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US 6,603,135 B2Granted
Method of detecting the position of stacks of blanks for supply to a cigarette packing machine
AssigneeG.D Societa' Per Azioni
InventorMario Spatafora
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of detecting the positions occupied on a pallet by stacks of blanks arranged on the pallet in a number of superimposed layers and, in each layer, in a number of side by side rows, to enable automatic pickup of each stack and supply of the stack to a cigarette packing machine; the method including the step of moving a sensor along each row to determine a lateral contour of the row close to bases of the relative stacks.
Claims4
A method of detecting the position of stacks of blanks for supply to a cigarette packing machine;
- each said stack (2) having a respective base (3b) resting on a plane (6) and having a lateral edge (25;
- 26;
- 27), which has two singular points (22) and is freely accessible;
- and the method comprising the step of moving a sensor (19) along a line (23;
- 24) parallel to said plane (6), facing said singular points (22), and extending alongside said stacks (2) in a given direction to determine the position and orientation of each said base (3b) with respect to said line (23;
- 24) by determining a contour of said lateral edge (25;
- 26;
- 27) of at least one given blank (3a), in each said stack (2), located close to the relative said base (3b);
- the position and orientation of each said base (3b) being calculated by determining the distances of said two singular points (22) from said line (23;
- 24).
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.