Patent ID: 7590314

Claim:
A system for detecting unwanted wrapping of at least one of a plurality of strips of material around a feed roller having an outer surface contacting the strips of material as the feed roller rotates, wherein the strips of material are configured to remain to a first side of the feed roller during proper operation, the system comprising: at least one fiber optic sensor comprising: a send fiber optic cable having a plurality of send optical fibers, wherein ends of each of the send optical fibers are fixed at intervals corresponding to a spacing of the strips of material, wherein the send optical fibers are configured to send light in a direction toward the outer surface at a second side of the feed roller; a receive fiber optic cable having a plurality of receive optical fibers, wherein ends of each of the receive optical fibers are fixed at intervals corresponding to a spacing of the strips of material, wherein the receive optical fibers are configured to receive light from the send optical fibers reflected off of at least one of the outer surface of the feed roller and any of the strips of material; and an alarm configured to a first state if an amount of light received by the receive fiber optic cable is equal to or within a tolerance range from a desired amount of light and configured to a second state if the amount of light received by the receive fiber optic cable is not equal to or within a tolerance range from the desired amount of light.