Patent ID: 8631922
Filing Date: 2014-01-21
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. An overlap detection system for detecting overlapped items in a sequence of items transported along a conveyance path, the system comprising: a thickness measuring device positioned adjacent the conveyance path to measure a thickness of an item at a plurality of locations along a length of the item; and a processing device configured to determine whether a double feed condition is present based on the thickness measurement, wherein, the processing device is further configured to: generate a thickness outline of the item based on the measured thicknesses; generate one or more edge levels corresponding to differences between adjacent thickness levels in the thickness outline; compare each edge level with a predetermined value; and determine whether a double feed condition is present based on the comparison, wherein a double feed condition is determined to be present when an edge level is greater than the predetermined value, and wherein a number of overlapped items corresponds with a number of edge levels which are greater than the predetermined value.