components 14 and 16 said 
fiber optic equipment being standard in the industry. 
FIG. 1 indicates the cable failure detection system in an operating 
condition. Brackets 40, 40a and 40b are provided for holding the magnets 
and magnetic sensing device and are attached to support 48 such as a wall 
or steel girder and the magnetizable or ferrous type cable 50 passes 
through or under the magnets 10. On cable 50 there exists an area with a 
broken or damaged strand or strands (fault point) 33 on or in the cable 
and said cable 50 enters area 52 which is the area of cable before 
entering through or past magnets 10. Cable 50 then enters area 52a which 
is the area of cable passing under or through said magnets 10 and said 
cable is the area 52a then becomes magnetized. After cable 50 leaves the 
magnetic field 52a, said cable enters area 52b which is the area of cable 
which passed under or through the magnet 10 and accordingly has become 
magnetized. Fault point 33, which passed by magnets 10, now leaves the 
magnet area 10 in a magnetized state and is directed into the magnetic 
sensing area 52c which consists of one or more gauss meters with the cable 
being continuously scanned by said gauss meters and as the magnetized area 
of the cable on either side of fault point 33 passes under or through the 
magnetic sensing device 12, the signal perceived by magnetic sensing 
device 12 is normal since magnetic sensing device 12 as of yet has not 
sensed the fault point 33 which is the broken or damaged strand or strands 
of cable 50. Said magnetic sensing device 12 detects the fault area 33, as 
fault point 33 passes through said magnetic sensing device 12 and 
generates a signal to the electronic detection device 14, and said 
electronic detection device 14 sends a signal to remote alarm unit 16 
thereby, triggering and audiable alarm with the signals being transmitted 
on conductive line 18. 
Magnetic sensing device 12 is capable of sensing in either direction and 
accordingly it enables the positioning of a second magnet 10a on the 
opposite side of the magnetic sensing device's first magnet 10 for 
bi-directional scanning. 
Referring to FIG. 2, a signal flows from the magnetic sensing device 12 
through the electronic detection device 14 to alarm unit 16. Said 
electronic detection device 14 receives signals from the magnetic sensing 
device 12 which have been generated by the detection of a broken or 
damaged cable strand or strands and converts said signals into useable 
signals. 
The output signal of magnetic sensing device 12 is a sine wave with spikes 
(site signal 1) which is generated from the detection of the magnetized 
cables. The spikes on signal 1 of said sine wave increase if a break or 
damage (fault) of a strand or strands are detected and said signal travels 
through conductive line 2 to a halfwave rectifier HWR1 (site D1,D2 
configuration) filtered by a capacitor C1 having a value of 0.001 UF and 
attached to electronic ground conductive line E which is connected to -5 
VDC giving the signal a DC voltage appearance. The signal leaving the 
halfwave rectifier HWR1 travels along conductive line 4 across capacitor 
C2 having a value of 0.01 UF, then across a 100k OHM resistor R1 which 
splits into two conductive lines, namely 6 and 8. Line 6 enters into the 
quad amplifters/buffers (intergrated circuit 1) at connection pin 3 which 
is used as amplifiers, buffers, triangle/square wave generators, voltage 
regulators and a non-inverting/inverting amplifier for amplifications and 
rejuvenation. Line 8 connects to a 5 MEGA-OHM variable resistor (R2 set a 
1 MEGA OHM) and then to the output of intergrated circuit 1 at pin 
connection 4, the joining of this signal on line 8 with a signal from pin 
4 creates a newer waveform. This newer waveform that now appears on line 
10 is more of a straight DC voltage signal with small wave shapes 
appearing on it as shown in FIG. 1A, signal no. 2. New signal 2 leaves 
intergrated circuit 1 along line 10 and enters (a dual retriggerable 
monostable multivibrators with clear) intergrated circuit 2 at pin 
connection 2. Intergrated circuit 2 performs a signal convertion and 
amplification to increase the signal to a high voltage signal and converts 
said signal to a square wave signal no. 3. Said square wave leaves 
intergrated circuit 2 at pin connection 13 on conductive line 12 and 
enters intergrated circuit 3 at pin connection 2. Said intergrated circuit 
3 is a quad two (2) input positive nor gate (both positive (+) and 
negative (-) logic could be used), which is designed in a latching 
operation for triggering. When said square wave signal no. 3 is generated 
from intergrated circuit 2 and enters intergrated circuit 3, said 
intergrated circuit 3 generates a high signal on pin connection 4 (signal 
no. 4). Said new high signal then travels via conductive line 14 through 
and across another 50K OHM variable resistor (R5 which is set at 19K OHM) 
and enters the base position (B) on a NPN transistor T1 (Darlington TIP 
120/125) which amplifies the voltage and the current for further usage. 
