Abstract: A plurality of rows are provided on a calling of sensors and each have a plurality of distance variation measuring sensors. The distance variation measuring sensors each include a light emitter and a light receiver arranged in the orthogonal direction to the direction in which human bodies pass. The number of passers is detected on the basis of the number of the distance variation measuring sensors which have detected a human body. The traveling direction of human bodies is detected on the basis of the change in the distance to the distance variation measuring human bodies measured by the sensors.

Abstract: A sheet counter has a blade (13) for insertion between adjacent sheets of a stack thereof, and a pin (15) which orbits around the blade to transfer sheets from one side of the blade to the other. A carrier (37) defines three axes disposed in a generally triangular arrangement, the pin (15) being mounted on one of the axes, and the carrier being coupled to a crank (36) about another axis. A link (42) is pivoted at one end to the carrier (37) and at its other end to a fixed part of the counter. As the pin (15) orbits around the blade (13) on rotation of crank (36), the blade is oscillated about an axis adjacent the edge inserted furthest into the sheet stack by a crank (30) and connecting rod (31), driven synchronously with crank (36). Suction is applied in a timed manner to a hole (45) in the blade (13), to assist the separation of the sheets one at a time, before the transfer thereof to the other side of the blade by pin (15).

Abstract: A load alternation counting device for an actuation device that is periodically hydraulically loaded has a cylinder and a piston sealingly positioned within the cylinder and axially displaceable therein. A pressure connector is provided for connecting the cylinder to a hydraulic loading device of the actuation device such that the piston is axially loaded when hydraulic loading of the actuation device occurs. A counter is switchable by an axial displacement of the piston within the cylinder. A spring for biasing the piston in a direction away from the counter is provided. The spring has a spring force such that switching of the counter by the axial displacement of the piston occurs only when a preset hydraulic pressure is surpassed.

Abstract: A system and a method for counting the number of people passing a entry point in a predetermined direction. The system includes a foot-activated, pressure sensitive platform deployed at the entry point for providing a time-dependent pressure profile vector indicative of the manner in which a person arches one of his feet prior to at least partially stepping off the platform. The pressure profile vector is processed for determining whether the person completely passed through the entry point in the predetermined direction. In the affirmative case, a counter for recording the number of people completely passing through the entry point in the predetermined direction is incremented. The system can be adapted for providing a net count of the instantaneous number of people in a given area during the entering and leaving of people through an entry point into and from the given area.

Abstract: There is disclosed a batch counter for tablets and tablet-like items comprising a hopper with a wide bottom opening for a supply of the items to be counted. A channel member is adapted to channel the items from the hopper to a counter device so as to pass in single file and spaced apart at the counter device so that the counter device can count the passage of individual items from the hopper. The channel member comprises a lightweight, vibratory, V-section guide channel resiliently suspended, downwardly inclined towards the counter device, beneath the bottom opening and adjusted at critical inclination for the flow of the items.

Abstract: A paper sheet counting machine is disclosed, wherein sheet catching rollers are rotated to feed out paper sheets one after another by means of a friction. A sheet separating roller and a sheet separating plate cooperate to transport the fed out paper sheets, the former having a friction coefficient in connection with the paper sheets which is larger than a friction coefficient existing between the paper sheets themselves and the latter having a same nature of friction coefficient with the sheet separating roller so that the roller is rotated to transmit a transportation power to each of the paper sheets while the plate gives a braking power to each of the paper sheets thereby to prevent more than two paper sheets are transported in an overlapped condition.

Abstract: A sheet counter system includes a feeding section, a carrying section, a counting section, a stacking section and a control section. When the length of a sheet or the like is less than a length reference value, the control section starts braking of the feeding section when the front end of an n-th sheet (n is a predetermined set value) which has been fed out is detected by the counting section. When the length of the sheet is greater than the length reference value, the control section starts braking of the feeding section when a carrying distance after the front end of the n-th sheet which has been fed out is detected by the counting section reaches a predetermined distance to thereby stop feeding by the feeding section when the counted result of the counting section reaches a predetermined number of sheets. Control can be performed by taking feeding speed into consideration.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method separates from a stream of boxes a desired number of boxes into a stack of boxes. A conveyor moves the stream of boxes along a path. A speed wheel mounted upstream of the conveyor- or register the speed of the stream of boxes by determining the machine speed. An adjustable backstop is spaced from the conveyor by a length of the boxes in the board path direction for stopping the longitudinal movement of the boxes. A photocell is mounted in association with the conveyor to count the boxes and determine when a trailing edge of the last box passes. It is automatically determined when a leading edge of the box will engage the backstop after the trailing edge passes the photocell. A plurality of fingers are inserted into the stream of boxes by firing a cylinder when the leading edge of the last box engages the backstop therein placing the finger in the stream to temporarily stop the flow of boxes to the stack.

