Many of us have probably at some time used graph-paper to plot the thickness at certain points of a given profiler setting. There is a simple way to do this on a computer, which is much faster than using graph-paper or, for that matter, using a calculator.

The following general program uses a socalled FOR-NEXT LOOP to accomplish the same thing:

The definition of the variables in this program are as follows:

X = the thickness at given points along the reed
A = the thickness at the tip
B = the thickness at the back
C = the number of measurement units, which you wish to use, from tip to back

The specific programs below will show how this works. They were written for a Commodore 64 but are simple enough that they will probably run "as is" on most other computers. Examples are given of both English and metric measurements and a conversion from metric to English or vice versa is also included in each.

#1. Profiler set from 0.80mm to 0.50mm; blade length 28mm, measurement in mm's (C = 28).

10 A = 0
20 FOR X = 50 TP 80 STEP 30/28
30 PRINT A; "mm)";X;X/2.54
40 A = A + 1
50 NEXT X
60 END

#2. Profiler set from 0.030 inch to 0.020 inch; blade length I and 1/8 inches, measurement in I/ I 6th inch (C = 18, 18 1/16th's = 1 and 1/8 inches).

10 A = 0
20 FOR X = 20 to 30.1 STEP 10/18
30 PRINT A; "1/16inch)";X;X*2.54
40 A = A + 1
50 NEXT X
60 END

#3. Profiler set from 1.00mm to 0.50mm; blade length 28mm.

10 A = 0
20 FOR X = 50 TO 100.01 STEP 50/28
30 PRINT A;"mm)";X;X/2.54
40 A = A + 1
50 NEXT X
60 END

There are basically only two things happening in these programs: Lines 10 and 40 count the measurement units from tip to back in sequence. Program #1 for example counts from 0 to 28 (A=O, A=0+1, A =1 +I, A=2 +1, etc.); Lines 20, 30 and 50 are the FOR-NEXT LOOP: Line 20 sets the range and increment (step) for the profile; Line 30 prints everything to the monitor screen, in program #1 X/2.54 is the conversion from metric to inches and in program #2 X*2.54 is the conversion from inches to metric; Line 50 sends the program back to Line 20 (the loop) for the next measurement along the blade; Line 60 tells the computer it can do something else now.

These will only work, as they stand, with a single profiler. If you use a profiler with a tiptaper or a double-profiler another loop would have to be used from the point of the other straight-line tapers.

NOTE: / as in 50/28 = 50 "divided by" 28. There is no division sign on my machine. X*2.54 = X, "times" 2.54.

Table of Contents