GB2414079A

GB2414079A - Sheet feeding device with automatic thickness set-up

Info

Publication number: GB2414079A
Application number: GB0407640A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Anthony Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-04-02
Filing date: 2004-04-02
Publication date: 2005-11-16
Also published as: GB0407640D0

Abstract

A product feeding device A (e.g. to feed items of mail) measures the thickness of an item C passing between the device and a roller B or plate (figure 2), in order to prevent two items being fed instead of one. A potentiometer detects the thickness via the linear displacement of a sensor tip due to deflection of a wheel on the device as an item passes between the wheel and the roller. The device learns the average thickness of the product to be fed from the measurements taken. An alarm is raised if the fed thickness is greater or less than the self-taught average thickness, or if no item is fed at all. The device is set up automatically and needs no operator intervention to set the item thickness.

Description

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\, 241 4079 1.

Self teach and set miss and double product detection device This invention relates to the removal of the requirement to use skilled staff when setting up product feeding devices in the mailing industry.

The design brief was to invent a device that could automatically measure the thickness of a single item as it passes between the device and a fixed or rotating offset position without operator intervention.

To facilitate this requirement today, it is necessary for a skilled and experienced operator to manually adjust a mechanical device that has remained unchanged for a period of approximately twenty years. This device is widely available through various manufacturers and suppliers. Should the operator fail to set the mechanical device correctly, as is often the case, the equipment could unknowingly feed twice the volume, for example if a 100,000 magazines were to be mailed with a 100,000 subscription forms, one to one, and the operator failed to set the mechanical double detection device on the feeder feeding the subscription forms onto the magazine, then the feeder could in error, feed two subscription forms to one magazine, thereby requiring more subscription forms to be printed and the integrity of the mailing would be lost to the customer.

As the human element is the weakest link in the chain and the existing devices require a high degree of skill, with skilled labour in short supply, we were driven to invent a device that would eliminate this failing within the industry.

The self teach and set miss and double detection device is unique in its design and application.

The main construction in machined from aluminium with steel fixings.

All other miss and double detection devices without exception are required to be manually adjusted by a suitably experienced or qualified operator.

Datawrap's device is the only one that has removed the requirement for manual adjustment and setting.

This has been achieved buy clever engineering incorporating an electronic measuring device called a potentiometer.

The self teach and set miss and double product detection device is manufactured and assembled within our factory and is then pre-calibrated within the same factory prior to installation on our new equipment.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1A shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a rotational fixed zero point B both in the zero set position awaiting product.

Figure 1B shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a rotational fixed zero point B now with a product C between the two fixed positions. The thickness of product C is lmm. The potentiometer has moved two mm due to the amplification of the mechanical device giving a greater degree of accuracy for thinner products.

Figure 1C shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a rotational fixed zero point B now with a product C between the two fixed positions. The thickness of product C is 20mm. The potentiometer has moved 20mm this is due to the amplification system that has been designed and engineered to revert back to one-to-one on thicker products.

Figure 2A shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a fixed zero point B both in the zero set position awaiting product.

Figure 2B shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a fixed zero point B now with a product C between the two fixed positions. The thickness of product C is lmm. The potentiometer has moved two mm due to the amplification of the mechanical device giving a greater degree of accuracy for thinner products.

Figure 2C shows the self teach and set miss and double detection device A and a fixed zero point B now with a product C between the two fixed positions. The thickness of product C is 20mm. The potentiometer has moved 20mm this is due to the amplification system that has been designed and engineered to revert back to one-to-one on thicker products.

When the self teach and set miss and double detection device A is attached onto its final position, it is then re-calibrated for the final time.

The self teach and set miss and double detection device A is now ready to automatically measure the thickness of a product see Fig 1 A. When an operator presses the auto teach button on the machine, products will individually pass (one at a time) between the wheel on the arm of the self teach and set miss and double detection device (see Fig 1A) and a fixed or rotating offset position. The wheel will be touching the fixed or rotating offset position and will subsequentially be forced to move away from its original calibrated position by a distance determined by the thickness of the single product between them (see Figs 1B and 1C).

As the single product passes between the wheel and the fixed or rotating offset position, the wheel will be forced to retract by the thickness of the single product. The radial movement of the wheel is amplified by the ratios at the other end of the wheel- supporting arm to the second radial movement ( see Page 16 item 7 - striker plate). (A 3.

The second radial movement (striker plate) is progressive and will transmit its radial movement through to the sensor tip of the potentiometer arm that is touching it from its upper pre-set zero position (Fig IA).

The specially calibrated potentiometer is secured within the aluminium body of the self teach and set miss and double detection device. The calibration is adjusted and set in the factory.

The arm that extends from within the body of the potentiometer has a hardened sensor tip that will withstand the constant movement of the second radial device (striker plate) attached to the opposite end of the wheel support arm on the self teach and set miss and double detection device.

The second radial device (striker plate) is fixed slightly off centre. This means that it will amplify the first part of the linear movement giving a greater degree of accuracy for thinner products.

When the first product passes through the self teach and set miss and double detection device the second radial device will rotate inline with the wheel (see Figs. 1B and 1C), it will push the potentiometers hardened sensor tip inwards converting a radial movement into a linear one.

The software that is receiving the data information directly from the transducer within the potentiometer can progressively calculate this [inner movement taking the maximum movement as the thickest measurement of the product passing through it.

This information is recorded and a second product is automatically feed into the same method of measuring. If the second product is calculated to be of the same thickness of the first product, it will be within the parameters of acceptability set within the software, then this information will be matched with the first set of data and a third product will automatically feed into the same method of measuring.

Once again if the third product is calculated to be of the same thickness within the parameters set within the software then this information will be matched with the first and second sets of data. Now the software will instruct the controlling system of the machine to accept this collation of measurements as an average over three or four individual products and signal to the operator that the self teach and set miss and double detection device is now set and ready to run and to permit all similar products that are to be fed thought the measuring device as the system is set.

The self teach and set miss and double detection device has now taught itself the thickness as an average, of each individual item that is due to pass through it. During production, should a double product feed occur, the self teach and set miss and double detection device will automatically alarm and stop the machine for operator attention.

The self teach and set miss and double detection device will automatically detect a product that is thinner than the set parameters or a product that has been missed completely, the self teach and set miss and double detection device will automatically (A 4.

alarm and stop the machine for operator attention. This information will be displayed onto the machines main control panel. 5.

Claims

Claims 1. The self teach and set miss and double detection device is a

self contained unit that requires no manual or mechanical adjustment.
2. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, will measure any thickness of product between 0.001 mm to 25 mm electronically.
3. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, incorporates precisely engineered and calculated mechanical parts that accurately amplify an electronic signal from the potentiometer.
4. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, Datawrap Limited has written its oven computer software that converts this information into optical information on the control panel of a machine.
5. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, will automatically register the thickness of each single product that passes between the rotary offset zero position or the fixed plane position.
6. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, will automatically self feed four individual products, allowing the software to take an average thickness reading over four items, this will then give the parameters of acceptability for each single product's thickness.
7. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, will alarm and stop the machine, should it detect two or more individual items in one pass.
8. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, will alarm and stop the machine, if no product passes between the zero position B and the wheel attached to A, also in a fixed position as the device has set itself for an average thickness.
9. The self teach and set miss and double detection device according to claim 1, requires no experienced staff to operate, as the device will teach itself the thickness of the product.