The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1981
Filed:
May. 25, 1979
Gregory T Dubberly, Atlanta, GA (US);
The Mead Corporation, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method for observing containers which are transported through an illumination station, and generating a recognition signal on the basis of leading edge scanning information. Leading edge scanning information is produced by a trigger photodetector and a plurality of vertically arranged registration photodetectors. A container which is to be recognized is carried through the illumination station by a conveyor, and the conveyor generates conveyor clock pulses corresponding to actual movement of the container through the illumination station. The trigger photodetector senses the leading edge of the container, and it generates a trigger signal which enables a counter to begin counting conveyor clock pulses. The registration photodetectors are positioned downstream from the trigger photodetector and are connected for terminating the counting of conveyor clock pulses upon detection of the container leading edge at their respective positions. There is also disclosure of a vertically progressing arrangement of height detecting photodetectors positioned above and upstream from the trigger photodetector. The height detecting photodetectors perform a height classification at the instant of activation of the trigger photodetector. The system includes a plurality of recognition circuits for recognizing different classes of containers, and the height classification is used for selecting those recognition circuits to be employed for recognition of the particular container being observed.