Said signal now leaves transistor T1 by way of the collector C on 
conductive line 16 and travels across diode D3 and enters relay RR1 (SPDT 
coil 5 VDC contacts, subminiature PC relay, resistance 56 OHM, current 9 
MA, 1 AMP at 125 VAC) on conductive line 18 and 18a, when the signal is 
present from the transistor, it triggers said relay RR1 to latch a 
connection from the normal state (pin 5 to pin 3) to a new state (pin 5 to 
pin 4) which creates a voltage connection, thereby, triggering the alarm 
unit. The connection to which the relay RR1 is connected to the alarm unit 
is from relay pin connection 5 to conductive line 20 and conductive line 
20a. Conductive line 22 is attached to relay RR1 at pin connection 4 
(normally open when the signal is not present on lines 18 and 18a) with 
the other end of conductive line 22 connected to conductive line 22a on 
the positive (+) side of a 12 volt DC power supply. 
Intergrated circuit 3 is connected at pin 7 by conductive line 50 and 50a 
to a reset button RB1 which takes the high signal which has been generated 
due to detection of a break or damaged area in the cable and when said 
reset button is pushed, it puts a low signal to intergrated circuit 3 at 
pin connection 6 by conductive line 54, clearing the alarm (turning the 
alarm off). 
All information for the internal circuitry are located in reference books 
stated below: Texas Instruments, TTL Databook for Engineers 2nd edition 
(LCC4112 74062-116-A1); National Semiconductor Corp., Linear Databook 1980 
edition (IM-RRD85M31). 
Power supply arrangements: 
Negative (-) 5 volts direct current (VDC) is connected to various positions 
on the instant invention. The -5 VDC side of the 5 volt power supply is 
connected to conductive line E by conductive line 66. The -5 VDC is 
connected to the capacitor C1 on the electronic ground side E which has 
magnetic sensing device 12 ground side electronically coupled to it. 
Leaving connection E and 66 (where E and 66 are connected together) is 
conductive line 28 which connects said lines E and 66 (which have -5 VDC 
present) to conductive line 28 which is connected to conductive lines 30, 
32 and 32a. The -5 VDC is connected to intergrated circuit 1 at pin 
connection 7 by conductive line 30 and to intergrated circuit 2 by 
conductive line 32 which then splits into two conductive lines, 34 
terminating at pin connector 8 of intergrated circuit 2 and 36 which then 
also splits into two conductive lines, 38 terminating at pin connector 1 
of intergrated circuit 2 and 40 terminating at capacitor C3 (having a 
value of 2 UF at 6 V) which then terminates at intergrated circuit 2 at 
pin connection 14 by conductive line 42. 
Intergrated circuit 3 connects to -5 VDC by conductive line 32a terminating 
at pin 7. Exiting from intergrated circuit 3 at pin 7 is conductive line 
50 and splits into two conductive lines, 52 which terminates on the 
emitter of T1 and 50a terminating on one side of the reset button RB1 with 
said transistor T1 connected to the -5 VDC on the emitter E side by 
conductive line 52. 
INTERGRATED CIRCUIT 1 
The positive (+) 5 VDC is connected to two points on intergrated circuit 1. 
One connection is by conductive line 70 to a 5 MEGA-OHM variable resistor 
(R3 set at 2 MEGA-OHM and said current leaves said variable resistor R3 by 
conductive line 70a and enters the input on intergrated circuit 1 at pin 
connection 2. The other +5 VDC is connected to conductive line 72 which is 
connected to said intergrated circuit 1 at connection 14 to supply power 
to said intergrated circuit 1 so that it can become operational. Said +5 
VDC is also connected to intergrated circuit 3 at pin connection 14 by 
conductive line 74 and 74a by conductive line 68 and also is connected to 
relay RR1 at pin connection 2 of said relay by conductive line 18a with 
the diode D3 connected across relay RR1 at pin 1 and 2 of said relay RR1. 
