JPS6155045B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for measuring the length of a non-rigid elongated object.

If it is a rigid object, you can easily measure its length using a caliper or other tool, but if you try to measure a non-rigid object, such as a cigarette or tobacco filter, by holding it in a caliper, it will not work. Measured values vary widely depending on the pressing force, making it impossible to ensure accuracy.

Cigarettes or tobacco filters are cylindrical pieces of tobacco or filter material wrapped in paper, and the length of this cylinder must be within certain control limits to facilitate automated tasks such as cigarette rolling and packaging. It is essential to keep this in mind. To measure the length of a cylindrical cigarette or tobacco filter (hereinafter referred to as a rod), the standard method in Japan is to cut open the wrapping paper and measure the length of the paper in the longitudinal direction of the rod. This is the way to do it. The filling in a rod will dent if you press it, so even if you try to hold both ends of the rod at right angles with a parallel plate like a caliper, if you press too hard, it will dent and the measurement will be smaller than the actual value, and if you don't press it, the accurate value will be incorrect. cannot be obtained. Therefore, it is probably supposed to be measured by the length of the rolling paper. However, cutting open the paper and making measurements requires manpower and is extremely complicated. Furthermore, since both ends of the rod are not necessarily cut perpendicularly or parallel to the length direction, the length of the rod cannot be accurately measured by the length of the paper.

The present invention was devised in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to propose a length measuring device that can easily, quickly, and accurately measure a long non-rigid object.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In Figures 1 and 2, a groove 2 with a V-shaped or concave cross section extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the upper surface of the sample stage 1, and a fixing member having a surface 3 at one end of the groove perpendicular to the direction in which the groove extends. A stopper 4 is provided. A sample S of a non-rigid elongated object (for example, an object to be measured such as the aforementioned rod) is placed longitudinally along the groove 2, and one end of the sample S is capable of contacting the stopper surface 3.

Near the other end of the sample S is a pendulum mechanism 5. This pendulum mechanism is capable of contacting the other end of the sample S and is substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the groove 2 (i.e., the stopper surface 3
It includes a first weight 7 having a surface 6 (substantially parallel to) and an arm 8 extending upward from this weight 7. The upper end of this arm 8 is connected to a shaft 9 that is perpendicular to the arm 8 and also perpendicular to the groove 2;
This shaft 9 is supported by a fixed support 10 so as to be freely rotatable. Therefore, the pendulum mechanism 5 has the shaft 9 as a fulcrum and the weight 7 in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the groove 2.
It has a structure that allows it to freely rotate and swing within a plane that extends upward from the base.

A second weight 11 is attached to the arm 8 of the pendulum mechanism 5 on the left side in FIG. 1, so that when the sample S is placed in the groove 2, the surface 6 of the weight 7 stops the other end of the sample Press against surface 3 with the required force.

In FIG. 1, a stopper 12 and a sensor 14 of a non-contact length measuring device 13 for detecting the position of the weight 7 are provided on the left side surface of the sample stage 1 at a position facing the surface 6 of the weight 7. This sensor 14 is arranged at a position where the surface 6 of the weight 7 does not come into contact with the stopper 12 even if it comes into contact with the stopper 12.

To actually measure the length of the sample S, rotate the arm 8 of the pendulum mechanism 5 clockwise in FIG. Sample S on sample stage 1
Place it along groove 2. When the groove 2 is a V-shaped groove as shown in FIG. 2, the sample S settles to the lowest part of the groove 2 under its own weight. Next, when the weight 7 of the pendulum is lowered, the sample S is sandwiched between the stopper surface 3 and the surface 6 of the weight 7 with a predetermined load.

At this time, the relationship between the sample S and the pendulum is as shown in FIG. The non-contact length measuring device 13 generally has a small measurement range in order to increase accuracy. Therefore, the distance L (known dimension) from the stopper surface 3 to the sensor 14 is set to be as large as possible,
If the distance l (measured dimension) from the sensor 14 to the surface 6 of the weight 7 is made as small as possible with respect to L, and this l is determined using the measuring instrument 13, L+l becomes the length of the sample. When there is no sample S, the surface 6 of the weight 7 contacts the stopper 12, but the length at this time (distance from the stopper surface 3 to the stopper 12 or distance from the sensor 14 to the stopper 12) should be set as the reference length. For example, it is possible to check whether the sensor 14 is indicating the correct dimension each time a measurement is made, and to make corrections.

When the sample S is a cigarette or a tobacco filter rod, the lower part of the rod S is sandwiched between the stopper surface 3 and the surface 6 of the weight 7, as shown in FIGS. When configured,
Measurements similar to measuring the length of a wrapping paper can be obtained. The height of the part that presses the rod S (h, h') should be as small as possible to get closer to the true length of the wrapping paper, but when the rod S moves, the stopper 4
There is a risk that Yaomori 7 will cross over, so h,
It is desirable that h' be at a height of about 2 to 5 mm in the diameter direction from the lower end of the rod S (the diameter of the rod is about 8 mm). It is sufficient that the force with which the weight 7 presses the rod S is slightly higher than the frictional force generated between the rod and the sample stage 1 due to the rod's own weight (about 1 g). It was discovered that with this force, paper tubes used to wrap cigarettes or filters (empty paper tubes after the filling inside has been removed) will not collapse when pressed. The force that holds the sample or rod is the weight 1 on the side.
It can be easily adjusted by changing the position of 1. The longer the arm 8 is, the more accurate the measured value can be, but generally the variation in the length of the rod S is less than 1 mm, so the length of the arm 8 should be about 150 mm or more. There is no practical problem.

In addition, in order to apply this length measuring device to samples other than rods or rods with different lengths, the positions of the fulcrum (axis) 9, sensor 14, stopper 12, etc. can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction with respect to the sample stage 1. It is preferable to leave it as

In addition, during measurement, a standard gauge is placed on the sample stage 1 instead of the sample, the correction coefficient is determined from the output of the measuring device 13 at that time, and the sensitivity adjustment of the non-contact measuring device is corrected. It is desirable to find l and measure the length of the sample as l+L. Various types of such non-contact length measuring devices are known, but the inventors used a non-contact gauging device (KD-2602-2S) to measure the actual rod length.
Made by KAMAN Co., Ltd. was used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a surface measurement diagram of the length measuring device of the present invention;
The figure is a front view of the same apparatus as seen from the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between measurement lengths. S...Sample (rod), 1...Sample stand, 2...Groove, 3
... stopper surface, 5 ... pendulum mechanism, 6 ... weight surface,
7...First weight, 8...Arm, 9...Fully point, 11
...Second weight, 14...sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device for measuring the length of a non-rigid long object, which comprises: a) a groove 2 in the longitudinal direction on which a sample S of the long object is placed;
A sample stage 1 equipped with a stopper 3 that can be contacted with one end of the sample and that is perpendicular to the direction in which the grooves extend, b. A surface 6 that can be contacted with the other end of the sample and that is substantially perpendicular to the direction that the grooves 2 extend First weight 7
and an arm 8 extending upward from the first weight.
and a fulcrum 9 that supports the arm so that the first weight can rotate and swing in a plane extending upward from the groove, c. a second weight 11 attached to the pendulum mechanism to apply a required force; d a sensor 1 for detecting the position of the first weight;
4. A length measuring device comprising: