Abstract:
A consistometer continuously measures the consistency of a stream of material flowing through it. The consistometer includes a resilient member located in the stream of material and a reference member located outside of the stream of material and both members rotate synchronously. Sensors spatially related to the rotating members provide corresponding signals. A circuit connected to the reference member sensor provides reference member pulses in accordance with the reference member sensor sensing the passage of the reference member and a second circuit connected to the resilient member sensor provides resilient member pulses in accordance with the resilient member sensor sensing passage of the resilient member. A network provides an output corresponding to the consistency of the material in accordance with the reference member pulses and the resilient member pulses. Visual indicators connected to the sensors indicate that the sensors are providing their signals in accordance with the sensing of their corresponding members.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to measuring apparatus in general and, more particularly, to consistometers. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Consistometers, heretofore of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,706, which issued on May 28, 1974 and is assigned to Texaco Inc., assignee of the present invention, provided a graphical record of the consistency of material being measured. As problems developed in that type of consistometer, the problems would not be detected until an operator visually viewed the measured consistency and determined that there was something erroneous in the record. There may exist a substantial time lag between the occurrence of a malfunction and the notice of that malfunction by an operator. 
     Similarly, the consistometer of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,677, which issued on June 6, 1972 and is assigned to Texaco Inc., assignee of the present invention, provided an alarm when spurious signals occur instead of valid signals. Malfunctions can occur where there is no spurious signal and cannot be detected in the graphical recording. The present invention provides for indication to an operator of normal operation until a malfunction occurs either in the sensing of the rotation of the reference member or resilient member during the measuring process or a misalignment of the resilient member and the reference member during their rotation. 
     Further, misalignment detection is helpful in the installation and setting up of the consistometer and for the periodic schedule maintenance that is normally required on consistometers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A consistometer, which continuously measured the consistency of a stream of material, includes a rotatable resilient member located in the stream and a reference member located outside of the stream. The two members are rotated synchronously. The consistometer also includes two sensors, each sensor sensing the passage of a corresponding member and provides the signal in accordance with the passage of the member. A circuit connected to the sensors provides an enabling pulse in accordance with the signals from the sensors. A comparator connected to the sensor sensing the passage of the reference member compares the signal from that sensor with a predetermined voltage corresponding to an acceptable signal level (when enabled by the enabling pulse from the circuit) and provides a comparison signal of one level when the reference member signal is an acceptable signal and of another level when the reference member signal is not an acceptable signal or when the comparator has not been enabled by an enabling pulse. Pulse circuits connected to the comparator and to the resilient member pulse in accordance with the comparison signal and the resilient member signal, respectively. A network receiving the reference member pulses and the resilient member pulses provides an output corresponding to the consistency of the material in accordance with the pulses. Indicating circuits including lamps which provide flashing lights when both sensors are providing their signals in accordance with the detection of the passage of their corresponding members. Absence of a flashing light indicates that a corresponding sensor is not properly sensing the passage of its corresponding member. 
     The object and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a combined simplified block diagram and a mechanical view of a portion of a consistometer, constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of the remaining portion of the consistometer constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3A through 3O are graphical representations of signals occurring within the consistometer during operation thereof. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown consistometer apparatus embodying features of the present invention, wherein a chamber 11 is defined by tubular side walls 12 of appropriate steel or other material suitable to maintain the grease or other material whose consistency is to be measured and having upper and lower end plates 13, 14 bolted to respective upper and lower flanges 12A, 12B on chamber member 12 by means of bolts 15, 16, 17, 18. At the lower end of chamber 11, in lower end plate 14, there is provided an opening for receiving an inlet conduit 19 through which material, such as grease, the consistency of which is to be measured, may be introduced under appropriate pressure in a continuous stream. An outlet conduit 20 is provided at an upper portion of sidewell 12 of chamber 11 for outputting a stream of the material passing through chamber 11 for consistency measurement. Directly above inlet conduit 19, axially aligned therewith, there is provided a shaft 21 extending into chamber 11 through an opening 22 in upper plate 13 from a stuffing box arrangement 23 containing appropriate means for sealing fluid within the chamber under appropriate pressure from bearings (not shown) in a bearing assembly 24 through which shaft 21 extends upwardly to a mechanical coupling 25 from whence it is driven by means of a speed reduction gear 26 which, in turn, is coupled by means of a drive shaft 27 to an electric motor 28. Electric motor 28 provides means for driving shaft 21 at a constant speed and is, in turn electrically coupled to a suitable power supply 29 through appropriate indicators including a switch 30. The lower end of shaft 21 within chamber 11 has affixed thereto a mounting assembly 31, shown threaded to the lower end of shaft 21, for attaching a resilient reference blade member 32 to shaft 21. Blade 32 is mounted to shaft 21 so that the two surfaces about which it is flexible are parallel to the direction of the flow of the material in the stream passing upwardly from inlet 19 through chamber 11 and thence out through outlet 20. Shaft 21 including assembly 31 and resilient member 32 mounted thereon are rotated at a constant rate as the material being measured is passed through chamber 11 in the direction of the arrow shown below inlet 19 in the drawing. Blade 32 may be formed of steel capable of deflection in the material being measured, such as grease, and the end of the blade will be deflected as it rotates in the material as an indication of the consistency of such material. 
