CLIAMS:We Claim
1. Machine for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature including an elevated base plate having a product literature feed end and a product literature discharge end, an endless linear conveyor disposed for rotation along the length of the base plate about the product literature feed end and product literature discharge end of the base plate, a product literature feed unit located at the product literature feed end of the base plate, a product identifier code capturing unit located at an intermediate position of the base plate, an incorrect product literature rejection unit located on the base plate after the product identifier code capturing unit, a correct product literature collector located at the product literature discharge end of the base plate and a control unit for controlling the operation of the machine and indicating the operational status of the machine.

2. Machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate is mounted on a cabinet having a door, the linear conveyor is a split belt conveyor consisting of a plurality of conveyor elements spaced from each other and disposed for rotation on a driver roller rotatably mounted at the product literature feed end of the base plate, a driven roller rotatably mounted at the product literature discharge end of the base plate and auxiliary rollers rotatably mounted underneath the base plate and wherein the driver roller is driven by a motor and wherein the product literature feed unit comprises a pair of flat vertical members spaced above the feed end of the base plate and spaced from each other corresponding to the width of a product literature and mounted to a mounting structure supported on the base plate, a pair of L-shaped members each having two limbs, one of the limbs being located vertically against each vertical member to form an L-shaped product literature stacking space with the other limb, gate means disposed across the linear conveyor between the vertical members and mounted to the mounting structure describing a gap with the linear conveyor corresponding to the thickness of a product literature to control the product literature feed onto the linear conveyor one by one, a row of spaced radial suction holes extending across the circumference of the driver roller and positioned at the bottom of the stacking space, each suction hole being located in the space between a pair of linear conveyor elements and connected to a vacuum source through an axial hole in the driver roller communicating with the suction holes and wherein the product identifier code capturing unit comprises a vision camera with an inbuilt focusing light source mounted to the mounting structure and an image grabber circuit connected to the vision camera and wherein the incorrect product literature rejection unit comprises an inverted channel member located across the base plate spaced above the linear conveyor and having a row of air blower nozzles located at one end thereof and connected to an air supply source through a solenoid operated direction control valve and a reject product literature collection bin located at the other end thereof and having air vents and wherein the correct product literature collector consists of a tray and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the operation of the motor and linear conveyor and the solenoid operated direction control valve, image grabber circuit, light source and vision camera.
3. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driven roller is driven by the motor connected to the driver roller through pulleys and belt and wherein the motor, auxiliary rollers and pulleys and belt are located in the cabinet.

4. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cabinet is a rectangular cabinet.

5. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one limb of the L-shaped members is adjustable on the vertical members vertically and horizontally to adjust the depth of the L-shaped stacking space corresponding to the depth of a product literature.

6. Machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the one limb of the L-shaped members is adjustable on the vertical members with bolts engaged in a pair of vertically spaced transverse slots in each of the vertical members and tightened in one of the vertically spaced holes in the one limb against the vertical members.

7. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting structure comprises a pair of longitudinal members spaced from each other, each of the longitudinal members extending along each side of the linear conveyor and mounted on the base plate at an elevated position, each vertical member is fixed to a first support block and the first support blocks are mounted to first transverse members extending across the base plate and supported on a pair of first upright blocks which are mounted to the longitudinal members and wherein the vision camera with the focusing light source is linearly, sideways and height wise adjustably mounted to the longitudinal members with mounting means.

8. Machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first support blocks are slidably mounted on the first transverse members to adjust the distance therebetween and the distance between the vertical members across the linear conveyor and are tightened in position against the first transverse member with bolts passing through the first support blocks.

9. Machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first upright blocks are slidably mounted on the longitudinal members to adjust the position of the first upright blocks and the vertical members along the length of the linear conveyor and are tightened in position against the longitudinal members with bolts passing through the first upright blocks.
10. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gate means is height adjustable to control the gap with the linear conveyor.

11. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gate means consists of a second support block disposed between the vertical members and mounted to the first transverse members, a long vertical back plate extending vertically upwardly from the backside of the second support block between the vertical members and mounted to the second support block at the backside thereof, a short front plate extending vertically upwardly from the front side of the second support block and having a vertical oblong slot, the short front plate being vertically adjustably held against the second support block with a bolt passing through the vertical oblong slot in the short front plate and tightened to the second support block and a curved flat spring vertically adjustably disposed above the linear conveyor describing a gap with the linear conveyor matching with the thickness of a product literature and held against the vertical back plate with another bolt passing through a slot in the short front plate and tightened to the curved flat spring against the vertical back plate.

12. Machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second support block is slidably mounted to the first transverse members to adjust its position between the vertical members across the linear conveyor and is tightened in position against the first transverse members with a bolt passing through the second support block.

13. Machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the curved flat spring is curved at an angle of 120-150°.

14. Machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the curved flat spring is curved at an angle of 135°.

15. Machine as claim in claim 7, wherein the mounting means for the vision camera with focusing light source consists of an angular bracket consisting of two limbs, one limb being held longitudinally to the linear conveyor and having an oblong slot and the other limb being held across the linear conveyor and having two parallel longitudinal slots, the vision camera with the light source being held to the one limb linearly adjustably along the length of the linear conveyor with a bolt tightened to the vision camera with light source through the oblong slot in the one limb against the one limb and the other limb being mounted to a third support block linearly adjustably across the linear conveyor with bolts passing through the longitudinal slots in the other limb and tightened against the third support block and wherein the third support block is linearly adjustably held across the linear conveyor on second transverse members extending across the linear conveyor with bolts extending through the third support block and tightened against the second transverse members , the second transverse members being height adjustably supported in a pair of second upright blocks which are supported on the longitudinal members.

16. Machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the second upright blocks consists of a vertical slot extending along the height thereof and wherein the second transverse members with the vision camera and light source are held in fourth support blocks at the ends thereof and the fourth support blocks with the second transverse members are height adjustably held against the second upright blocks with bolts engaged in the vertical slots in the second upright blocks and tightened against the fourth support blocks.

17. Machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second upright blocks are linearly adjustably supported on the longitudinal members.

18. Machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second upright blocks are linearly adjustably supported on the longitudinal members with bolts passing through the second upright blocks and tightened against the longitudinal members.

19. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control unit consists of a microcontroller configured to receive inputs from a trigger sensor located ahead of the product identifier code capturing unit, a product literature verifier sensor located after the incorrect product rejection unit and an emergency switch located on the base plate and to drive the motor, light source, image grabber circuit and vision camera and solenoid operated direction control valve and an audiovisual alarm unit and a central processing unit configured to receive input from the vision camera and to communicate two way with the microcontroller and with a graphic unit interface.

20. Machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audiovisual alarm unit consists of a hooter and three differently coloured light emitting diodes to indicate the operating status of the machine.

21. Machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the graphic unit interface consists of mouse, keypad and monitor.

22. Machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the trigger sensor and product literature presence verifier sensor each is a fiber optic sensor.

23. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inverted channel member consists of a looking window and the reject product literature bin consists of a door and a looking window.

24. Machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the image grabber circuit is a high speed image grabber circuit and the inbuilt light source is a light emitting diode.

25. Machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein the trigger sensor is position adjustably mounted to a cross bar extending across the base plate.

26. Machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein the trigger sensor is mounted to a bracket and the bracket is position adjustably mounted on the cross bar with a bolt passing through a hole in the bracket and tightened on the cross bar against the bracket.

27. Automated method for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature, comprising automatically feeding product literatures one by one from a product literature feed unit onto a feed end of an endless linear conveyor rotating about a feed end and a discharge end and controlled by a control unit, automatically capturing the product identifier code on the product literatures at an intermediate position of the linear conveyor by a product identifier code capturing unit controlled by the control unit, automatically rejecting the product literatures having incorrect product identifier code by an incorrect product literature rejection unit controlled by the control unit, automatically collecting the product literatures with correct identifier code at the discharge end of the linear conveyor and automatically indicating the operational status of the machine by the control unit.
28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the product literatures are fed onto the linear conveyor one by one from the product literature feed unit under suction and through a gate across the linear conveyor describing a gap with the linear conveyor corresponding to the thickness of a product literature.
,TagSPECI:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2014

