APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THICKNESS OF PAPER PRODUCT

• US 20100276862A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Incorporated (Rudolf B Mueller)
• Original Assignee: Muller Martini Mailroom Systems Incorporated (Rudolf B Mueller)
• Inventors: GOSZKA, Timothy, SHAFFER, John, MESSENGER, John, NOLL, Harry, BAIRD, James
• Application Number:
  US12/769,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20100276862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 270/58.31
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1122 for rendering elastically deformable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1411 D-shape / cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1431 idler roller details
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/185 easy deformable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/191 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/193 Incorporating element used for control, e.g. IC tag
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/13 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/22 Distance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/30 Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/524 Multiple articles, e.g. double feed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/528 Jam
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/24 Inductive detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/61 Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/61 for calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/66 Envelope filling machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/12 by means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 43/04 detecting, or responding to, presence of faulty articles B65H43/08 takes precedence; diverting faulty articles from main streams B65H29/62
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/12 : responsive to double feed or separation
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/068 : of objects while moving G01B5/066 takes precedence

Abstract

A system detects the sheet quantity of sheet material such as paper by use of a detection roller which deforms from concentric when sheet material passes between the detection roller and another roller, and using a detector to detect the degree of de-concentricity and provide an output indicating the number of sheets passing through. The system has particular application to insert machines for detecting the number of sheets of insert material being inserted into host material such as newspapers.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:

a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and

a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity

and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the web material is more resilient than the central hub and outer ring.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the outer ring comprises a metallic ring.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the outer ring comprises an outer tire outside the metallic ring.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the detector comprises a detector which detects the position of the outer ring relative to the rotation axis.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the web material has a hardness of about 65 durometer on Shore A scale.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the detector comprises a detector which outputs an electrical signal having a component which varies linearly with the amount of de-concentricity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection roller and detector are mounted on a bearing plate.

10. The system of claim 1, further including a drive element.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive element is a high-speed disk.

12. An insert machine having the system of claim 1.

14. An insert machine having the system of claim 1.

16. An insert machine having the system of claim 1.

13. A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:

a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and

a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity of the outer ring component relative to the rotation axis and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity, wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component.

15. A system for detecting the thickness of moving sheet product, comprising:

a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the detection roller and drive element increases; and

a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity of the outer ring component relative to the rotation axis and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity,

wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component, and wherein the detector comprises a detector which detects the position of the outer ring relative to the rotation axis.

17. A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:

a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the detection roller and drive element increases; and

a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity, wherein the detector comprises a detector which outputs an electrical signal having a component which varies linearly with the amount of de-concentricity.

18. An insert machine having a system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:

a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and

a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.

19. A method for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product in a sheet handling machine, comprising:

providing a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases;

detecting the amount of de-concentricity; and

providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.

20. A method for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product in an insert machine, comprising:

providing a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases;

detecting the amount of de-concentricity; and

providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.