US3581067A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pitch matching detecting and counting system
Assignee: Spartanics Ltd
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Filing: 1968-12-02
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Granted: 1971-05-25
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Expires: 1988-12-02
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for counting stacked sheetlike materials having no sheet separation requirements. The active area of the sensor array is matched to the width of a sheet of the stack and the sensor array caused to traverse the stack, the complex signal output of the sensor array being stripped of the unwanted components in a high gain, diode clamped capacitive input operational amplifier whose square wave output is processed and counted in conventional counting circuits.
Inventors
- 👤 Samuel P Willits
- 👤 William L Mohan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:38
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K21/00; H03K21/02; G; G06; G06M; G06M1/00; G06M1/08; G06M1/10; G06M1/101; G06M9/00; B; B65; B65H; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/50; B65H2301/54; B65H2301/541
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, the effective width of each of said sensor means being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, the width axis of said sensor means being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects, said sensor array generating signals indicative of a natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said sensor means substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signals indicative of said natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responSive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, the effective width of each of said sensor means being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, the width axis of said sensor means being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects, said sensor array generating signals indicative of a natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said sensor means substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signals indicative of said natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responSive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 wherein the effective length of a single sensor means is between 3 and 10 times the thickness of a single stacked object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 further comprising width control means for said sensor array, said width control means being adapted to enable the adjustment of the effective width of each of said sensor means to between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said stacked objects.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 3 wherein said width control means comprises optical imaging means for imaging said sensor array upon said edges of said stacked objects and means for effecting relative movement between said edges, said imaging means and said sensor array to thereby effect said adjustment of said effective width.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 3 wherein said width control means comprises optical grating means, optical imaging means for imaging said grating means upon said edges of said stacked objects and means for effecting relative movement between said edges, said imaging means and said grating means to thereby generate a Moire optical interference pattern indicate of the degree of conformance of said effective width of said sensor array.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 3 wherein said width control means comprises masking means interposed between said sensor array and said objects to enable said adjustment of said effective width.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
82 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 3 wherein said sensor array comprises at least one pair of sensor means, and said width control means further comprises demodulator means connected at its input to the separate outputs of two separate sensor means to thereby generate a servo error signal at its output proportional to the phase mismatch of said separate sensor means signal outputs, and servo means responsive to said servo error signal to effect said adjustment of said effective width.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 further comprising a source of radiation positioned in said frame means and arranged to illuminate an area of the edges of said stacked objects, and means for controlling the illumination angle of said radiation upon said edges and the sensing angle of said sensor to enable its viewing said illuminated area.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 8 wherein said means for controlling the sensing angle maintains said angle between normal and 20* from normal with respect to said edges and said means for controlling the illumination angle maintains said angle substantially greater than said sensing angle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 8 wherein said sensing angle as measured from a normal to said edges is between 40* and 60* and said illumination angle is within 20* of said sensing angle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 8, further comprising radiation band pass filter means mounted in said frame means and interposed between said sensor array and said stacked objects to thereby enable rejection of radiation components of the ambient surround not substantially identical to radiation from said source.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 wherein said filter means comprises signal stripping circuit means connected to the output of said sensor array and responsive to the output signals thereof to strip out and provide at its output the highest frequency signal component thereof to provide counter driving signals components thereof to provide counter driving signals indicative of the quantity of said edges passing by said sensor array.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 12 wherein said signal stripping circuit means comprises a capacitive input coupling connected to a diode clamped high gain operational amplifier, said counter driving signals being a wave train comprising a plurality of square pulses indicative of the number of said edges passing by said sensor array.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
Counting apparatus in accord with claim 12 further comprising count correcting circuit means connected at its input to the output of the sensor means whose image first traverses said edges and at its output to said counting means, said circuit means being adapted to correct the count of said counting mean whenever the brightness level detected by said sensor means whose image first traverses said edges, falls below a predetermined brightness level.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
74 words
Counting apparatus in accord in accord with claim 12 further comprising count correcting reset circuit means connected at its input to the output of said stripping circuit means and at its output to said counting means, said reset circuit means comprising an auxiliary high speed momentary reset circuit for accumulating as many counts as there are sensor arrays in excess of one and, when that count is reached, resetting said counting circuit to zero.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 wherein said sensor array comprises one pair of sensor means, the signals from each sensor of said pair being effectively combined in parallel opposition to thereby generate said sensor array generated signals.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 1 wherein said sensor array comprises two or more pairs of sensor means, the signals from each sensor of a senor pair being effectively combined in parallel opposition with the signals from the other sensor of the same sensor pair and said two or more sensor pairs being effectively connected in parallel to thereby sum their respective outputs.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
