# US 2021/0277601 A1 · Formation Detection System and a Process of Controlling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0277601 A1 - Document ID: US20210277601A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/181,612 - Filed: 2021-02-22 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: IBS of America - Applicants: IBS of America - Inventors: Andrew Forester; Paul Wratschko; Jake Neal; David Jackson; Chris Blair; James Faufau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210277601A1 ## CPC - D21F 5/04: on two or more drying cylinders - D21G 9/0009: {Paper-making control systems} - D21F 9/006: {paper or board consisting of two or more layers} - D21F 11/04: paper or board consisting on two or more layers - G01N 21/89: in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles (G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) - G01N 33/346: {Paper sheets} - D21F: PAPER-MAKING MACHINES; METHODS OF PRODUCING PAPER THEREON - D21G: CALENDERS; ACCESSORIES FOR PAPER-MAKING MACHINES (winders or rewinders for finished products, means for adjustment of wrinkles or lateral extensions B65H) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A formation detection system comprising: (a) one or more sensors and (b) one or more lights that illuminate a location of interest so that the one or more sensors can monitor the location of interest; wherein one of the one or more sensors are located substantially planar with a wire of a paper machine and proximate to a slice opening so that the one of the one or more sensors is adjacent to a cut through so that the one of the one or more sensors is capable of measuring stock above the wire and removed water below the wire, and wherein the one of the one or more sensors is capable of measuring a distance between an impingement location of a stock jet and the wire from a forming board. ## Claims ### Claim 1 1) A formation detection system comprising: a. one or more sensors and b. one or more lights that illuminate a location of interest so that the one or more sensors can monitor the location of interest; wherein one of the one or more sensors are located within a press section of a paper machine, a dryer section, or both and the one or more lights monitor formation of a sheet of paper within the press section, the dryer section, or both. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 2) The formation detection system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more sensors monitor a nip between two press rolls or a transfer location between two dryer cans, or wherein the one or more of the one or more sensors monitor an upstream side of the nip of the two press rolls or the transfer location between the two dryer cans, on a down stream side of the two press rolls or the two dryer cans, or both. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) 3) The formation detection system of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the one or more sensors is located above the sheet of paper, below the sheet of paper, or the one or more sensors are located both above and below the sheet of paper. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 4) The formation detection system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more lights are located below the sheet of paper, and wherein one of the one or more sensors is an overhead sensor that views the sheet from a location substantially normal to the sheet of paper. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) 5) The formation detection system of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors is located upstream of two press rolls, between two sets of press rolls, after the press section, upstream of two dryer cans, between two sets of dryer cans, after the dryer section, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) 6) The formation detection system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are located above the sheet, below the sheet, or both. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) 7) The formation detection system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors monitor surface characteristics in addition to formation of the sheet, and wherein the surface characteristics include wire marks, dandy roll marks, felt marks, embossment, flocks of fibers, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 8 8) A method comprising: a. monitoring a sheet of paper with one or more sensors at one or more locations along a paper machine as the sheet of paper extends between two press rolls or two sets of press rolls of a press section or between two dryer cans a dryer section; b. monitoring formation of the sheet of paper; and c. monitoring surface characteristics of the sheet of paper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) 9) The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring formation of the sheet of paper includes measuring a distance between flocks of fibers within the sheet, shrinkage of the sheet of paper, or both. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) 10) The method of claim 9, wherein the shrinkage of the sheet of paper is a difference between a cross-machine width of the sheet of paper at a first location and a cross-machine width of the sheet of paper at a second location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) 11) The method of claim 10, wherein the difference is compared to a grade of paper being run and then the difference is compared to a look up table for differences in prior runs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) 12) The method of claim 8, comprising adjusting an amount of pressure exerted by the two press rolls, the temperature of dryer cans within the dryer section, a nip location between the two press rolls, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) 13) The method of claim 8, comprising monitoring a location above the sheet of paper, a location below the sheet of paper, or both as the sheet of paper extends into the nip between the two press rolls, extending out of the nip between the two press rolls, or both; wherein the one or more sensors monitor the sheet of paper before the sheet of paper enters the dryer section, after the sheet of paper exits the dryer section, at a location periodically between the two dryer cans; or a combination thereof; or a combination thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) 14) The method of claim 9, wherein one of the one or more sensors is normal to the sheet of paper, and wherein one or more lights are located above the sheet, one or more lights are located below the sheet, or both. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) 15) The method of claim 9, wherein the surface characteristics of the sheet of paper is include wire marks, dandy roll marks, felt marks, embossment, flocks of fibers, surface topography, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 16 16) A formation detection system comprising: a. two or more sensors wherein the two or more sensors include: i. a first of the two or more sensors is directed to a location along a paper machine corresponding to a first sheet of paper and ii. a second of the two or more sensors is directed to a location along a paper machine corresponding to a second sheet of paper; b. two or more lights; and c. a control system; wherein formation of the first sheet of paper and formation of the second sheet of paper are matched up by the control system to form joint data so that when the first sheet of paper and the second sheet of paper are joined, formation data regarding the first sheet of paper and the second sheet of paper is recorded individually. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) 17) The formation detection system of claim 16, wherein the two or more sensors include a third sensor that is capable of monitoring a location where the first sheet of paper and the second sheet of paper are joined to form a single sheet, and wherein the control system compares data from the third sensor to the joined data so that formation of the single sheet is generated and any formation issues within the single sheet can be tracked to the first sheet or the second sheet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) 18) The formation detection system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the two or more lights are located on a different side of a sheet of paper as the two or more sensors, or the two or more lights are located on both a first side and a second side of a sheet of paper on the paper machine. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) 19) The formation detection system of claim 16, wherein the two or more sensors include a fourth sensor that is located after all or a portion of a press section so that formation of the single sheet is measured. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) 20) The formation detection system of claim 19, wherein formation measured by the fourth sensor is compared to formation measured by the first sensor, second sensor, and third sensor so that the paper machine can be adjusted upstream of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, or a combination thereof to remove any detected formation issues.