Measuring and testing – Sheet – woven fabric or fiber
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-19
2001-07-03
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Sheet, woven fabric or fiber
C073S073000, C162S198000, C162S263000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253604
ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION
The present invention is directed to a scanner for measuring at least one parameter of a sheet material such as the basis weight or moisture content of paper and, more specifically, to a scanner which has a combined dust and drive belt which protects an interior gauging head.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For the measurement of the properties of a moving paper sheet which is moving in a machine direction (MD), a scanner
10
, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
includes a pair of gauging heads
11
and
12
which scan a sheet of material such as paper
13
in a cross direction
16
perpendicular to the machine direction
14
. A gap
17
is formed by the upper and lower gauging heads through which the paper
13
passes. The gauging heads themselves are mounted on a pair of spaced upper and lower beams
19
and
21
which are supported at both ends by vertical supports
22
a
and
22
b
(the latter not being shown). As is apparent from
FIG. 1
the gauging heads are external to the beams
19
and
21
. Internal to the beam are guides for the gauging head and electrical and cooling lines, for example, for water and air. Each beam
19
and
21
contains a slot in which the respective gauging heads
11
and
12
are mounted for cross direction scanning. To protect the interior of the beams is a dust belt
23
, as illustrated in
FIG. 2
, which is, for example, attached to the gauging head
11
which rides along the top of the slot to partially seal it. A separate drive belt (not shown) is also provided for actually moving or scanning the gauging head.
Because of the foregoing construction, the scanner has a large cross-section and is mechanically complicated. Since it operates in an extremely hot or moist environments in many situations, cooling water or cooled air must be supplied by a separate so called power track unit which contains tubes supplying both air, cold water and electrical wires for powering the gauging heads and receiving the measurement signals. Another important factor in the measurement procedure is that the upper and lower gauging heads must move in perfect synchronism to reduce measurement errors.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved scanner for measuring at least one parameter of a sheet of moving material.
In accordance with the above object, there is provided a scanner for measuring at least one parameter of a sheet of material moving in a machine direction (MD) including gauging head means mounted for cross direction (CD) movement across the sheet, and perpendicular to the machine direction, from one edge of the sheet to the other comprising at least one tubular beam suspended over or under the sheet in the cross direction, from one said edge to the other, the beam having a continuous slot in the cross direction in proximity to such sheet to allow the gauging means to measure the parameter. Guide means are inside the tubular beam on which the gauging head means is interiorly mounted for cross direction movement within said tubular beam, such gauging head having a face exposed through the slot means to said sheet and interfacing with such sheet without physical interference for measuring a parameter of said sheet. Flexible drive belt means are substantially contained within the tubular beam and connected to the gauging head for both driving said gauging head in said cross direction and for sealing the length of the slot in the cross direction to protect the interior of said beam and the gauging head from ambient dust, dirt and air, the drive belt means including an opening at the gauging head to allow direct communication, without interference, between the gauging head face and the moving sheet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4766315 (1988-08-01), Hellstrom et al.
patent: 5298122 (1994-03-01), Munch et al.
patent: 5928475 (1999-07-01), Chase et al.
patent: 6080278 (2000-06-01), Heaven et al.
Henry Lee
Nelson Steven
Coudert Brothers
Impact Systems Inc.
Loo Dennis
Williams Hezron
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