Method and device of manufacturing fabric with application pattern of additive material

• Main Author: GORDON H. BOKELMAN,THOMAS A. FLETCHER,D. AUH PHAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.04.2007
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PAPER-MAKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE; PULP COMPOSITIONS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TESTING; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G

A station optically inspects banded cigarette paper by directing an elongated beam of white light laterally across a web of the cigarette paper. The elongated beam impinges on the surface of the cigarette paper and forms reflections. A plurality of line scan camera containing linear CCD arrays receive the reflections and generate output signals. One or more processing units process the output signals to generate data indicative of the spacing between bands, the width of the bands, and the contrast of the bands. These calculations can be periodically transferred to a separate computer workstation over a network. The workstation generates statistical reports on the basis of the calculations, such as the band width, band spacing and band contrast as a function of lane number, and as a function of time. The statistical reports provide a convenient way of quickly detecting irregularities in application of the bands. According to exemplary embodiments, the inspection station is designed for installation in a cigarette paper manufacturing system.