Method and apparatus for automatic leak detector

Claim 2

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages of flexible material having a product and a gaseous atmosphere sealed therein comprising, a feed mechanism supplying said sealed flexible packages to the machine, a test chamber receiving the sealed flexible packages from said feed mechanism, means for decreasing the pressure within said test chamber to force gaseous atmosphere from leaky packages, detecting means for detecting the presence of gaseous atmosphere leaked from said packages within said test chamber and generating a nonmechanical signal when a leaky package is sensed, means operated by said nonmechanical signal for storing the nonmechanical signal and means operated by the stored nonmechanical signal for performing an operation on leaky packages to indicate which of said sealed packages are leaky packages.

Claim 3

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 1 wherein said means operated by the nonmechanical signal includes means for rejecting leaking packages.

Claim 4

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 2 wherein said feed mechanism includes spacing means for furnishing one package at a time to the machine.

Claim 5

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 3 together with movable chamber support means for moving the test chamber between an infeed position for receiving sealed packages from the feed mechanism and a discharge position.

Claim 6

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 4 together with a plurality of additional test chambers mounted on the chamber support means and movable in sequence between said infeed and discharge positions, wherein said means for decreasing the pressure connected to said first named test chamber includes means for decreasing the pressure to each additional test chamber, and wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting the presence of gaseous atmosphere leaked from the packages in said additional test chambers.

Claim 7

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 5 wherein said chamber support means comprises a turntable.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 6 wherein said means for decreasing pressure comprises a vacuum pump, a rotary valve connected to said vacuum pump, and a plurality of conduit means connected between said rotary valve and the test chambers.

Claim 9

A machine according to claim 7 wherein said detecting means includes a gas detector in each test chamber, a source of electrical power and means for selectively connecting said source of power to said detectors.

Claim 10

A machine for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages according to claim 8 wherein each of said test chambers includes an opening and a door mounted on the test chamber movable between open and closed positions with respect to said opening together with means for operating said doors at the discharge position to permit the discharge of sealed packages therefrom.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said means for operating said doors includes a plurality of over-the-center springs for holding said doors closed or opened.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said means for operating said doors to open the same includes a solenoid.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said means for operating said doors to close the same includes a solenoid.

Claim 14

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said test chambers are pivotally mounted on said turntable about the periphery thereof.

Claim 15

A machine according to claim 13 wherein said test chambers are generally supported horizontally, together with means for tilting the tEst chambers so that the openings face upwardly adjacent the infeed position, and means for tilting the test chambers so that the openings face downwardly in the discharge position.

Claim 16

A machine according to claim 14 wherein said means for tilting the test chambers includes a cam plate mounted adjacent the turntable, a plurality of cam followers mounted on the test chambers and engageable with the cam plate together with means for moving the turntable.

Claim 17

Apparatus for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages having a gaseous atmosphere therein sealed in flexible packaging material comprising: a test station; means for feeding the sealed packages to said test station; a test chamber at said test station for receiving the sealed packages from said feeding means; means for drawing a vacuum within said test chamber on the exterior of a sealed package to withdraw gaseous atmosphere from a leaky package; means for detecting the presence of gaseous atmosphere from said packages within said test chamber and generating a nonmechanical signal; means for discharging packages from said test chamber; means operated by said nonmechanical signal for storing the nonmechanical signal; and means spaced from said test chamber operating in response to said stored signal for rejecting leaky packages.

Claim 18

Apparatus for automatically detecting leaks in sealed packages having a gaseous atmosphere therein sealed in flexible packaging material comprising: a test station; means for feeding the sealed packages to said test station; a test chamber at said test station for receiving the sealed packages from said feeding means; means for drawing a vacuum within said test chamber on the exterior of a sealed package to withdraw gaseous atmosphere from a leaky package; means for detecting the presence of gaseous atmosphere from said packages within said test chamber and generating a nonmechanical signal; means for discharging packages from said test chamber; means operated by said nonmechanical signal for storing the nonmechanical signal; and means spaced from said test chamber operating in response to said stored signal for rejecting leaky packages.

Claim 19

In apparatus for testing sealed packages, each having a product and a gaseous atmosphere sealed therein with a flexible packaging material, means for advancing the sealed packages, housing means for enclosing at least one sealed package, means for moving said housing means so that it encloses said one sealed package for a predetermined period of time, means for applying a vacuum to said housing means while it encloses said one sealed package so that a pressure is created in the housing means which is substantially less than within said one sealed package, whereby the gaseous atmosphere within a sealed package having a leak therein will flow therefrom into the housing means, sensing means connected to the housing means for sensing when any of the gaseous atmosphere escapes from a package within the housing means, said sensing means generating a nonmechanical signal when a leaky package is sensed within the housing means, means operated by the nonmechanical signal from the sensing means for storing the nonmechanical signal, means connected to the means for storing and spaced from the housing means for performing an operation on said leaky packages after said leaky packages are removed from said housing means to indicate which of said sealed packages are leaky packages.

