Glass container inspection handling system

Abstract

Apparatus for inspecting glass containers in which an indexing starwheel moves a plurality of containers in series through a plurality of positions or stations where the containers are physically and optically examined. One station, or position, is described in detail as the position where a glass container that is in a vertical position is rotated about its vertical axis by engagement of the finish thereof with a driven wheel. Rotating worm means move the bottles into and out of the handling system and serve as means to time the bottle movements. A mechanism at the exit position assists the bottles out of the starwheel. At the station where the sidewall of the bottles is to be inspected, a light source in the form of a tall housing is positioned in a vertical, annular recess of the starwheel. Additionally, the starwheel is made such that individual containers are contacted by rollers supported from the starwheel and at the sidewall inspection station the container is held in the starwheel, in engagement with the lower rollers, by a side-engaging biased roller. The manner of holding and rotating the bottle is such that a vertical sidewall section of the container is unobstructed, both from the viewpoint of outwardly directed illumination, and view by a camera positioned radially outward of the container.