Charles D Conner

US Patent:

61898791, Feb 20, 2001

Filed:

Nov 9, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/188238

Inventors:

Charles Jeffrey Conner - Dayton OH
James Richard Schlough - Troy OH
Alan Scott Farr - Huber Heights OH

Assignee:

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG - Heidelberg

International Classification:

B65H 4308

US Classification:

270 5215

Abstract:

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, where the flat products are fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The apparatus has a light source and light sensor for sensing the light transmitted from the light source. The pocket feeder includes a first roller and second roller, the first roller being arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving flat product, wherein the first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus includes a first reflecting element which is arranged on the first roller for reflecting incident light, a light source for directing light to said first reflecting element and a first sensor element for sensing light reflected from said reflecting element which produces a sensor signal. A calculating unit for calculating the thickness based on that sensor signal is also provided.

US Patent:

61965375, Mar 6, 2001

Filed:

Nov 9, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/188239

Inventors:

Charles Jeffrey Conner - Dayton OH
James Richard Schlough - Troy OH
Alan Scott Farr - Huber Heights OH

Assignee:

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG - Heidelberg

International Classification:

B65H 4308

US Classification:

270 5215

Abstract:

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, the flat products being fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The pocket feeder includes a first and second roller. The first roller is arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving a flat product. The first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus comprises a first proximity target which is arranged on the first roller and a second proximity target which is fixedly arranged on the receiving unit. A proximity switch monitors the targets and a control unit starts and stops counting the pulses generated by an encoder. To calculate the thickness of a flat product, the counted pulses are compared to a stored value.

US Patent:

51874792, Feb 16, 1993

Filed:

Sep 30, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/769204

Inventors:

David U. Johnson - New Carlisle OH
Charles J. Conner - Dayton OH
Peter A. Wolf - Piqua OH

Assignee:

AM International Incorporated - Chicago IL

International Classification:

H03M 122

US Classification:

341 6

Abstract:

A circuit compensates backlash of a shaft on an incremental encoder having a quadrature and index pulse output lines. Quadrature is represented as two signal lines phased apart by 90 degrees and an index pulse occurring once per revolution of the encoder shaft. The logical combination of the quadrature signals produce a four state condition which, through sequential examination of the signal levels, allows discriminating circuitry to determine the rotational direction of the encoder shaft. The circuit allows the definition of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation as being the forward direction. When the circuit discerns the positive forward rotational progression of the two signal lines, the circuit passes such signals unaltered to a pulse responsive system. Upon discernment of an encoder's shaft reverse rotation, the circuit causes the last forward rotational quadrature state to be latched on its output lines. The current condition of the index pulse is latched and the incidence of reverse pulses in a counter circuit is accumulated.

US Patent:

56222688, Apr 22, 1997

Filed:

Nov 30, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/347266

Inventors:

Charles J. Conner - Dayton OH
Douglas P. Loughman - Brookville OH
David U. Johnson - Dayton OH

Assignee:

Heidelberg Finishing Systems, Inc. - Dayton OH

International Classification:

B07C 512
B65H 702
B65H 3900

US Classification:

209603

Abstract:

An apparatus (10) comprises a movable member (60) having an outer circumferential surface which engages a collated assemblage (20) on a collating conveyor (14) to compress the collated assemblage when the member is moved towards the collated assemblage. A light source (36) directs light (37) toward the outer circumferential surface of the member. The outer circumferential surface includes a light reflective surface (83) portion against which the light is directed and then reflected. The reflected light (38) has a characteristic which varies as a function of the thickness of the collated assemblage. The reflected light is sensed and a first electrical signal (42) is provided which varies as a function of the characteristic of the reflected light and thus as a function of the thickness of the collated assemblage. An electrical circuit (90) detects a value of the first electrical signal corresponding to a maximum compressed condition of the collated assemblage, holds the value for at least a predetermined time period, and provides a second electrical signal (96, 97) indicative of whether the value of the first electrical signal is within a predetermined value range.