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"That the automobile has practically reached the limit of its development is suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced."
Scientific American ; Jan. 2 edition, 1909
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7379194 | Method and system for determining mail piece dimensions using swept laser beam A method of measuring a mailpiece includes deflecting a laser beam through an arc, determining an angle at which the laser beam is currently directed, and calculating a dimension of the mailpiece based at least in part on the determined angle. ... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7365546 | Apparatus and method for non-destructive testing of primers, in particular for airbags in motor vehicles A measuring device and a measuring method for non-destructive testing of an ignitor installed in a subassembly, particularly of a motor vehicle. The device and measuring method generate a measuring current with a predefined value, check-test the predefined value of ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7276380 | Transparent liquid inspection apparatus, transparent liquid inspection method, and transparent liquid application method The present invention provides a transparent liquid inspection apparatus capable of identifying a boundary between a transparent liquid applied on a base material which provides a multi-piece product and the base material, and automatically inspecting an applied con... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7262868 | Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the transverse dimensions of rod-shaped articles The invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for ascertaining the transverse dimensions, such as diameters, of one or more rod-shaped articles, for example, continuous or finite-length cigarette rods and/or other rod-shaped smokers' products. When the me... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7259873 | Method for measuring the dimension of a non-circular cross-section of an elongated article in particular of a flat cable or a sector cable Method for measuring the cross-sectional dimension of an elongated profile having rounded or sharp edges, in particular of a flat or sector cable by illuminating the article with light sources and determination of a plurality of shadow borders and calculating the pa... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7190450 | Systems and methods for sorting aerosols An aerosol deflection system having a concentration zone expelling an air stream through a first detection zone, a second detection zone, and a deflection zone. The first detection zone activates the second detection zone based upon detection of a suspect aerosol of... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7159594 | Method and device for adjusting the selecting out of winnowings The invention relates to a method for adjusting the selecting out of winnowings in the manufacture of smokable products, in particular cigarettes, wherein the current size distribution of a stream of tobacco particles passing a measuring point, per unit of time, is ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7158870 | Post collision restraints control module A restraints control module (RCM) for a vehicle is provided including a memory device. The memory device stores a deployment time of a deployment event. A controller is electrically coupled to the memory device and deploys a restraint in response to a collision sign... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7030968 | Device for the three-dimensional recording of a scene using laser emission This device for the three-dimensional recording of a scene (4) comprises a laser emitter (20), elements for scanning along two rotation axes (16, 44) in order to scan the scene using a laser beam emitted by the laser emitter (20), a photo... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6542234 | Method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream The invention relates to a method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles by scanning by means of a fine-beam light barrier, the diameter of which is smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particl... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6407818 | Product scanning system and method A system in which a succession of products (12) to (16) traverse a gap between two conveyors (10, 18), comprises a ring (32) carrying an array of one or more equi-spaced laser displacement transducers (36-42) connected to a computer (48). The ring is disp... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6369401 | Three-dimensional optical volume measurement for objects to be categorized A three-dimensional measurement system and method for objects, such as oysters, projects one or more laser lines onto a surface on which the object is currently located. The laser lines are picked up as parallel lines by a camera where no object is locate... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6260001 | Process and apparatus for measuring the volume of an object by means of a laser scanner The process uses information from the scan sweeps of a laser scanner to obtain a set of stipulated areas which correspond to successive cross-sections of the object and are reckoned by moving the object relative to the scanner. The volume is obtained by m... | 07/10/2001 |
| 5928545 | Cure shrinkage measurement The apparatus and method measures the shrinkage of rocket motor propellant hat is caused during curing and may control this shrinkage by thermally expanding it to prevent creation of voids and cracks. The apparatus heats the propellant compound during curi... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5903354 | Process for measuring the volume of an object by means of a laser scanner and apparatus capable of performing said process The process uses information from the scan sweeps of a laser scanner to obtain a stipulated area which approximates the top surface of the object, by successive samplings while the object is moved relative to the scanner. The volume is then obtained as th... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5850085 | Test fixture for digital measurement of vehicle air bag deployment characteristics The disclosed invention is a method of and a system for taking digital measurements of vehicle air bag deployment characteristics versus time in which the key parameter measured is air bag envelope throw, outboard from the storage canister from which enve... | 12/15/1998 |
| 5811825 | Method and apparatus for electro-optically determining the dimension, location and attitude of objects A method and apparatus for optically determining the dimension of part surfaces. Particular embodiments describe optical triangulation based coordinate measurement machines capable of accurate measurement of complex surfaces, such as gear teeth and turbin... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5777746 | Apparatus and method for dimensional weighing utilizing a mirror and/or prism The invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the dimensions of a parcel. The invention begins by placing a parcel in a corner of a field of measurement comprising a flat surface which is preferably a weighing scale, and meeting two upright adjace... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5770865 | Apparatus and method for sensing a full level condition for a large basket receptacle or the like An apparatus and method is disclosed for sensing a full level condition for a large basket. A signal generator produces an oscillating signal which is applied to energy emitters that are capable of transmitting electrical energy along defined paths and ac... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5770864 | Apparatus and method for dimensional weighing utilizing a laser scanner or sensor The invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the dimensions of a parcel. The method comprises a series of steps utilizing the apparatus for determining each of the relevant dimensions of the parcel. The steps begin with the placing of a parcel on... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5568262 | Non-destructive fill volume measurement system Fill volume of a liquid in a sealed, transparent container is determined by rotating the container about a transverse axis so as to confine the air to a generally cylindrical air pocket about the transverse axis of rotation. Machine vision methods and app... | 10/22/1996 |
