Abstract: An infrared dryer is provided for a printing press which uses a series of carriers, each comprising one or more gripper bars, on a conveyor to respectively carry printed sheets past the dryer. The sensor produces different binary signals in response to the presence or absence of material, viz, a gripper bar structure or carried sheets in the path, each carrier producing a predetermined number of transitions between the presence and absence signals, the only change between an empty carrier and one carrying a sheet being the duration of the presence and absence signals. A microprocessor is programmed to cyclically count from zero to the predetermined number of transitions, with each count cycle representing the passage of a carrier. The microprocessor also measures and compares the total durations of the presence and absence signals during each count cycle. If the presence signal duration exceeds the absence signal duration, then the heater is actuated to a preselected operating intensity.

Abstract: A system for sensing the position of an object such as a rotating member has a plurality of photocouplers coupled with the interposition of a rotary disc having slits and rotating with the object. The system further has a position signal generating circuit for receiving signals produced by the photocouplers and producing a series of component position signals differing in phase successively by a predetermined phase difference, a counting circuit having an up/down count for determining the position of the object by counting occurrences of a predetermined change recurring periodically in the component position signals, and a direction determining circuit for producing an up/down signal for controlling the counting mode of the up/down counter. Each time the predetermined change occurs in any one of the component position signal, the direction determining circuit determines the order in which the change occurs in two successive component position signals.

Abstract: A method and device for optically counting small particles, like grains of seed and fertilizer and other materials employed in agriculture. The particles to be counted travel past a test field, interrupting as they do so a beam of light between a light emitter and a light detector. To make it possible to detect even several particles in the test field at the same time and to make the counting generally more precise, individual points where the path of a beam of light is interrupted by particles passing through the grid are detected in sequential scanning cycles by beams of light that create an optical grid and are retained in the form of information describing one or more particles, information describing the particles and obtained in different scanning cycles are compared, and counting signals that correspond to the number of individual particles passing through are derived from the variations in the interrupting points determined during the comparison.

Abstract: A counting apparatus for counting objects, such as chicks, passed in succession over a conveyor belt through a light beam present between a light source and a photodetector, in which the photodetector produces a detection signal upon each passage of an object through the light beam, which detection signal is applied to a voltage-to-frequency converter for conversion into a frequency varying in accordance with the magnitude of the detection signal, and which detection signal is also applied to a pulse former for conversion into a count pulse whose width is indicative of the period of time required for an object to pass by; wherein the number of cycles of the frequency is counted in a data counter during the period of time that a count pulse is present, and the count pulse is applied to an object counter in response to the data counter having counted a given number of cycles.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus automatically retrieves desired information on an information bearing medium having information and marks. In the retrieving apparatus, the marks are detected and counted during the feed of the information bearing medium. In accordance with the number of the counted marks, the feeding of the data bearing medium is controlled to retrieve the desired data. The apparatus is provided with at least three mark-detecting means for successively detecting the mark and memory means for memorizing the detections of the mark by the respective mark-detecting means, and a mark counting signal is formed from the content in said memory means and the counting signal is counted in order to eliminate the possibility that one and same mark may erroneously be counted twice or more when the feeding speed of the information bearing medium is abruptly changed.

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: Analog-to-digital conversion and a computer produce finer resolution for interferometer distance measurement. The system applies to a laser interferometer producing two detected signals with voltages 19 and 20 that vary to form two sine waves in quadrature as interference fringes occur. A pair of analog-to-digital converters 21 and 22 converts each of these signals into digital values subdividing each sine wave fringe cycle into a plurality of increments. An up/down counter 25 supplied with a significant digit from each of the converters counts fringes corresponding to changes in path lengths. A computer 30 arranged with access to the fringe count and the digital increments determines a distance measurement based on the fringe count and a fine resolution of the distance measurement based on final values of the signals at any subdivided fringe cycle increments after changes in the path lengths.

Abstract: A compact, unitary non-contacting counting device includes a housing with contains a photoelectric sensor adapted to monitor the passage of articles and emit responsive electrical signals and a totalizer for receiving such electrical signals or a related binary output change of state indication and maintaining a count. The housing is unitary and is sealed to resist undesired entry of foreign matter. The housing is preferably generally L-shaped having a first leg containing the photoelectric sensor which is adapted to emit and receive light in a first direction and a second leg which contains the totalizer which is adapted to display the count in the direction which may be opposed to or perpendicular to the second direction. Separate power supplies may be employed for the photoelectric sensor and the totalizer. Lenses or fiber optics may be employed to improve the efficiency of transmission of light from the source to the object or target and return of the light from the object or target.

Abstract: An analyzer compensation circuit for compensating for the fluctuations in the intensity of the light source or for stains on the windows of cells in an analyzer. A pair of D-A converters are respectively connected to compensating and measuring light detectors. An up/down counter is arranged to count either up or down in response to the output of a comparator. The comparator compares the output of the D-A converter connected to the compensating detector with a reference value and the output of the up/down counter is connected to both of the D-A converters such that the output of the converter connected to the compensating detector is adjusted to be equal to the reference value. Since the other D-A converter is also connected to the output of the up/down counter, the output of the other D-A converter has been compensated for fluctuations in the light intensity or stains on the windows on cells used in the analyzer.

