Two switch control system for measuring minimum size articles moving in closely following succession

Claim 2

A control means for measuring fractional portions of the full lengths of a succession of moving articles comprising: drive means for moving said articles along a predetermined path; first means responsive to the presence of a moving article at a first location along its path for measuring the full length of each of said articles and producing output information representative of the full length of each article; second means responsive to said output information and to the presence of the same article at a second location along its path for measuring a first fractional portion of the length of the article and producing an indication after termination of the measuring of the first fractional portion; and third means connected to the first means and responsive to said output information for measuring a second fractional portion of the length of each of said articles, said third means being responsive to said indication of the second means to initiate measuring of the second fractional portion of the article.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said second means includes time delay means for providing a time delay between the termination of the measuring of said first fractional portion and the indication produced by said second means.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 wherein: said second means produces output information representative of a portion of said first fractional portion of the length of an article while said first fractional portion is being measured at the second location; and said output information representative of a portion of said first fractional portion of the length of an article is applied to said third means and said third means is responsive thereto in measuring said second fractional portion of the length of the article.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1 wherein: said first means includes first sensor means positioned at said first location and connected to said first means for indicating the presence of an article at the first location; and said second means includes second sensor means positioned at said second location and connected to said second means for indicating the presence of an article at the second location.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for measuring fractional parts of the full lengths of a succession of moving articles and including pulsing means for providing a plurality of electrical pulse rates for each increment of length of a moving article, an oscillator for producing high frequency electric pulses, a first counter responsive to electric pulses applied thereto and having a fixed count capacity at which said first counter produces an output signal, first counter means having at least one preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter and being responsive to electric pulses applied thereto for producing an output signal when said preset count capacity is filled, a plurality of sensing locations spaced apart along the path of said moving articles, means for applying a lower one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter when a moving article is present at a first one of said sensing locations, whereby a portion of said fixed count capacity of the first counter proportionate to the full length of the moving article is filled, means for applying the high frequency electric pulses from said oscillator to said first counter and said first counter means until the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled when said article passes from the first one of said sensing locations whereby the unfilled portion of the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled and a portion of the preset count capacity of said first counter means equal to the unfilled portion of the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled, means for applying a higher one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter means when said article is present at a second one of said plurality of sensing locations whereby the unfilled portion of the preset count capacity of said first counter means is filled and said first counter means produces an output signal indicating a first measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article, the combination comprising: second counter means having at least one preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter and being responsive to electric pulses applied thereto when said preset count capacity is filled to produce an output signal; first selector means for applying the high frequency pulses from said oscillator to said second counter means until the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled when said article passes from the first one of said sensing locations whereby a portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means equal to the unfilled portion of the fixed capacity of said first counter is filled; said first counter means being responsive during application thereto of the higher electric pulse rate to produce a low electric pulse rate having a rate less than that of said higher electric pulse rate; means for applying said low electric pulse rate to said second counter means whereby a portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means equal to a fraction of the portion of the preset count capacity of the first counter means filled by said higher electric pulse rate is filled; time delay means responsive to the output signal from said first counter means to provide a time delay and produce an output signal at the end of the time delay indicating the position of said first measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article; and second selector means for applying the higher one of said plurality of electric pulse rates to said second counter means in response to the output signal from said time delay means whereby initiation of the filling of the unfilled portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means substantially coincides with said position indication of the first measured fractional part of said article by said time delay means, the preset count capacity of said second counter means is filled and said second counter means produces an output signal indicating a second measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for measuring fractional parts of the full lengths of a succession of moving articles and including pulsing means for providing a plurality of electrical pulse rates for each increment of length of a moving article, an oscillator for producing high frequency electric pulses, a first counter responsive to electric pulses applied thereto and having a fixed count capacity at which said first counter produces an output signal, first counter means having at least one preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter and being responsive to electric pulses applied thereto for producing an output signal when said preset count capacity is filled, a plurality of sensing locations spaced apart along the path of said moving articles, means for applying a lower one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter when a moving article is present at a first one of said sensing locations, whereby a portion of said fixed count capacity of the first counter proportionate to the full length of the moving article is filled, means for applying the high frequency electric pulses from said oscillator to said first counter and said first counter means until the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled when said article passes from the first one of said sensing locations whereby the unfilled portion of the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled and a portion of the preset count capacity of said first counter means equal to the unfilled portion of the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled, means for applying a higher one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter means when said article is present at a second one of said plurality of sensing locations whereby the unfilled portion of the preset count capacity of said first counter means is filled and said first counter means produces an output signal indicating a first measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article, the combination comprising: second counter means having at least one preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter and being responsive to electric pulses applied thereto when said preset count capacity is filled to produce an output signal; first selector means for applying the high frequency pulses from said oscillator to said second counter means until the fixed count capacity of said first counter is filled when said article passes from the first one of said sensing locations whereby a portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means equal to the unfilled portion of the fixed capacity of said first counter is filled; said first counter means being responsive during application thereto of the higher electric pulse rate to produce a low electric pulse rate having a rate less than that of said higher electric pulse rate; means for applying said low electric pulse rate to said second counter means whereby a portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means equal to a fraction of the portion of the preset count capacity of the first counter means filled by said higher electric pulse rate is filled; time delay means responsive to the output signal from said first counter means to provide a time delay and produce an output signal at the end of the time delay indicating the position of said first measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article; and second selector means for applying the higher one of said plurality of electric pulse rates to said second counter means in response to the output signal from said time delay means whereby initiation of the filling of the unfilled portion of the preset count capacity of said second counter means substantially coincides with said position indication of the first measured fractional part of said article by said time delay means, the preset count capacity of said second counter means is filled and said second counter means produces an output signal indicating a second measured fractional part of the full length of the moving article.