Method for detecting volatile organic contaminants in reusable containers

Claim 1

A METHOD OF INSPECTING REUSABLE OPEN END CONTAINERS, SUCH AS BOTTLES, JARS AND THE LIKE USED FOR PACKAGING LIQUID FOODSTUFFS, FOR THE PRESENCE OF VOLATILE ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN THE CONTAINERS, THE METHOD COMPRISING: (A) MOVING A SUCCESSION OF REUSABLE OPEN END CONTAINERS WHICH HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR REUSE PRIOR TO PACKAGING THE FOODSTUFFS THEREIN IN A LINE PAST AN ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLER, (B) STOPPING EACH CONTAINER ADJACENT THE ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLER, (C) INSERTING A TUBULAR SAMPLER THROUGH THE OPEN END OF THE STOPPED CONTAINER INTO INTERIOR OF THE STOPPED CONTAINER, (D) APPLYING VACUUM TO THE TUBULAR SAMPLER TO REMOVE A SAMPLE FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, (E) PASSING THE REMOVED SAMPLE TO A DETECTION CELL CAPABLE OF DETECTING ORGANIC VAPORS AND GASES, (F) RENDERING UNUSUABLE FOR REFILLING ANY CONTAINER DETECTED TO HAVE ORGANIC VAPORS AND GASES IN THE INTERIOR THEREOF, MOSPHERE AFTER EACH SAMPLE HAS PASSED THERETHROUGH AND BEFORE A SAMPLE IS REMOVED FROM ANOTHER CONTAINER IN THE SUCCESSION OF CONTAINERS, (H) AND INTERCONTROLLING THE STOPPING OF EACH CONTAINER WITH THE INSERTION OF THE SAMPLER.