Owens-brockway Glass Container Inc.

Timothy A Kohler

James A Ringlien

Gregory A Ritz

Stephen M Graff

Noel D Wendt

William R Martin

Timothy McIntosh

George H Hall, Jr

John W Juvinall

Thomas F Michalski

Benjamin L Daniel

George H Hall Jr

An apparatus and method for inspecting a container having a base and a mouth, wherein light is directed through the container base into the container, and out of the container through the container mouth, using at least first and second light sources operatively disposed adjacent to each other beneath the container base and having differing operating characteristics. Light transmitted through the container mouth is sensed, and a composite image of the container mouth may be produced from two or more images of portions of the container mouth.

Optical inspection of containers

A method of and apparatus for inspecting a container having a base and a mouth. Light is directed through the container base into the container, and out of the container through the container mouth, using at least one light source disposed beneath the container base. A plurality of images of the container mouth is obtained from the light transmitted through the container mouth. Minimum bore diameters of the container mouth are calculated from the plurality of images, and an overall lowest minimum bore diameter (OLMBD) of the minimum bore diameters is identified. A value other than the OLMBD is determined to be an effective minimum bore diameter of the container mouth.

Container inspection apparatus and method

A glassware inspection apparatus that includes an electronic control system and method for optimum control of indexing and inspecting glass containers. The control system generally includes a driver circuit for each servo motor of the apparatus, an electronic control unit, and an operator interface. Information about the apparatus and the particular containers being inspected is entered into the control system through the operator interface. The electronic control unit executes a recursive algorithm that utilizes the inputted information, as well as predetermined constraints of the apparatus, to develop an optimum motion profile for each servo motor. The optimum motion profiles provide the overall apparatus with coordinated control and increased container throughput speed, while efficiently distributing cycle time and thermal energy between the various servo motors.

Electronic control system for container indexing and inspection apparatus

An apparatus for inspecting articles of glassware at a plurality of angularly spaced inspection stations includes a conveyor that moves articles of glassware to and from inspection stations, a drive roller that rotates articles of glassware at at least one inspection station, and an inspection device spaced from an inspection station and adapted to inspect an article of glassware as it is moved by the conveyor and caused to pass by the inspection device. A method for inspecting articles of glassware at a plurality of angularly spaced inspection stations includes the steps of moving the articles of glassware to and from the inspection stations, rotating the articles of glassware about an axis at at least one inspection station, inspecting the articles of glassware while they are rotating, stopping the rotation about the axis of the articles of glassware, moving the articles of glassware away from said at least one inspection station without rotating the articles of glassware about said axis, and inspecting the articles of glassware as they are moved.

Apparatus and method for inspecting articles of glassware

Apparatus for inspecting the bottom of a container that includes a light sensor positioned to view the container bottom through the open container mouth, a light source positioned externally of the container on the opposite side of the container bottom, and electronics for detecting commercial variations in the container bottom as a function of light energy incident on the sensor. The light source, as viewed by the sensor through the container bottom, is characterized by being elongated radially of the container bottom and narrow transversely of the container bottom. In this way, any variations in the container bottom that refract the line of sight of the sensor in the radial direction, such as mold code rings and baffle scars, are essentially transparent as viewed by the sensor. On the other hand, variations that refract the sensor line of sight laterally of the container bottom, such as glass particles, knots and lumps, produce a dark image at the sensor since the sensor cannot see the light source through the variation.

Growing community of inventors

Waterville, OH, United States of America

Timothy A Kohler