Semiautomatic strip feed control
AssigneePako Corporation
InventorsFrancis M. Laciak, Gerald R. Strunc
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is a strip feed control which is particularly useful in photographic systems such as film and paper cutters, film notchers, and printers. The photographic strip material is fed by a predetermined feed length during each operating cycle. The operator of the system visually monitors the position of the strip with respect to a reference position or indicator along the feed path and provides adjustment signal through an operator control knob. The strip position is moved in accordance with the desired adjustments, and the predetermined feed length for the next operating cycle is derived from the predetermined feed length of the just completed operating cycle, together with any adjustment in the strip position which was made by the operator.
Claims20
A strip feed system comprising:
- strip feed means for feeding a strip along a path in response to feed control signals and strip position adjust signals;
- strip feed control means for providing feed control signals which result in a strip feed of a predetermined feed length;
- operator control means for providing strip position adjust signals indicative of desired adjustments in the position of the strip along the path;
- and
- feed length determining means for determining the predetermined feed length for a succeeding strip feed cycle from the predetermined feed length and the desired adjustments in position from a preceding strip feed cycle.
A method of feeding a strip along a path, the method comprising:
- storing a first digital value which determines a feed length for the strip;
- feeding the strip by the feed length determined by the first digital value;
- providing a second digital value indicative of a desired adjustment of the strip position along the path with respect to a reference position;
- adjusting the strip position along the path as a function of the second digital value;
- modifying the first digital value as a function of the second digital value;
- and
- replacing the stored first digital value with the modified first digital value for use in determining a succeeding feed length.
In a photographic system having operating means positioned along a path of a photographic strip material for performing operations on the strip material, a strip feed system comprising:
- strip feed means for feeding the strip material in response to control signals;
- operator adjust means for providing signals indicative of desired adjustments in the strip material position along the path to align a selected location on the strip material with a reference position along the path;
- and
- control means for providing control signals to the strip feed means to cause the strip material to be fed by a predetermined feed length during an operating cycle and to cause the strip feed means to adjust the position of the strip material by an amount determined by the signals from the operator adjust means, the control means determining the predetermined feed length of each operating cycle from the predetermined feed length and the adjustments in strip material position of a preceding operating cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.