     Means are provided for substantially continuously measuring the amount of deflection or flexure of resilient member 32 as a measure of the consistency of the material passing through chamber 11. 
     A reference member 40 is mounted on shaft 21 by means of a mounting assembly 41 which may be in the form of a collar having an appropriate set screw therein for facilitating adjustment of the position of member 40 on shaft 21 relative to the position of resilient member 32 on shaft 21, as will be discussed in further detail hereinafter. It will be seen from the above that resilient member 32 and relatively rigid member 40, both being mounted to shaft 21, will rotate in synchronism as the shaft is rotated by motor 28. 
     In a preferred embodiment resilient member 32 and relatively rigid reference member 40 are mounted to shaft 21 so that they lie in substantially the same plane as the central axis of shaft 21 when resilient member 32 is in its normal position, i.e., not subjected to forces tending to deflect same. The reference and the &#34;resilient&#34; members may also lie in a different plane, but such is not necessary. 
     When shaft 21 is rotated in a stream of material, such as grease, reaction forces of such material upon resilient member 32 will cause it to be deflected to an extent dependent upon the consistency of such material. Such deflection will tend to move the end of member 32 out of the aforementioned common plane by an amount dependent upon the consistency of the material. Means are provided for measuring this deflection of member 32 comprising a first detector or sensor, referred to as detector sensor 42, opposite the resilient member 32, and a second detector or sensor, referred to as reference sensor 43, opposite rigid member 40. Sensors 42, 43 preferably comprise magnetic sensors responsive to the passage of respective blades 32, 40 relative to their respective magnetic sensors 42 and 43, it is possible to determine the amount of deflection of blade 32 in the material passing through chamber 11 as a means for measuring the consistency thereof. Such time differences can be measured by the use of appropriate electrical circuitry as described in further detail hereinafter, with particular reference to FIG. 2. 
     It is to be noted that, in the preferred embodiment, sensors 42, 43 advantageously comprise respective magnetic sensors mounted within relatively rugged shells or housings formed of stainless steel or the like to withstand the conditions and materials encountered within chamber 11 as the stream of material being measured passes through. Sensor 42 is shown mounted within an opening 42A in wall 12 of chamber 11, whereby the magnetic sensor is able to detect flexible detector blade 32 magnetically, without itself being placed within the material passing through chamber 11. Reference sensor 43 is mounted through the use of appropriate means (not shown) for maintaining it opposite rigid reference blade member 40 so that the reference sensor 43 may sense or detect reference member 40 magnetically as it moves past same. Advantageously, the magnetic sensor of sensor 43 may also be mounted within a casing of stainless steel or the like similar to that employed for enclosing sensor 42. 