INTERGRATED CIRCUIT 2 
The output of intergrated circuit 1 is connected at pin 4 of intergrated 
circuit 1 by conductive line 10 to the input of intergrated circuit 2 at 
pin connection 2. The +5 VDC is connected to intergrated circuit 2 in 
various ways. The +5 VDC is connected by conductive line 44 to pin 
connection 3 on intergrated circuit 2 for clear purposes when intergrated 
circuit 2 is activated. The +5 VDC is also connected by conductive line 80 
which splits into two conductive lines 80a and 82. Conductive line 82 
connects to intergrated circuit 2 at pin connection 16 and supplies power 
for operational use to said intergrated circuit 2. Conductive line 80a 
enters 500 K-OHM variable resistor (R4 that is set at 22K OHMS) in 
conjunction with capacitor C3 which connects to pin 15 of intergrated 
circuit 2 by conductive line 84. The output of intergrated circuit 2 at 
pin connection 4 on conductive line 12a is not used at this time but is 
available for future implementations of computerized networks or portable 
units. 
INTERGRATED CIRCUIT 3 
The output of intergrated circuit 2 is connected to the input of 
intergrated circuit 3 by conductive line 12. The gates in intergrated 
circuit 3 are set up in a latching configuration so the signal coming from 
intergrated circuit 2 will trigger a high output. Said intergrated circuit 
3 latching configuration is set so that conductive line 60 is connected 
from intergrated circuit 3 at pin connection 3 to intergrated circuit 3 at 
pin connection 4. Conductive line 62 connects pin 1 to pin 5 of 
intergrated circuit 3 and conductive line 64 is provided for future 
implementations (i.e. portable units and computerized networks). The reset 
button attached to -5 VDC will trigger (when activated) a low signal to 
the latching circuit in intergrated circuit 3, so the high signal may be 
reset. The high signal from the output of intergrated circuit 3 at pin 
connection 4 on conductive line 14 passes through and across 50 K-OHM 
variable resistor (R5 set at 19K OHM) and will then become a low signal, 
thereby, being able to turn off an alarm which would have been generated, 
if a high signal would have been sent. 
The output signal from intergrated circuit 3 is connected to variable 
resistor R5 which in turn is connected to transistor T1 which amplifies 
the signal to specifications of T1 and then the said signal travels across 
to diode D3 and enters relay RR1. The +5 VDC is connected to pin 14 of 
intergrated circuit 3 by conductive line 74 for powering said circuit. The 
+5 VDC is also connected to diode D3 by conductive line 74a so the +5 VDC 
is restricted from entering the transistor by using reverse-biasing of 
diode D3. Diode D3 is connected to two (2) parts of relay RR1. Relay RR1 
is connected to the alarm unit by 2 connections. One connection pin 4 is 
connected to the positive (+) side of a 12 volt DC power supply by 
conductive lines 22 and 22a. The other connection from the relay RR1 pin 
connection 5 is by conductive line 20 and 20a which is connected to one 
side of sonar alert speaker S1. The opposite side S2 of said sonar alert 
unit connects by conductive line 92 to an on/off switch (DPDT) and is 
normally in the off position. Extending from the sonar alert speaker 
S1-side is another connection going from S1 to a minor alarm MIN-1 (in a 
lamp connection arrangement) by conductive line 94. Leaving said minor 
alarm MIN-1 on conductive line 96 enters a major alarm MAJ-1 (also a lamp 
arrangement connection). Leaving the major alarm MAJ-1 on conductive line 
98 it joins together on conductive line 90. Conductive line 90 extends 
from the -12 VDC side of the power supply to the on position of the on/off 
switch SW1. Also extending off of conductive line 90 is another line, 
conductive line 100 which connects to the minor alarm (MIN-1). Both 
conductive lines 98 and 100 are connected to a test point by conductive 
line 102 which is connected to another side of the on/off switch (SW1) 
used in testing to see if the lights (lamps) are in working order. 
The cable depending upon the thickness (size of cable, or its gauge) has to 
be set at different distances from the magnetic sensing device. Example, a 
small cable size in thickness (approximately 1/8" in diameter) must be set 
approximately 1"-11/2" away, while the thicker cable (1" in diameter) must 
be set 11"-12" (approximately) away. This is due to the stronger lines of 
flux (magnetism) that the cable holds. The bigger the cable the more 
magnetism occurs creating a high density of magnetic lines of flux. 
While the form of the apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred 
embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the invention is not 
limited to this precise form of apparatus and that changes may be made 
therein without departing from the scope of this invention.