# US 5,704,246 A · Device for measuring the thickness of objects to be handled in document-handling machines

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- Number: US 5,704,246 A
- Document ID: US5704246A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/792,391
- Filed: 1997-02-03
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1993-10-20
- Assignees: Bell & Howell Company
- Inventors: Hans-Kurt Kruger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704246A

## CPC

- G01B 11/06: for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)}
- B65H 29/003: {by grippers (B65H29/02 takes precedence)}
- G01B 5/06: for measuring thickness
- G07B 17/00661: {Sensing or measuring mailpieces (weighing G01G19/00)}
- G07B 2017/00685: {Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces}
- Y10S 209/90: Sorting flat-type mail
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A device for measuring the thickness of objects to be handled in mail processing machines, particularly collating machines, inserters and the like, has a relatively-stationary back-up part; a gripper jaw; a rotating axis for mounting the gripper jaw pivotably in relation to the back-up part, whereby an object to be handled is engagable between the gripper jaw and the back-up part; an actuator system operatively connected between the back-up part and the gripper jaw for generating pivotal movement of the gripper jaw between an engagement position and an open position in relation to the back-up part; a movement-transmission part fastened to the rotating axis; and, a measuring device provided operatively between the movement-transmission part and the back-up part, the measuring device providing position-detector signals corresponding to predetermined pivotal positions of the gripper jaw in relation to the back-up part. The measuring device includes a detector which is connected to an UP/DOWN-counter operated by the output signals of the detector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A mail-processing device for measuring the thickness of documents to be engaged between a relatively stationary back-up part and a pivotable gripper jaw of a mail-processing machine having a plurality of processing stations, said device comprising:
A measuring signal generator for prodding position-detector signals corresponding to predetermined positions of said gripper jaw in relation to said back-up part, said measuring signal generator further comprising:
A raster gage having raster marks for providing a reference by which relative movement between said relatively stationary back-up part and said pivotable gripper jaw of said mail-processing machine can be measured;
A detector assembly mounted opposite said raster gage for detecting said raster marks, said detector assembly being adapted to produce output signals including information regarding the direction of said relative movement, said output signals comprising a train of electrical pulses;
An UP/DOWN-counter operatively connected to said detector assembly such that said output signals of said detector assembly control incrementation or decrementation of said UP/DOWN-counter;
means for reading a count of said UP/DOWN counter out from said counter as an indication of the thickness of said documents;
means for using said count to produce an output frequency corresponding to the position of said gripper jaw relative to said back-up part; and,
means for controlling said output frequency to make said output frequency the same as other output frequencies from other respective processing stations which engage respective documents having respective nominal thicknesses.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a rotating axis for mounting said gripper jaw pivotably in relation to said back-up part, whereby an object to be handled is engagable between said gripper jaw and said back-up part;
an actuator system operatively connected between said back-up part and said gripper jaw for generating pivotal movement of said gripper jaw between an engagement position and an open position in relation to said back-up part; and,
a movement transmission part fastened to said rotation axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein said movement-transmission part comprises a lever fastened to said rotating axis of said pivotable gripper jaw.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device according to claim 3, wherein said lever has greater radial length than an effective radial length of said pivotable gripper jaw.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device according to claim 2, wherein said raster gauge has an arched shape corresponding to a curvature of a path of movement of an end of said movement-transmission part remote from said rotating axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said raster gauge comprises an uninterrupted array of magnetic raster marks suitable for non-contact scanning and wherein said detector assembly comprises a magnetic detector.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said raster gauge comprises an uninterrupted array of optical raster marks suitable for non-contact scanning and wherein said detector assembly comprises an optical detector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said raster gauge comprises an uninterrupted array of fluidically-effective raster marks suitable for non-contact scanning and wherein said detector assembly comprises a fluidic detector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said detector comprises a measuring-signal transformer for transforming detector output signals into electric pulses, for amplifying said pulses, and for feeding amplified pulses to said UP/DOWN-counter.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein a count of said UP/DOWN-counter is read out from said counter within a time interval corresponding to one machine cycle based on interrogation-control signals defining said time interval.

### Claim 11

A method of measuring the thickness of documents to be engaged between a relatively stationary back-up part and a pivotable gripper jaw of a mail-processing machine having a plurality of processing stations, said method including the steps of:
using a raster gage to detect raster marks and generate a train of pulsed position signals corresponding to predetermined amounts of motion of said pivotable gripper jaw relative to said back-up part and indicating the direction of said motion;
delivering said position signals to an UP/DOWN-counter to control incrementation or decrementation of said UP/DOWN-counter and generate a digital signal representative of the state of said UP/DOWN-counter at any given time;
transforming said digital signal to an analog signal;
amplifying said analog signal;
delivering said amplified signal to a voltage-controlled oscillator for producing an output frequency corresponding to the position of said gripper jaw relative to said back-up part; and,
controlling said output frequency to make said output frequency the same as other output frequencies from other respective processing stations which engage respective documents having respective nominal thicknesses.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 for use in a mail-processing machine having a plurality of processing stations each having a thickness-measuring mechanism for practicing the method of claim 11 wherein said controlling step comprises the steps of:
using a gain-control signal to control the gain of said amplified signals at each processing station so that each voltage-controlled oscillator at each of said plurality of processing stations has an output frequency that is the same as the output frequency at each other processing station which engages a document having a nominal thickness.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 including the step of: delivering said gain-control signals from said processing stations to respective displays for displaying a representation of the nominal thickness of documents to be measured at the respective processing stations.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 including the step of: storing each of said gain-control signals in a storage device.

### Claim 15

A mail-processing device for measuring the thickness of documents to be engaged between a relatively stationary back-up part and a gripper jaw of a mail-processing machine having a plurality of processing stations, said device comprising:
A measuring signal generator for providing position-detector signals corresponding to predetermined positions of said gripper jaw in relation to said back-up part, said measuring signal generator further comprising:
A raster gage having raster marks for providing a reference by which relative movement between said relatively stationary back-up part and said gripper jaw of said mail-processing machine can be measured;
A detector assembly mounted opposite said raster gage for detecting said raster marks, said detector assembly being adapted to produce a train of pulsed output signals including information regarding the direction of said relative movement;
An UP/DOWN-counter operatively connected to said detector assembly such that said output signals of said detector assembly control incrementation or decrementation of said UP/DOWN-counter;
means for using said count to produce an output frequency corresponding to the position, of said gripper jaw relative to said back-up part;
means for controlling said output frequency to make said output frequency the same as other output frequencies from other respective processing stations which engage respective documents having respective nominal thicknesses; and,
an actuator system operatively connected between said back-up part and said gripper jaw for generating movement of said gripper jaw between an engagement position and an open position in relation to said back-up part.