Item jam detection apparatus

Claim 1

IN AN ITEM TRANSPORT SYSTEM HAVING AN ITEM FEEDER FOR FEEDING OF SPACED ITEMS AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED ALONG AN ITEM TRANSPORT PATH, AN ITEM FEEDER CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING A FIRST SIGNAL GENERATING STATION POSITIONED ALONG THE ITEM TRANSPORT PATH AND GENERATING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO AN ITEM PASSING THEREBY, A SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATION POSITIONED POSTERIORLY TO THE FIRST STATION WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF ITEM TRAVEL ALONG THE TRANSPORT PATH AND EMITTING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ITEM PASSING THEREBY, A BISTABLE MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF INPUTS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATIONS AND AN OUTPUT SIGNALLING A CHANGE FROM A FIRST STATE TO A SECOND STATE IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID FIRST SIGNAL GENERATING STATION SIGNIFYING THE PRESENCE OF AN ITEM BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATIONS AND A CHANGE FROM ITS SECOND STATE BACK TO ITS FIRST STATE IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATION SIGNIFYING THE PASSAGE OF AN ITEM FROM BETWEEN THE SIGNAL GENERATING STATIONS, A FIRST DELAYED ACTION MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF INPUTS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATIONS AND AN OUTPUT EMITTING A DELAYED OUTPUT PULSE THEREFROM A PREDETERMINED TIME AFTER RECEIPT OF AN INPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID FIRST SIGNAL GENERATING STATION UPON THE FAILURE TO RECEIVE AN INPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID SECOND SIGNAL GENERATING STATION PRIOR IN TIME TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE PREDETERMINED TIME OF DELAY OF THE FIRST DELAYED ACTION MEANS, A FIRST COINCIDENCE SENSING GATE HAVING A PAIR OF INPUTS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FIRST DELAYED ACTION MEANS AND SAID BISTABLE MEANS AND AN OUTPUT EMITTING AN OUTPUT PULSE IN RESPONSE