Belt feeder centering method and apparatus
AssigneeMitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshinori Miyamoto, Jiro Agawa, Minoru Kimura
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for positioning sheets of material on a belt feeder for transporting the material through a cutter toward a tire-processing apparatus. The material has a front-edge portion which is centered by using edge-position control, and side portions which are centered by using center-position control. Also, the material, as cut, will have a rear-edge portion, the centering position of which is controlled by edge-position control.
Claims11
A method for centering material on a belt feeder having a center position, said material having side edges and a front-edge portion, comprising the steps of:
- moving said material along a desired path on said belt feeder;
- measuring the width of said front-edge portion of said material at a preselected location along said path using edge-position control as said material is moved along said feeder;
- measuring the position coordinates of both side edges of said material at said preselected location using center-position control after said front-edge portion has moved past said location;
- calculating the center position of said material based on said position coordinates;
- and
- moving said material in a direction to have said center position of said material coincide with said center position of said belt feeder, if necessary.
Apparatus for centering material on a belt feeder having a center position, said material having side edges and a front-edge portion, said apparatus comprising:
- conveyor means for moving said material along a desired path on said belt feeder;
- means for measuring the width of said front-edge portion of said material at a preselected location along said path using edge-position control as said material is moved along said feeder;
- means for measuring the position coordinates of both said edges of said material at said preselected location using center-position control after said front-edge portion has moved past said location;
- means for calculating the center position of said material based on said position coordinates;
- and
- means for moving said conveyor in a direction to have said center position of said material coincide with said center position of said belt feeder, if necessary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.