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10 and Rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Machine and automated method for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature

APPLICANTS
Sci-tech Centre and ACG Inspection Pvt Ltd, both Indian companies and both of 7 Prabhat Nagar, Jogeshwari West, Mumbai 400 102

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a machine and an automated method for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature.
In this specification, the term product includes pharmaceutical or neutraceutical product; product literature means product information and details and includes product leaflets and product booklets; and product identifier code includes any product identifier details such as marks, emblems, monograms, images, barcodes and pharmacodes. It is hereby made abundantly clear that besides being pharmaceutical and neutraceutical products, the product can be any other product, whether consumable or non-consumable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In pharmaceutical and neutraceutical packaging industry, pharmaceutical and neutraceutical products are packed in primary packagings such as blister packs or bottles and the blister packs or bottles are further packed in secondary packagings such as cartons or such other containers. Bottles may contain products in any form, for example, as tablets, capsules, powder, granules, liquids or syrups. Products also can be ampoules. Product leaflets and booklets containing information and details about the products and product identifier code such as barcode and/or pharmacode are also packed in the cartons. It is absolutely essential that the correct leaflets and booklets are packed with the respective products in the cartons as otherwise the consequences can be disastrous.
Presently, the leaflets and booklets are inspected for their product identifier codes such as bar codes and/or pharmacodes manually and then packed inside the cartons along with the respective products. Manual inspection of the catalogues and leaflets is time consuming, inconvenient and cumbersome, labour intensive, reduces productivity and leads to operature fatigue. It is also prone to human reading errors. There is thus need for machines and automated or mechanized methods for inspecting the product identifier codes of products in the product literatures to address the problems associated with manual inspection thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a machine for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature including an elevated base plate having a product literature feed end and a product literature discharge end, an endless linear conveyor disposed for rotation along the length of the base plate about the product literature feed end and product literature discharge end of the base plate, a product literature feed unit located at the product literature feed end of the base plate, a product identifier code capturing unit located at an intermediate position of the base plate, an incorrect product literature rejection unit located on the base plate after the product identifier code capturing unit, a correct product literature collector located at the product literature discharge end of the base plate and a control unit for controlling the operation of the machine and indicating the operational status of the machine.

According to the invention there is also provided an automated or mechanized method for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature, comprising automatically feeding product literatures one by one from a product literature feed unit onto a feed end of an endless linear conveyor rotating about a feed end and a discharge end and controlled by a control unit, automatically capturing the product identifier code on the product literatures at an intermediate position of the linear conveyor by a product identifier code capturing unit controlled by the control unit, automatically rejecting the product literatures having incorrect product identifier code by an incorrect product literature rejection unit controlled by the control unit, automatically collecting the product literatures with correct identifier code at the discharge end of the linear conveyor and automatically indicating the operational status of the machine by the control unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings is a schematic front isometric view of a machine for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature according to an embodiment of the invention;
Fig 2 is a schematic view of the base plate and endless linear conveyor and respective driver and driven rollers of the machine of Fig 1;
Fig 3 is a schematic sectional view along the length of the machine of Fig 1;
Fig 4 is a schematic isometric view of the machine of Fig 1 mounted on a cabinet and including an emergency switch, a monitor and three differently coloured operational status indicating light emitting diodes;
Fig 5 is a scrap view of the machine of Fig 1 from the back thereof;

Fig 6 is an enlarged view of the product literature feed unit of the machine of Fig 1;

Fig 7 is an enlarged scrap view at B in Fig 6;

Fig 8 is an enlarged scrap view at C in Fig 6;

Fig 9 is an enlarged scrap view at D in Fig 6;

Fig 10 is a sectional view of the driver roller and linear conveyor of the machine of Fig 1;

Fig 11 is a scrap sectional view at E in Fig 7;

Fig 12 is an isometric view of the curved flat spring of the product literature feed unit of Fig 6;
Fig 13 is an enlarged view of the product identifier code capturing unit of the machine of Fig 1;

Fig 14 is an enlarged scrap view at F in Fig 13 from the back;

Fig 15 is enlarged scrap view at G in Figs 6 and 13 from the bottom;

Fig 16 is an enlarged scrap view at H in Fig 1; and

Fig 17 is a block diagram of the control unit of the machine of Fig 1.

