Apparatus and method for detecting thickness of paper product

Abstract

A system detects the sheet quantity of sheet material such as paper by use of a detection roller which deforms from concentric when sheet material passes between the detection roller and another roller, and using a detector to detect the degree of de-concentricity and provide an output indicating the number of sheets passing through. The system has particular application to insert machines for detecting the number of sheets of insert material being inserted into host material such as newspapers.

1 . A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:
 a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and   a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity   and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the web material is more resilient than the central hub and outer ring. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the outer ring comprises a metallic ring. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the outer ring comprises an outer tire outside the metallic ring. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the detector comprises a detector which detects the position of the outer ring relative to the rotation axis. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the web material has a hardness of about 65 durometer on Shore A scale. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises a detector which outputs an electrical signal having a component which varies linearly with the amount of de-concentricity. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detection roller and detector are mounted on a bearing plate. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a drive element. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the drive element is a high-speed disk. 
     
     
         12 . An insert machine having the system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:
 a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and   a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity of the outer ring component relative to the rotation axis and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity, wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component.   
     
     
         14 . An insert machine having the system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A system for detecting the thickness of moving sheet product, comprising:
 a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the detection roller and drive element increases; and   a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity of the outer ring component relative to the rotation axis and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity,   wherein the detection roller comprises a central core and a web material between the central core and outer ring component, and wherein the detector comprises a detector which detects the position of the outer ring relative to the rotation axis.   
     
     
         16 . An insert machine having the system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:
 a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the detection roller and drive element increases; and   a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity, wherein the detector comprises a detector which outputs an electrical signal having a component which varies linearly with the amount of de-concentricity.   
     
     
         18 . An insert machine having a system for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product, comprising:
 a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases; and   a detector to detect the amount of de-concentricity and for providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.   
     
     
         19 . A method for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product in a sheet handling machine, comprising:
 providing a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases;   detecting the amount of de-concentricity; and   providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.   
     
     
         20 . A method for detecting the sheet quantity of moving sheet product in an insert machine, comprising:
 providing a detection roller adapted for engagement with a drive element for accepting sheet product between the detection roller and drive element, the detection roller having a rotation axis, and an outer ring component which becomes more de-concentric relative to the rotation axis as the sheet quantity of sheet product between the rollers increases;   detecting the amount of de-concentricity; and   providing an output corresponding to the sheet quantity of sheet product in dependence on the degree of de-concentricity.