Foreign particle inspection machine

Claim 2

In a machine for inspecting transparent containers for the presence of foreign particles in the liquid contents thereof, the improvements comprising a turret having a plurality of angularly spaced chucks for releasably retaining said containers, means for rotating said turret intermittently so that each chuck is indexed between a plurality of machine stations with a short dwell interval at each such station, rotary table means for storing a plurality of upright containers and for advancing them toward an infeed station, means defining a funnel shaped passageway into which said containers are urged by said rotary table while en route to said infeed station, radially reciprocable means having an opening to receive a contAiner from said funnel shaped passageway for shifting such container outwardly off the rotary table, cam means for elevating each container so shifted and while it is at said infeed station and in timed relationship with said turret drive so as to lift each container in turn into said chuck where it is releasably retained for movement with said turret.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by means for selectively spinning each chuck to cause the liquid to swirl therein, means at an inspection station for generating a signal indicative of the condition of said containers contents with respect to the presence of foreign particles, and means for stopping said spinning chuck to allow the liquid contents only to swirl at said inspection station.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 2 wherein each of said chuck means comprises a holder rotatably supported in said indexable turret and having a lower opening adapted to receive the upper end of said container, and radially movable elements carried by said holder for frictionally engaging the upper end of the container to cause it to rotate with said holder in response to said selective chuck spinning means.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 3 wherein each of said chuck means further includes an axially reciprocable plunger for engaging the upper end of the container to release it from said holder and from the influence of said radially movable elements.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 4 further characterized by means for releasing inspected containers at a discharge station, said means comprising a vertically reciprocable release member mounted in said machine, and wherein said chuck means further includes a radially outwardly extending flange collar slidably mounted on said holder and connected to said plunger for movement therewith, and means for moving said release member downwardly in timed relationship with said turret indexing movement.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 5 further characterized by second means for releasing inspected containers at another machine station in addition to said discharge station, said second means including a second release member, and means for moving said second release member at said another station, and at least one of said means for releasing containers at one of said machine stations operating in response to said container content signal to operate one of said plungers for releasing a container directly from said container content signal, said other means for releasing containers operating cyclically to release every container reaching that station.

Claim 8

The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively spinning each chuck comprises a plurality of electric motors each of which is drivingly connected to one of said chuck means and each of which has a pair of conductors associated therewith, a control shaft upon which said turret is rotatably supported in said machine, a slip ring on said shaft, a fixed brush for said slip ring, a commutator on said shaft and having at least as many distinct conductive angular segments as said turret has electric motors, and a fixed brush for said commutator, said pair of electric motor conductors being connected to said segments respectively to allow selective energizing of said spin motors.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 2 further characterized by means for illuminating the container from below at said inspection station to illuminate any foreign particles present in the swirling liquid, said means comprising a source of light so located as to direct light upwardly through the bottom of said container.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 7 further characterized by at least one additional fixed brush associated with said commutator, and means for selectively connecting said additional brush to the same electric potential as that of said slip ring associated brush to brake said spin motor prior to said inspection station.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 9 wherein said means for Selectively connecting said additional brush to said slip ring brush includes a two position limit switch operable in response to rotation of said turret to electrically connect said additional brush to said commutator brush when said spin motor is not being braked.

Claim 12

In a machine for inspecting transparent containers for the presence of foreign particles in the liquid contents thereof, a turret having a plurality of angularly spaced chuck means for releasably retaining said containers, means for rotating said turret intermittently so that each chuck is indexed between a plurality of machine stations with a short dwell interval at each such station, means for storing a plurality of upright containers in said machine, means for advancing these containers to an infeed station, means operable in timed relationship with said turret for elevating each container at said infeed station for insertion in one of said chuck means during said dwell interval, means for selectively spinning each chuck means to cause the liquid to swirl therein, video means at an inspection station for generating successive video signals of each container after it has stopped spinning but before the liquid contents have stopped swirling, means responsive to said successive video signals for producing a signal indicative of the condition of said container''s contents with respect to the presence of foreign particles, means for normally releasing containers at a discharge station in response to such a container content condition signal and for holding containers for subsequent release at a reject station, said means for storing said upright containers and for advancing them to an infeed station comprising a rotary table having a fixed peripheral fence and an arcuately shaped radially outwardly extending guide cooperating with said fence to define a funnel shaped passageway into which said containers are urged by said rotating table to feed said containers one at a time to said infeed station, said means for elevating each container at said infeed station including a rotary cam driven in timed relationship with said turret drive, radially reciprocable means defining an opening to receive a container in its upright condition in a first position and to move it radially outwardly to a second position off the table, a cam follower block movable vertically upwardly in response to rotation of said cam for lifting a container at said second slide block position so that it can be releasably retained in one of said chuck means.