     It will be appreciated that rigid reference member 40 is shown mounted to shaft 21 at a location outside of chamber 11. This is the preferred embodiment, since it permits adjustment of the reference blade. However, it is possible to construct apparatus of the type herein disclosed wherein rigid reference member 40 is mounted to a portion of shaft 21 within chamber 11. In such event, rigid member 40 should be affixed to the shaft at a position downstream from the flexible blade (above flexible blade 32, as shown in FIG. 1) a sufficient distance to avoid producing any adverse effect on the consistency of the material flowing through chamber 11 prior to its passing flexible member 32. In a further embodiment, as described in detail hereinafter, the reference member may comprise a nonmagnetic disc with a magnetic inset, in which event the likelihood of turbulence within chamber 11 is substantially eliminated. 
     In the event that reference member 40 should be positioned within chamber 11, it may be desirable to provide a longer chamber 11 than otherwise so that reference member 40 can be spaced beyond the position where it might otherwise influence the consistency of the material whose consistency being measured by flexible member 32. In the latter event, reference sensor 43 should be positioned within an opening in side wall 12 of chamber 11 in a manner similar to the positioning of the sensor 42 and may advantageously be positioned between the location of outlet 20 and the upper end of chamber 11 as shown in FIG. 1. 
     It is to be appreciated that member 32 is here described as flexible in comparison to rigid reference member 40. It is to be understood that the rigidity of member 40 is a relative term, depending upon its environment. Accordingly, when mounted outside of chamber 11 so that member 40 is in the surrounding air, it will not need to be so rigid or still as when positioned within the chamber 11 for rotation in the material being measured as discussed above. 
     It is also to be appreciated that although flexible member 32 and reference member 40 are shown positioned in the same plane, it is possible to position the two members in different planes displaced around the axis of shaft 21 or otherwise mount same for rotation in synchronism, so long as the two sensors are positioned opposite the respective members such that when there is no material in chamber 11 or when the resilient detector member is stationary in the material in chamber 11, the two members are in phase at their zero points, namely, flexible member 32 and rigid member 40 are both opposite the center of respective sensors 42, 43 at the same time such that when rotated in flowing material under operating conditions flexible member 32 will be deflected from the corresponding rotational point of reference member 40 by an amount that is measurable by means of the respective detectors 42, 43 for determination of the amount of flexure of blade 32 due to the consistency of the material passing through chamber 11. 
     Reference sensor 43 provides a signal A, as shown in FIG. 3A, to a reference amplifier 46 which provides an output C shown in FIG. 3C to a noise comparator 50 and to a reference comparator 51. As shown in FIG. 3C, the output C of amplifier 46 is similar to a one cycle sine wave for each passage of member 40 past reference sensor 43, going from a zero reference to a negative peak swinging back to a positive peak and then to zero. Noise comparator 50 is a conventional type comparator receiving a negative signal (not shown) of a predetermined value corresponding to a noise level. An output E provided by noise comparator 50, shown in FIG. 3E, is at a zero level until signal C exceeds the noise level indicating that signal C is a valid signal at which time signal E rises to a high logic level and remains there until signal C again drops below noise level. Noise comparator 50 provides signal E as a pulse having a duration corresponding to the length of time that the negative peak of signal C exceeds the noise level. Signal E is applied to a noise latch 55. 
     Similarly the output of detector sensor 42, shown in FIG. 3B, is amplified by an amplifier 56 to provide a signal D, shown in FIG. 3D, corresponding to the passage of member 32 past detector sensor 42. Signal D is applied to a detector comparator 59 and to a detector level comparator 95. Detector comparator 59 receives a positive signal (not shown) corresponding to a predetermined acceptable signal from detector amplifier 56 and provides a signal I, shown in FIG. 3I, to noise latch 55. The amplitude of the positive signal is close to zero, so as the signal D goes from a negative to positive signal, I from comparator 59 goes to a high level. 
     The operation of noise latch 55 is such that when noise comparator 50 determines that signal C is not noise, signal E causes noise latch 55 to provide a signal F, shown in FIG. 3F, at a high logic level which is applied to reference comparator 51 enabling comparator 51 to make a comparison of signal C. When signal A is noise, signal C causes comparator 50 to provide signal E at a low level and therefore noise latch 55 is not able to provide signal F at a high level so that comparator 51 cannot compare the noise being provided by amplifier 46. As signal C precedes signal D, signal F initially goes to a high level in response to an output from comparator 50. Detector comparator 59 detecting that there is a signal D provides signal I at a high level to noise latch 55 to reset it causing signal F to go to a low level and thus prevent the comparison of any noise coming out of amplifier 46. 
