Patent ID: 7603198

Claim:
A method for positioning of thin flat objects by a machine having an inserter element a controller and a conveyor including a plurality of gripper members, the machine configured for conveying and positioning the thin flat objects successively to the plurality of gripper members, the inserter element inserting a first thin flat object of the thin flat objects into a first gripping member of the plurality of gripping members and inserting a second thin flat object of the thin flat objects into a second gripping member of the plurality of gripping members, the first and second gripper members, respectively, thereafter drawing the first and second thin flat objects to one or more processing stations of the machine, the process comprising: detecting an initial position of each of the first and second thin flat objects in the machine; transmitting the detected initial position for each of the first and second thin flat objects to the controller; calculating a movement path of the inserter element for each of the first and second gripping members; controlling the inserter element to insert the first and second thin flat objects, respectively, into the first and second gripper members; and conveying and positioning the first and second thin flat objects by, respectively, the first and second gripper members to the one or more processing stations, wherein the controlling of the inserter element comprises: setting a reference position relative to the conveying and positioning movement for each of the first and second gripper members; determining a first deviation variation from normal movement and a second deviation variation from normal movement, respectively, for each of the first and second gripper members relative to the reference position for each of the first and second gripper members, the deviation variation from normal movement being a deviation resulting from wear over time, respectively, of the first and second gripper members; assigning each of the first and second deviation variations from normal movement to the first and second gripper members, respectively, and providing the assigned deviation variations to the controller; and controlling the inserter element by the controller to convey and position the first thin flat object by the first gripper member based on the detected initial position of the first thin flat object and based on the assigned deviation variation from normal movement of the first gripper member; and controlling the inserter element by the controller to convey and position the second thin flat object by the second gripper member based on the detected initial position of the second thin flat object and based on the assigned deviation variation from normal movement of the second gripper member.