Claims
- 1. In apparatus for physically registering separate, individual items of thin sheet material of a first set sequentially presented on a movable conveyor belt to corresponding individual members of a sequence of a second set, said apparatus including means for releasably retaining said items on a surface of said conveyor belt, video means for viewing said items on said surface of said conveyor belt and for providing first signals representative of said viewing, means for establishing parameters of said members of said second set and for providing second signals representative of said parameters, computer means for determination of sufficient information from said signals to provide commands to effect such registration, means for physically spotting at least one of said items with respect to one of said members in said registration regardless of the original orientation of said items and members and responsively to commands from said computer means, each of said items having at least one predetermined design disposed thereon within the borders of said item, said conveyor means being a flexible, light-transmissive conveyor belt for supporting and moving said items with said design face down against an upper surface of said belt, and means for illuminating the opposite surface of said belt so as to provide illumination of said items of said first set on said one surface of said belt, the improvement wherein
- said video means is disposed for sequentially viewing each said design on a corresponding one of said items on said belt, as each said design is illuminated by transmission of said illumination through both said belt and said corresponding one of said items, so as to provide first signals as representative of each said design;
- means for forming first digitized information from said first signals;
- means for storing second digitized information of at least the location and details of a standard of said design; and
- means for comparing said first digitized information with said standard and for comparing said first digitized information with said second digitized information so as to determine said commands.
- 2. Apparatus for registration of items as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined design is inscribed text.
- 3. Apparatus for registration of items as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined design is arbitrary or fanciful.
- 4. Apparatus for registration of items as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for comparing comprises computer means.
- 5. Apparatus for registration of items as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for storing comprise a memory of said computer means.
- 6. Apparatus for registration of items as set forth in claim 4, wherein said computer means is a digital computer.
- 7. Method of registering an item of a first set of thin sheet material sequentially presented on movable conveyor to a corresponding member of a sequence of another set sequentially presented on another movable conveyor, said item having a predetermined design disposed thereon within the borders of said item,
- storing information of standards of at least the location and details of said design;
- optically scanning said item on the corresponding conveyor so as to provide first signals representative of said viewing,
- providing second signals representative of parameters of said members of said second set;
- comparing information from said first signals with said second signals so as to determine spotting commands; and
- physically spotting said item with respect to said member in said registration regardless of the original orientation and position of said item and member and responsively to said commands.
- 8. Method for registration of items and members as set forth in claim 7 wherein said step of providing said first signals includes the step of first comparing said first digitized signals with said standard to generate said information.
- 9. Method for registration of items and members as set forth in claim 8 including the step of digitizing said standards and signals so that they can be stored and compared in digital form.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of prior application U.S. Ser. No. 08/510,856, filed on Aug. 3, 1995 which is abandoned entitled "IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SPOTTING LABELS".
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5451795 |
Carbrey et al. |
Sep 1995 |
|
5572433 |
Falconer et al. |
Nov 1996 |
|
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
510856 |
Aug 1995 |
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