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:
Apr. 07, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 23, 1996
David E Hochbein, Sarver, PA (US);
Craig J Kerney, Brea, CA (US);
Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for measuring the thickness of an article having upper and lower surfaces and substantial length and width dimensions, such as a sheet or plate of aluminum or another metal. A table is provided for supporting the article, and one or more openings across the length and width of the table provide access to the lower surface of the article. The table has a plurality of thickness references, each of which has an upper and a lower surface, and the thickness references are spaced across the width of the table at or near a first end. A plurality of pairs of opposed sensors are mounted at spaced intervals on a carriage that extends across the width of the table and is adapted for movement in the longitudinal direction of the table. A first member of each pair of sensors is disposed above the level of the supporting surface of the table opposite a second member that is disposed therebelow. The article is placed on the supporting surface of the table with one end of the article near the second end of the table so that the article does not cover the thickness references. The carriage is then positioned at a first location where each pair of sensors mounted thereon will be in alignment with and accessible to a thickness reference, with the first member of each such pair of sensors being disposed above the thickness reference opposite the second member that is disposed below it. Each pair of sensors is activated to measure the thickness of the thickness reference and calibrated according to the thickness so measured. The carriage is then moved, in stepwise fashion, to one or more subsequent locations along the length of the table that define points of measurement for the sensor pairs, so that at each such location the first member of each pair of sensors mounted on the carriage is disposed above the article on the table opposite the second member that is disposed therebelow and in alignment with an opening in the table that provides access to the lower surface of the article. Each pair of sensors is activated at each subsequent location to which the carriage is moved to measure the thickness of the article at such points of measurement.