Method and apparatus for processing sheets of material in register, in particular for making security threads

• US 5,239,902 A
• Filed: 02/01/1990
• Issued: 08/31/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Original Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Inventors: Kaule, Wittich
• Primary Examiner(s): Yost, Frank T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson, Kenneth E.
• Application Number:
  US07/472,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 83/13, 83/74, 83/732, 83/425.2, 364/474.09
• US Class Current: 83/13
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/32 with the record carrier formed by the work itself
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/015 for sheet material or piles of sheets B26D7/018 and B26D7/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/42 Ribbons or strips filaments D21H15/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/148 Including means to correct the sensed operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/536 Movement of work controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6539 With means for transverse positioning of work on a moving conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6587 Including plural, laterally spaced tools

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, an apparatus and sheets of materials for producing marked security threads as are used to increase the protection of documents and parers of value against forgery. The inventive method is for processing, in particular cutting, security threads out of sheets of material in register, the sheets of material being fed to the processing units in exact alignment. The feed principal is based on guiding the sheet of material on at least one edge of the sheet, determining the position relative to one of the edges of the sheet, producing a signal form the determination of position, and positioning the feeding device relative to the processing unit so that the sheet of material runs into the latter in a predetermined position.

Claims

1. A method for processing sheets of material in register for makings security elements provided with markings, to be embedded in security documents, wherein a sheet of material bears a plurality of markings, comprising the steps of:

guiding the sheet of material in a transport direction on at least one edge of the sheet, via a feeding device that is laterally displaceable relative to the transport direction;

determining the position of a marking on the sheet relative to an edge of the sheet;

producing signal from this determination of position;

adjusting the feeding device of the basis of the signal in such a way that the guided sheet of material runs into a processing unit with the marking in a predetermined position relative to the processing unit;

cutting the sheet of material in the processing unit into individual thrash or strips with each thread bearing one of the markings;

wherein said step of cutting comprises at least a first step of cutting strips of material of constant width out of the sheet of material, and a second step of cutting one or more individual threads out of the strips.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is a sheet of film.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

placing control lines parallel to the markings on the sheets or strips of material.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of placing control lines includes printing the control lines on the sheets or strips of material.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the control lines exhibits a width, said first step of cutting is performed within the width of a control line, the width of the control line being such that a cutting line extends within the control line over an entire length the sheet of material within cutting tolerances.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of using a residual width of the control lines on the strips of material to determine the position o the marking relative to a strip edge, and the feeding device is adjusted on the basis of a control signal in such a way that the sheet of material runs into a cutting unit in a predetermined position relative thereto.

7. A method for processing sheets of material in register for making security elements comprising the steps of:

proving the sheets with at least one marking;

determining a width of a control line, wherein the width is defined as the distance between the marking on the sheet and an edge of the sheet;

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sheet of material bears a plurality of markings, further comprising the step of:

cutting the sheet of material in the processing unit into individual threads or steps with each thread bearing one of the markings.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of placing control lines parallel to the markings on the sheets or strips of material.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the sheet of material is a sheet of film.

8. producing a signal form this determination of width;

guiding the sheet of material in a transport direction on at least one edge of the sheet, via a feeding device that is laterally displaceable relative to the transport direction;

adjusting the feeding device on the base of the signal in such a way that the guided sheet of material runs into a process unit with the marking in a predetermined position relative to the processing unit.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of cutting the sheet of material further comprises:

a first step of cutting strips of material of constant width out of the sheet of material;

a second step of cutting one or more individual threads out of the strips.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of placing control lines includes printing the control lines on the sheets or strips of material.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the control liens exhibits a width, said first step of cutting is performed within the width of a control line, the width of the control line being such that a cutting line extends within the control line over an entire length of the sheet of material within cutting tolerances.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

using a residual width of the control lines on the strips of material to determine the position of the marking relative to a strip edge;

adjusting the feeding device on the basis of a control signal in such a way that the sheet of material runs into a cutting unit in a predetermined position relative to the cutting unit.