Article inspection and stabilizing system

Abstract

An article inspection system is described wherein articles are fed to a working flight of a conveyor moving at high velocity. The articles are delivered through a stabilizer to an article inspection device. The articles are fed to the working flight of the conveyor in a laterally spaced relationship and at a velocity different than the high forward velocity of the continuously moving working flight. The stabilizer is utilized to adjust the velocity of the individual articles to match that of the working flight, and to stabilize the articles individually in laterally spaced orientations across the working flight. The stabilizer includes a flexible, open mesh surface that is mounted by a resilient core to a rotatable shaft. A drive wheel is mounted to the shaft and engages the working flight to rotate the open mesh surface at a velocity matching that of the working flight. Articles are engaged by the open mesh fabric and are gently brought into a stabilized condition against the working flight as it moves along. The stabilized articles are then moved at the high velocity of the working flight past an inspection device which then inspects each individual article.