Owens-brockway Glass Container Inc.

Ronald E Gast

George A Nickey

Gregory A Ritz

Stephen M Gerber

Noel D Wendt

William R Martin

James Scott Barnes

John L Waugaman

David R Rosenquest

Sherwood L Goff, Jr

Tim Nicks

Terry L Gast

Apparatus for indexing glassware through a series of angularly spaced stations includes first and second arrays of glassware gripping fingers mounted on associated carriers that are rotatable about a common axis, both conjointly and with respect to each other. Each carrier is connected to as associated servo motor, which in turn are connected to a controller for rotating the carriers with respect to each other to grip and release glassware between the fingers, and to rotate the carriers conjointly to index the glassware between apparatus stations. One array of glassware gripping fingers includes coil springs for biasing the fingers toward the fingers of the opposing array for accommodating tolerance variations in the glassware. Drive rollers are located at at least some of the stations, and are pivotal into and out of positions for rotating the containers about their axes for inspection or other purposes.

Method and apparatus for inspecting articles of glassware

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

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Genoa, OH, United States of America

Ronald E Gast