Patent ID: 7918124

Claim:
A non-contact shape sensing device comprising: a plurality of non-contact shape sensors aligned and arranged to traverse the width of a moving strip of material, each of said non-contact shape sensors further comprising: a substantially rectangular fluid-emitting sensor head arranged such that a long dimension thereof is oriented substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of said strip of material, said head adapted for communication with a source of pressurized fluid and to emit a flow of pressurized fluid through a plurality of nozzle holes located therein, a linear actuator for biasing said fluid-emitting sensor head toward a surface of said moving strip of material, and a linear displacement sensor for measuring an amount of displacement of said fluid-emitting sensor head in response to the passage thereby of a shape defect in said moving strip of material, a rigid support structure for the mounting of said non-contact shape sensors; and a supply of pressurized fluid in communication with said fluid-emitting sensor heads of said non-contact shape sensors, said pressurized fluid emitted by said fluid-emitting sensor heads during operation of said device to produce a cushion of fluid that separates said fluid-emitting sensor heads from said moving strip of material; wherein said fluid-emitting sensor heads of said non-contact shape sensors are arranged and minimally spaced such that fluid-emitting surfaces thereof collectively underlie or overlie substantially the entire width of a moving strip of material.