Abstract: A sheet counting machine including a sheet depositing portion into which sheets are deposited, an endless belt for taking out sheets deposited in the sheet depositing portion one by one and feeding them to the inside, a counter for counting the number of sheets fed from the endless belt, a stacker for stacking sheets counted by the sheet counter, an operating portion operated by the operator and a display for displaying various kinds of information, the sheet counting machine further including a first lid member capable of being opened and closed and a second lid member capable of being opened and closed, the operating portion and the display being formed on an inner surface of the first lid member so that the operating portion and the display are not exposed to the outside when the first lid member is closed, the sheet depositing portion being formed so as to be located below the operating portion and the display when the first lid member is opened, the stacker being formed inside of the second lid member wh

Abstract: A sheet counting machine including a sheet depositing portion into which sheets are deposited, an endless belt for taking out sheets deposited in the sheet depositing portion one by one and feeding them to the inside, a counter for counting the number of sheets fed from the endless belt, a stacker for stacking sheets counted by the sheet counter, an operating portion operated by the operator and a display for displaying various kinds of information, the sheet counting machine further including a first lid member capable of being opened and closed and a second lid member capable of being opened and closed, the operating portion and the display being formed on an inner surface of the first lid member so that the operating portion and the display are not exposed to an outside when the first lid member is closed, the sheet depositing portion being formed so as to be located below the operating portion and the display when the first lid means is closed, the stacker being formed on an inner surface of the second li

Abstract: A counter for a stack of sheets has a fixed elongate member (21) defining a curved surface (22) in which is formed a vacuum port (23), and a pin (17) extending parallel to the member (21) and arranged to move in a circular orbit therearound. A valve member (25A) is rotatable within the member (21) in synchronism with the motion of the pin (17), and has a port (45) which comes into and out of register with port (23). the corner regions of successive sheets in a stack are drawn in turn on to the curved surface (22) by suction when ports (23) and (45) are in register, so separating the drawn corner from the stack; the pin (17) enters the gap thus created, and transfers that sheet corner to the other side of member (21). The ports (23) and (45) are out of register during this transfer, whereby the corner of the sheet being transferred is no longer held to the member (21 ).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for packaging citrus fruit or discrete articles in a tightly packed pattern or arrangement closely resembling that of a hand packed box. A two-part telescoped box is conveyed in inverted position to a box filling and counting station, the box including an box inner part in which the side and end flaps are in open relation at the box filling station. At the counting station, fruit is being oscillated transversely of their path of travel so as to singulate the fruit into a plurality of counting stations arranged in a row and in a valley. When the row count has been satisfied, all of the fruit in the row are lifted upwardly for discharge into the open box. When the full count is satisfied, the filled box with fruit extending above the top of the outer box is moved to a box handling station in which the inner box is lifted to a height where the side and end flaps of the inner box may be folded over the top fruit.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing and counting objects on a moving conveyor. Objects are moved on the conveyor past a sensor having first and second legs pivotally mounted about a fixed axis above the conveyor. The second leg is offset from the first leg in the direction of conveyor movement. As an object encounters the first leg, it causes the first leg to rotate toward the second leg. A proximity detector includes a target mounted on the first leg and a sensing element mounted on the second leg. The proximity detector detects movement of the first leg relative to the second leg and generates a pulse, thereby counting the object, when the first leg assumes a predetermined position relative to the second leg.

Abstract: An apparatus for counting lump foodstuff includes a machine frame, a foodstuff feeding funnel fixed on the machine frame, a power-operated sheave unit mounted rotatably under the funnel, a conveyer belt unit disposed revolvably under the sheave unit, and a foodstuff collecting unit disposed under the conveyer belt unit. The sheave unit has several parallel grooves formed in the circumferential surface thereof. The conveyer belt unit includes several parallel belts which are engaged with the grooves of two power-operated pulleys. Any adjacent pair of the belts define therebetween a slot which is aligned with one of the grooves in the sheave unit. Rows of counters detect the foodstuffs which drop from the conveyer belt unit into the foodstuff collecting unit.

Abstract: A ring-jet sensor (24) which is operated with air and is connected to an air-carrying line (23) is directed at the objects (27). The ring-jet sensor (24) is also coupled to a pressure sensor (37), the signal of which passes to a counter (40). In order to avoid connecting two lines to the ring-jet sensor (24), the said ring-jet sensor and also the pressure sensor (37), are each connected, in parallel, to one branch line (23, 35). The branch lines (23, 35) can carry either compressed air or suction air.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for issuing tickets and including means for delivering a warning signal when the remaining stock of paper falls below a given number of tickets. To do this, a strip (6) has a special mark on it together reference marks delimiting a length of strip corresponding to one ticket. A sensor (24) detects the passage of the special mark and loads a counter (40). Each time a reference mark goes past the sensor, the contents of the counter (40) is decremented. When a comparator (42) detects that the contents of the counter has reached a predetermined value, it delivers the warning signal.

