Burroughs, Inc.

Harold A Fasig

Anthony Horak

Eugene E Paananen

A controller monitors and controls the operation of the document transporting portions of a document processor. It employs sensors which detect the passage of the trailing edges of documents and timers which measure the time taken for a document to pass successive sensors. Whenever this time period is too long, the controller determines that the document being timed has jammed and provides signals to stop the operation of sections of the system in an orderly fashion designed to minimize the effects of jamming.

Track controller for a document processor

Apparatus for detecting the presence of documents in a document pathway employing a light source and a light sensor positioned to function in cooperation with a drum. The drum employs a peripheral surface for support of documents as they are transported across a cylindrical surface which is recessed below the peripheral surface for reflecting light. The positions of the light source and the sensor are selected so that, when no document is present, light from the light source will be reflected from the recessed cylindrical surface onto the sensor enabling the sensor to provide an output indicating no document is present. When a document is present, light from the light source will be reflected from the surface of the document along a path which will substantially miss the sensor and not energize it, thereby enabling associated circuitry to determine that a document is present.

Sensor for a document processor

An integrated circuit is shown for use as a controller for a track sensor used with document processors. The track sensor includes a light source and a light detector. The circuit monitors the signal from the light sensing portion of the sensor, comparing the signal with a standard value and providing a feedback signal to the light source to adjust the intensity of the light to compensate for the effects of aging, holes in a document, the accumulation of dirt on sensor lenses and the like. The circuit determines when the leading edge of a document arrives and when the trailing edges pass by. It includes elements which prevent false indications that the trailing edge has passed when holes go by the sensor.

Track sensor controller

Apparatus for detecting black band separator documents placed as markers between batches of documents. The apparatus is responsive to four measurements which enable it to determine when a black band document has passed. These measurements relate to changes in the intensity of light transmitted through the document, the length of a black band, length of the document, and the position of the black band on the document.

Black band detector for document sorting machines

System for controlling a document feeder which receives documents of various lengths one-at-a-time with their ends touching or overlapping and delivers them at a constant speed and with fixed spaces between their ends. The document feeder employs a variable speed servo, which drives a group of low-speed rollers and a group of high-speed rollers while maintaining a constant speed ratio between the two groups. A natural gap develops between first and second documents in a track of the feeder between the time the first document and the second document pass from control by the group of low-speed rollers into control by the group of high-speed rollers. Sensors are positioned along the track to detect passage of trailing and leading edges of successive documents. A processor responds to signals from the sensors to determine the length of the natural gap formed between the first and second documents and adjusts the speed of the servo system to change the gap, if needed, and then adjusts the speed to match that of rollers in the track downstream of the document feeder. Performance of the system is monitored by measurement of the gap downstream and changes in signals to the processor which accompany changes in the gap downstream are used to adjust the gap to the desired length.

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Plymouth, MI, United States of America

Harold A Fasig