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 5 wherein: said means for applying the low electric pulse rate to the second counter means includes gate means having an input and an output connected to said second counter means and gating the low pulse rate to the second counter means when a signal iS provided to said input; and said means for applying a higher one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter means produces an output signal to said gate means input while said article is present at the second sensing location whereby said gate means gates said low electric pulse rate to the second counter means while said article is present at said second sensing location.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 6 wherein: said first counter means includes a plurality of second counters each having a preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter; said second counter means includes a plurality of third counters each having a preset count capacity equal to the fixed count capacity of said first counter; said means for applying a higher one of said electric pulse rates to said first counter means includes circuit means for sequentially producing a plurality of gating signals and a separate first gate circuit for each one of said second counters, each first gate circuit having an output connected to a second counter and a pair of inputs respectively connected to said higher pulse rate and to said circuit means and sequentially gating the higher pulse rate to said plurality of second counters in response to the gating signals from said circuit means; and said gate means includes a separate second gate circuit for each one of said third counters, each second gate circuit having an output connected to a third counter and an input connected to said circuit means for receiving one of said gating signals, said low electric pulse rate being gated to a third counter while the second gate circuit connected to the third counter receives a gating signal at its input whereby said low electric pulse rate is applied to said third counters for the same time period and in the same sequence as the higher pulse rate is applied to said second counters.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 6 wherein: said first counter means comprises a plurality of bits, a first one of said bits having an input receiving said higher pulse rate and an output producing said low pulse rate when said higher pulse rate is applied to said first bit; and said gate means has another input connected to the output of said first bit whereby said low pulse rate is supplied to said gate means.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 5 wherein: said second selector means includes a gate circuit having an output connected to said second counter means, a first input and a second input connected to said higher pulse rate; and further comprising flip-flop means having an output connected to said first input and being responsive to the output signal from said time delay means to provide a gating signal to said gate circuit whereby said higher pulse rate is gated to the second counter means.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for measuring and folding successive traveling articles and including generating means for producing a high and a first low electrical pulse rate respectively proportionate to the speed of travel of said article, oscillator means for producing a very high electrical pulse frequency, first, second and third counting means for counting electrical pulses and respectively producing an output signal upon the counting of a predetermined number of electrical pulses by each of said counting means, a first gating means responsive to the presence of a traveling article at a first position along its path of travel for applying said first low pulse rate to said first counting means, a second gating means for applying said very high pulse frequency to said second counting means when the traveling article passes from said first position and responsive to the presence of the same article at the second position along its path of travel for applying said high pulse rate to said second counting means whereby the second counting means counts up to said predetermined number of pulses and produces an output signal, a third gating means for applying said verY high pulse frequency to said third counting means, a fourth gating means responsive to the passing of the traveling article from said first position and to the output signal from said first counting means to gate said very high pulse frequency to said first counting means and to said second and third gating means, first folding means responsive to a folding signal to fold said article and second folding means responsive to the output signal of said third counting means to fold said article a second time, the combination wherein: said second counting means is operative to produce a second low electrical pulse rate while said article is present at the second position and said high pulse rate is applied to the second counting means; and comprising fifth gating means for applying said second low pulse rate to said third counting means; time delay means connected to said first folding means and responsive to the output signal from said second counting means to provide a time delay and produce a folding signal at the end of the time delay whereby said first folding means folds said article and an edge of said folded article is momentarily located at a third position along the path of said article; and a sixth gating means responsive to the folding signal from the time delay means to gate said high pulse rate to the third counting means whereby said third counting means starts counting high rate pulses substantially when said edge of the folded article is at said third position and produces an output signal to the second folding means upon the counting of said predetermined number of pulses to cause the second folding operation.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for measuring and folding successive traveling articles and including generating means for producing a high and a first low electrical pulse rate respectively proportionate to the speed of travel of said article, oscillator means for producing a very high electrical pulse frequency, first, second and third counting means for counting electrical pulses and respectively producing an output signal upon the counting of a predetermined number of electrical pulses by each of said counting means, a first gating means responsive to the presence of a traveling article at a first position along its path of travel for applying said first low pulse rate to said first counting means, a second gating means for applying said very high pulse frequency to said second counting means when the traveling article passes from said first position and responsive to the presence of the same article at the second position along its path of travel for applying said high pulse rate to said second counting means whereby the second counting means counts up to said predetermined number of pulses and produces an output signal, a third gating means for applying said verY high pulse frequency to said third counting means, a fourth gating means responsive to the passing of the traveling article from said first position and to the output signal from said first counting means to gate said very high pulse frequency to said first counting means and to said second and third gating means, first folding means responsive to a folding signal to fold said article and second folding means responsive to the output signal of said third counting means to fold said article a second time, the combination wherein: said second counting means is operative to produce a second low electrical pulse rate while said article is present at the second position and said high pulse rate is applied to the second counting means; and comprising fifth gating means for applying said second low pulse rate to said third counting means; time delay means connected to said first folding means and responsive to the output signal from said second counting means to provide a time delay and produce a folding signal at the end of the time delay whereby said first folding means folds said article and an edge of said folded article is momentarily located at a third position along the path of said article; and a sixth gating means responsive to the folding signal from the time delay means to gate said high pulse rate to the third counting means whereby said third counting means starts counting high rate pulses substantially when said edge of the folded article is at said third position and produces an output signal to the second folding means upon the counting of said predetermined number of pulses to cause the second folding operation.

