Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Am International Incorporated

Alan Scott Farr

James R Schlough

Charles Jeffrey Conner

An optical sensor for detecting the presence or absence of sheet products in a moveable device has a fixed light source, a fixed light detector spaced from the fixed light source, and a light transfer device fixedly connected to the moveable device for directing light from the fixed light source to the light detector as the moveable device passes by the fixed light source. Also disclosed is a device for transferring and moving sheet products and a method for detecting sheet products by an optical sensor having the steps of inserting a first sheet product into a first moveable device, aligning the first moveable device with a fixed light source and a fixed light detector, and transmitting light from the fixed light source across an opening of the first moveable device.

Light sensor for sheet products

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, the flat products being fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The pocket feeder includes a first and second roller. The first roller is arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving a flat product. The first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus comprises a first proximity target which is arranged on the first roller and a second proximity target which is fixedly arranged on the receiving unit. A proximity switch monitors the targets and a control unit starts and stops counting the pulses generated by an encoder. To calculate the thickness of a flat product, the counted pulses are compared to a stored value.

Thickness measurement apparatus

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, where the flat products are fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The apparatus has a light source and light sensor for sensing the light transmitted from the light source. The pocket feeder includes a first roller and second roller, the first roller being arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving flat product, wherein the first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus includes a first reflecting element which is arranged on the first roller for reflecting incident light, a light source for directing light to said first reflecting element and a first sensor element for sensing light reflected from said reflecting element which produces a sensor signal. A calculating unit for calculating the thickness based on that sensor signal is also provided.

A collator (10) comprises a collating conveyor (12) and a plurality of hopper sections (20, 40, 60) located along the conveyor. Each section includes at least one signature pile support (21-24, 41-44, 61-64) for holding signatures to be fed to the conveyor. Each section also includes a signature feeder (25-28, 45-48, 65-68) for feeding a signature from the pile support to the conveyor. Each section has its own respective motor (32, 52, 72) for driving the associated feeder. Each motor includes its own respective controller (30, 50, 70) for controlling the associated motor to control the feeding of signatures from the associated feeder to the conveyor. Each controller includes its own respective motor drive for controlling operation of the associated motor. A master controller (14) interconnecting the motor drives controls speed of operation and coordinates timing of operation of the motor drives. Alternatively, each pile support (21a-24a) could have its own respective feeder (25a-28a) for feeding a signature from the associated pile support to the conveyor (12a). In this case, each feeder would include its own respective motor (112, 122, 132, 144) for driving the associated feeder. Also, each motor would include its own respective controller (110, 120, 130, 140) for controlling the associated motor to control the feeding of signatures from the associated feeder to the conveyor.

Growing community of inventors

Huber Heights, OH, United States of America

Alan Scott Farr