Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring and controlling the surface characteristics of sheet materials such as paper

US5654799A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
28References
45Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 1995
Grant dateAug 5, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/86
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An on-line laser triangulation position sensing system provides measurements of the surface features of a moving sheet such as paper. The measurements are correlatable with measurements made with standard laboratory surface smoothness testers and provide predictions of the printability of paper during its fabrication. The sensing system includes a segmented balance detector having a high frequency response. The sensing system further includes signal processing circuitry comprising a plurality of channels, each channel including a filter. The various filters have different cutoff frequencies for passing different frequency spectra representing ranges of surface feature scale sizes. The cutoff frequency of each filter is varied in response to variations in sheet speed. The sheet sensing system further includes a sheet stabilizer to minimize flutter in the measurement region and a standardizing member permitting performance verification of the sensor system at at least one scale size spectrum. The sensing system may also be provided with a sheet compressor to compress the sheet in the measurement region so as to simulate the pressures applied to sheet samples by laboratory air leak sm…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.