Claim 13

In a machine for inspecting transparent containers for the presence of foreign particles in the liquid contents thereof, a turret having a plurality of angularly spaced chuck means for releasably retaining said containers, means for rotating said turret intermittently so that each chuck is indexed between a plurality of machine stations with a short dwell interval at each such station, means for storing a plurality of upright containers in said machine, means for advancing these containers to an infeed station, means operable in timed relationship with said turret for elevating each container at said infeed station for insertion in one of said chuck means during said dwell interval, means for selectively spinning each chuck means to cause the liquid to swirl therein, video means at an inspection station for generating successive video signals of each container after it has stopped spinning but before the liquid contents have stopped swirling, means responsive to said successive video signals for producing a signal indicative of the condition of said container''s contents with respect to the presence of foreign particles, means for normally releasing containers at a discharge station in response to such a container content condition signal and for holding containers for subsequent release at a reject station, said means for storing said upright containers and for advancing them to an infeed station comprising a rotary table having a fixed peripheral fence and an arcuately shaped radially outwardly extending guide cooperating with said fence to define a funnel shaped passageway into which said containers are urged by said rotating table to feed said containers one at a time to said infeed station, said means for elevating each container at said infeed station including a rotary cam driven in timed relationship with said turret drive, radially reciprocable means defining an opening to receive a container in its upright condition in a first position and to move it radially outwardly to a second position off the table, a cam follower block movable vertically upwardly in response to rotation of said cam for lifting a container at said second slide block position so that it can be releasably retained in one of said chuck means.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 11 wherein each of said chuck means comprises a holder rotatably supported in said indexable turret and having a lower opening adapted to receive the upper end of said container, and radially movable elements carried by said holder for frictionally engaging the upper end of the container to cause it to rotate with said holder at said selective spinning station.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said radially movable means in said holder comprises at least two spring loaded elements, and wherein each of said chuck means further includes an axially reciprocable plunger for engaging the upper end of the container to release it from said holder against the bias of said spring loaded elements, and said means at said discharge station for releasing containers being operable to urge said plunger downwardly.

Claim 16

The combination defined in claim 13 wherein said means at said discharge station comprises a vertically reciprocable release member mounted in said machine, and wherein said chuck means further includes a radially outwardly extending flange collar slidably mounted on said holder and connected to said plunger for movement therewith, and means for moving said release member downwardly in timed relationship with said turret indexing movement.

Claim 17

The combination defined in claim 14 further characterized by a second release member, and means for moving said second release member at said subsequent reject station to operate one of said plUngers for releasing a container.

Claim 18

The combination defined in claim 11 wherein said means for selectively spinning each chuck means at least during the dwell interval at one of said machine stations comprises a plurality of electric motors each of which is drivingly connected to one of said chuck means and each of which has a pair of conductors associated therewith, a control shaft upon which said turret is rotatably supported in said machine, a slip ring on said shaft, a fixed brush for said slip ring, a commutator on said shaft and having at least as many distinct conductive angular segments as said turret has electric motors, and a fixed brush for said commutator, said pair of electric motor conductors being connected to said segments respectively to allow selective energizing of said spin motors during at least said dwell interval at said one machine station.

Claim 19

The combination defined in claim 11 further characterized by means for illuminating the container from below at said inspection station to illuminate any foreign particles present in the swirling liquid, said means comprising a source of light, and a lens system for focusing said light entering the bottom of said container.

Claim 20

The combination defined in claim 16 further characterized by at least one additional fixed brush associated with said commutator, and means for selectively connecting said additional brush to the same electric potential as that of said slip ring associated brush to brake said spin motor prior to said inspect station.

Claim 21

The combination defined in claim 18 wherein said means for selectively connecting said additional brush to said slip ring brush includes a two position limit switch operable in response to rotation of said turret to electrically connect said additional brush to said commutator brush when said spin motor is not being braked.