Register control scanner assembly and method

Claim 2

In a register control scanner assembly for sensing passage of marks on a web wherein light is transmitted to the path of the marks, and reflected light from the marks is sensed by electric circuitry to produce electric scanner pulses for use in controlling register, a light conduit element having individual optical fibers randomly distributed between an incoming light bundle and an outgoing light bundle at an end of the element remote from the path of the marks, said optical fibers at the opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the path of the marks providing a cross-sectional configuration arranged to essentially match the geometry of a linear mark, mounting means for retaining the end of the element remote from the path of the marks stationary relative to said mounting means during a mark scanning operation, said light conduit element being of bendable and twistable construction so as to be bendably and twistably adustable relative to said end thereof remote from the path of the marks so as to accommodate marks of different location and angular orientation while said end thereof remote from the path of the marks remains stationary, and auxiliary rigidifying means carried by said mounting means and connected with said opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the path of the marks and being laterally and angularly adjustable and being operable for stably retaining said opposite end in scanning relation to the path of the mark during a mark scanning operation while accommodating lateral and angular adjustment of such opposite end so as to correspond to different lateral positions and angular orientations of the marks on the web.

Claim 3

A register control scanner assembly according to claim 1, with said opposite end of said light conduit element having a cross-sectional configuration defining an optical aperture with a relatively large width dimension and a relatively small thickness dimension, the thickness dimension being sufficiently small to enable the resolution of marks with a clearance spacing therebetween of one millimeter.

Claim 4

A register control scanner assembly in accordance with claim 1, with said mounting means comprising a mounting bar, and a carriage movably mounted on said bar, and carrying said light conduit element and said rigidifying arms for unitary movement therewith relative to the mounting bar.

Claim 5

A register control scanner assembly in accordance with claim 3, with servo drive means coupled to said carriage for driving the same in a lateral direction relative to the direction of movement of the web in restoring a register condition between the light conduit element and the web.

Claim 6

In a register control scanner assembly for sensing passage of marks on a web moving along a web path wherein light is transmitted to the path of the marks, and reflected light from the marks is sensed by electric circuitry to produce electric scanner pulses for use in controlling register, a light conduit element having individual optical fibers randomly distributed between an incoming light bundle and an outgoing light bundle at an end of the element remote from the web path of the marks, said optical fibers at the opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the path of the marks providing as cross-sectional configuration arranged to essentially match the geometry of a linear mark, a mounting bar disposed at a fixed location along the web path and extending transversely of the web path in spaced relation thereto, a carriage movably mounted on said mounting bar for adjustment transversely of the web path and having means for adjustably locating the carriage at any desired position along said mounting bar, said carriage having means carrying the end of the light conduit element remote from the web path and for holding such end stationary when the carriage is stationary, said light conduit element being of bendable and twistable construction so as to be bendably and twistably adjustable relative to said end thereof remote from the path of the marks to assume different lateral positions and different angular orientatiOns and thus to accommodate marks of different location and angular orientation while said end thereof remote from the path of the marks remains stationary, and auxiliary rigidifying arms carried by said carriage and connected with said opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the web path for stably retaining said opposite end in any of said different lateral positions and angular orientations during web scanning operation thereof.

Claim 7

In a register control scanner assembly for sensing passage of marks on a web moving along a web path wherein light is transmitted to the path of the marks, and reflected light from the marks is sensed by electric circuitry to produce electric scanner pulses for use in controlling register, a light conduit element having individual optical fibers randomly distributed between an incoming light bundle and an outgoing light bundle at an end of the element remote from the web path of the marks, said optical fibers at the opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the path of the marks providing as cross-sectional configuration arranged to essentially match the geometry of a linear mark, a mounting bar disposed at a fixed location along the web path and extending transversely of the web path in spaced relation thereto, a carriage movably mounted on said mounting bar for adjustment transversely of the web path and having means for adjustably locating the carriage at any desired position along said mounting bar, said carriage having means carrying the end of the light conduit element remote from the web path and for holding such end stationary when the carriage is stationary, said light conduit element being of bendable and twistable construction so as to be bendably and twistably adjustable relative to said end thereof remote from the path of the marks to assume different lateral positions and different angular orientatiOns and thus to accommodate marks of different location and angular orientation while said end thereof remote from the path of the marks remains stationary, and auxiliary rigidifying arms carried by said carriage and connected with said opposite end of the conduit element adjacent the web path for stably retaining said opposite end in any of said different lateral positions and angular orientations during web scanning operation thereof.

Claim 8

In a web register control system, means defining a path of web movement, a register control scanner assembly mounted adjacent the path of web movement and operable for sensing passage of marks at a selected mark position on a web moving along said path during a work operation, a flexible light conduit element having a sensing end adjacent the web path and having a remote end carried by said scanner assembly, said remote end including an incoming light path for supplying light to the sensing end for impingement on the web and an outgoing light path for receiving light reflected from marks at the selected mark position on the web to produce scanner pulses for use in controlling register during such work operation, and auxiliary rigidifying means carried by said scanner assembly and connected with said sensing end of the conduit element adjacent the web path for stably retaining said sensing end in a selected scanning relation to the web path during the work operation, said rigidifying means having incremental adjustment means mounting said sensing end for incremental adjustment relative to said scanner assembly for adjustment of the position of said sensing end relative to the remote end of said flexible light conduit in precisely positioning said sensing end for scanning relation to a selected mark position on the web.

Claim 9

In a web register control system, means defining a path of web movement, a register control scanner assembly mounted adjacent the path of web movement and operable for sensing passage of marks at a selected mark position on a web moving along said path during a work operation, a flexible light conduit element having a sensing end adjacent the web path and having a remote end carried by said scanner assembly, said remote end including an incoming light path for supplying light to the sensing end for impingement on the web and an outgoing light path for receiving light reflected from marks at the selected mark position on the web to produce scanner pulses for use in controlling register during such work operation, and auxiliary rigidifying means carried by said scanner assembly and connected with said sensing end of the conduit element adjacent the web path for stably retaining said sensing end in a selected scanning relation to the web path during the work operation, said rigidifying means having incremental adjustment means mounting said sensing end for incremental adjustment relative to said scanner assembly for adjustment of the position of said sensing end relative to the remote end of said flexible light conduit in precisely positioning said sensing end for scanning relation to a selected mark position on the web.

Claim 10

A web control system according to claim 6 with said incremental adjustment means being carried by said auxiliary rigidifying means and providing micrometer adjustment for said sensing end relative to said remote end.

Claim 11

A web control system according to claim 6 with servo drive means coupled to said scanner assembly for driving the same in a lateral direction relative to the direction of movement of the web during restoration of a register condition of the web.