Tape programmed machine tool control system

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE TOOL CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING TWO STEPPING MOTORS CONNECTED FOR INCREMENTALLY POSITIONING A WORKPIECE IN TWO DIMENSIONS, A SOURCE OF PERIODIC TIMING PULSES, A M/ULTICHANNEL DIGITAL TAPE PROCESSOR FOR PASSING A TAPE RECORD INCREMENTALLY THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF MARKER POSITIONS IDENTIFIED BY A MARKER AT START AND STOP POSITIONS GENERALLY ENCOMPASSING A LENGTH OF TAPE BETWEEN THE START AND STOP POSITIONS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE LENGTH OF MOVEMENT OF THE WORKPIECE, SELECTIVE MEANS RESPONSIVE SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH SAID TIMING PULSES FOR INCREMENTALLY STEPPING EACH MOTOR, MEANS READING SAID START AND STOP POSITIONS ON SAID TAPE WITH SAID PROCESSOR WHILE MOVING THE TAPE INCREMENTALLY ONE MARKER POSITION AT A TIME IN SYNCHRONOUS RESPONSE TO SAID TIMING PULSES ONLY WHEN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AS EITHER MOTOR IS BEING STEPPED, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID START AND STOP MARKER SIGNALS READ IN DIFFERENT CHANNELS ON THE TAPE FOR RESPECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE STARTING AND STOPPING OF EACH MOTOR, AND A PROGRAM TAPE RECORD PROVIDING A SERIES OF INCREMENTAL STEPS BETWEEN MOTOR START AND STOP SIGNALS ON SEPARATE TRACKS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONTROL OF EACH OF SAID MOTORS TO THEREBY STEP SAID MOTORS A METERED DISTANCE TO DIRECT A CHANGE OF POSITION OF THE WORKPIECE ONE INCREMENT FOR EACH MARKER POSITION ON THE TAPE BETWEEN SAID START AND STOP MARKERS.