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US 4,845,374 AGranted
Method and apparatus for detecting the deposition of an adhesive on a travelling web
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorsKenneth W. White, Luis M. Dominguez, Bain C. McConnell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed that detects the specular reflections from the surface of a travelling web to determine if a material is coated on the web. The web is illuminated with diffuse light and the reflected light is received by a detector which determines the presence and width of the coated material based on the specular reflections from the coated surface of the travelling web.
Claims52
An apparatus for measuring the width of a portion of a travelling web, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) illumination means for uniformly illuminating a transverse surface of said travelling web with diffuse light at a first angle to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface coated with a coating material and second reflections from a second, non-coated portion of said surface, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of travel of said web;
- (b) detector means positioned at a second angle for receiving said first and second reflections from the surface of said travelling web, and for producing signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- and
- (c) processing means connected to said detector means for receiving said signals and for determining the width of at least one of said first portion or said second portion of said surface of said travelling web based on differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
1 more element
A method of measuring the width of a portion of a surface of a travelling web, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) uniformly illuminating said surface of said travelling web with diffuse light at a first angle to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface coated with said coating material and second reflections from a second, non-coated portion of said surface, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of transverse of said web;
- (b) receiving at a second angle said first and second reflections from the surface of said travelling web;
- (c) generating signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- and
- (d) determining the width of at least one of said first and second portions based on differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
2 more elements
An apparatus for measuring the width of a travelling web, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) illumination means for uniformly illuminating a surface of said web with diffuse light at a first angle to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface having a relatively smooth material thereon and second reflections from a second portion of said surface not having said relatively smooth material thereon, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of travel of said web;
- (b) detector means positioned at a second angle for receiving said first and second reflections from the surface of said web, and for producing signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- and
- (c) processing means connected to said detector means for receiving said signals and for determining the width of at least one of said first portion or said second portion of said surface of said web based on differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
1 more element
A method of measuring the width of a portion of a surface of a travelling web, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) uniformly illuminating said surface of said web with diffuse light at a first angle to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface having a relatively smooth material thereon and second reflections from a second portion of said surface not having said relatively smooth material thereon, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of travel of said web;
- (b) receiving said first and second reflections from the surface of said web at a second angle;
- (c) generating signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- and
- (d) determining the width of at least one of the first and second portions based on the differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
2 more elements
A method of measuring the width of a portion of a travelling web comprising the steps of:
- (a) illuminating, at an angle of incidence, said surface of said travelling web with a diffuse light source to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface coated with said coating material and second reflections from a second portion of said surface not coated with said coating material, said first reflections having a first light intensity when observed at an angle of observation substantially equal to said angle of incidence, and a second intensity when observed at an angle of observation not substantially equal to said angle of incidence, said second reflections having a range of third light intensities intermediate said first and second light intensities, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of transverse of said web;
- (b) positioning a light detector at an angle of observation for receiving said first and second reflections;
- (c) generating signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- and
- (d) responsive to said signals, automatically determining the width of at least one of said first and second portions based on the difference in light intensities between at least two of said first, second and third intensities.
2 more elements
Apparatus for measuring the width of a portion of a surface of a travelling web comprising:
- (a) means for illuminating, at an angle of incidence, said surface of said travelling web with a diffuse light source to produce first reflections from a first portion of said surface coated with said coating material and second reflections from a second portion of said surface not coated with said coating material, said first reflections having a first light intensity when observed at an angle of observation substantially equal to said angle of incidence, and a second intensity when observed at an angle of observation not substantially equal to said angle of incidence, said second reflections having a range of third light intensities intermediate said first and second light intensities, said first and second portions being transverse to the direction of travel of said web;
- (b) light detector means for receiving, at an angle of observation, said first and second reflections, and for producing signals indicative of the intensities of said first and second reflections as a function of the transverse distance across said web;
- (c) means responsive to said signals for automatically determining the width of at least one of said first and second portions based on the differences in light intensity between at least two of said first, second and third intensities.
Apparatus for detecting the presence of a coating material on a travelling web comprising:
- (a) illumination means for uniformly illuminating a surface of said travelling web with diffuse light at a first angle;
- (b) said web having a first portion of said surface having said coating material thereon and a second, discrete portion not having said coating material thereon;
- (c) said illumination means producing first reflections from said first, coated portion of said web and second reflections from said second, non-coated portion of said web;
- (d) detector means positioned at a second angle for receiving said first and second reflections from the surface of said travelling web;
- and
- (e) processing means, connected to said detector means, for separately determining the light intensity of said first and second reflections and for detecting the presence of said coating material on said first portion of said travelling web based on differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
3 more elements
A method of detecting the presence of a coating material on a surface of a travelling web, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) uniformly illuminating said surface of said travelling web with a diffuse light source at a first angle;
- (b) providing said web with a first portion of said surface having said coating material thereon and a second, discrete portion not having said coating material thereon;
- (c) orienting said web and said diffuse light source for producing first reflections from said first portion of said web coated with said coating material and second reflections from said second, non-coated portion of said web;
- (d) receiving at a second angle said first and second reflections from the surface of said travelling web;
- (e) separately determining the light intensities of said first and second reflections;
- and
- (f) detecting the presence of said coating material on the first portion of said travelling web based on differences in light intensity between said first and second reflections.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.