Photoelectric feeler alignment device for checking packs of elongated articles

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR CHECKING A PACK OF ELONGATED ARTICLES OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED PARALLEL FEELERS MOVABLE IN THEIR LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID FEELERS INTO A FIRST END POSTION, MEANS FOR PRESSING SAID FEELERS AND SAID ARTICLES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER THEREBY TO DISPLACE FEELERS AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS INTO A SECOND END POSITION, AND MEANS FOR EXERTING AN EFFECT IF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FEELERS, HAS NOT BEEN DISPLACED INTO SAID SECOND END POSITION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A LIGHT TIGHT HOUSING ACCOMMODATING SAID FEELERS WITH FEELER ENDS PROTRUDING THROUGH OPENINGS IN SAID HOUSING WHEN SAID FEELERS ARE IN SAID FIRST END POSITION, A PORTION WITHIN SAID HOUSING OF EACH FEELER BEING THICKER THAN THE PROTRUDING END OF SAID FEELER, A DIVIDING WALL BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF THICKENED PORTIONS OF ADJACENT FELLERS, A LIGHT SOURCE IN SAID HOUSING, AND A LIGHT SENSITIVE CELL IN SAID HOUSING, EACH THICKENED PORTION OF SAID FEELERS HAVING A LIGHT TRANSIT SLOT AND EACH DIVIDING WALL HAVING A LIGHT TRANSIT OPENING, SAID LIGHT TRANSIT SLOTS AND LIGHT TRANSIT OPENINGS BEING ALIGNED WITH ONE ANOTHER WHEN THE SAID FEELERS ARE IN ONE OF SAID END POSITIONS TO FORM A LIGHT PATH BETWEEN SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE CELL, SAID LIGHT TRANSIT SLOTS AND LIGHT TRANSIT OPENINGS BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHEN SAID FEELERS ARE IN THE OTHER ONE OF SAID END POSITIONS, SAID LIGHT PATH BEING INTERRUPTED WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FEELERS IS IN SAID OTHER ONE OF SAID TWO END POSITIONS.