Electromechanical detector system and method for controlling flow of newspaper bundles

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, and counting said number of articles and controlling said wetting of said last article in response to said counting.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 3, and tying said stacks of newspapers prior to deflection of said stacks from said conveyor.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 3, and counting said number of stacks and controlling said wetting of said last stack in response to said counting.

Claim 8

A newspaper handling system comprising a stacking station, a bundle marking station, a detecting station and a discharge station, means at said stacking station to stack newspapers to provide a bundle, means to convey bundles from said stacking station along a path and sequentially to said marking, detecting and discharge stations, means at said marking station to apply a conductive substance to the first and last of a given number of said bundles, contact means at said detecting station for sensing said conductive substance, deflector means at said discharge station movable to a first position to deflect bundles laterally of said path and to a second position in which bundles moving along said path proceed past said discharge station, control circuit means, means connecting said contact means to said control circuit means, said control circuit means including means to produce an output signal when said contact means sense said conductive substance, means connecting said control circuit means with said deflector means and responsive to said output signal to move said deflector means respectively to said first and second positions when said contact means senses said first and last bundle.

Claim 9

A newspaper handling system comprising a stacking station, a bundle marking station, a detecting station and a discharge station, means at said stacking station to stack newspapers to provide a bundle, means to convey bundles from said stacking station along a path and sequentially to said marking, detecting and discharge stations, means at said marking station to apply a conductive substance to the first and last of a given number of said bundles, contact means at said detecting station for sensing said conductive substance, deflector means at said discharge station movable to a first position to deflect bundles laterally of said path and to a second position in which bundles moving along said path proceed past said discharge station, control circuit means, means connecting said contact means to said control circuit means, said control circuit means including means to produce an output signal when said contact means sense said conductive substance, means connecting said control circuit means with said deflector means and responsive to said output signal to move said deflector means respectively to said first and second positions when said contact means senses said first and last bundle.

Claim 10

The claim according to claim 6, wherein said contact means is a pair of probes of conductive material spaced apart relative to one antoher and each adapted to contact said conductive substance on said first and last bundles, said conductive substance connecting said probes in series and completing a circuit with said control circuit means.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 7, wherein said conductive substance is applied to the upper surface of said first and last bundles, means supporting said probes above said bundles for vertical reciprocating movement toward and away from said upper surface, means to move said probes downwardly to engage said upper surface, said probes each including normally open switch means closed upon engagement of the corresponding probe with said upper surface to complete said circuit with said control circuit means.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 8, and probe actuator means to extend and retract said probes toward and away from said upper surface, said probe actuator means including retracting means actuated through said control circuit means upon closing of said normally open switch means to move said probes away from said upper surface.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 9, and said probe actuator means including extending means operable through said control circuit means to move said probes toward said upper surface.

Claim 14

The system according to claim 10, wherein said control circuit means includes an actuator switch for controlling said extending means, said actuator switch being operated in response to a control signal to actuate said extending means, and said means at said stacking station including means to deliver a control signal to said actuator switch.

Claim 15

A newspaper handling system for delivering a predetermined number of bundles of newspapers to one of a plurality of discharge chutes along a conveyor path comprising, a stacking station, means at said stacking station to stack newspapers to provide successive bundles, means to convey said bundles along said conveyor path, a spraying station, controlled means at said spraying station to spray conductive liquid onto the upper surface of a bundle, spray and detector control signal means at said stacker station, a detector station, controlled sensing means at said detector station for contacting the upper surface and thus sensing the presence of a bundle at the detector station, a discharge station including a chute, controlled means at said discharge station to deflect bundles from said conveyor path to said chute and to permit bundles to continue along said path past said chute, control circuit means including counting means programmable to control delivery of said predetermined number of bundles from said stacking station to said chute, said counting means being operable to deliver a control signal to said spray control signal means at said stacking station for the first and last of said predetermined number of bundles conveyed along the conveyor path from said stacking station to be sprayed at said spraying station, said spray control signal means delivering a spray control signal to said controlled means at said spraying station whereby said first and last bundles are sprayed, said detector control signal means at said stacker station delivering a detector actuator signal to said controlled sensing means at said detector station for each bundle leaving said stacking station for said sensing means to sense each bundle, said control circuit means including means to deliver a count signal to said counting means each time a bundle is sensed at said detecting station, and said control circuit means further including means actuated by said sensing means contacting said conductive liquid on said first and last bundles to actuate said controlled means at said discharge station to respectively deflect said predetermined number of bundles from said path to said chute and terminate deflection of succeeding bundles to said chute.

