ELECTRONIC COUNTING APPARATUS

• US 3,618,819 A
• Filed: 10/07/1969
• Issued: 11/09/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles M. Blackburn, John L. Ditman
• Original Assignee: Charles M. Blackburn, John L. Ditman
• Inventors: Blackburn, Charles M., Ditman, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US04/864,426
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2,9,10,13,225,247,248,311 222/318 53/56,58,75,78,59
• US Class Current: 221/2
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 3/02 for performing an operation at a predetermined value of the count, e.g. arresting a machine G06M3/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A supply unit comprising a source of parts or pieces feeds a parts-handling unit, which in cooperation with an electronic controller unit, exactly accumulates batches or lots of a predetermined number of parts. The batches are dumped into packages or bags and the counter is reset prior to the next accumulation. High speed and accurate counting are obtained by detecting parts passing to the accumulator through interruption of a broad thin area beam of light impinging on a solar cell via limit slits. The length of each output pulse is analyzed to determine if one or two parts passed and the counter is appropriately updated. Also, the feeding rate is reduced when the count approaches the predetermined number comprising a batch, and a high speed deflector moves into the parts path to the accumulator as the batch is completed to the predetermined number to deflect following parts away from the accumulator for subsequent refeeding to the parts-handling unit.

Claims

1. Electronic counting apparatus for accumulating batches of predetermined numbers of pieces or parts comprising in combination, a parts handling unit providing a primary path and a secondary path having a common region;

ingress means communicating with the common region to receive parts;

accumulator means for receiving the parts passing along the primary path;

means for detecting the passage of parts from the ingress means to the accumulator means; and

deflector means operative within the parts handling unit to divert parts which are in transit along the common region having entered the ingress means and are in excess of said predetermined number to the secondary path to preclude more than the predetermined number of parts from being accumulated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detecting means compRises light emitting and directing means, a single plane collimating lens and solar cell means for receiving light from the light-emitting means and receiving less light when a part passes through the light from the emitting means, said light emitting and directing means disposing the light beam along the common region above the deflector means such that the deflector means travels immediately below the light beam;

and further comprising means to count accumulation responsive to the detecting means and to the predetermined number for moving the deflector means at the time the final part in the batch has passed completely through the beam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising packaging egress means for communication with said primary path;

and dump means for the accumulator means for releasing the accumulated batch to the packaging egress means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising feeder means for supplying parts to the ingress means of the parts handling unit;

means establishing the rate of supply of parts by the feeder means, and means for reducing the rate as the parts accumulated approach the predetermined number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises settable counter means for storing the predetermined number in digital form, means responsive to the detection of parts for reducing the stored count by unity for each part passing the detector means, solar cell means and light-emitting means directing a wide thin area type light beam to the solar cell means whereby the width of output pulses from the solar cell means is greater for two parts than for one part passing through the beam, and pulse width comparator means included in the means responsive to the detector means for splitting pulses produced by two parts into two pulses.

6. Electronic counting apparatus for accumulating batches of predetermined numbers of pieces or parts comprising in combination, a parts handling unit providing at least two paths having a common region;

ingress means communicating with the common region to receive parts;

accumulator means for receiving the parts passing along one of the paths;

means for detecting the passage of parts from the ingress means to the accumulator means;

deflector means operative to divert parts entering the ingress means to the other path to preclude more than the predetermined number of parts from being accumulated;

solenoid means for moving the deflector means into and out of said one path;

trap door means for emptying the accumulator means; and

further solenoid means for opening and closing the trap door means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising egress means for the parts-handling unit to receive batches from the accumulator means and whereat containers for the batches are disposed, counter means for storing the predetermined number in digital form, said detecting means developing pulses for parts accumulated and applying the pulses to the counter means to reduce the stored number by one for each pulse, and said deflector solenoid being responsive to the counter means when the stored number is reduced to zero to divert parts from said one path to said other path.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising demand input switching means for operating the further solenoid means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the detecting means comprises a light source, light-directing means, solar cell pickup means, and pulse-splitting means to insure that a single pulse is delivered to the counter means for each part accumulated.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detecting means comprises counting means, means for generating output pulses in accordance with each passage of one or more parts by the detecting means;

means for analyzing said output pulses to determine how many parts passed the detecting means for each output pulse; and

means for updating the counting means the correct number of times in response to the analyzing means.

11. The counting apparatus oF claim 1 further comprising feeder means for introducing said parts to the ingress means;

said secondary path diverting parts in excess of said predetermined number back into the feeder means for subsequent feeding to the ingress means to comprise a closed loop system; and

means for resetting the deflector means to cause the parts to follow the primary path to the accumulator means.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deflector means comprises a movable vane situated in the common region beneath the detecting means;

solenoid means for moving the vane rapidly in response to a high energy impulse to close the primary path and divert parts along the secondary path;

said solenoid means being responsive to a lower current condition to maintain the position of the vane with the primary path closed; and

further solenoid means for emptying the accumulator means after a batch has been accumulated.