Claim 20

In apparatus for testing sealed packages, each having a product and a gaseous atmosphere sealed therein with a flexible packaging material, means for advancing the sealed packages, housing means for enclosing at least one sealed package, means for moving said housing means so that it encloses said one sealed package for a predetermined period of time, means for applying a vacuum to said housing means while it encloses said one sealed package so that a pressure is created in the housing means which is substantially less than within said one sealed package, whereby the gaseous atmosphere within a sealed package having a leak therein will flow therefrom into the housing means, sensing means connected to the housing means for sensing when any of the gaseous atmosphere escapes from a package within the housing means, said sensing means generating a nonmechanical signal when a leaky package is sensed within the housing means, means operated by the nonmechanical signal from the sensing means for storing the nonmechanical signal, means connected to the means for storing and spaced from the housing means for performing an operation on said leaky packages after said leaky packages are removed from said housing means to indicate which of said sealed packages are leaky packages.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said sealed packages are advanced step by step.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said means for performing an operation includes means for ejecting the leaky packages from the sealed packages as they are advanced.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the product is cheese and wherein the apparatus is capable of handling at least 80 sealed packages per minute.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said sensing means moves with said housing means.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said means for moving said housing means includes means for moving said housing means repeatedly past said means for advancing the sealed packages to receive packages therefrom, said housing means including a door movable between open and closed positions, and means for operating said door in synchronism with movement of the means for moving said housing means.

Claim 26

In a machine for testing sealed packages having a product and a gas sealed within flexible packaging material, means for advancing the sealed packages, a turntable disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, a plurality of vacuum chambers, each of said vacuum chambers having an opening and including a door movable between open and closed positions with respect to said opening, means mounting said vacuum chamber on said turntable in spaced apart positions, means for rOtating said turntable so that the vacuum chambers are advanced past the means for advancing the sealed packages, means for causing the door of each of said vacuum chambers to be opened as it moves pas t the means for advancing the sealed packages, means for advancing at least one sealed package into each vacuum chamber as its door has been moved toward an open position, means for closing the door of each vacuum chamber after it has received a sealed package, means for applying a vacuum to each vacuum chamber after it has received a sealed package so that a pressure is provided in the vacuum chamber which is less than pressure of the gas in the sealed package whereby gas in the package will escape into the chamber if the sealed package has a hole therein, sensing means for each vacuum chamber for sensing the presence of said gas, means for causing the doors of said vacuum chambers to open and for causing the sealed packages therein to be discharged and means responsive to said sensing means for causing any sealed package having a hole therein to be ejected.

Claim 27

In a machine for testing sealed packages having a product and a gas sealed within flexible packaging material, means for advancing the sealed packages, a turntable disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, a plurality of vacuum chambers, each of said vacuum chambers having an opening and including a door movable between open and closed positions with respect to said opening, means mounting said vacuum chamber on said turntable in spaced apart positions, means for rOtating said turntable so that the vacuum chambers are advanced past the means for advancing the sealed packages, means for causing the door of each of said vacuum chambers to be opened as it moves pas t the means for advancing the sealed packages, means for advancing at least one sealed package into each vacuum chamber as its door has been moved toward an open position, means for closing the door of each vacuum chamber after it has received a sealed package, means for applying a vacuum to each vacuum chamber after it has received a sealed package so that a pressure is provided in the vacuum chamber which is less than pressure of the gas in the sealed package whereby gas in the package will escape into the chamber if the sealed package has a hole therein, sensing means for each vacuum chamber for sensing the presence of said gas, means for causing the doors of said vacuum chambers to open and for causing the sealed packages therein to be discharged and means responsive to said sensing means for causing any sealed package having a hole therein to be ejected.

Claim 28

A machine as in claim 23, wherein said means mounting said vacuum chambers on said turntable include hinge means permitting swinging movement about substantially horizontal axes, means for causing said chambers to be moved so that their openings face upwardly during the time the sealed packages are advanced into the vacuum chambers and face downwardly during the time the sealed packages are discharged therefrom.

Claim 29

A high speed method of leak testing a production run of packages each having a unit and a gas sealed in flexible packaging material, comprising the steps of merging a stream of sealed packages with an endless series of vacuum chambers, loading the packages into the vacuum chambers, placing a vacuum of each of the vacuum chambers so that pressure of the gas in the sealed package exceeds the pressure surrounding the sealed package whereby gas will escape from a package in the event of a leak in a package, sensing any gas leaked from any one of the sealed packages, separating the sealed packages from the vacuum chambers to form a stream of packages, generating a signal upon sensing the leaked gas, transmitting the signal to a downstream point with regard to each package which has a leak therein, storing the signal until the corresponding package which has a leak therein reaches the downstream point, and diverting the corresponding package which has a leak therein from the stream of packages.

Claim 30

A high speed method of leak testing a production run of packages each having a unit and a gas sealed in flexible packaging material, comprising the steps of merging a stream of sealed packages with an endless series of vacuum chambers, loading the packages into the vacuum chambers, placing a vacuum of each of the vacuum chambers so that pressure of the gas in the sealed package exceeds the pressure surrounding the sealed package whereby gas will escape from a package in the event of a leak in a package, sensing any gas leaked from any one of the sealed packages, separating the sealed packages from the vacuum chambers to form a stream of packages, generating a signal upon sensing the leaked gas, transmitting the signal to a downstream point with regard to each package which has a leak therein, storing the signal until the corresponding package which has a leak therein reaches the downstream point, and diverting the corresponding package which has a leak therein from the stream of packages.