Sealed container vacuum detecting apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DEGREE OF VACUUM IN SEALED CONTAINERS MOVING IN A SINGLE FILE, UPRIGHT POSITION PAST A TEST POINT AND HAVING A FLEXIBLE METAL END SEALING CLOSURE WHICH BOWS INWARDLY UNDER VACUUM IN THE CONTAINERS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TURRET ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS DIRECTLY ABOVE AND IN TRANSVERSE RELATION TO THE TRAVEL PATH OF SAID CONTAINERS, A PLUARLITY FO EQUI-ANGULARLY SPACED TEST HEADS SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID TURRET IN OUTWARDLY SPACED RADIATING RELATION THERETO, SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY URGING SAID HEADS OUTWARDLY FOR RETRACTION TOWARDS THE TURRET IN TESTING SUCCESSIVE CONTAINERS PASSING THEREUNDER, ELECTRODE MEANS RIGIDLY MOUNTED IN AND RADIALLY PROJECTING FROM EACH OF SAID HEADS AND COMPRISING A CLOSURE-EDGE CONTACT POINT AND A SHARPLY TIPPED CLOSURE-CENTERED CONTACT POINT, THE LATTER BEING IN PRESET PROJECTING RELATION TO THE FORMER AND BOTH BEING IN LINE WITH THE AXIS OF SAID TURRET FOR COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SEALING CLOSURE ON A CONTAINER PASSING THEREUNDER TO ESTABLISH AN ELECTRIC TEST CIRCUIT THROUGH SAID CLOSURE IF TIS CONCAVITY IS LESS THAN A PRESCRIBED AMOUNT, EJECTOR MEANS DISPOSED AT THE EXIT SIDE OF SAID TURRET SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE POINT OF ELECTRODE DISENGAGEMENT FROM A TESTED CONTAINER FOR EFFECTING LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE CONTAINERS FROM SAID TRAVEL PATH, EACH AFTER ITS RELEASE BY A TEST HEAD, ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID EJECTING MEANS, AND CONTROL SWITCH MEANS INCLUDING TIMING MEANS CONNECTED IN AND CONTROLLED BY SAID TEST CIRCUIT FOR ACTUATING SAID EJECTOR OPERATING MEANS AND MAINTAINING THE SAME IN ACTUATED CONDITION FOR A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL AFTER SAID TEST CIRCUIT IS OPENED.