Abstract: The apparatus has separating elements (1) which are fastened at regular intervals to a rotating endless V-belt (21) and which, at the counting station (34), individually separate the note to be counted and temporarily keep it in the counting position. The notes bundled to form a packet rest on edge on a packet holder (35 to 38) which is displaceable transversely relative to the direction of movement of the separating elements (1). The separating elements (1) have a suction face (2) which, during the straight run past the counting station (34), sucks up an upper edge strip of the note to be counted and is made curved in such a way that the edge strip at the same time experiences torsional deformation, thereby being lifted off from the remaining packet. As a result of the spring-back force intrinsic to the notes and counted to torsional deformation, separating errors are reliably prevented in this way.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for manually counting pills or similar objects. Pills in excess of a required number are deposited in a counting area which has the general shape of an equilateral triangle and is defined by walls which surround all but a small open peripheral range of the area. The excess pills are separated from the required number on the counting area, and the user tilts the apparatus to cause the excess to slide out of the area through the open peripheral range while retaining the required number in the counting area. The user then tilts the apparatus to cause the required number of pills to slide out of the area through the open peripheral range.

Abstract: A self-cleaning counting device for particles such as seeds includes a circular housing have a well pivotally mounted therein for receiving and holding particles from a supply hopper. A disk having a plurality of openings is mounted for rotation in the housing such that the openings move past an open side of the well. A vacuum is applied to the side of the disk opposite the well such that individual particles are partially drawn into the disk openings and are carried thereby to a counting station where the particles are counted. After counting, the vacuum is removed and the counted seeds are released to a discharge chute. When a count is completed, the well is pivotable to a cleanout position where excess uncounted particles are purged from the housing.

Abstract: A disposable bag for returning refund bottles to a store is provided that consists of a body of thin flexible sheet material being wide and long enough to accommodate refund bottles of a two liter size which will fit into the proper size container for support and have a counting device built within the container to tally the amount of bottles deposited within.

Abstract: Apparatus for counting containers such as empty aluminum cans comprises a loading conveyor for feeding empty containers to a counting unit having a movable conveyor underlying spaced, parallel partitions which provide a plurality of parallel pathways along which the containers are conveyed toward a discharge zone. Upstream from the discharge zone is a metering device which overlies the containers and which precludes more than one container in any row from passing the metering device at any one time. Downstream from the metering device are counters which record the number of containers discharged from the counting unit. Containers discharged from the counting unit are conveyed to an elevated level from which they are discharged to a bin for crushing and baling.

Abstract: A sensor assembly having senser fingers swingably mounted upon a rotatable support and resiliently biased to extend radially outward. In the three-finger embodiment, a detent assembly rotatable with the support detents the support through a 120 degree rotation when the nose of a signature engages the finger lying in the path of signature movement. A one-way clutch cooperates with the detent assembly to dampen movement of the fingers and cooperating rotatable support to prevent oscillation of the rotating members. The finger advanced to the detent position slides upon the adjacent surface of the last counted signature and is freely yieldable to prevent irregularities in the signature from causing an erroneous count.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for counting articles. The apparatus comprises a sensor which is adapted to generate a signal characteristic of a tag attached to each article; and means for counting the number of signals, thereby providing a numerical count of the number of articles. The invention is especially adapted to counting articles of cloth such as garments or bedlinens which are routinely and repeatedly laundered or dry-cleaned at the same cleaning establishment.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for counting flexible sheets comprising a support surface (15) for supporting a stack of sheets on edge including a rotary sheet removing assembly (5) mounted on an axis disposed at right angles to said support surface. The assembly includes a plurality of rotary suction organs (6) which are adapted to contact a side face of the free end of the stack and to deflect each sheet from its initial position and count it. The deflecting and counting is accomplished through the sequential application of vacuum to each of the organs during rotation of the assembly.To align the stack of sheets automatically on the sheet support surface it is set at acute angle to the vertical.A second support surface (16) is arranged at right angles to said first surface and at lower end of it, the second support surface being of arcuate configuration.The acute angle is between 20.degree. and 70.degree., and preferably 45.degree..

