GB1185788A - Improvements in or relating to Sheet Inspecting and Segregating Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,185,788. Delivering sheets. COLUMBIA CONTROLS RESEARCH CORP. 17 June, 1968 [20 June, 1967], No. 28706/68. Heading B8R. [Also in Division G1] In apparatus comprising an inspection station for sensing defects in a continuously moving web, a cutting station for cutting the web into sheets, and sorting means to separate sheets having defects from those without, means are provided for varying the length of sheets to be cut without changing the length of travel of the web between the inspection and cutting stations and still retaining information as to which sheet lengths contain defects and which do not. The inspection, cutting and sorting apparatus are substantially the same as those of Patent 1,115,982. After photo-electric sensing of defects by apparatus 15, and cutting of the web by a knife 20 carried by a rotating roller, the sheets are diverted, if necessary, by finger 27, into an appropriate container 26 for defective sheets, the reject signal obtained from apparatus 15 being delayed by passage through a shift register so that the finger 27 operates on the correct sheet. A switch 29 generates signals to cause energization of the solenoid (50) causing operation of finger 27 and switch 28.generates signals causing advance of information through the shift register. When it is desired to change the length of sheets being cut, the speed of the shaft 21 is changed by adjustment of drive means 22. This disturbs the timing sequence between inspection and cutting and so an adjustment to switch 28 is made. To do this, switch (52), Fig. 3 (not shown), is closed to connect the output of switch 28 with a solenoid 30 associated with a marker 31 at the inspection station. The switch 28 produces an output once per cycle of revolution of shaft 21, at a particular angle of orientation of the shaft, and will produce signals which are time displaced in relation to the cutting operations. A particular arrangement for setting this angle and thus the timing between each pulse from switch 28 and each cutting operation, is detailed in Fig. 2 (not shown) and comprises an actuator rotated by shaft 21a around a proximity switch. The marker 31 is thereby caused to mark the web once per sheet to be cut. When observed at the cutting station, the cutting may not be in register with the mark and thus the setting of switch 28 is adjusted to obtain register. The inspection operation has now been sequenced correctly with the cutting operation. The switch (52) is then opened and the switch 28 continues to cause advance of information through the shift register but in the correct time relationship with respect to cutting operations. The switch 28 may be a snap-action switch or a photo-electric arrangement. The marker can produce ink spots, notches, slits &c., the latter produced for example by spark discharge.