[0001] Conventional devices for sensing the lateral position of a moving web of material
include a transmitter located on one side of the web for transmitting a beam of radiation
normal to the plane of the web and a receiver on the other side of the web. The lateral
edge of the web obscures part of the radiation transmitted from the transmitter to
the receiver and thus, the amount of radiation received by the receiver provides an
indication of the lateral position of the edge of the moving web of material. The
radiation may be ultrasonic energy or light and pneumatically operated devices have
also been provided in which the lateral edge of the web interferes with air jets.
These conventional devices are generally satisfactory for single webs but since the
transmitter and receiver of each device must enclose the edge of the web it is difficult
to mount the devices on an apparatus for handling multiple webs particularly when
it is desired for these to be close together.
[0002] According to this invention a device for sensing the lateral position of the edge
of a longitudinally moving web comprises a source of light directed laterally onto
the edge of the web, at least one edge of the light from the source being directed
non-normally to the edge of the web substantially in the plane of the web so that
the location of the said edge of the illumination on the edge of the web is dependent
upon the distance of the edge of the web from the source and hence upon the lateral
position of the edge of the web, and means for sensing and producing a signal which
is dependent upon the location of the said edge of the illumination on the edge of
the web, the signal indicating the lateral position of the edge of the web.
[0003] The source of light may emit a single generally parallel sided beam of light. In
this case, it is the location of the edge of the illumination on the edge of the web
in the direction of movement of the web which is indicative of the lateral position
of the web. To avoid calibration errors and difficulties it is preferred that the
device is used to provide an indication of a change in the position of the edge of
the moving web by the means for sensing and producing a signal comparing the location
of the said edge at one instant with its location at a previous instant to detect
movement of the edge of the web from its initial position.
[0004] The source of light may emit a single converging or diverging beam to illuminate
the entire region of the edge of the web falling within the converging or diverging
beam. In this case it may be the length of the illuminated region of the edge of the
web which is sensed by the means for sensing and which gives an indication of the
lateral position of the web. Alternatively, the source of light may provide two generally
parallel beams of light the axes of which converge or diverge. In this case two separate
regions of the edge of the web are illuminated and it is the separation of these two
regions which is sensed by the means for sensing and which gives an indication of
the lateral position of the web.
[0005] Preferably the device for sensing forms part of an apparatus for controlling the
lateral position of a moving web of material and, in this case, the apparatus also
includes adjusting means for adjusting the transverse position of the moving web the
adjusting means being responsive to the signal produced by the means for sensing to
maintain the lateral position of the edge of the web constant.
[0006] The means for sensing and producing a signal which is dependent upon the location
of the said edge of illumination or the separation of the edges of the illumination
on the edge of the web may include a photodetector surrounded by a rotatable slit,
means to monitor the angular position of the rotatable slit and means to correlate
the monitored angular position of the rotatable sl it with the reception of light
by the photodetector to produce the signal. When the device is arranged to sense the
lateral position of a number of different webs the means for sensing preferably includes
a corresponding number of photodetectors arranged one above the other in a direction
generally perpendicular to the planes of the webs with the detectors located adjacent
their corresponding webs.
[0007] Alternatively the means for sensing may comprise a video camera focussed onto the
lateral edge of the moving web of material together with means to monitor and analyse
the video output of the camera to produce a signal dependent upon the location of
the said edge of illumination or the separation of the regions of illumination on
the edge of the moving web of material. In this case the preferred target of the video
camera is a charge coupled device matrix since the output of this matrix can readily
be processed to produce a digital output corresponding to the location of the said
edge or the separation of the edges of the illumination on the edge of the web. When
a video camera is used as the means for sensing it is especially useful when the device
is arranged to handle a number of different webs. The video output of the camera readily
provides the information of the separation of the edges of the illumination on the
edges of the number of different webs irrespective of the exact position of the lateral
edges of the moving webs in a direction normal to the planes containing them.
[0008] Various devices in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through the moving web showing the light source;
Figure 2 is a plan showing the first example of light source;
Figure 3 is a plan showing a second example of light source;
Figure 4 is a plan of a first example showing both the light source and the detector;
Figure 5 is a plan showing the detector in the second example;
Figure 6 is a graph of the output signal obtained from the second example;
Figure 7 is a plan view showing an alternative detector for the second example;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the second example with the alternative detector;
Figure 9 is a representation of the image produced on the target of the video camera
in the second example.