DESCRIPITON OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in Figs 1 to 17 of the accompanying drawings, the machine 1 for inspecting the product identifier code on a product literature (not shown) includes an elevated or raised base plate 2 having a product literature feed end 3 and a product literature discharge end 4. An endless linear conveyor 5 is disposed for rotation along the length of the base plate about the product literature feed end and product literature discharge end thereof. 6 is a product literature feed unit located at the product literature feed end of the base plate. 7 is a product identifier code capturing unit located at an intermediate position of the base plate. 8 is an incorrect product literature rejection unit located on the base plate after the product identifier code capturing unit. 9 is a correct product literature collection tray located at the product discharge end of the base plate (Fig 1).

As shown in Fig 4, the base plate is mounted on a cabinet 10 having a door 11with compression swing locks 12. The cabinet has foot pads 13 to facilitate movement of the machine from place to place. It is understood that instead of mounting the base plate on the cabinet, it can be mounted at an elevated or raised position on another switchable support structure. The conveyor 5 is a split belt conveyor consisting of a plurality of conveyor elements 14 spaced from each other and disposed for rotation on a driver roller 15 rotatably mounted at the product literature feed end of the base plate (Figs 1,2,3,4,6,7,10,13). 16 is a driven roller rotatably mounted at the product literature discharge end of the base plate. Auxiliary rollers 17 are rotatbly mounted underneath the base plate for tensioning and guiding the linear conveyor (Fig 3). The driver roller is driven by a motor 18 connected to the driver roller through pulleys 19 and 20 and belt 21 (Fig 3). Pulley 19 is mounted to motor shaft 18a and pulley 20 is mounted to driver roller 15 (Fig 3). The motor, auxiliary rollers, pulleys and belt are located in the cabinet for aesthetic look of the machine (Fig 4). The cabinet is a rectangular cabinet. However, the cabinet can also be any other shape such as square shape.

The product literature feed unit 6 comprises a pair of flat vertical members 22 spaced above the feed end of the base plate and spaced from each other corresponding to the width of a product literature and mounted to a mounting structure consisting of a pair of longitudinal members 23 spaced from each other (Figs 1 and 6). Each of the longitudinal members extends along each side of the linear conveyor and is mounted on the base plate at an elevated position on vertical posts 24 supported on the base plate. Each of the vertical members has an L-shaped member 25 having two limbs 25a and 25b, one limb 25a being located vertically against each vertical member to form an L-shaped product literature stacking space 26 with the other limb 25b (Fig 5).

Each vertical member is fixed to a first support block 26a and the first support blocks are mounted to first transvers members 27 extending across the base plate and supported on a pair of first upright blocks 28 which are mounted to the longitudinal members 23. The first support blocks are slidably mounted on the first transverse members to adjust the distance there between and the distance between the vertical members across the linear conveyor. The first support blocks and hence the vertical members are tightened in position against the first transverse members with bolts (not shown) passing through holes 29 in the first support blocks and tightened against the first transverse members (Fig 8).

As the first support blocks are tightened in position, the vertical members are held in position. Adjustability of the vertical members across the linear conveyor affords flexibility to accommodate product literatures of different widths in the stacking space 26 in the L-shaped members. The L-shaped members are adjustable against the vertical members with bolts (not shown) engaged in a pair of vertically spaced transverse slots 30 in each of the vertical members and tightened in one of the vertically spaced holes 25c in the one limb 25a of the L-shaped members against the vertical members (Figs 1, 5, 6, 9). Because of the adjustability of the cross members against the vertical members the depth of the L-shaped stacking space 26 can be adjusted corresponding to the depth of a product literature and product literatures of different depths can be accommodated in the stacking space.

