US3818232A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container fill level inspector with product averaging system
Assignee: NUCLEARAY Inc
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Filing: 1972-12-13
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Granted: 1974-06-18
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Expires: 1992-12-13
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for continuous monitoring of containers being conveyed from an automatic filling machine after completion of the filling operation to determine the average fill level of the containers. Averaging may be accomplished by a block averaging system that averages the fill level for selected groups of the filling heads of the machine, averages the fill level for a selected filling head of the machine or provides continuous averaging of all of the filling heads of the filling machine. The monitoring system may also employ a synchronization circuit to insure accuracy of the fill level averaging accomplished by the system. Fill level signals generated by inspection of each container being conveyed from the filling machine may be stored temporarily while synchronization is confirmed between a selected number of the filling heads of the machine and the number of containers filled by the filling heads of the machine during each filling cycle thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 F Kirkpatrick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/22; G01F23/28; G01F23/284; G01F23/288
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of monitoring and averaging the fill level of containers being filled by an automatic filling machine having a number of filling heads, said method comprising the steps of: conveying said filled containers in linear manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of each of said successive filled containers; accumulating a predetermined number of successive electrical fill level signals in a memory system; extracting a selected group of said electrical fill level signals from said memory system; conducting a linear average of said selected group of said electrical fill level signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to the average of said selected group of said electrical fill level signals; and displaying said output signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of monitoring and averaging the fill level of containers being filled by an automatic filling machine having a number of filling heads, said method comprising the steps of: conveying said filled containers in linear manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of each of said successive filled containers; accumulating a predetermined number of successive electrical fill level signals in a memory system; extracting a selected group of said electrical fill level signals from said memory system; conducting a linear average of said selected group of said electrical fill level signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to the average of said selected group of said electrical fill level signals; and displaying said output signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
115 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said selected group of said electrical fill level signals comprises all of said fill level signals stored by said memory system and said method includes the steps of: adding successive electrical fill level signals to said memory system and simultaneously deleting the oldest of said successive signals from said memoRy system while maintaining said predetermined number of successive electrical signals constant; conducting said linear average of said predetermined number of successive electrical signals after each addition and deletion of said signals; generating an output signal reflecting said average after each addition and deletion; and said display of said output signal being representative of said average of said output signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: said selected group of said successive electrical fill level signals corresponds to the number of filling heads of said filling machine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1 including the steps of: counting containers being filled and dispensed by said filling machine; comparing said counted containers with a known numerical sequence; and omitting said displaying of said output signal and deleting all stored signals from said memory system if said counted containers fail to correspond to said known numerical sequence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method recited in claim 1, including the method steps of: holding a predetermined accumulated average representative of the containers filled by a predetermined number of the filling heads of the filling machine while accumulating a subsequent selected number of fill level signals for subsequent averaging; generating an analog signal representing the linear average of the signals being held; and said output signal displayed reflecting the linear average of the signals being held.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
204 words
A method of monitoring containers being filled by an automatic filling machine having a plurality of filling heads, said method comprising the steps of: conveying said filled containers in linear and serial manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers in serial manner through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of said successive containers; accumulating a predetermined number of successive electrical fill level signals in a memory system corresponding to a selected number of filling heads of said filling machine; conducting a linear average of said accumulated electrical fill level signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to the linear average of said fill level signals; displaying said output signal; successively adding successive electrical fill level signals to said memory system and simultaneously deleting the oldest of said successive signals while maintaining said predetermined number of successive electrical signals constant; conducting a linear average of said predetermined number of successive electrical signals after each successive addition and deletion of said signals; producing an output signal responsive to each averaging sequence; and successively displaying each of said output signals.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
204 words
A method of monitoring containers being filled by an automatic filling machine having a plurality of filling heads, said method comprising the steps of: conveying said filled containers in linear and serial manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers in serial manner through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of said successive containers; accumulating a predetermined number of successive electrical fill level signals in a memory system corresponding to a selected number of filling heads of said filling machine; conducting a linear average of said accumulated electrical fill level signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to the linear average of said fill level signals; displaying said output signal; successively adding successive electrical fill level signals to said memory system and simultaneously deleting the oldest of said successive signals while maintaining said predetermined number of successive electrical signals constant; conducting a linear average of said predetermined number of successive electrical signals after each successive addition and deletion of said signals; producing an output signal responsive to each averaging sequence; and successively displaying each of said output signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method recited in claim 6 including the steps of: counting containers being filled and dispensed by said filling machine; comparing said counted containers with the number of filling heads of said filling machine; and deleting all accumulated signals from said memory system if said counted containers fail to correspond with the numerical sequence of said filling heads of said filling machine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method recited in claim 6 including the step of: identifying containers filled by certain filling heads of said filling machine; selecting fill level signals relating to said identified containers; conducting a linear average of the fill height of said identified containers; generating a signal responsive to said linear average; and displaying said linear average signal.