Claim 14

A combination according to claim 10 wherein said second folding means includes time delay means responsive to the output signal from the third counting means to provide a time delay and produce an output signal actuating the second folding means.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 10 wherein: said second counting means includes a plurality of second counters each having an input connected to said second gating means and producing said second low pulse rate when the high pulse rate is applied to said input; said third counting means includes a plurality of third counters corresponding to said plurality of second counters and each having an input for receiving said second low pulse rate and producing an output signal for actuating the second folding means; and said fifth gating means includes a plurality of fifth gate means corresponding to said plurality of second and third counters, each of said fifth gate means having a second input and an output respectively connected to a corresponding second and third counter for gating the second low pulse rate to the connected third counter.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 12 wherein said second gating means includes: a plurality of second gate means corresponding to said plurality of fifth gate means and second counters, each of said second gate means having a first input, a second input energized when an article is present at said second position and an output connected to a corresponding second counter for gating said high pulse rate to the connected second counter when the providing of a signal to the first input and the energization of the second input of the second gate means simultaneously occur; and first selector means having a plurality of sequentially energized outputs separately connected to the first inputs of a corresponding second gate means and fifth gate means and producing a signal to the connected first inputs when energized whereby said high and second low pulse rates are respectively simultaneously gated to each corresponding second and third counter in the sequence of energization of said selector means outputs.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 13 further comprising: a first article sensor located at said first position along the path of travel of said articles and connected to said first gating means, saiD first sensor producing an output signal to the first gating means when an article is present at said first position to gate the first low pulse rate to said first counting means; and a second article sensor located at said second position along the path of travel of said articles and connected to the second input of each of the second gate means, said second sensor producing an output signal energizing the second inputs of each of the second gate means when an article is present at said second position.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 14 wherein said sixth gating means includes: a plurality of sixth gate means corresponding to said plurality of third counters, each of said sixth gate means having third and fourth inputs and an output connected to a corresponding third counter for gating said high pulse rate to the connected third counter when a signal is simultaneously provided to both said third and fourth inputs; flip-flop means having an output connected to each of the fourth inputs of gating means and a first input connected to the time delay means, said flip-flop means being responsive to the folding signal from the time delay means to produce a continuous gating signal to all of the fourth inputs; and second selector means having a plurality of outputs sequentially energized in the same sequence as the energization of the outputs of said first selector means, each of said second selector means outputs being connected to a third input of a different sixth gate means and producing a gating signal to the connected third input when energized whereby said high pulse rate is gated to said plurality of third counters in the sequence of energization of said second selector means outputs.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 15 wherein: said second counters have a count capacity which is filled upon the counting of a predetermined number of electrical pulses and said second counters each produce an output signal when their respective count capacities are filled; and said first selector means is connected to each of said second counters and said first selector means outputs are sequentially energized in response to the output signals from said second counters whereby said high and second low pulse rates are respectively simultaneously gated to corresponding second and third counters in the sequence of filling of the count capacities of the second counters.

Claim 20

The combination according to claim 16 wherein: said third counters have a count capacity which is filled upon the counting of a predetermined number of electrical pulses and said third counters each produce an output signal when their respective count capacities are filled; and said second selector means is connected to each of said third counters and said second selector means outputs are sequentially energized in response to the output signals from said third counters whereby said high pulse rate is gated to the third counters in the sequence of filling of the count capacities of the third counters.

Claim 21

The combination according to claim 17 wherein said flip-flop means has a second input connected to each of said third counters for receiving the output signals of the third counters and being responsive to a signal at said second input to terminate production of said continuous gating signal whereby the gating of the high pulse rate to a third counter is terminated.