Optical detecting head

Claim 2

An optical detecting head for a line or edge target comprising, in combination, a light-tight hollow housing having a target-facing aperture in one end wall to be positioned opposite said target and also having intermediate its ends a wall portion transverse to the housing sidewall with an opening therethrough and a plurality of light transmitting passages therein , a main target illuminating optic fiber bundle within said housing extending through said opening in said transverse wall portion and having the target facing and divided into a plurality of target illuminating fiber sub-bundles disposed within said target facing aperture, a lamp socket supporTed within said housing adjacent the opposite end wall thereof, a lamp mounted within said socket, a condenser lens, means for supporting said lens within said housing between and in optical alignment with said lamp and said main target illuminating fiber bundles, a plurality of detector cells within said housing, a plurality of receiver optic fiber bundles within said housing having target-facing ends interleaved with said target illuminating fiber sub-bundles within said target facing aperture, means for supporting said detector photocells so that each registers with one of said light transmitting apertures in said transverse wall portion, means within said housing for supporting the opposite ends of said receiver fiber bundles in registry with individual ones of said light transmitting apertures and individual ones of said detector photocells, the sidewall of said housing having a plurality of access openings therein each of which is transverse to and communicates with one of said light transmitting passages, and threaded light blocking means in each of said access openings accessible from the exterior of said housing for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted through said passage from the associated receiver fiber bundle to the corresponding detector photocell.

Claim 3

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transverse wall portion also has a plurality of receiver fiber bundle receiving holes therein each of which registers with one of said light transmitting passages and accepts said opposite end of one of said receiver fiber bundles.

Claim 4

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 1 wherein said target illuminating sub-bundles are elongated in a direction parallel to said line or edge target and are spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target, and said target-facing end of each said receiver fiber bundle is elongated in a direction parallel to said target and has target illuminating fiber sub-bundles disposed on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 5

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 3 wherein said target is to be maintained at a reference position centerline and the target-facing ends of a first pair of said receiver fiber bundles within said target facing aperture are spaced approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline and the target-facing ends of a second pair of said receiver fiber bundles within said target facing apertures are spaced approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline but outward from said first pair of receiver fiber bundles.

Claim 6

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lamp has a filament elongated in a direction parallel to said target and including lamp adjusting means accessible from the exterior of said housing for selectively positioning said lamp socket so that said filament occupies any one of a plurality of progressively different positions in a direction transverse to said target.

Claim 7

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 5 and including a diffusor plate, and means for supporting said diffusor plate within said housing between said lens and the lamp-facing end of said main target illuminating fiber bundle.

Claim 8

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 6 and including a light reflector tube disposed within said housing adjacent said diffusor plate and in surrounding relation to said lamp.

Claim 9

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lens supporting means extends inward from the housing sidewall and engages the margin of said lens and blocks transmission of light from said lamp to said main target illuminating fiber bundle except through said lens.

Claim 10

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 1 and including a main feedback optic fiber bundle within said housing extending through said opening in said transverse wall portion and having one end facing said lens and at the opposite end having the optic fibErs divided into a plurality of feedback fiber sub-bundles, and including means for supporting said feedback fiber sub-bundles so that each registers with one of said light transmitting passages and one of said photocells.

Claim 11

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 9 wherein said transverse wall portion has a plurality of feedback bundles receiving holes therein each of which registers with one of said light transmitting passages and accepts one of said feedback fiber sub-bundles, and wherein said sidewall of said housing has a plurality of access apertures therein each of which is transverse to and registers with one of said feedback fiber receiving holes, and including threaded light blocking means in each of said access apertures accessible from the exterior of said housing for selectively varying the amount of light transmitting through said feedback receiving hole from the associated feedback fiber sub-bundle to the corresponding detector photocell.

Claim 12

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 10 wherein said transverse wall portion also has a plurality of receiver fiber bundle receiving holes therein each of which registers with one of said light transmitting passages and accepts said opposite end of one of said receiver fiber bundles.