205 words
An apparatus for generating signals indicative of the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, the effective width of each of said sensor means being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, and width control means and objective lens means and field lens means all mounted in said frame means, said field lens means being positioned intermediate said objective lens means and said stacked objects, and said objective lens means being located intermediate said sensor array and said field lens means and at the back focus of said field lens within 10 percent, said sensor array being positioned to be focused by said objective lens in a plane located in the plane of said field lens within 10 percent of the focal distance thereof, said width control means enabling adjustment of said effective width of said sensor means.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
205 words
An apparatus for generating signals indicative of the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, the effective width of each of said sensor means being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, and width control means and objective lens means and field lens means all mounted in said frame means, said field lens means being positioned intermediate said objective lens means and said stacked objects, and said objective lens means being located intermediate said sensor array and said field lens means and at the back focus of said field lens within 10 percent, said sensor array being positioned to be focused by said objective lens in a plane located in the plane of said field lens within 10 percent of the focal distance thereof, said width control means enabling adjustment of said effective width of said sensor means.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
120 words
An apparatus for generating signals indicative of the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, said sensor array comprising oscillation means for effecting the periodic oscillation of the image of said sensor means across said edges, and demodulator and filter means connected to the output of said sensor means for synchronously demodulating said output signals to thereby generate a filtered output signal equivalent to the output of one or more sensor pairs and frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
120 words
An apparatus for generating signals indicative of the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another, comprising at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, said sensor array comprising oscillation means for effecting the periodic oscillation of the image of said sensor means across said edges, and demodulator and filter means connected to the output of said sensor means for synchronously demodulating said output signals to thereby generate a filtered output signal equivalent to the output of one or more sensor pairs and frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment tO facilitate sensing or counting, comprising: at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, said sensor array being adapted to generate signals indicative of a natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, a source of radiation for illuminating the edges of said similar stacked objects, the width of the illuminated area from said radiation source on said similar stacked objects being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, the width axis of said illuminated area being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked object, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array and said radiation source for enabling relative movement between said frame supported sensor array and said radiation source and the edges of said plurality of similar objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said illuminated area substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signal indicative of said natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responsive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment tO facilitate sensing or counting, comprising: at least one sensor means comprising a sensor array, said sensor array being adapted to generate signals indicative of a natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, a source of radiation for illuminating the edges of said similar stacked objects, the width of the illuminated area from said radiation source on said similar stacked objects being between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, the width axis of said illuminated area being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked object, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array and said radiation source for enabling relative movement between said frame supported sensor array and said radiation source and the edges of said plurality of similar objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said illuminated area substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signal indicative of said natural contrast characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responsive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 20 further comprising width control means for said radiation source, said width control means being adapted tenable the adjustment of the effective width of said radiation source to between 20 percent and 100 percent of the thickness of one of said similar objects.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus for counting in accord with claim 21 wherein said width control means comprises masking means interposed between said radiation source and said similar objects to enable aid adjustment of said effective width.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
233 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising a sensor array comprising at least one sensor pair, the effective width of each of said sensor pairs being between 50/N percent less than the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects and 80/N percent more than the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, where sensor pairs N is the number of said, the width axis of said sensor pairs being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects, said sensor array generating signals indicative of a characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said sensor pairs substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signals indicative of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responsive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
233 words
An apparatus for counting the quantity of a plurality of similar objects stacked adjacent one another and not having special treatment to facilitate sensing or counting, comprising a sensor array comprising at least one sensor pair, the effective width of each of said sensor pairs being between 50/N percent less than the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects and 80/N percent more than the thickness of one of said similar stacked objects, where sensor pairs N is the number of said, the width axis of said sensor pairs being disposed substantially parallel to the thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects, said sensor array generating signals indicative of a characteristic of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, frame means supporting and connected to said sensor array for enabling relative movement between said sensor array and the edges of said similar stacked objects while enabling orientation of said width axis of said sensor pairs substantially parallel to said thickness axis of each of said similar stacked objects to thereby generate output signals indicative of said quantity, filter means connected to said sensor array for enhancing a frequency component of said output signals indicative of individual ones of said similar stacked objects, and signal processing and counting means connected to said filter means and responsive to the enhanced output signals therefrom to count said quantity of said similar stacked objects.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |