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:
Jun. 26, 1990
Filed:
May. 29, 1987
Thomas A Rowe, North Ridgeville, OH (US);
AM International Incorporated, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for establishing a random fault limit for hoppers in a collating machine. A plurality of hoppers are arranged in an array, each adapted to feed signatures, one at a time, to a conveyor. A miss feed base number and a double feed base number is established in a microcomputer for each of the hoppers equal to either (i) a predetermined number of signature feeds by that hopper, (ii) a predetermined number of books assembled, or (iii) a predetermined number of collator machine cycles. A miss feed fault number and a double feed number is established in the microcomputer for each of the hoppers. Each hopper has an associated miss feed detector and a double feed detector electrically connected to the microcomputer. The microcomputer (i) monitors each of the detectors, (ii) counts the number of miss feeds or double feeds for each hopper, (iii) compares the number of miss feeds and double feeds for each hopper against its associated base number, (iv) determines whether the number of detected miss feeds or double feeds exceed their associated base number, and (v) warns an operator if it is determined that the detected number of miss feeds or double feeds does exceed their respective established base number for any of the hoppers.