Importance

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Abstract

A mechanism for accurately measuring the length of a continuously produced product, i.e. cable, hose, chord, tube, rope, strip, wire, fiber and etc. The mechanism has a housing for retaining first and second shafts. A first rotatable member attached to the first shaft has a first circumferential face with a pliable surface thereon. A second rotatable member attached to the second shaft has a second circumferential face with a pliable surface thereon. The first and second rotatable members are moved toward each other to define a common chord between the first and second circumferential faces. The pliable surface of the circumferential faces surrounds the product as the product moves along the entire chord. An encoder responsive to rotation of the second shaft generates discrete signals which are communicated to a counter to indicate the distance moved by the product along the chord. The counter has a visual readout to inform an operator of the length of product that has passed through the mechanism. After one or more preset lenghts or counts of the product has been measured, the counter may activate another device in the system such as a cut-off device to sever the product or a marker which places a permanent marks on the product to indicate linear distances between points on the product.

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First Claim