The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 1989
Filed:
Jan. 20, 1988
John R Sommerfield, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Peco Controls Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A monitoring and control system is provided for a container filling line having an in-feed conveyor for conveying empty containers, a multiple-valve rotary fill station supplied by the in-feed conveyor for filling the containers, a multi-head closer station for closing the then-filled containers, a discharge station for discharging the filled and closed containers to a take-away conveyor, the take-away conveyor not being cynchronized with the in-feed conveyor, the operation of the filler station and the operation of the closer station, the monitoring and control system including means at the discharge station for generating a first signal responsive to each container passing the discharge station, a detection station provided at a location on the take-away conveyor spaced from the discharge station for detecting one or more characteristics of a container passing thereby, means at the detection station for generating a second signal responsive to each container passing the detection station, means for generating a first measure of the number of containers on the take-away conveyor between the discharge station and the detection station on the basis of the first signal and the second signal, means for generating a second measure, independently of the means for generating the first measure, of the number of containers between the discharge station and the detection station, means for comparing the first measure with the second measure and means for changing the first measure to substantially agree with the second measure if the comparison indicates that the first and the second measures do not substantially agree.