Glass container crack detector

Claim 2

Glass container inspection apparatus comprising a conveyor for conveying a glass container through a test area in a straight line at uniform speed, a first reciprocable carriage carrying a bottle finish guide for linear movement with the container during the testing, means for moving said finish guide downwardly into contact with the container at the beginning of the test and upwardly away from the container at the end of the test, said finish guide including first and second rollers spaced apart for a distance which is less than the outer diameter of the finish on the container, each roller being rotatable about a vertical axis, a line interconnecting the axes of said rollers being parallel to the edge of said conveyor, each roller having a peripheral flange for engaging the top edge of the container, an endless belt alongside the conveyor for engaging a side of the container and rotating the container about its longitudinal axis, a second reciprocable carriage, said second carriage being mounted for synchronized movement with said first carriage, said second carriage having a pair of spaced rollers for rolling contact with the container, and for holding the container into contact with said belt and into contact with said first and second rollers, and crack detector means including at least one light source and sensor mounted on said first carriage for movement therewith.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a mount for a line over finish sensor, said sensor mount being supported by a shaft on which one of said first and second rollers is mounted, said sensor mount projecting beyond a distance corresponding to the radius of said flange on said first and second rollers.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the crack detector means other than the sensor on said sensor mount is supported by a ring, said ring being supported by said first carriage.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the distance between said first and second rollers is less than the distance between the pair of rollers on the second carriage.

Claim 6

Glass container inspection apparatus comprising a conveyor for conveying a glass container through a test area in a straight line at uniform speed, a first reciprocal carriage mounted above said conveyor for reciprocal movement parallel to said conveyor, said carriage supporting a downwardly extending plunger mounted for movement into and out of contact with a container on the conveyor, means for causing a neck on the container to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the neck while permitting the axis of the body of the container to be inclined to said neck axis or out of round while holding the container downwardly against vertical forces generated by rotation of the container body, said means including first and second rollers supported by said plunger, said rollers Being spaced apart for a distance which is less than the outer diameter of the neck of the container and being supported above the conveyor, said means including an endless belt alongside the conveyor for engaging a side of the container and rotating the container, a second reciprocable carriage on the opposite side of the conveyor from said first carriage, said second carriage being mounted for synchronized movement with said first carriage, said second carriage having a pair of spaced rollers for rolling contact with the container and for holding the container into contact with said belt and said first and second rollers, and detector means for detecting defects in the glass container, said detector means being supported by one of said carriages for movement therewith, and said first and second rollers each having a horizontal flange for opposing said vertical forces.

Claim 7

Glass container inspection apparatus comprising a conveyor for conveying a glass container through a test area in a straight line at uniform speed, a first reciprocal carriage mounted above said conveyor for reciprocal movement parallel to said conveyor, said carriage supporting a downwardly extending plunger mounted for movement into and out of contact with a container on the conveyor, means for causing a neck on the container to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the neck while permitting the axis of the body of the container to be inclined to said neck axis or out of round while holding the container downwardly against vertical forces generated by rotation of the container body, said means including first and second rollers supported by said plunger, said rollers Being spaced apart for a distance which is less than the outer diameter of the neck of the container and being supported above the conveyor, said means including an endless belt alongside the conveyor for engaging a side of the container and rotating the container, a second reciprocable carriage on the opposite side of the conveyor from said first carriage, said second carriage being mounted for synchronized movement with said first carriage, said second carriage having a pair of spaced rollers for rolling contact with the container and for holding the container into contact with said belt and said first and second rollers, and detector means for detecting defects in the glass container, said detector means being supported by one of said carriages for movement therewith, and said first and second rollers each having a horizontal flange for opposing said vertical forces.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 including a mount for a line over finish sensor, said sensor mount being supported by said plunger.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 including a brake block at the downstream end of said belt for causing the container to loose contact with the belt and stop rotating.