Quantity and price computer system

Claim 2

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system comprising a pulse encoder means operably connected to the flowmeter for producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the output of the flowmeter, said pulse encoder means being operably connEcted to a programmable price computer for computing total cost of material dispensed, display means operably connected to the output of the price computer and operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means for displaying the total cost and quantity, respectively, of the material delivered, and a power supply for supplying direct current electrical power to the system, and wherein the pulse encoder means comprises a substantially transparent optical encoder wheel the plane of which is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of the rotating shaft of the flowmeter and secured thereto, an infra red (IR) emitter disposed on one side of the encoder wheel for emitting an IR beam of light through said wheel, an IR detector disposed on the opposite side of said wheel for receiving said IR beam of light and for converting said IR beam to an electric current, a plurality of opaque strips equally spaced and radially secured near the outer edge of the encoder wheel for interrupting the IR beam of light as the wheel is rotated, pulse shaper and divider means operably connected to the output of the IR detector for converting the intermittent electrical current therefrom into an electrical square pulse train and dividing said pulse train to a number of pulses per unit measure of material dispensed which is compatible with the price computer and display means whereby as the flowmeter shaft rotates at a rate proportional to the measure of material being dispensed the opaque strips interrupt the IR beam thereby producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the rate of material being dispensed, and wherein a second plurality of opaque strips are equally spaced and radially secured to the flat surface of the encoder wheel radially inward from the first plurality of opaque strips for conversion to a second system of measurement and wherein the said IR emitter and detector are disposed within a housing, said housing being rotatably secured to the material dispensing apparatus wherein said housing may be rotated to selectively position the IR emitter and detector on either side of the first plurality of opaque strips or the second plurality of opaque strips in accordance with the desired system of measurement, and wherein the programmable price computer comprises a first set of three staged programmable decade counters, a set of three binary coded decimal (BCD) encoders for programming said decade counters to the additive inverse of the desired price per unit measure of material to be dispensed, a price setting switch for each of said diode encoders, a second set of three staged decade 4-bit counters having the third stage output thereof operably connected to the display means; free running clock means for producing clock pulses, a first gate means interposed between said clock means and the first stage of the first set of decade counters and the first stage of the second set of decade counters for gating clock pulses serially into said decade counters, control flipflop operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means and having its output connected to the first gate means for enabling said gate upon receipt of the leading edge of a pulse from the pulse encoder means, said control flip-flop being also operably connected to each of the first set of decade counters for resetting said counters to their programmed value at the end of the pulse from the pulse encoder means, a second gate means having inputs operably connected to the first set of decade counters for disabling the first gate means when said decade counters are full whereby upon receipt of the leading edge of a pulse from the pulse encoder means the control flip-flop enables the first gate means thereby allowing clock pulses to pass serially into the second set of decade counters thereupon causing the second gate means to disable the first gate means thereby stopping the flow of clock pulses into the second set of decade counters, the second set of decade counters then containing tHe total cost of the material dispensed as represented by the single pulse from the pulse encoder means.

Claim 3

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the third stage of the second set of decade counters is preprogrammed to a BCD level of 5 to achieve a rounding off of the total cost to be displayed.

Claim 4

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the display means consists of a price counter display means and a substantially identical quantity counter display means, said price counter display means comprising a set of four staged BCD decade price counters, the first stage thereof being operably connected to the output of the price computer, four price decoder drivers operably connected to the said price decade counters for decoding the information contained therein and four pairs of incandescent filament digital price display tubes for displaying the total cost of material dispensed; and said quantity counter display means comprising a set of four staged BCD quantity decade counters, the first stage being operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means, four quantity decoder drivers operably connected to said quantity decade counters for decoding the information contained therein and four pairs of incandescent filament digital quantity display tubes for displaying the total quantity of material dispensed.

Claim 5

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the display means comprises four staged BCD 4-bit price decade counters the first stage being operably connected to the output of the price computer for receiving and storing the total price of material dispensed and four staged BCD 4-bit quantity decade counters, the first stage being operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means for receiving and storing the total quantity of material dispensed; a first gate pack operably connected to the first bit output of the each of the said 4-bit price decade counters and to the first bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters; a second gate pack operably connected to the second bit output of each of the said 4-bit price decade counters and to the second bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters; a third gate pack operably connected to the third bit output of each of the said 4-bit price decade counters and to the third bit output of each of the said 4-bit quantity decade counters; a fourth gate pack operably connected to the fourth bit output of each of the said 4-bit price decade counters and to the fourth bit of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters, 4-bit input decoder driver the input thereof being operably connected to each of the said gate packs for decoding the 4-bit information therein; four pairs of seven-segment numitron price display units operably connected to the output of the decoder driver for displaying the total price of the material dispensed and four pairs of seven-segment numitron quantity display units for displaying the total quantity of material dispensed; an 8-bit recirculating ring counter operably connected to the clock means and to each of the gate packs and to each of the eight pairs of numitron display units for sequentially gating the information in each of the said 4-bit price and quantity decade counters to the decoder driver and for simultaneously enabling the information in each of said 4-bit counters to be digitally displayed by its associated numitron unit, whereby upon receipt of the first clock pulse by the recirculating ring counter the information contained in the firsT 4-bit price decade counter is transmitted to the decoder driver where said 4-bit information is decoded and displayed by the first pair of seven-segment numitron price display units and upon the receipt of the second clock pulse the information contained in the second 4-bit price decade counter is displayed by the second numitron unit, the process being repeated for each of the eight 4-bit price and quantity decade counters, the recirculation being of a rate sufficient to eliminate flicker in the displayed price and quantity information.

