Inspection apparatus

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR INSPECTING THE CONTENTS OF LIQUIDFILLED CONTAINERS, A CABINET HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING THEREIN, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PLATFORM HAVING AN OPENING THERIN, SAID PLATFORM BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CABINET FOR HORIZONTAL SLIDING MOVEMENT SAID RECESS OPENING, A TURRENT INCLUDING A CASING EXTENDING UPWARD THROUGH SAID OPENING SAID PLATFORM AND BEING CLOSED NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF, SAID CASING BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID PLATFORM ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, TURRET DRIVE MEANS BELOW SAID PLATFORM FOR ROTATING SAID CASING, SAID TURRET AND TURRET DRIVE MEANS BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATFORM FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH THROUGH SAID RECESS OPENING, SAID CASING HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD THEREFORM ABOVE SAID PLATFORM, MEANS ENCIRCLING SAID CASING AND FORMING THEREWITH A GENERALLY ENCLOSED ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN BELOW SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE, A PLURALITY OF CHUCKING MECHANISMS MOUNTED AT SPACED INTERVALS ON AND AROUND SAID TURRET RADIALLY INTERMEDIATE SAID CASING AND SAID ENCIRCLING MEANS, EACH OF SAID CHUCKING MECHANISMS HAVING CHUCK MEANS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE AND ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE AND SUPPORT THE CONTAINERS, CHUCK DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE TURRET IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE AND HAVING AN OPERATIVE CONNECTION WITH SAID CHUCK MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE, SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID PLATFORM AND INCLUDING AN OPTICAL HOUSING POSITIONED ABOVE THE CLOSED UPPER END OF SAID CASING SUCH THAT SAID CHUCKING MECHANISMS TRAVEL AROUND SAID HOUSING, A FLEXIBLE LIGHT CONDUCTOR HAVING AN INPUT END THEREOF CONNECTED TO A LIGHT SOURCE MOUNTED IN SAID CABINET INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID PLATFORM AND SAID TURRET AND HAVING AN OUTPUT END THEREOF MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS TO PROJECT A BEAM OF LIGHT INTO SAID HOUSING, THE PORTION OF SAID LIGHT CONDUCTOR BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO ACCOMMODATE THE HORIZONTAL SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATFORM AND OPTICAL MEANS ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR FOCUSING THE LIGHT PROJECTED FROM THE LIGHT CONDUCTOR INTO A BEAM OF LIGHT DIRECTED INTO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE CHUCKED CONTAINERS AND THENCE TO A LIGHT SENSITIVE INSPECTION DEVICE.