Figure 10 is a plan of a third example; and,
Figure 11 is a graph illustrating the output of the third example.
[0009] In the first example shown in Figures 1 and 2 a single diverging light source 1 is
located adjacent the lateral edge of a moving web 2. A diverging light beam is emitted
from the source 1 in a direction generally parallel to the plane containing the web
2 as shown in Figure 1. The length L of the lateral edge 3 of the web 2 which is illuminated
by the diverging light beam from the source 1 is dependent upon the separation X of
the lateral edge 3 and the light source 1. The further the lateral edge 3 moves away
from the light source 1 the greater the illuminated length of the lateral edge 3.
[0010] In the second example shown in Figure 3 two separate light sources 4 and 5 each of
which emits a parallel beam of light are arranged with the axes of their parallel
beams converging towards the lateral edge 3 of the moving web 2. In this case the
parallel beams from the sources 4 and 5 each illuminate a separate small region of
the edge 3 of the moving web 2. The separation L of the illuminated regions is again
dependent upon the separation X between the sources 4 and 5 and the lateral edge 3
of the moving web 2. In this case, since the beams from the sources 4 and 5 are converging
L is inversely proportional to X.
[0011] Figure 4 shows the remainder of the first example and shows a detector 4 sensing
the illuminated length of the edge 3 of the moving web 2. In this case the sensor
includ es a photodetector 6 surrounded by a rotating
cylinder 7 including a slit 8. Light scattered from the edge 3 is only received by
the photodetector 6 when the rotating slit 8 is in a direct line between part of the
illuminated edge 3 and the photodetector 6. Thus, the detector 6 only receives light
whilst the slit 8 is in the segment Q shown in Figure 4. The angular extent of the
segment Q provides an indication of the length L. The rotating cylinder 7 is linked
to an angular positioning encoder (not shown) which outputs a series of pulses. The
series of pulses are linked with the output of photodetector 6 in an AND gate. The
output of the AND gate is then fed to a counter. Thus, for the entire duration of
time that the photodetector 6 is receiving light from the illuminated edge 3 of the
moving web 2 the counter is incremented by the output pulses of the angular positioning
encoder attached to the rotating cylinder 7. Thus, the count accumulated in the count
provides a signal which is proportional to L. When this example is used to control
means to adjust the position of the lateral edge 3 of the moving web 2, the count
accumulated in the counter is compared in a comparator with a preset reference corresponding
to the required position of the edge 3 of the moving web. if the count is greater
than the reference the adjuster moves the web closer to the light source 1 and the
count is less than the reference it moves it further away from the light source 1.
If the count is the same as the reference it maintains the portion of the web constant.
[0012] Figure 5 shows the same detector that is used in the first example applied to the
second example. In the second example, since only two separate regions of the edge
3 of the web 2 are illuminated by the light beams from the sources 4 and 5 the output
of the photodetector 6 is as shown in Figure 6. Assuming that the cylinder 7 rotates
at a constant velocity the separation in time t at which the photodetector 6 receives
pulses of light gives an indication of L, the separation of two illuminated regions
of the edge of the sheet 2 which, in turn, gives an indication of the separation X
of the lateral edge 3 from the light sources 4 and 5. The time T shown in Figure 6
is the time for one complete revolution of the cylinder 7. The time t between the
receipt of the light from the two separated regions can again be used to control means
to adjust the lateral position of the edge 3 of the web 2.
[0013] Figure 7 shows an alternative form of detector which can be used in either example
but which, in Figure 7, is shown as being used with the second example. In the second
example the detector is formed by a video camera 9 including a lens assembly 10 and
a target 11. The lens 10 focusses an image of the edge 3 of the moving web 2 onto
the target 11 which is preferably formed by a charge coupled device matrix. The image
formed on the target 11 either has the form of an illuminated line when used with
the first example or two separated spots of light when used with the second example.
Naturally, the length of the illuminated line or the separation of the two spots provides
the indication of the distance L which, in turn, provides an indication of the separation
X between the edge 3 of the moving web 2 and the light source 1 or 4 and 5.
[0014] The video output of the camera 9 is processed in a video frame store (not shown)
to provide this information. The X and Y co-ordinates of the image intensity are read
from the digital input/output port of the video frame store to calculate the separation
of the edges of the illuminated region of the web edge. The variation in the Y-coordinate
is a function of the variation of the lateral position of the web. With multiple webs
the X-coordinate determines the web to which the measurement applies.