Claim 6

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system comprising a pulse encoder means operably connected to the flowmeter for producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the output of the flowmeter, said pulse encoder means being operably connected to a programmable price computer for computing total cost of material dispensed, display means operably connected to the output of the price computer and operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means for displaying the total cost and quantity, respectively, of the material delivered, and a power supply for supplying direct current electrical power to the system, and wherein the pulse encoder means comprises a substantially transparent optical encoder wheel the plane of which is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of the rotating shaft of the flowmeter and secured thereto, an infra red (IR) emitter disposed on one side of the encoder wheel for emitting an IR beam of light through said wheel, an IR detector disposed on the opposite side of said wheel for receiving said IR beam of light and for converting said IR beam to an electric current, a plurality of opaque strips equally spaced and radially secured near the outer edge of the encoder wheel for interrupting the IR beam of light as the wheel is rotated, pulse shaper and divider means operably connected to the output of the IR detector for converging the intermittent electrical current therefrom into an electrical square pulse train and dividing said pulse train to a number of pulses per unit measure of material dispensed which is compatible with the price computer and display means whereby as the flowmeter shaft rotates at a rate proportional to the measure of material being dispensed the opaque strips interrupt the IR beam thereby producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the rate of material being dispensed, and wherein a second plurality of opaque strips are equally spaced and radially secured to the flat surface of the encoder wheel radially inward from the first plurality of opaque strips for conversion to a second system of measurement and wherein the said IR emitter and detector are disposed within a housing, said housing being rotatably secured to the material dispensing appartus whereby said housing may be rotated to selectively position the IR emitter and detector on either side of the first plurality of opaque strips of the second plurality of opaque strips in accordance with the desired system of measurement, and wherein the programmable price computer comprises a BCD full adder, a set of seven digitally arranged 4-bit storage elements, a first multiplexing directional gating means interposed between the output of the said storage elements and the input of the BCD full adder for sequentially inputting the information in each of said storage elements to the adder, the last four of the seven storage element also having outputs operably connected to the display means, a set of three programmable binary price encoders for setting the price per unit measure of material to be dispensed, a second multiplexing directional gating means interposed between said price encoders and the BCD full adder for sequentially inputting the information in said decoders into the adder, a carry storage element operably connected to the adder For storing a single carry bit when the sum of the inputs to the adder exceeds the 4-bit capacity thereof, a third multiplexing directional gating mean interposed between the output of the adder and the storage elements for successively entering the 4-bit sum output from said adder into each of said storage elements, an 8-bit shift register operably connected to the clock means and the pulse encoder means and having output connected to all of said gating means for providing gating signals to all of the multiplexing directional gating means, delayed multiplexing gating means interposed between the 8-bit shift register and the storage elements for enabling said storage elements to successively accept the input sum from the adder, the eighth bit of said shift register being operably connected to the carry storage element for resetting said carry storage element to zero, whereby as the pulse from the pulse encoder means is shifted into the 8-bit shift register the information stored in the seven 4-bit storage elements is successively added by the BCD full adder to the price information in the price encoder along with the information in the carry storage element the sum thereof being entered into the respective storage element and whereby upon the eighth shift of the shift register the carry storage element is reset to zero, said clock being of sufficient speed to perform all eight shifts of the shift register before receipt of the next subsequent pulse from the pulse encoder means.