Claim 13

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 11 wherein said target illuminating sub-bundles are elongated in a direction parallel to said target and are spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target and said target-facing end of each said receiver fiber bundle is elongated in a direction parallel to said target and has target illuminating fiber sub-bundles disposed on both sides thereof.

Claim 14

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 12 and including a light source control photocell within said housing in register with one of said light transmitting passages and wherein one of said feedback fiber sub-bundles registers with said one light transmitting passage, and including means controlled by the output from said light source control photocell for maintaining the voltage applied to said lamp substantially constant.

Claim 15

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 12 wherein said lamp has a filament elongated in a direction parallel to said target and including lamp adjusting means accessible from the exterior of said housing for selectively positioning said lamp socket so that said filament occupies any one of a plurality of progressively different positions in a direction transverse to said target.

Claim 16

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 14 wherein said opening in said transverse wall extends longitudinally of said housing, said light transmitting passages are arcuately spaced apart radially outward from said main target illuminating bundle and also extend longitudinally of said housing, and said access holes extend radially inward from the housing sidewall transverse to said light transmitting passages.

Claim 17

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 1 wherein said housing and said transverse wall portion are of metal and are in heat exchange relation with said detector photocells, and including electric heater means for heating said housing, and means including a thermistor within said housing for maintaining the temperature of said housing substantially constant.

Claim 18

An optical detecting head for a line or edge target comprising, in combination, a source lamp, a condenser lens adjacent said source lamp, a main target optic fiber bundle having one end in alignment with the axis of said lens and at the end facing the target having the optic fibers divided into a plurality of sub-bundles spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target and to the reference position center line for said target, four detector photocells, four bundles of receiver optic fibers for receiving light reflected from discrete areas of said target, one end of each said receiver optic fiber bundle communicating with one of said detector photocElls and the end thereof facing said target being intermeshed with said target illuminating optic fiber sub-bundles, the target facing ends of one pair of said receiver fiber bundles being disposed equal distances on opposite sides of said center-line and the target facing ends of the other of said receiver fiber bundles also being disposed equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline but being further removed from said centerline than said one pair, and adjustable means disposed between the photocell facing end of certain of said receiver optic fiber bundles and the corresponding photocells for selectively obstrcting a portion of the light transmitted from said receiver fiber bundles to said photocells, each said light obstructing means including a threaded light blocking member movable progressively to a plurality of positions between said photocell and said photocell-facing end of said receiver fiber bundle in which different amounts of light are transmitted from said bundle to said photocell.

Claim 19

An optical detecting head for a line or edge target comprising, in combination, a source lamp, a condenser lens adjacent said source lamp, a main target optic fiber bundle having one end in alignment with the axis of said lens and at the end facing the target having the optic fibers divided into a plurality of sub-bundles spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target and to the reference position center line for said target, four detector photocells, four bundles of receiver optic fibers for receiving light reflected from discrete areas of said target, one end of each said receiver optic fiber bundle communicating with one of said detector photocElls and the end thereof facing said target being intermeshed with said target illuminating optic fiber sub-bundles, the target facing ends of one pair of said receiver fiber bundles being disposed equal distances on opposite sides of said center-line and the target facing ends of the other of said receiver fiber bundles also being disposed equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline but being further removed from said centerline than said one pair, and adjustable means disposed between the photocell facing end of certain of said receiver optic fiber bundles and the corresponding photocells for selectively obstrcting a portion of the light transmitted from said receiver fiber bundles to said photocells, each said light obstructing means including a threaded light blocking member movable progressively to a plurality of positions between said photocell and said photocell-facing end of said receiver fiber bundle in which different amounts of light are transmitted from said bundle to said photocell.

Claim 20

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 17 and including means including a first averaging network for providing an output voltage which is the algebraic average of the outputs of the detector photocells which receive light from said one pair of receiver fiber bundles, means including a second averaging network for providing an output voltage which is the algebraic average of the outputs of the detector photocells which receive light from said other pair of receiver fiber bundles, and means for comparing the output voltages from said first and second averaging network to derive a signal which is a function of target contrast or of target position when the target scanned by said detecting head is respectively on edge or a line.

