Emhart Industries, Inc.

Emhart Glass S.a.

Emhart Glass Machinery Investments Inc.

Powers Manufacturing Incorporated

Timothy W Shay

Stephen Matthew Giometti

Mark P Claypool

Gary Carl Weber

Paul F Scott

Henry F Raupp

Zdenko Kuz

Scott M Briggs

E Hugh Pemberton

A method and apparatus for inspection of containers including a circular star wheel conveyor having a plurality of intermediate annular inspection pockets and at least one non-inspection position. The method includes the steps of providing an outfeed stripper configured to engage a container disposed in the non-inspection position aligning the outfeed stripper inside the circumference of the star wheel conveyor and aligning the outfeed stripper with the conveyor and with the rotational path of the star wheel. Positioning an outfeed mechanism adjacent to the star wheel conveyor and operating the outfeed mechanism at a desired conveyor speed. Controlling the movement of the star wheel conveyor to align the container with the outfeed stripper and the outfeed mechanism only at the non-inspection position regardless of the number of angular inspection positions.

Star wheel conveyor outfeed mechanism and method

A machine for inspecting glass bottles comprising an elliptical first conveyor having parallel linear front and rear portions. Bottles are displaced sequentially along the linear front portion of the elliptical first conveyor by a first cam and bottles are sequentially displaced along the linear rear portion of the elliptical first conveyor by a second cam. Inspection stations bottles are located along both the front and rear linear portions. A second conveyor delivers bottles to the elliptical conveyor proximate the start of the first cam, and a third conveyor receives bottles from the elliptical conveyor proximate the end of the second cam.

Inspection machine

An infeed mechanism for a glass container inspection machine which will receive bottles on a linear conveyor and which has a support to which the infeed mechanism can be secured. The infeed mechanism has a timing cam and a frame is provided for supporting the timing cam at the bottom thereof which includes a first box like frame for rotatably supporting the timing cam at the bottom, a servo motor secured to and within the first box like frame, a vertically extending transmission supported by the first box like frame for transferring the output of the servo motor downwardly to the rotatable timing cam, a second frame, above the timing cam for supporting first frame for relative vertical displacement, and a mounting plate located vertically above the second frame for supporting the second frame for relative horizontal displacement transverse to the linear conveyor so that the infeed mechanism can be mounted by securing the mounting plate to a machine frame with the infeed mechanism above the linear conveyor.

Glass container inspection machine

A machine for inspecting a container has an inspection conveyor for gripping and conveying containers delivered thereto at one speed. A feed conveyor delivers containers to the inspection conveyor at a slower speed. A container sensed on the inspection conveyor is brought to a stop at a selected location so that an inspection can take place.

Apparatus for reading code elements which are relieved from a container. A source of light projects normally at the code elements while the container is rotated to sequentially illuminate each of the code elements. A sensor receives light which is reflected approximately normal to the surface of the container but avoids light which is reflected from the surface of each code element at an appreciable angle relative to the normal. The intensity of the reflections from regions of said container not containing a code element are relatively large compared to reflections received from portions of the container surface containing a code element and a threshold is set therebetween.

Device for reading a mold code on a glass bottle

Glassware inspection apparatus comprises a first light emitting diode position to illuminate a first region of the ware, a first driver for driving the first light emitting diode in a first modulated mode, a first photodetector positioned for receiving light of the first light emitting diode which illuminates the first region of the container, and a first demodulator for the output of the first photodetector. The apparatus also comprises a second light emitting diode positioned to illuminate a second region of the container, a driver for driving the second light emitting diode in a second modulated mode, a second photodetector positioned for receiving light of the second light emitting diode which illuminates the second region of the container, and a second demodulator for the output of the second photodetector. The two modulation modes minimize cross-talk between the first and second light emitting diodes.

Container inspection apparatus having each output demodulated at a

A sealing surface finish leak detector comprises a test fitting, a source of pressure regulated gas, means for coupling the source of gas to an aperture in the test fitting to deliver the gas to the container at an inspection site, and means for limiting the rate of flow of the gas from the source into the container. The pressure in the container is sampled a predetermined time after the gas begins to flow into the container. The predetermined time is short enough and the rate of flow of the gas into the container low enough so that the pressure in the container at the predetermined time is well below the source pressure even if the container is properly sealed. An average size leak between the sealing surface and the test fitting results in a significantly reduced pressure or rate of pressure rise in the container at the predetermined time.

Container inspection apparatus

An apparatus for inspecting the sealing surface of a container for dips, saddles and lean is disclosed. While the container is rotated, a beam of light is projected horizontally above and through a finish portion of said container. An optical detector detects the height of said sealing surface by detecting the location of a minimum in the light beam. Dips in the height indicate dips or saddles. Alternately, an opaque bearing member is lowered onto the sealing surface in the path of the light beam to provide a reference indicative of the prevailing height of the sealing surface. Light passing between the underside of the bearing member and the sealing surface indicates a dip or saddle.

Finish Leak Detector having vertically movable light source

Inspection of a procession of ware such as bottles on a moving conveyor for 'down' bottles and bottles which are 'stuck' and tilted is accomplished by maintaining an average of detected dimensions for acceptable bottles and by comparing a sensor signal which is indicative of bottle dimension to thresholds which are preselected percentages of the average. Variations in detected bottle dimension, due to different or changing production conditions or variations in conveyor speed, are automatically compensated for.

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Horseheads, NY, United States of America

Timothy W Shay