Harris Instrument Corporation

North American Manufacturing Company, Inc.

David E Harris

Edwin B Wagstaff

Kevin C Abnett

Gary J Thompson

Thomas Tillander

Brent E Bowman

An apparatus and method are disclosed wherein a linear array of electromagnetic radiation emitting devices are arranged in association with a moving workpiece. Electromagnetic radiation emitted by the array is received by two or more receivers. Several non-contact measurements may be obtained on a workpiece using the present apparatus and methods.

Apparatus and method for binocular measurement system

A system and process are described in which moving articles that are cut during a manufacturing process have their cut length measured with the use of an electronic light emitting scanner in combination with a light receiver. Accurate cut length measurements are obtained from mathematical processing of the light receiving information electronically gathered from the apparatus of the system.

System for the measurement of the cut length of moving articles

A small hole detection system which detects small holes in fast moving sheets of material. An array of LEDs is pulsed from an emitter which is aligned with an array of photocells positioned to detect light emitting from the emitter. The receiver sends a signal to a processing unit when light is detected. The small hole detection system may include an auto-shuttering mechanism which automatically adjusts the system according to the width of the material being scanned.

System for detecting small holes in moving articles

A system for creating a position correcting error signal indicative of the lateral displacement of the center of a strip from a control position for the center of a nearly flat strip having a width and first and second generally parallel edges, as the generally flat strip moves along a given feed line past a given location, where the error signal creating device including means for detecting the orthogonally projectable, one dimensional lateral position of the first edge of said moving strip at said given location, means for detecting the orthogonally projectable, one dimensional lateral position of the second edge of said moving strip at said given location. The system includes transducer means for detecting the lateral tilt angle of the strip at said given location, means for creating an electrical value based upon said detected tilt angle, means for creating edge signals indicative of the detected lateral positions of the edges of the web, and means responsive to the edge signals and the electric value for providing a tilt responsive error signal for reducing said lateral displacement of the web center from said central position for the web center.

Tilt compensated error correcting system

An improved edge detection and location system of a variety wherein a linear array of radiation emitting devices are selected to emit in the infrared region of the visible spectrum. The emitter array component is employed in conjunction with a silicon photovoltaic receiver and the combination permits greatly expanded spacing between the emitter component and receiver component of the system. A system highly immune to environmental radiation noise is provided which includes an array of IR region emitters performing in conjunction with the same form of IR emitting devices but configured within a photoreceptor circuit. Enhanced edge detection accuracy is achieved through the utilization of multiple rows of emitting devices arranged in parallel and mutually offset by an amount less than the center-to-center spacing of adjacent such devices. An on-site calibration technique is described for calibrating the systems at their intended location so as to achieve uniformity of radiation intensity at the receiver components under conditions of non-attenuation of that radiation.

Method and apparatus employing a linear array IR region radiation

Method and apparatus are provided of a variety wherein a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are positioned at one side of a material having an edge to be detected. A photoresponsive receiver is positioned on the opposite side of the material at a predetermined stand-off distance from the LED array. The visual LEDs of the array are energized by a drive current which is pre-selected such that light emitting from each exhibits substantially uniform intensity at the photodetecting receiver when non-attenuated by the material. Additionally, the photodetector at the receiver is configured having a length of at least 6 cm to substantially improve edge related data collection. The improvements provide for substantially enhanced measurement accuracy and permit the detection of edges of transparent and semi-transparent materials.

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Powell, OH, United States of America

David E Harris