Abstract: Inspection of a procession of ware such as bottles on a moving conveyor for "down" bottles and bottles which are "stuck" and tilted is accomplished by maintaining an average of detected dimensions for acceptable bottles and by comparing a sensor signal which is indicative of bottle dimension to thresholds which are preselected percentages of the average. Variations in detected bottle dimension, due to different or changing production conditions or variations in conveyor speed, are automatically compensated for.

Abstract: A control system for an acreage counter, controllable by an electrical logic condition, includes: a flip-flop having enable logic condition output upon being set, and an inhibit logic output upon being reset; an enable counter and an inhibit counter connected respectively to the set and reset inputs of the flip-flop; an enable clock and an inhibit clock connected respectively to the enable and inhibit counters; and sensors or switches connected to the respective counters and cooperating respectively with an operating lever or operating switches of an agricultural implement to actuate the associated counters upon change in the status of the operating controls. The clocks and counters function to delay setting or resetting of the flip-flop for a selected time so that minor adjustments may be made to the working position of the implement without falsely initiating or interrupting the acreage counter.

Abstract: This invention relates to a digital radiation dosemeter comprising a detector (12) converting the ionizing radiation to electrical impulses and an electronic survey device (14) for the storage of said impulses in a dose radiation counter (18). An optoelectronic transmitter (34, 38, 40) sends the informations to an external data processing system. A binary counter (42) operates said transmitter and cooperates with a reading control circuit (43)including a photosensitive receiver (44)connected in series with a magnetic reed switch (46).

Abstract: Angular deviations of a control surface cause phase quadrature output signals to be produced from an optical encoder mounted thereon. Successive values of the quadrature signals are latched to logic circuitry which determines the state and direction of rotation, causing a counter to up or down count, appropriately. A digital display, responding to the status of the counter, indicates the magnitude and direction of the angular deviation of the control surface.

Abstract: An automatic retrieval apparatus for use with an information containing film in a roll form, arranged to control driving of the information containing film by reading document marks or blips provided in the information containing film to correspond with respective frames. The retrieval apparatus includes a detecting circuitry for detecting the document marks to produce detecting signal, a latch circuitry to be set by impression of the detecting signal to it, and a calculation processing circuitry which effects predetermined calculation corresponding to the detection of the document marks when the latch circuitry is in the set state, and which produces signal for resetting the latch circuitry upon completion of the calculation processing.

Abstract: A laser beam, directed by mirrors at a conveyor belt with overlapping sheet products, is reflected against at least two measuring cells. Each paper edge passing the point of reflection is shown in the signals from the measuring cells, and by compositing the signals in various ways in a computer, disturbances due to varying amounts of color, thickness and form of the edges, folds etc. can be eliminated, producing a curve which exactly shows how many products have passed on the belt. Using a laser as a light source provides a parallely focusable, very powerful light beam, which makes it possible to count thin, tightly spaced and heavily colored products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for characterizing crimped tow for subsequent identification or quality control comprising the steps of obtaining length measurements of the individual crimps in a sample of the tow, graphically representing the measurement distribution of a sufficient quantity of the tow until a pattern is established, and using the pattern as a standard against which other tow is compared.

Abstract: Counter for pills, including an inclined tray and a photoelectric counter serving a digital readout.

Abstract: Apparatus for counting conveyor-transported articles, such as newspapers. The apparatus employes a laser which projects a beam to create reflections from such articles, which reflections are imaged onto a linear photodetector array. The array is scanned recurrently to detect the presence and location of such an image, and related, successive output signals from the array are fed to a data-processing circuit which confirms the occurrence of each passing article. Such confirmation is based on the pre-known manner in which the successive leading-edge profiles of passing articles cause multiple output signals of a certain character to be produced by the array.

Abstract: Documents are fed from an infeed through a stripper one at a time. Documents leaving the stripper are accelerated to provide a suitable gap between documents. A light source and phototransistor are used to count the documents. The phototransistor picks up the light passing through the documents as well as light between documents. Plural counters count in a mutually exclusive fashion, said counts representing document length and gap length between documents to count the documents to distinguish between "normal" gap lengths and perforations, tears and the like within documents, to detect the presence of overlapping or abnormally "long" documents to provide an accurate count and to terminate document feeding. The counters mutually exclusively develop counts during the presence and absence of sheets, respectively.

Abstract: A circuit for detecting leading or lagging phase relationship between first and second two-level input signals at each level transition of a selected one of the input signals and comprising first and second Exclusive OR gates each having first and second input terminals and a single output terminal and each responsive to signals of equal and non-equal logic levels supplied to the first and second input terminals thereof to produce an output signal having high and low logic levels, respectively. Further connections supply the first and second input signals to the first input terminal of the first and second Exclusive OR gates, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus for counting stacked sheet-like materials having low or ambiguous contrast characteristics associated with their edges. A single non-pitch matched sensor is used to synthesize sensor output data that is the equivalent of that generated by pitch matched single or plural sensors. Automatic correction for errors in pitch match of the sensor and automatic velocity determination are provided. Sensor signal synthesis is accomplished through use of a multiple output tap analog delay line functioning as a discrete time processor.