Claim 21

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 17 wherein said target-facing end of each of said receiver fiber bundles is elongated in a direction parallel to said centerline.

Claim 22

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 19 wherein said source lamp has a filament elongated in a direction parallel to said centerline and including lamp adjusting means for selectively positioning said lamp so that said filament occupies any one of a plurality of progressively different positions in a direction lateral of said centerline.

Claim 23

An opticl detecting head in accordance with claim 17 and including a main feeback optic fiber bundle having one end facing said condenser lens and at its opposite end having the optic fibers distributed into at least four optic fiber sub-bundles the ends of which face individual ones of said detector photocells.

Claim 24

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 21 and including means disposed between the photocell-facing end of certain of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles and the corresponding photocell for selectively blocking a portion of the light transmitted from said feedback fiber sub-bundle to said photocell.

Claim 25

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 22 and including a light source control photocell, and wherein said feedback optic fiber bundle at said opposite end has the optic fibers divided into five feedback fiber sub-bundles the end of one of which faces said light source control photocell.

Claim 26

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 23 and including means responsive to the output of said light source control photocell for maintaining the light intensity of said source lamp substantially constant.

Claim 27

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 24 wherein said means for maintaining the light intensity of said source lamp constant includes a power supply for said source lamp and means responsive to the output of said light source control photocell for maintaining the voltage of said power supply substantially constant.

Claim 28

An optical detecting head for either a line or an edge target comprising, in combination, a source lamp, a condenser lens facing said lamp, a main target illuminating optic fiBer bundle coaxial with said condenser lens to receive illumination from said lamp and at the end facing the target having the optic fibers divided into a plurality of sub-bundles spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target and to the reference position centerline for said target, four detector photocells, four bundles of receiver optic fibers for receiving light reflected from discrete areas of said target, one end of each of said receiver optic fiber bundles communicating with one of said detector photocells and the target-facing ends of said receiver optic fiber bundles being disposed between said target illuminating optic fiber sub-bundles, the target-facing ends of one pair of said receiver fiber bundles being disposed approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline and the target-facing ends of a second pair of said receiver fiber bundles also being disposed approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline and spaced outwardly from said target-facing ends of said one pair, adjustable means disposed between the photocell-facing end of certain of said receiver optic fiber bundles and the corresponding photocell for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted therebetween, a main feedback optic fiber bundle having one end facing said condenser lens to receive light from said lamp and at its opposite end having the optic fibers divided into at least four feedback fiber out-bundles each of which has one end facing one of said detector photocells, and adjustable means disposed between the photocell-facing end of certain of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles and the corresponding photocell for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted from said feedback optic fiber sub-bundle to said photocell.

Claim 29

An optical detecting head for either a line or an edge target comprising, in combination, a source lamp, a condenser lens facing said lamp, a main target illuminating optic fiBer bundle coaxial with said condenser lens to receive illumination from said lamp and at the end facing the target having the optic fibers divided into a plurality of sub-bundles spaced apart in a direction transverse to said target and to the reference position centerline for said target, four detector photocells, four bundles of receiver optic fibers for receiving light reflected from discrete areas of said target, one end of each of said receiver optic fiber bundles communicating with one of said detector photocells and the target-facing ends of said receiver optic fiber bundles being disposed between said target illuminating optic fiber sub-bundles, the target-facing ends of one pair of said receiver fiber bundles being disposed approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline and the target-facing ends of a second pair of said receiver fiber bundles also being disposed approximately equal distances on opposite sides of said centerline and spaced outwardly from said target-facing ends of said one pair, adjustable means disposed between the photocell-facing end of certain of said receiver optic fiber bundles and the corresponding photocell for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted therebetween, a main feedback optic fiber bundle having one end facing said condenser lens to receive light from said lamp and at its opposite end having the optic fibers divided into at least four feedback fiber out-bundles each of which has one end facing one of said detector photocells, and adjustable means disposed between the photocell-facing end of certain of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles and the corresponding photocell for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted from said feedback optic fiber sub-bundle to said photocell.

