ARTICLE SENSING APPARATUS

• US 3,674,140 A
• Filed: 12/21/1970
• Issued: 07/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harold Thomas File
• Original Assignee: Harold Thomas File
• Inventors: File, Harold Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Knowles, Allen N.
• Application Number:
  US05/100,324
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 73/37,37.5,37.6,37.7,37.8 53/54,53 209/111.9,82,74,73 137/82,83
• US Class Current: 209/559
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2278 Pressure modulating relays or followers

Abstract

Apparatus adapted to react to the presence or absence of articles at a location in a feed path, for example tablets in a tablet-packaging machine, comprises a senser for sensing selectively the presence and absence of an article at the location, a responder adapted to respond to signals originated by the senser, and coupling means connecting the senser to the responder. The coupling means has repeatable first and second periods of operation separated in time, and is adapted to assume a state in which it can pass signals from the senser to the responder, said first and second periods being separated by mute periods during which the coupling means is incapable of passing a signal from the senser to the responder.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to react to the presence and absence of articles at a location in a feed path comprising a sensor for sensing selectively the presence and absence of an article at the location, a responder adapted to respond to signals originated by said sensor and coupling means connecting said sensor and said responder, said coupling means having repeatable first and second periods of operation separated in time, said coupling means being adapted to assume a state in which it can pass signals from the sensor to the responder, said first and second periods being separated by mute periods during which the coupling means is incapable of passing a signal from the sensor to the responder.

2. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, having packaging means disposed in the feed path downstream of the sensing location.

3. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 2, having a package rejecting means disposed in the feed path downstream of the packaging means, and a memory device connected to the responder and to the package rejecting means, said memory device being adapted to actuate the package rejecting means to reject a package in respect of which the sensor has failed to give selectively an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'article present'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal and and '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'obstruction absent'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal during the appropriate periods.

4. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, having means for periodically passing articles along the feed path, and an encoder and memory unit operable in synchronism with the article-passing means, said encoder being adapted to supply sequential controlling signals to the coupling means for creating periods in which the coupling means is (a) rendered capable of passing an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'article present'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal to the responder, (b) is muted, (c) is rendered capable of passing an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'obstruction absent'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal to the responder, (d) is muted.

5. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, having packaging means disposed in the feed path downstream of the sensing location.

6. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 5, having a package rejecting means disposed in the feed path downstream of the packaging means, and a memory device connected to the responder and to the package rejecting means, said memory device being adapted to actuate the package rejecting means to reject a package in respect of which the sensor has failed to give selectively an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'article present'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal and an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'obstruction absent'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal during the appropriate periods.

7. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises means defining a temporary location for an article to be sensed, means for projecting a stream of fluid to be interrupted by an article present at said location, and means for detecting the interruption and non-interruption of said fluid stream.

8. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is a circuit comprising a number of fluidic elements.

9. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coupling means is a circuit comprising electronic devices.

10. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means is a circuit comprising electro-mechanical devices.