Claim 16

A newspaper handling system for delivering a predetermined number of bundles of newspapers to one of a plurality of discharge chutes along a conveyor path comprising, a stacking station, means at said stacking station to stack newspapers to provide successive bundles, means to convey said bundles along said conveyor path, a spraying station, controlled means at said spraying station to spray conductive liquid onto the upper surface of a bundle, spray and detector control signal means at said stacker station, a detector station, controlled sensing means at said detector station for contacting the upper surface and thus sensing the presence of a bundle at the detector station, a discharge station including a chute, controlled means at said discharge station to deflect bundles from said conveyor path to said chute and to permit bundles to continue along said path past said chute, control circuit means including counting means programmable to control delivery of said predetermined number of bundles from said stacking station to said chute, said counting means being operable to deliver a control signal to said spray control signal means at said stacking station for the first and last of said predetermined number of bundles conveyed along the conveyor path from said stacking station to be sprayed at said spraying station, said spray control signal means delivering a spray control signal to said controlled means at said spraying station whereby said first and last bundles are sprayed, said detector control signal means at said stacker station delivering a detector actuator signal to said controlled sensing means at said detector station for each bundle leaving said stacking station for said sensing means to sense each bundle, said control circuit means including means to deliver a count signal to said counting means each time a bundle is sensed at said detecting station, and said control circuit means further including means actuated by said sensing means contacting said conductive liquid on said first and last bundles to actuate said controlled means at said discharge station to respectively deflect said predetermined number of bundles from said path to said chute and terminate deflection of succeeding bundles to said chute.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 12, and a bundle tying station between said detecting and discharge stations.

Claim 18

A newspaper handling system comprising a stacking station for stacking newspapers to provide a number of successive bundles, a conveyor for moving said succession of bundles along a path, a wetting station along said path, means at said wetting station for wetting the upper surfaces of said first and last of said number of successive bundles with a conductive substance, a detecting station along said path means at said detecting station to sense each of said bundles in said succession and the wetted surface of said first and last bundles, a discharge station along said path, means at said discharge station actuatable to deflect said succession of bundles from said path, and control circuit means including means responsive to the sensing of said wetted surfaces of said first and last bundle to respectively actuate and deactuate said means at said discharge station.

Claim 19

A newspaper handling system comprising a stacking station for stacking newspapers to provide a number of successive bundles, a conveyor for moving said succession of bundles along a path, a wetting station along said path, means at said wetting station for wetting the upper surfaces of said first and last of said number of successive bundles with a conductive substance, a detecting station along said path means at said detecting station to sense each of said bundles in said succession and the wetted surface of said first and last bundles, a discharge station along said path, means at said discharge station actuatable to deflect said succession of bundles from said path, and control circuit means including means responsive to the sensing of said wetted surfaces of said first and last bundle to respectively actuate and deactuate said means at said discharge station.

Claim 20

The system according to claim 14, wherein said control circuit means includes counting means, said wetting means at said wetting station being actuated through said counting means.

Claim 21

The system according to claim 14, wherein said means to sense the wetted surfaces of said first and last bundles includes a pair of conductors spAced apart and connected to said control circuit means in series with one another by contacting said conductive substance.

Claim 22

The system according to claim 16, wherein each of said conductors is a probe adapted to engage said upper surfaces and including a normally open switch closed upon engagement of the probe with the upper surface.