EP0007248A2 — Apparatus and method for classifying empty bevera…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 184 words

Apparatus for receiving empty beverage containers comprising conveyor means (10) for accepting said containers individually and/or in open top cartons, drive means for driving said conveyor means and causing it to transport said containers to a storage area, illumination means (16) for directing illumination across the path of movement of said containers photocell means (18) for receiving said illumination and generating sensing signals responsive to the presence of containers in said illumination, identification means connected for receiving said sensing signals and operative to generate registration signals identifying classes to which said containers belong, value indicating means responsive to said registration signals and operative to create indications of the values of said containers, carton inspection means for identifying cartons which have been improperly loaded, and return means (12,19) responsive to said carton inspection means and operative to return the cartons which have been so identified; characterized in that said conveyor means comprises a common track (11) for transporting both cartons and individual containers along a common path and alignment means (15) for aligning said cartons and said individual containers in single file along said track.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 184 words

Apparatus for receiving empty beverage containers comprising conveyor means (10) for accepting said containers individually and/or in open top cartons, drive means for driving said conveyor means and causing it to transport said containers to a storage area, illumination means (16) for directing illumination across the path of movement of said containers photocell means (18) for receiving said illumination and generating sensing signals responsive to the presence of containers in said illumination, identification means connected for receiving said sensing signals and operative to generate registration signals identifying classes to which said containers belong, value indicating means responsive to said registration signals and operative to create indications of the values of said containers, carton inspection means for identifying cartons which have been improperly loaded, and return means (12,19) responsive to said carton inspection means and operative to return the cartons which have been so identified; characterized in that said conveyor means comprises a common track (11) for transporting both cartons and individual containers along a common path and alignment means (15) for aligning said cartons and said individual containers in single file along said track.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 49 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said identification means comprises clock means (36,37) for generating clock pulses corresponding to the movement of said ― belt and counting means for counting the number of clock pulses which occur during periods when a container is present in said illumination.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 characterized in that said identification means senses first and second transitions corresponding respectively to light-to-dark and dark-to-light transitions of said sensing signals and counts clock pulses which occur subsequent to occurrence of a first transition; a registration signal being generated if a second transition occurs during a predetermined range of said counting.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said return means comprises paddle means (12) for moving said improperly loaded cartons sidewardly off said common track (11), endless track means (51) for pivotally carrying said paddle means against said support track during movement contact against said improperly loaded cartons.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that said return means comprises transport means (19) for receiving said improperly loaded cartons from said common track (11) and transporting them toward return point.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 54 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that said paddle means (12) move both properly and improperly loaded cartons sidewardly off said common belt; said transport means (19) being reversibly operated in response to said carton inspection means for moving properly loaded cartons toward an acceptance point which is different from said return point.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 154 words

Apparatus for identifying empty containers comprising conveyor means (10) for accepting said containers and carrying them to a storage area, alignment means (15) for aligning said containers in single file along said conveyor means, illumination means (16) for directing illumination across the path of movement of said containers, photosensing means (18) for generating sensing signals indicating the presence of a container within said illumination, and identification means responsive to said photosensing means for identifying containers being sensed thereby; characterized in that said identification means comprises clock means for generating clock pulses corresponding to the movement of said conveyor means, counting means for counting said clock pulses, count initiating means responsive to said sensing signals for activating said counting means when a sensing signal indicates a light-to-dark transition, and signal generating means for generating a registration signal when said sensing signal undergoes a dark-to-light transition during a predetermined range of counting by said counting means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 154 words

Apparatus for identifying empty containers comprising conveyor means (10) for accepting said containers and carrying them to a storage area, alignment means (15) for aligning said containers in single file along said conveyor means, illumination means (16) for directing illumination across the path of movement of said containers, photosensing means (18) for generating sensing signals indicating the presence of a container within said illumination, and identification means responsive to said photosensing means for identifying containers being sensed thereby; characterized in that said identification means comprises clock means for generating clock pulses corresponding to the movement of said conveyor means, counting means for counting said clock pulses, count initiating means responsive to said sensing signals for activating said counting means when a sensing signal indicates a light-to-dark transition, and signal generating means for generating a registration signal when said sensing signal undergoes a dark-to-light transition during a predetermined range of counting by said counting means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that said identification means comprises a plurality of signal generating means as aforesaid; said signal generators generating different registration signals in response to occurrence of said dark-to-light transition during different predetermined counting ranges.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 characterized in that said identification means comprises a plurality of registration circuits, each comprising counting means as aforesaid, count initiating means as aforesaid and signal generating means as aforesaid.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 59 words

Apparatus according to claim 9 characterized in that each said counting means generates a first count signal and a second count signal; each said signal generating means comprising logic means activated during the time period between corresponding first and second count signals for responding to a dark-to-light transition of a sensing signal and causing generation of a registration signal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 74 words