| 5548405 | Optical three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus having a device for accurately positioning and measuring an object An apparatus for measuring a three-dimensional shape of an object to be measured provided with a fitting portion, comprises: a body base; a rotation stage set on the base; an XY stage set on the rotation stage and provided with a fitting portion, the XY s... | 08/20/1996 |
| 5325178 | Method of measuring the dimensions of moving objects An optical method continuously monitors the dimensions of a body having a parallelogram cross-section and supported on a moving conveyor. A first angular measurement of a first dimension of a first face of the body in a first direction is first performed,... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5142159 | Method and apparatus for volume or size detection of a yarn package and for deriving confined control processes therefrom The method and apparatus optically scan the size of a yarn package of a spinning bobbin with a plurality of light transmitters and light receivers and derive defined control processes in accordance with the ascertained size. Bobbins with yarn packages are... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5142160 | Method and device for determining the volume of an object on a flat background Method for determining the volume of an object arranged on a flat background surface. The object is scanned using radiation in a predetermined pattern, the radiation reflected by the object is detected by a radiation pick-up means, the detected radiation ... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5028798 | Method and apparatus for determining the geometry of a body Method and apparatus for determining the geometry of a workpiece in a forging press, fed into the forging press for processing in a processing throughpass and rotated about the longitudinal axis in predetermined manner. The surface of the workpiece is sca... | 07/02/1991 |
| 4982103 | Process and apparatus for the non-contact measurement of the geometric contours of a part Process and apparatus for measuring or checking the geometric contours of a part without contact, wherein the part is illuminated by a focussed laser beam and a reflected ray is detected by means of an array of photo diodes, the position of the part and t... | 01/01/1991 |
| 4978859 | Method and arrangement for determining the size and/or the shape of a freely falling object Disclosed is a method and an arrangement for determining the shape and/or size of a freely falling drop (1) of molten glass. One end of the drop is detected by means of two photo-diodes (7,8) spaced apart along the fall path for determining the fall speed... | 12/18/1990 |
| 4873449 | Process and apparatus for three-dimensional surveying The invention relates to process and apparatus for three-dimensional surveying by triangulation with a laser beam source. Pursuant to known practice, a laser beam scans a scene to be surveyed, by means of controlled rotary positioning of a mirror. The ref... | 10/10/1989 |
| 4857748 | Apparatus for optically measuring the three-dimensional surface shape and inner structure of an object An apparatus for optically measuring a three-dimensional surface shape and inner structure of a three-dimensional object without destruction of the object. When a light pulse having a short pulse width is applied to the object, there are observed a flux o... | 08/15/1989 |
| 4839525 | Method of and apparatus for measuring coordinates of edges of tape A method of and an apparatus for measuring the coordinates of each edge of a tape is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of attaching a tape to a surface of an object, such as a three-dimensional subject, to be measured in such a manner that at leas... | 06/13/1989 |
| 4831922 | Automated system for processing whole potatoes An automated system for processing whole potatoes maintains a substantially constant mass flow of potatoes into an adjustable potato peeler that is capable or removing from the potatoes varying amounts of potato peel. Peeled potatoes are conveyed downstre... | 05/23/1989 |
| 4803371 | Optical scanning method and apparatus useful for determining the configuration of an object An optical scanning system illuminates the object to be scanned with non-coherent light and laser light simultaneously. A photodetector camera views the object and produces a single output signal indicative of the magnitude of non-coherent light and laser... | 02/07/1989 |
| 4764680 | Method of and arrangement for testing cylindrical objects for shape deviations An arrangement for testing a cylindrical object, which may be constituted either by a reflective or refractive element capable of focusing collimated light into a focal line or by an elongated filament, employs cooperation of the element and of the filame... | 08/16/1988 |
| 4745290 | Method and apparatus for use in making custom shoes The disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for making a custom shoe based on non-contact measurements of a particular subject's foot. A foot is placed at an inspection position, and a laser beam is directed at the foot, and scanned in a predeter... | 05/17/1988 |
| 4737648 | Apparatus for detecting fibrous particle sizes by detecting scattered light at different angles The invention comprises apparatus capable of unambiguous determination of the length and diameter of fibrous particles, especially asbestos fibres, based on near-forward scattering of light by fibres aligned in a hydrodynamically focused gas flow. Three p... | 04/12/1988 |
| 4719347 | Method and apparatus for investigating a sample under tension A method for investigating a volume change of a sample under tension, with a sample being scanned by a first light beam and the light beam reflected from the sample being detected and further processed. The sample is then illuminated with at least one add... | 01/12/1988 |
| 4571498 | Apparatus for interrogating phototransistors and the like An article sensor which defines an opening through which articles to be measured are propelled in a non-supported condition. Bounding the opening are at least two mutually perpendicular arrays of light sources and of photodetectors. The photodetectors con... | 02/18/1986 |
| 4432762 | Volumetric drop detector A device for measuring the volume of flow in a liquid conveying apparatus wherein drops of the liquid are formed and directed into a length of measurement tubing having a known internal diameter. As the drop is passed through the measurement tubing its le... | 02/21/1984 |
| 4432761 | Volumetric drop detector A device for measuring the volume of flow in a liquid conveying apparatus wherein the length and velocity of a liquid column are measured. Drops of the liquid are formed and directed into a length of measurement tubing having a known internal diameter. As... | 02/21/1984 |
