Optical sensing equipment

Abstract

Provided is a method comprising illuminating paper moving on a substantially vertical transport belt; sensing variations in reflectivity among the paper; comparing the variations in reflectivity to pre-selected acceptable reflectivity values, thus determining locations of acceptable paper on the transport belt; and rejecting paper based on the locations of acceptable paper. Also provided is a paper handling method comprising creating a negative pressure on the posterior side of a transport belt, the transport belt moving in a substantially vertical plane; passing the transport belt through a bin of paper, the paper removeably affixed to an anterior side of the transport belt by the negative pressure; and selectively detaching the paper from the transport belt by selectively injecting air through perforations in the transport belt, the injected air overcoming the negative pressure. A paper handling system is provided, the system comprising a continuous transport belt having perforations and moving in a substantially vertical plane; an apparatus for creating a negative pressure on the posterior side of the transport belt; a bin containing an assortment of paper at the base of the transport belt whereby the paper is removeably affixed to the anterior side of the transport belt by the negative pressure as the transport belt moves in a substantially vertical plane; and an array of valves positioned on the posterior side of the transport belt for selectively injecting air through the perforations in the transport belt depending on variations in reflectivity among the paper, thereby overcoming the negative pressure and causing the paper to detach from the transport belt.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.