Claim 7

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system comprising a pulse encoder means operably connected to the flowmeter for producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the output of the flowmeter, said pulse encoder means being operably connected to a programmable price computer for computing total cost of material dispensed, display means operably connected to the output of the price computer and operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means for displaying the total cost and quantity, respectively, of the material delivered, and a power supply for supplying direct current electrical power to the system, and wherein the pulse encoder means comprises a substantially transparent optical encoder wheel the plane of which is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of the rotating shaft of the flowmeter and secured thereto, an infra red (IR) emitter disposed on one side of the encoder wheel for emitting an IR beam of light through said wheel, an IR detector disposed on the opposite side of said wheel for receiving said IR beam of light and for converting said IR beam to an electric current, a plurality of opaque strips equally spaced and radially secured near the outer edge of the encoder wheel for interrupting the IR beam of light as the wheel is rotated, pulse shaper and divider means operably connected to the output of the IR detector for converging the intermittent electrical current therefrom into an electrical square pulse train and dividing said pulse train to a number of pulses per unit measure of material dispensed which is compatible with the price computer and display means whereby as the flowmeter shaft rotates at a rate proportional to the measure of material being dispensed the opaque strips interrupt the IR beam thereby producing a pulse train having a frequency directly proportional to the rate of material being dispensed, and wherein a second plurality of opaque strips are equally spaced and radially secured to the flat surface of the encoder wheel radially inward from the first plurality of opaque strips for conversion to a second system of measurement and wherein the said IR emitter and detector are disposed within a housing, said housing being rotatably secured to the material dispensing appartus whereby said housing may be rotated to selectively position the IR emitter and detector on either side of the first plurality of opaque strips of the second plurality of opaque strips in accordance with the desired system of measurement, and wherein the programmable price computer comprises a BCD full adder, a set of seven digitally arranged 4-bit storage elements, a first multiplexing directional gating means interposed between the output of the said storage elements and the input of the BCD full adder for sequentially inputting the information in each of said storage elements to the adder, the last four of the seven storage element also having outputs operably connected to the display means, a set of three programmable binary price encoders for setting the price per unit measure of material to be dispensed, a second multiplexing directional gating means interposed between said price encoders and the BCD full adder for sequentially inputting the information in said decoders into the adder, a carry storage element operably connected to the adder For storing a single carry bit when the sum of the inputs to the adder exceeds the 4-bit capacity thereof, a third multiplexing directional gating mean interposed between the output of the adder and the storage elements for successively entering the 4-bit sum output from said adder into each of said storage elements, an 8-bit shift register operably connected to the clock means and the pulse encoder means and having output connected to all of said gating means for providing gating signals to all of the multiplexing directional gating means, delayed multiplexing gating means interposed between the 8-bit shift register and the storage elements for enabling said storage elements to successively accept the input sum from the adder, the eighth bit of said shift register being operably connected to the carry storage element for resetting said carry storage element to zero, whereby as the pulse from the pulse encoder means is shifted into the 8-bit shift register the information stored in the seven 4-bit storage elements is successively added by the BCD full adder to the price information in the price encoder along with the information in the carry storage element the sum thereof being entered into the respective storage element and whereby upon the eighth shift of the shift register the carry storage element is reset to zero, said clock being of sufficient speed to perform all eight shifts of the shift register before receipt of the next subsequent pulse from the pulse encoder means.

Claim 8

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the display means consists of a price display means and a quantity display means, said price display means comprising four price decoder drivers operably connected to the last four storage elements of the price computer for decoding the information contained therein and four pairs of incandescent filament digital price display tubes for displaying the total cost of material dispensed; and said quantity counter display means comprises a set of four staged BCD quantity decade counters, the first stage being operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means, four quantity decoder drivers operably connected to said quantity decade counters for decoding the information contained therein and four pairs of incandescent filament digital quantity display tubes for displaying the total quantity of material dispensed.

Claim 9

In combination with a conventional material dispensing apparatus having an existing flowmeter with rotating shaft output, an electronic computer system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the display means comprises four staged BCD 4-bit quantity decade counters, the first stage being operably connected to the output of the pulse encoder means for receiving and storing the total quantity of material dispensed; a first gate pack operably connected to the first bit output of each of the last four storage elements of the price computer and to the first bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters; a second gate pack operably connected to the second bit output of each of the last four storage elements of the price computer and to the second bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters; a third gate pack operably connected to the third bit output of each of the last four storage element of the price computer and to the third bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters; a fourth gate pack operably connected to the fourth bit output of each of the last four storage elements of the price computer and to the fourth bit output of each of the 4-bit quantity decade counters, a 4-bit input decoder driver, the input thereof being operably connected to each of the said gate packs for decoding the 4-bit information therein; four pairs of seven-segment numitron price display units operably connected to the outpUt of the decoder driver for displaying the total price of the material dispensed and four pairs of seven-segment numitron quantity display units for displaying the total quantity of material dispensed; an 8-bit recirculating ring counter operably connected to the clock means and to each of the gate packs and to each of the eight pairs of numitron display units for sequentially gating the information in each of the said last four storage elements of the price computer and the 4-bit quantity decade counters to the decoder driver and for simultaneously enabling the information in each of said 4-bit counters to be digitally displayed by its associated numitron unit, whereby upon receipt of the first clock pulse by the recirculating ring counter the information contained in the first of the last four storage elements of the price computer is decoded and displayed by the first pair of seven-segment nimitron price display units and upon receipt of the second clock pulse the information contained in the second of the last four storage elements of the price computer is displayed by the second numitron unit, the process being repeated for each of the said storage elements and quantity decade counters, the recirculation being of a rate sufficient to eliminate flicker in the displayed price and quantity information.