     Reference comparator 51 provides signal G at a high level in response to the reference signal C crossing the zero reference line going from a negative peak to a positive peak where it remains until signal C returns to its zero level causing signal G to go to a low level thereby forming a pulse. Duration of that pulse has no significant meaning. However, the leading edge of the G pulse is conditioned by reference signal conditioner 64 to provide a pulse H, shown in FIG. 3H, to a flip-flop 70. Flip-flop 70 provides its Q ard Q outputs as signals K and L, respectively, shown in FIGS. 3K and 3L, respectively. Signals K, L are at high and low levels, respectively, when flip-flop 70 is in a set state, and are at reversed levels when flip-flop 70 is in a clear state. Flip-flop 70 is triggered by pulse H to a set state. 
     In response to signal I going to a high level, detector signal conditioner 60 provides a pulse J, shown in FIG. 3J, to flip-flop 70 which resets flip-flop 70 to a clear state. The time duration when signals K, L were at a high and a low level, respectively, corresponds to the consistency of the material. An integrator 73 integrates signal L to provide an output M, shown in FIG. 3M, to a sample and hold circuit 75. Sample and hold circuit 75 provides a signal N, corresponding to the material&#39;s consistency, in accordance with signal M to an amplifier 80. Amplifier 80 amplifies signal N and provides it to a recorder 81. Recorder 81 provides a signal Q to a grease unit 85 for controlling the grease unit. 
     The operation of the determination of grease consistency as hereinbefore described is similar to that of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,812,706 and 3,668,677. The present embodiment provides for built-in test equipment. One of the problems encountered is when a sensor is not providing a signal in response to the passage of a member, the absence of the signal is not normally noticed until a check of the recording. The present system includes a visual means of altering an operator that sensor 43 is no longer responsive to the passage of member 40. This is achieved by applying signal E to a one-shot multivibrator 90 which is triggered by a negative going signal E to provide a pulse to lamp means 91 of sufficient duration to cause lamp means 91 to provide a light output. During normal operation, when sensor 43 is responsive to the passage of member 40, lamp means 91 provides a flashing light. Should sensor 43 not be responsive to the passage of member 40, lamp means 91 does not provide any light and the absence of a flashing light would notify the operator of this problem. 
     Similarly signal D from amplifier 56 is applied to detector level comparator 95. Detector level comparator 95 receives a direct current signal corresponding to an acceptable output signal from amplifier 56, i.e. the output from amplifier 56 is not noise but a definite response to member 32 passing detector sensor 42. When signal O goes from a low level to a high level it triggers a one shot multivibrator 96 causing it to provide a pulse to lamp means 98, the pulse being of sufficient duration for lamp means 98 to provide visible light so that should detector sensor 42 not be responsive to the passage of member 32 lamp means 98 does not provide a flashing light and would thus be indicative of an inoperative sensor or member. 
     Another problem is that of members 32, 40 being misaligned whereby member 32 precedes member 40 instead of lagging behind even though they appear to be aligned. In this type of misalignment, noise latch 55 is set by signal E as previously explained. However, since member 32 is leading member 40, signal D crosses zero before signal C. When signal D crosses zero, the noise latch is cleared causing signal F to go to a low level disabling reference comparator 51. When signal C goes positive, reference comparator 51 is disabled and does not provide signal G at a level. This causes reference signal conditioner 64 not to provide pulse H. The net result is that flip-flop 70 cannot be set and signal K remains at a low level. 
     Signal K from flip flop 70 is applied to a one-shot multivibrator 100 whose output is coupled to lamp means 101. In normal operation, signal K triggers one-shot 100 repetitiously as it changes from the low level to the high level. The puses from one-shot 100 causes amp means 101 to flash on and off. Now, since flip-flop 70 cannot be set, signal K remains at a low level. Thus, one-shot 100 no longer causes lamp means 101 to flash on and off. 
     The invention as hereinbefore described is a consistometer having flashing lamps indicating that the sensors are providing proper signals and that a resilient member and a reference member are in proper alignment with each other.