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:
Nov. 03, 1981
Filed:
Dec. 10, 1979
Edward D Cottrell, Cattaraugus, NY (US);
Champion International Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for counting a plurality of pointed sticks and segregating the sticks into groups containing a predetermined count. The sticks are fed onto an endless conveyor belt from either a pointing or alignment station and are counted by a radiation counter either as they are dropped onto, or are delivered in side-by-side relationship on the conveyor. After a predetermined number of sticks are counted, a gate above the conveyor belt is actuated in response to an electronic signal received from the counter to release an accumulated, counted quantity of the sticks for delivery by the conveyor belt to a delivery location. The speed of the conveyor may be increased to space the sticks on the belt from those accumulated behind the gate. The segregated sticks are then manually removed and packaged. In one form of the invention, the use of an infrared counter enables an accurate count to be made even if the sticks are bunched together or lie one on top of the other as they are fed from the pointing station past the counter, while in another form, a special light emitting diode retro-reflective assembly enables an accurate count of the sticks even if disposed in a single layer in side-by-side engagement with each other.