31 is a second support block disposed between the vertical members and mounted to the first transverse members 27 (Figs 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11). A long vertical black plate 32 extends vertically upwardly from the backside of the second support block between the vertical members and is mounted to the second support block at the backside thereof. 33 is a short front plate extending vertically upwardly from the front side of the second support block and having a vertical oblong slot 34 (Figs 1, 7). The short front plate is vertically adjustably held against the second support block with a bolt (not shown) passing through the vertical oblong slot in the short front plate and tightened to the second support block.

35 is a curved flat spring vertically adjustably disposed above the linear conveyor describing a gap 36 with the linear conveyor matching with the thickness of a product literature and held against the vertical back plate (Figs 6, 7, 11, 12). The short front plate is vertically adjustable on the second support block because of the oblong slot 34 and is tightened to the second support block with bolt. The curved flat spring is held against back plate 32 with another bolt 37 passing through a slot (not shown) in the short front plate 33 and tightened to the curved flat spring against the back plate (Figs 7, 11).

The curved flat spring serves as a gate for product literatures to move on the linear conveyor one by one through the gap 36 between the linear conveyor and the curved flat spring. The gap between the linear conveyor and the curved flat spring is adjusted by moving the curved flat spring up and down against the vertical back plate and tightening it in position with the bolt 37. The short front plate is also vertically adjusted to facilitate adjustment of the curved flat spring vertically and control the gap 36. Adjustment of the gap 36 between the linear conveyor and the curved flat spring affords the flexibility to handle product literatures of different thicknesses in the machine. The curved flat spring is, preferably, curved at an angle of 130-150°, still preferably at an angle of 135°. The long vertical back plate 32 also serves to hold a stack of product literatures in the stacking space 26 in the L-shaped members 25 from the front (Fig 5).

The second support block 31 is slidably mounted to the first transverse members 27 to adjust its position between the vertical members across the linear conveyor and is tightened in position against the first transverse members with a bolt (not shown) passing through a hole 38 in the second support block (Fig 7). Because of the adjustability of the second support block across the linear conveyor, the position of the curved flat spring and hence the gate also can be adjusted across the linear conveyor depending upon the width of the product literatures being handled by the machine.

The driver roller 15 consists of a row of spaced radial suction holes 39 extending across the circumference thereof and positioned at the bottom of the stacking space 26 at the feed end 3 of the base plate 2 (Figs 1, 6, 10, 11). Each of the suction holes is located in the space between a pair of linear conveyor elements 14 and connected to a vacuum source (not shown) through an axial hole 40 in the driver roller communicating with the suction holes (Fig 10).

The product identifier code capturing unit 7 comprises a vision camera 48 with an inbuilt focusing light source 49 located above the linear conveyor facing the linear conveyor and an image grabber circuit 48a (Figs 1, 4, 13, 17). 50 is an angular bracket consisting of two limbs 51 and 52, one limb 51 is longitudinally held to the linear conveyor and has an oblong slot 53. The other limb 52 is held across the linear conveyor and has two parallel longitudinal slots 54, 54.

The vision camera with the light source is held to the one limb linearly adjustably along the length of the linear conveyor with a bolt (not shown) tightened to the vision camera through the oblong slot 53 in the one limb against the one limb (Fig 13). Because of the oblong slot 53, the vision camera with light source is adjustable linearly along the length of the linear conveyor. The other limb 52 of the bracket is mounted to a third support block 55 with bolts (not shown) passing through the longitudinal slots in the other limb and tightened against the third support block (Fig 13). Because of the longitudinal slots 54, 54, the camera with light source is adjustably across the linear conveyor.

The third support block 55 is linearly adjustably held across the linear conveyor on second transverse members 56 extending across the linear conveyor with bolts (not shown) extending through a hole 57 in the third support block and tightened against the second transverse members (Fig 14). The second transverse members are height adjustably supported in a pair of second upright blocks 58 supported on the longitudinal members 23 (Figs 1, 4, 13). Each of the second upright support blocks consists of a vertical slot 59 extending along the height thereof. The second transverse members are held in fourth support blocks 60 at the ends thereof and the fourth support blocks with the second transverse members and the vision camera 48 and light source 49 are height adjustably held against the second upright blocks with bolts (not shown) engaged in the vertical slots 59 in the second upright blocks and tightened against the fourth support blocks 60 through holes 61 in the fourth support blocks (Fig 13).

The first upright blocks 28 and second upright blocks 58 are linearly adjustably supported on the longitudinal members 23 with bolts (not shown) passing through holes 63 in the first and second upright blocks and tightened against the longitudinal members (Fig 15). Because of the adjustability of the first and second upright blocks on the longitudinal members linearly, the product literature feed unit 6 comprising vertical members 22 and L-shaped members 25 and the product identifier code capturing unit 7 comprising vision camera 48 with inbuilt light source 49 are adjustable along the length of the linear conveyor depending upon the depth of the product literatures. Because of the height adjustability of the second transverse members with the vision camera and inbuilt light source, the vision camera with light source is height wise adjustable on the base plate 2. Adjustability of the vision camera and light source affords flexibility to change the position of the vision camera with light source depending upon the width and depth of the product literature to achieve better focusing and better image capturing.

The incorrect product literature rejection unit 8 comprises an inverted channel member 64 located across the base plate 2 spaced above the linear conveyor 5 and having a row of air blower nozzles 65 located at one end thereof and connected to an air supply source (not shown) through a solenoid operated direction control valve 66 and a reject product literature collection bin 67 at the other end thereof (Figs 1, 3, 4). The inverted channel member consists of a looking window or transparent portion 68. The reject product literature bin consists of a door 69, a looking window or transparent portion 70 and air vents 71. 72 is a latch for the bin door 69.

The control unit 73 consists of a trigger sensor 74 located ahead of the product identifier code capturing unit 7 and a product literature presence verifier sensor 75 located after the incorrect product rejection unit 8 (Figs 1, 4, 13, 16, 17). A microcontroller 76 is connected to the motor 18 driving the driver roller 15 and linear conveyor 5 and configured to drive the motor. Microcontroller is also configured to receive inputs from the trigger sensor and product literature presence verifier sensor and drive the camera 48 with light source 49 through image grabber circuit 48a and solenoid operated direction control valve 66 and an audio visual alarm 77. 78 is a central processing unit (CPU) configured to receive input from the vision camera and to communicate two ay with the microcontroller and a graphic unit interface (GUI) 79.

The audio visual alarm consists of a hooter (not shown) and three differently colored light emitting diodes 80a, 80b and 80c to indicate the operating status of the machine (Fig 4). The graphic unit interface consists of a mouse (not shown), a keypad (not shown) and a monitor 81. The trigger sensor and product literature presence sensor are preferably fibre optic sensors. The image grabber circuit is, preferably, a high speed image grabber circuit and the inbuilt light source is, preferably, a light emitting diode configured to flash light on the product literature on the linear conveyor 5. 82 is an emergency switch connected to the microcontroller (Figs 4 and 17).

Trigger sensor 74 is mounted to a cross bar 83 with a bracket 83a having a hole 83b. The trigger sensor position is adjustable on the cross bar with a bolt not shown) passing though hole 83b and tightened on the cross bar against the bracket (Figs 1, 4, 16). The product literature presence verifier sensor 75 is mounted on a bracket 86 which in turn is mounted to the inverted channel member 64 (Figs 1, 4). Monitor 81 is mounted to a stand 87 on the base plate 2 and is hinged (hinge marked 88) to the stand so that the monitor can be rotated about the stand by 270° to move the monitor away from the base plate and to adjust the position of the monitor on the base plate to improve visibility of display on the monitor (Fig 4). Light emitting diodes 80a, 80b and 80c are also mounted on the stand 87 for better visibility (Fig 4).

During operation of the machine, a bunch of product literatures (not shown) is stacked in the stacking space 26 in the L-shaped members 25. The linear conveyor 5 rotates linearly about the driver roller 15 and driven roller 16 along the length of the base plate 2 from the feed end 3 to the discharge end 4 of the base plate. Vacuum (not shown) is continuously applied through the row of radial holes 39 across the circumference of the driver roller 15 via the axial hole 40 in the driver roller 15. In each complete revolution or rotation of the driver roller through 360°, the row of radial holes in the driver roller comes directly below the stacking space 26 and applies vacuum or suction effect to the bottom most product literature of the stack of product literatures in the stacking space. Because of the suction effect, the bottom most product literature in the stack of product literatures is pulled down to the feed end 3 of the base plate. The gap 36 between the curved flat spring 35 and the linear conveyor 5 allows the product literatures to move on the linear conveyor one by one. As soon as the trigger sensor 74 senses a product literature on the linear conveyor, it signals to the microcontroller 76. Due to the suction effect the product literatures are pulled down onto the linear conveyor one by one and due to the curved flat spring 35 serving as a gate, the product literatures are allowed to move on the conveyor one by one.
The microcontroller 76 drives the image grabber circuit 48a which in turn activates the light source 49 and vision camera 48. The microcontroller also communicates the presence of the product literatures on the linear conveyor to the CPU 78. The vision camera captures the image of the product identifier code on the product literature and feeds to the CPU. The CPU compares the image of the product identifier code captured by the camera with the reference image of the correct product identifier code stored in the CPU and feeds the information to the microcontroller. If the captured product identifier code matches with the product identifier code stored in the CPU and is correct, then the microcontroller, on sensing the presence of the product literature on the linear conveyor 5 through the product literature presence verifier sensor 75 signals the information to the CPU and the machine continues to operate and the product literature with the correct product identifier code drops down into the product collection tray 9 at the discharge end 4 of the base plate 2. Product literatures with correct product identifier code are emptied from the tray periodically.

In case the captured image of the product identifier code does not match with the reference product identifier code stored in the CPU, the CPU passes on the information to the microcontroller and the microcontroller operates the solenoid operated direction control valve 66 to open the valve. As a result, air is blown towards the product literature with incorrect product identifier code on the linear conveyor 5 as it passes through the inverted channel member 64 and forces the product literature with incorrect product identifier code into the reject product literature collection bin 67 at the other end of the inverted channel member. The air vents 71 in the reject product literature collection bin allows the air to escape into the atmosphere thereby preventing buildup of air pressure in the inverted channel member and malfunctioning of the machine. The looking windows 68 and 70 in the inverted channel member 64 and reject product literature collection bin 67 help to manually see the position of the product literature in the inverted channel member and the literature collection bin, respectively. Reject product literatures are collected from the bin by opening the door 69 of the bin. The door of the cabinet 11 gives access to the inside of the cabinet (Fig 4).

In case the product literature presence verifier sensor 75 senses any product literature on the linear conveyor past the incorrect product literature rejection unit after the operation of the incorrect product literature rejection unit due to failure of the incorrect product literature rejection unit to reject the product literature, then the microcontroller communicates the information to the CPU and stops operation of the motor and the machine stops operating. The microcontroller indicates operational status of the machine by operating the hooter, if any, and the differently coloured light emitting diodes (LEDs) 80a, 80b and 80c. Preferably LED 80a is coloured red to indicate rejection of incorrect product literature by the incorrect product literature rejection unit, LED 80b is coloured yellow to indicate that the machine is in operation. LED 80c is coloured green to indicate that the machine is ready for operation. Three LEDs and their colour combinations to indicate operational status of the machine as stated above are only a preference. The number of LEDs and their colour combinations may vary.
The mouse and keypad of the GUI help to manually interact with the CPU to give instructions to the CPU or edit instructions to the CPU. Operational status of the machine can be read on the monitor 81. Emergency switch 82 is to manually stop operation of the machine in case of emergency. On operating the switch 82, the microcontroller 76 signals the motor 18 to be switched off.

It is understood that the product literature feed unit 6, product identifier code capturing unit 7 and incorrect product literature rejection unit 8 can be of different construction and configuration. Instead of the product literature collection tray, the product collector can be of different construction and configuration. Alternatively, the product literatures with the correct product identifier code can be allowed to be carried out on another conveyor located in tandem with the discharge end of the linear conveyor. The cabinet 10 may be provided with casters or wheels to facilitate portability thereof. Control unit can be configured differently. The linear conveyor can be a chain conveyor. The control unit need not be configured to indicate the operational status of the machine. Such variations of the invention are obvious to a person skilled in the art and should be construed and understood to be within the scope of the invention.