Abstract: The device of the invention is assembled in a paper sheet counting apparatus to stop and held the suction heads at the predetermined positions at which one of the suction heads is precisely opposite to the face of the paper sheet in the face-to-face relationship. The suction heads are carried by a rotary cylinder having peripheral face on which a group of recesses each corresponding to each of the suction heads is formed. One of the recesses receives a pawl of a stopper when the rotary cylinder is stopped to terminate the paper sheet counting operation. The stopper is held at a retracted position when the counting operation is continued and moved to an engaging position when the one cycle counting operation is terminated. A slipping slope diverges from each recess outwards. The stopper is provided with an elongated hole in which a shaft is inserted, and the stopper is swinged about the shaft to be moved between the retracted position and the position to be engaged with one of the recesses.

Abstract: There is provided a note counting machine wherein a counter is provided on the top side of the machine body for counting notes one at a time which comprises, a machine body, a counter on the top side of the machine body for counting notes one at a time a dust collector provided within the machine body, an openable upper cover mounted therewithin with a case member and pivotably mounted on the top side of the machine body so that when the upper cover is closed, the case member is engaged with the dust collector in alignment therewith to cause dust attached to the note to be transferred from the notes to the dust collector through the case member.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for dispensing a plurality of articles, one at a time, at a filling zone into a plurality of containers so that when one of a series of containers is filled, the filling operation is automatically interrupted, the filled container is automatically moved from the filling zone, and an empty container positioned in the filling zone to be filled. The present invention employs a controllable gate for interrupting the dispensing of articles from a dispensing machine, a counter mechanism for counting the articles dispensed, a rotary table for carrying a plurality of containers past a dispensing chute on the dispensing machine, an apparatus for indexing the rotary table in response to the counting mechanism, and a second counting mechanism for counting the number of containers filled.

Abstract: A particle detector, such as for detecting the passage of seeds through a mechanical seeder, comprising an angled-over impact resounding tubular conduit disposed in the flow of particles such that each particle is caused to impact and be deflected by the wall of the angled-over conduit. An impact detecting transducer, such as a crystal, is attached to the exterior wall of the angled-over conduit at, or proximate to, the area of particle impact. The angled-over conduit is connected between a pair of inlet and outlet conduits made of substantially impact absorbing material. The transducer feeds into a utilization circuit permitting to simply detect whether particles are present or not in the conduit, or, in the alternative, capable of counting the number of particles passing through the conduit.

Abstract: A sheet separating machine comprises a rotary disc fixed on a shaft extending through a reciprocating pump and having a suction hole communicating with the pump. The pump is actuated by a vertical motion of the shaft so that the uppermost one of the sheet or leaves is sucked through suction hole onto the rotary disc. The rotary disc is provided with a sheet or leaf scraping-up piece adjacent a sector notch formed therein. The leaf scraping-up piece is inserted between the sucked leaf and the remaining leaves in the course of rotation of the rotary disc to lift up the leaf through the notch onto the rotary disc.

Abstract: A method of counting small parts by feeding the parts in bulk to discharge a stream of parts into a separating region leading to a plurality of outlet channels, the separating region including spaced rods capable of spatially distributing the parts in a random manner over the outlet channels as the parts fall through the separating region and cascade from rod to rod, counting the number of parts passing through each outlet channel and adding together the corrected numbers of parts passing through all the channels.

Abstract: Poultry dropped from a conveyor line at a weighing station is automatically packed into containers by a container filling machine positioned below the weighing station. The birds received in the machine from the weighing station are rammed into an accumulator from which they are dropped into a container that is supported and periodically reorientated on a turntable. When fully loaded, the container is displaced from the turntable by an empty container to begin another operational cycle. Signal feedback sensors and control logic govern automatic operation of the machine through fluid power operated devices.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus, for counting a stack of sheets, of the kind (hereinafter referred to as "the kind described") comprising a counting head which in use is traversed along a corner of the stack, the head having a suction blade provided with a suction orifice for insertion in the corner of the stack, which blade is oscillatable about a horizontal axis to separate a corner of a sheet in the stack adhered by suction to one side of the blade from the next stack, and a wiping pin movable in an elongate orbit around the blade to transfer the corner of the sheet from the said one side of the blade to the opposite side thereof, and means to count the number of transfer operations effected, wherein there are provided means to traverse the counting head downwardly past a corner of a stack to be counted and means to move said wiping pin in a generally downwardly inclined elliptical orbit around the suction blade, comprising first means to mount the wiping pin for eccentric rotation about a first axis, second

Abstract: In a sheet counter in which sheets held in a stack in sheet-holding means are successively separated from the stack by suction heads, there are provided first electrical switch means such as a microswitch which is closed when the sheet-holding means has been manually moved to a sheet-loading position and second switch means which is closed when the stack of sheets loaded on the sheet-holding means has been carried to a counting position. An electric motor for imparting rotation to the suction heads and a vacuum pump for creating a partial vacuum therein are set in operation only when both of the first and second switch means have been thus closed. The sheet counter is also provided with means for properly readjusting the position of the suction heads relative to the stack of sheets prior to counting operation.