Claim 30

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 26 and including means including a first averaging network for providing an output voltage which is the algebraic average of the outputs of the detector photocells which receives light from said one pair of receiver fiber bundles, means including a second averaging network for providing an output voltage which is the algebraic average of the detector photocells which receive light from said second pair of receiver fiber bundles, and means for comparing the output voltages from said first and second averaging networks to derive a signal which is a function of target contrast or of target position when the target scanned by said detecting head is respectively an edge or a line.

Claim 31

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 26 wherein said target-facing ends of said receiver fiber bundles are elongated in a direction parallel to said centerline and to said target.

Claim 32

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 26 wherein said means for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted between a fiber bundle or sub-bundles and a photocell includes a threaded light blocking member movable progressively to a plurality of positions between said bundle or sub-bundle and said cell in which different amounts of light are transmitted therebetween.

Claim 33

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 26 having a hollow housing provided intermediate its ends with a wall portion transverse to the housing sidewalls, said housing enclosing said lamp and said lens and said transverse wall portion having an opening therethrough in alignment with the axis of said lens through which said main target illuminating optic fiber bundle extends within said housing and also having at least four light transmitting passages arcuately spaced apart radially outward from said opening, and means for supporting said detector photocells within said housing so that each registers with one of said light transmitting passages.

Claim 34

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 30 wherein said hollow housing is light-tight and encloses said receiver fiber bundles and has a target-facing aperture in one end wall into which saId target-illuminating sub-bundles and the target-facing end of said receiver fiber bundles extend, and including means within said housing for holding the photocell-facing end of each of said receiver fiber bundles in register with one of said light transmitting passages.

Claim 35

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 31 wherein said main feedback optic fiber bundle is within said housing and extends through said opening in said transverse wall portion, and including means within said housing for holding one end of each of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles in register with one of said light transmitting passages.

Claim 36

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 32 wherein the sidewall of said housing has a plurality of peripherally spaced access openings therethrough each of which is transverse to and registers with one of said light transmitting passages and is accessible from the exterior of said housing, and wherein said adjustable means for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted from said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles includes adjustable threaded light obstructing means in each of said access openings for selectively varying the amount of light passing through said light transmitting apertures to the corresponding detector photocell.

Claim 37

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 33 wherein said transverse wall portion has at least n feedback fiber receiving holes each of which registers with one of said light transmitting passages and receives the photocell-facing end of one of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles and said feedback fiber receiving holes constitute said means for holding said feedback fiber sub-bundles in register with said light transmitting passages, and wherein the sidewall of said housing has a plurality of peripherally spaced access apertures each of which is transverse to and registers with one of said feedback fiber receiving holes and including adjustable threaded light obstructing means in each of said access passages for selectively varying the amount of light transmitted from the feedback optic-fiber sub-bundle received with said hole to the corresponding detector photocell.

Claim 38

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 32 wherein said transverse wall portion has five light transmitting passages therein and including a lamp source control photocell and wherein said means for supporting said detector photocells also supports said lamp source control photocell so that it registers with one of said light transmitting passages.

Claim 39

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 32 wherein said opposite end of said main feedback optic fiber bundle is divided into five feedback optic fiber sub-bundles and said means for holding said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles also holds one of said feedback optic fiber sub-bundles in register with said light transmitting passage which communicates with said light source control photocell.

Claim 40

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 34 wherein said target-facing ends of said receiver fiber bundles are interleaved with said target illuminating fiber sub-bundles and said target-facing ends of said receiver fiber bundle and said target illuminating sub-bundles are elongated in a direction parallel to said centerline and to said target.

Claim 41

An optical detecting head in accordance with claim 37 and including a lamp socket mounted within said housing releasably receiving said source lamp, a diffusor plate within said housing between said lens and said source lamp, and wherein said lamp has a filament elongated in a direction parallel to said centerline, and including lamp adjusting means accessible from the exterior of said housing for selectively positioning said lamp socket so that said lamp filament occupies any one of a plurality of progressively different positions in a direction laterally of said centerline.