[0015] Figure 8 illustrates a configuration as shown in Figure 7 but with multiple webs
12, 13, 14, and 15. Light from the source 4 is indicated diagramatically in Figures
8 and 9 by a x and light from the sou rce 5 is indicated diagramatically
in Figures 8 and 9 with a O. The image formed on the target 11 of the video camera
9 is shown in Figure 9 and, as can be seen, the separation of the spots formed by
the beams and the sources 4 and 5 provides an immediate indication of the lateral
position of their edges 3.
[0016] Figure 10 illustrates a similar detector to that shown in Figures 4 and 5, and a
light source 16 which produces a generally parallel beam of light which is non-normal
to the edge 3 of the web 2. As the edge 3 of the web 2 moves laterally the region
of the edge 3 of the web 2 illuminated by the light from the light source 16 moves
longitudinally. The rotating slit 8 and photodetector 6 detect the angular location
of the illuminated region by comparing coincidence of an output from the photodetector
6 with the output of the shaft encoder 17.
[0017] The variation in the lateral position of the web edge is calculated by measuring
the variation of the signal position relative to the shaft encoder 17 driven synchronously
with the rotating slit 8. When the desired position of the web edge is obtained, the
encoder position at which the signal occurs is stored in a memory (not shown). Any
movement in the lateral position produces a signal at a different angular position
of the slit 8. The difference between the stored position and the present position
is therefore a function of the change of position of the web edge. This is illustrated
in Figure 11.
1. A device for sensing the lateral position of the edge of a longitudinally moving
web (2) comprises a source (1, 4, 5, 16) of light directed laterally onto the edge
of the web (2), at least one edge of the light from the source (1, 4, 5, 16) being
directed non-normally to the edge of the web substantially in the plane of the web
so that the location of the said edge of the illumination on the edge of the web (2)
is dependent upon the distance of the edge of the web (2) from the source (1, 4, 5,
16) and hence upon the lateral position of the edge of the web (2), and means (6,
7, 8, 9) for sensing and producing a signal which is dependent upon the location of
the said edge of the illumination on the edge of the web (2), the signal indicating
the lateral position of the edge of the web (2).
2. A device according to claim 1, in which the source of light (16) emits a single
generally parallel sided beam of light, and the means (6, 7, 8) senses the location
of the edge of the illumination on the edge of the web (2) in the direction of movement
of the web (2).
3. A device according to claim 2, in which an indication of a change in the position
of the edge of the moving web (2) provided by the means (6, 7, 8) for sensing and
producing a signal comparing the location of the said edge at one instant with its
location at a previous instant to detect movement of the edge of the web.
4. A device according to claim 1, in which the light source (1) emits a single converging
or diverging beam to illuminate the entire region of the edge of the web (2) falling
within the converging or diverging beam, and in which the means (6, 7, 8, 9) senses
the length of the illuminated region to give an indication of the lateral position
of the web.
5. A device according to claim 1, in which the light source (4, 5) emits two generally
parallel sided beams of light the axes of which converge or diverge to illuminate
two spatially separate regions of the edge of the web, and in which the means (6,
7, 8, 9) senses the separation of the two separate regions of the edge of the web
to give an indication of the lateral position of the web.
6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the device for
sensing forms part of an apparatus for controlling the lateral position of a moving
web (2) of material and, in which, the apparatus also includes adjusting means for
adjusting the transverse position of the moving web (2), the
adjusting means being responsive to the signal produced by the means for sensing to
maintain the lateral position of the edge of the web constant.
7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the means (6, 7,8)
for sensing and producing a signal which is dependent upon the location of the said
edge of illumination or the separation of the regions of illumination on the edge
of the web includes a photodetector (6) surrounded by a rotatable slit (8), means
(17) to monitor the angular position of the rotatable slit and means to correlate
the monitored angular position of the rotatable slit with the reception of light by
the photodetector to produce the signal.
8. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the means for sensing
comprises a video camera (9) focussed onto the lateral edge of the moving web (2)
of material together with means to monitor and analyse the video output of the camera
to produce a signal dependent upon the location of the said edge of illumination or
the separation of the regions of illumination on the edge of the moving web (2) of
material.
9. A device according to any one claims 1 to 7, which, in use, senses the position
of a plurality of webs (2) the means for sensing comprising a plurality of photodetectors
(6) arranged one above the other in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane
of the webs (2) with each photodetector (6) substantially adjacent a corresponding
web (2).