Information item forming machine with visual inspection unit and method for forming and sorting informational items
AssigneeG&K-Vijuk Intern. Corp.
InventorChad M. Lacek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for forming and sorting informational items comprises a folding unit, a conveyor belt, a camera, a controller, and a diverter assembly. The folding unit forms a folded article from a sheet of paper. The conveyor belt transports the folded article. The camera captures an image of the folded article as it passes by the camera. The controller receives and processes the image, and the diverter assembly causes the folded article to move off of the conveyor belt when the controller determines that the folded article fails to satisfy at least one predetermined criteria.
Claims14
A method of forming and sorting informational items having product information printed thereon, the method comprising:
- folding a sheet of paper having product information printed thereon by making a plurality of folds in said sheet of paper to form a folded article;
- conveying the folded article on a conveyor belt past a camera;
- capturing an image of the folded article with the camera as it passes on the conveyor belt;
- processing data retrieved from the image;
- and
- comparing the data retrieved from the image to target data stored in a memory device to determine if the folded article has at least one of:
- dimensions within predetermined tolerances or edges in proper alignment relative to the conveyor belt based on the processed data.
A method of forming and sorting informational items having product information printed thereon, the method comprising:
- folding a sheet of paper having product information printed thereon by making a plurality of folds in said sheet of paper to form a folded article;
- conveying the folded article on a conveyor belt;
- capturing an image of the folded article with a camera as it moves on the conveyer belt;
- processing data by comparing the data to target data stored in a memory device retrieved from the image to determine if the folded article satisfies predetermined criteria comprising at least one of:
- having dimensions within predetermined tolerances or having edges in proper alignment relative to the conveyor belt;
- and
- diverting the folded article off of the conveyor belt in response to determining that the folded article does not satisfy the at least one predetermined criteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.