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of obtaining linear averaging information relating to the fill height of containers filled by selected ones of the filling heads of a container filling machine having a plurality of filling headS, said method comprising: conveying said filled containers in linear and serial manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of each of said successive filled containers; selecting electrical fill level signals relating to successive containers filled by selected ones of the filling heads of said container filling machine; accumulating, in a memory system, a predetermined number of successive electrical signals relating to containers filled by said selected ones of said filling heads; conducting a linear average of said accumulated number of signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to said linear average of said electrical fill level signals; and displaying said output signal.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of obtaining linear averaging information relating to the fill height of containers filled by selected ones of the filling heads of a container filling machine having a plurality of filling headS, said method comprising: conveying said filled containers in linear and serial manner from said filling machine; passing said filled containers through a beam of radiation being emitted from a source of radiation; producing electrical fill level signals responsive to attenuation of said beam of radiation resulting from detection of the fill height of each of said successive filled containers; selecting electrical fill level signals relating to successive containers filled by selected ones of the filling heads of said container filling machine; accumulating, in a memory system, a predetermined number of successive electrical signals relating to containers filled by said selected ones of said filling heads; conducting a linear average of said accumulated number of signals; producing an electrical output signal responsive to said linear average of said electrical fill level signals; and displaying said output signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein: successive fill level signals relating to containers filled by individual filling heads of said filling machine are accumulated in numerical sequence in said memory system; and a predetermined number of successive signals relating to containers filled by individual filling heads are averaged in linear manner for identification of the average container filling height of each of the individual filling heads of said container filling machine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
113 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said selected fill level signals relate to containers filled by a selected one of the filling heads of said container filling machine and, following the step of displaying said output signals, including the following steps: clearing said memory system of accumulated fill level data; selecting electrical fill level signals relating to containers filled by the next successive filling head of said container filling machine; and repeating the steps of conducting a linear average said fill level signals, producing an output signal representative of said linear average of the electrical fill level signals generated responsive to radiation inspection of selected containers and displaying said output signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as recited in claim 9 including the steps of: counting containers being filled and dispensed by said filling machine; comparing said counted containers with a selected number; and omitting said displaying of said output signals and clearing said memory system of accumulated signals if the number of containers counted fail to correspond to said selected number.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for obtaining linear averaging information relating to the fill level of containers filled by an automatic filling machine and conveyed from said machine by a discharge conveyer, said apparatus comprising: means for detecting the fill level of each container being conveyed by said discharge conveyer and for translating said fill level into electrical signals representative of the fill level of each container; means for selecting particular ones of said electrical signals from said detecting and translating means; means for shaping said electrical signals into pulses of consistent width and amplitude; integrator means for counting said shaped pulses and providing an analog signal proportional to the fill level detected by said fill level detecting means; averaging means for accumulating a selected number of said analog signals pertaining to a selected number of detected containers and for generating an average analog signal representing the average of said analog signals; and means for displaying said average analog signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for obtaining linear averaging information relating to the fill level of containers filled by an automatic filling machine and conveyed from said machine by a discharge conveyer, said apparatus comprising: means for detecting the fill level of each container being conveyed by said discharge conveyer and for translating said fill level into electrical signals representative of the fill level of each container; means for selecting particular ones of said electrical signals from said detecting and translating means; means for shaping said electrical signals into pulses of consistent width and amplitude; integrator means for counting said shaped pulses and providing an analog signal proportional to the fill level detected by said fill level detecting means; averaging means for accumulating a selected number of said analog signals pertaining to a selected number of detected containers and for generating an average analog signal representing the average of said analog signals; and means for displaying said average analog signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 13 including: a discrete container signal memory for serial accumulation of signals from said integrator means; and synchronization means responsive to comparison of the number of containers detected to a predetermined number for transmitting a release signal to said discrete containeR memory releasing said accumulated signals to said averaging means if said numbers synchronize and deleting said accumulated signals if said number fail to synchronize.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 14: said synchronization means comprising a synchronization comparator circuit; said predetermined number relating to a selected number of filling heads of said filling machine; means for transmitting said predetermined number and said container count number to said comparator means; and gating means between said synchronization comparator and said discrete container signal memory and being responsive to a signal from said synchronization comparator for transmitting said accumulated signals to said averaging means or for deleting said accumulated signals.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
145 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said synchronization means comprises: a synchronization comparator circuit; a filler switch carried by said filling machine and being actuated at the completion of each filling cycle of said machine, said filler switch being in circuit with said synchronization comparator circuit and providing said comparator circuit with a predetermined reference number at each actuation of said filler switch; a container counter circuit counting each container being conveyed through an inspection station by said discharge conveyer, said container counter circuit providing said synchronization comparator circuit with a container inspection count for comparison with said reference number; and a signal gate circuit interconnecting said synchronization comparator and said discrete container memory and being responsive to signals from said synchronization comparator for causing deletion of accumulated signals from said discrete container memory or causing transmission of accumulated signals to said averaging means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 13: output calibrate amplifier means being interposed between said averaging means and said displaying means and amplifying said average analog signal to achieve signal units appropriate for display.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-17 | 1977-12-17 | 1978-06-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-17 | 1981-12-17 | 1982-06-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-17 | 1985-12-17 | 1986-06-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |