Owens-brockway Glass Container Inc.

John L Waugaman

Ronald E Gast

Timothy J Nicks

Alan D Ahl

David R Rosenquest

Sherwood L Goff, Jr

Terry L Gast

Tim Nicks

Apparatus for inspecting containers traveling in sequence on a linear conveyor that includes an infeed mechanism having a first endless drive belt with a portion overlying the conveyor for abutting engagement by containers in sequence traveling on the conveyor, and a first motor driving the belt at a speed greater than the speed of the conveyor for diverting containers laterally at least partially off the conveyor. An abutment assembly is disposed in opposition to the first belt for abutting engagement by containers diverted by the infeed mechanism, such that containers diverted from the conveyor and engaged between the first belt and the abutment assembly are rotated during longitudinal travel along the abutment assembly. Apparatus inspects the containers as they are rotated during travel along the abutment assembly. An outfeed mechanism is disposed adjacent to the abutment assembly for engaging containers in sequence following engagement with the abutment assembly, and for diverting the containers back onto the conveyor.

In-line inspection of containers

Apparatus for detecting containers of predetermined diameter that includes a pair of optical proximity sensors positioned adjacent to a container conveyor such that light energy from the sensors is incident sequentially on the containers as the containers pass on the conveyor adjacent to the sensors. The sensors are adjustably positionable with respect to each other such that the sensors are spaced from each other in the direction of container motion on the conveyor. An electronic circuit is coupled to the sensors for detecting passage of containers on the conveyor while ignoring dithering of the containers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensors are mounted on a common support having a scale for measuring separation between the sensors. Printed indicia in units of container diameter, preferably in both English and metric units, is affixed to the support adjacent to the scale. One of the sensors is mounted on the support adjacent to a 'zero' reference point on the scale indicia, and the other sensor is adjustably positionable on the support adjacent to the scale. The support in the preferred embodiment of the invention takes the form of a housing enclosing the sensors and having an elongated window parallel to the conveyor through which containers on the conveyor are exposed to the sensors.

Anti-dither optical container sensor with sensors separation measurement

A system and method for contact measurement of dimensional parameters of a container in which rollers coupled to LVDT sensors are placed in contact with a container as the container is rotated about its central axis so that the sensors develop analog signals that vary as a function of variations in geometry of the container. The sensor output signals are fed through multiple input channels to an a/d convertor/multiplexer, which is controlled by a central microcontroller for selecting in turn among the plurality of sensor signals. Within the microcontroller, each sensor signal is compared to a threshold indicative of maximum acceptable deviation of the corresponding dimensional parameter, and the container under test is rejected if the parameter exceeds such threshold. The microcontroller includes facility for real-time display of measured parameters in English or metric units at the selection of an operator, and for communication of measurement data to a remote computer.

Contact measurement of container dimensional parameters

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Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

John L Waugaman