Apparatus according to claim 10 characterized in that each said counting means comprises a first counter for generating said first count signal and a second counter for generating said second count signal, said first counter being connected for counting clock pulses occurring subsequent to a light-to-dark transition of a sensing signal and said second counter being connected for activation by said logic means to count clock pulses occurring subsequent to said first count signal.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus according to claim 11 characterized in that said logic means comprises a first flip-flop which is set by said first count signal and reset by said second count signal, and a second flip-flop which is triggered by occurrence of a dark-to-light transition of a sensing signal while said first flip-flop is set.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

Apparatus according to claim 10 characterized in that said photosensing means comprises a plurality of photocells arranged in a vertically extending column.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 104 words

Apparatus according to claim 12 characterized in that at least one of said registration circuits comprises second counting means activated by a light-to-dark transition of a sensing signal for generating third and fourth count signals, and said logic means comprises means to cause activation thereof for production of said registration signal only under conditions when a dark-to-light transition of the signal from one predetermined photocell occurs during the time period between said first and second count signals and a dark-to-light transition of the signal from a different predetermined one of said photocells occurs during the time period between said third and fourth count signals.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus according to claim 13 characterized in that said identification means further comprises means for inhibiting operation of said registration circuits while illumination is falling upon predetermined ones of said photocells.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 116 words

Apparatus for handling cartons of empty beverage containers comprising a conveyor (11) for receiving said cartons, alignment means (15) for aligning said cartons in single file along said conveyor, identification means for identifying improperly filled cartons, and return means (12) responsive to said identification means for returning improperly filled cartons to a return point; characterized in that said return means (12) comprises paddle means (13) for moving improperly filled cartons sidewardly off said conveyor, endless track means (31) for pivotally carrying said paddle means (13) around a closed path, a support track (54) and arm means (32) for supporting said paddle means (13) against said support track (54) during movement contact against said improperly filled cartons.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 116 words

Apparatus for handling cartons of empty beverage containers comprising a conveyor (11) for receiving said cartons, alignment means (15) for aligning said cartons in single file along said conveyor, identification means for identifying improperly filled cartons, and return means (12) responsive to said identification means for returning improperly filled cartons to a return point; characterized in that said return means (12) comprises paddle means (13) for moving improperly filled cartons sidewardly off said conveyor, endless track means (31) for pivotally carrying said paddle means (13) around a closed path, a support track (54) and arm means (32) for supporting said paddle means (13) against said support track (54) during movement contact against said improperly filled cartons.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus according to claim 16 characterized in that said return means further comprises transport means (19) for receiving said improperly filled cartons from said conveyor and transporting them toward a return point.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus according to claim 17 characterized in that said paddle means (13) moves both properly filled end improperly filled cartons sidewardly off said conveyor; said transport means (19) being reversibly operated in response to said identification means for moving properly filled cartons toward an acceptance point which is different from said return point.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 151 words

Method of recognizing a container characterized by the steps of transporting said container through an abservation station, generating a series of clock pulses in synchronism with movement of said container through said observation station, observing said container during movement through said observation station and generating a first transition signal when the leading edge of said container passes a predetermined leading edge observation point, counting said clock pulses which occur after generation of said first transition signal and generating first and second count signals in response to occurrence of predetermined first and second values for said count, continuing to observe the movement of said container through said observation station and generating a second transition signal when the trailing edge of said container passes a predertermined trailing edge observation point, and generating a recognition signal if said second transition signal occurs after said first count signal and prior to said second count signal.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 151 words

Method of recognizing a container characterized by the steps of transporting said container through an abservation station, generating a series of clock pulses in synchronism with movement of said container through said observation station, observing said container during movement through said observation station and generating a first transition signal when the leading edge of said container passes a predetermined leading edge observation point, counting said clock pulses which occur after generation of said first transition signal and generating first and second count signals in response to occurrence of predetermined first and second values for said count, continuing to observe the movement of said container through said observation station and generating a second transition signal when the trailing edge of said container passes a predertermined trailing edge observation point, and generating a recognition signal if said second transition signal occurs after said first count signal and prior to said second count signal.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 113 words

Method according to claim 19 further characterised by generating another first transition signal when the leading edge of said container passes another predetermined leading edge observation point, counting said clock pulses which occur after generation of said another first transition signal and generating third and fourth count signals in response to occurrence of predetermined third and fourth values for said count, generating another second transition signal when the trailing edge of said container passes another predetermined trailing edge observation point, and generating said recognition signal only upon joint occurrence of said second transition signal between said first and second count signals and said another second transition signal between said third and fourth signals.

Apparatus and method for classifying empty beverage containers

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