Coded web and associated web handling and working machine

A web handling and working system for creating graphics on a web, said system comprising:

• an elongated web,
• code means, integral with said web, for providing information about said web, said code means comprising a plurality of individual codes spaced from one another longitudinally along said web, each of said codes comprising a plurality of data bits which collectively provide information defining at least the length of web remaining from the point on the web bearing the code,
• means for feeding said web longitudinally of itself,
• means for inputting under the control of an operator information defining a graphic to be created on said web,
• an instrument engageable with said web for working on said web,
• means responsive to said graphic defining information for moving said instrument in a graphic generating program relative to said web to create the graphic defined by such information,
• means responsive to said graphic defining information for determining the length of web needed to create the graphic defined by such information,
• code reading means operable in advance of the start of said graphic generating program for reading one of said plurality of codes which lengthwise of said web is near said instrument, and
• means for comparing said length of web needed with said length of web remaining as provided by the code read by said code reading means and for providing an indication of whether such remaining length of web is sufficient for creating said graphic.

A system for making signs of variable length, said system comprising:

• a sign making machine for handling and working upon an elongated sign making web, and
• an elongated sign making web for use with said sign making machine,
• said sign making machine including a means for feeding said web longitudinally of itself along a given feed path, a tool for cutting a sign of variable length from said web, and a means providing information about a sign to be made by said sign making machine including the length of sign making web required for said sign,
• said sign making web including a plurality of codes carried by said web and spaced from one another longitudinally of said web, each of said codes including a plurality of data bits encoded to describe the remaining length of said web appearing between the position of that code on said web and one end of said web,
• said sign making machine also including reading means located along said feed path for reading each of said codes as said sign making web is moved past said reading means due to the feeding of said web along said feed path by said feeding means, said reading means and said tool being located at approximately the same position along the length of said feed path, means for comparing said length of web required for a sign with the remaining length of web as determined by said reading means, and means inhibiting the operation of said tool on said sign making web in the event said comparing means determine that the length of said web required for said sign is greater than said remaining length of web.