Patent US3886356A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3886356A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical inspection apparatus
Assignee: CLARK SHERRY B (BOTH AS JOINT TENANTS)
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Filing: 1973-10-29
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Granted: 1975-05-27
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Expires: 1993-10-29
Abstract
Abstract An optical scanning device with associated circuitry and components for identifying a defect in a transparent or translucent item by measuring the light passing qualities thereof, to determine whether such a defect is extensive enough for rejection of that item, and including means for removing that item from other such items. The present invention includes, in combination, certain known optical scanning components and circuits, specifically, a perturbation detector and a filterdiscriminator circuit which are disclosed in copending appplications for United States Patents. Included with those items are other circuits for refining signal outputs from said filter-discriminator circuit to determine the acceptability of an item under inspection, and has arranged therewith, means for removing an unacceptable item from a column of passing items, completing thereby the inspection process.
Inventors
- 👤 Thiel J Gomm
- 👤 Stephen E Price
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/88; G01N21/8851; G01N21/90; G01N21/9009; G01N21/9036
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
An optical inspection apparatus, comprising in combination: a housing; a light source within the housing for illuminating an object capable of transmitting light therethrough; means for transporting said object through the housing to be inspected therein; a solid state scanning means adapted to sweep vertically to receive light transmitted through the object, said scanning means having the capability to generate signals having deviations in characteristics proportional to the rate of change in light intensity received therein after passing through said object under inspection; circuitry means for providing signal suppression except when an item under inspection is in a preferred viewing area, providing thereby a window through which the signals from the scanning means are analyzed, said window representing successive portions of the object under inspection wherein the presence of changes in light transmission characteristics are indicative of a defect in the object; means for analyzing the signal from said circuitry means to determine the presence of a defect in the object under inspection; timer means for delaying signals transmitted from the analyzing means and for holding said signals a period of time until an object determined to have a defect passes out of the range of the scanning means; and means for receiving signals from the timer means and for removing the object determined to have a defect from the transporting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
An optical inspection apparatus, comprising in combination: a housing; a light source within the housing for illuminating an object capable of transmitting light therethrough; means for transporting said object through the housing to be inspected therein; a solid state scanning means adapted to sweep vertically to receive light transmitted through the object, said scanning means having the capability to generate signals having deviations in characteristics proportional to the rate of change in light intensity received therein after passing through said object under inspection; circuitry means for providing signal suppression except when an item under inspection is in a preferred viewing area, providing thereby a window through which the signals from the scanning means are analyzed, said window representing successive portions of the object under inspection wherein the presence of changes in light transmission characteristics are indicative of a defect in the object; means for analyzing the signal from said circuitry means to determine the presence of a defect in the object under inspection; timer means for delaying signals transmitted from the analyzing means and for holding said signals a period of time until an object determined to have a defect passes out of the range of the scanning means; and means for receiving signals from the timer means and for removing the object determined to have a defect from the transporting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including a defect size limit programming means for manually programming acceptable defect size limits into the invention, which means receive signals produced by said solid state scanning means after said signals have been analyzed during the period of the window, passing those signals that are greater than the programmed minimum size limits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 2, including auto correlator means for rejecting all signals passed thereto that are not location repeated in two adjacent sweeps, rejecting thereby all one time occurrent pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein means are included for sensing pulses that are off-set with respect to each other in adjacent sweeps, thereby allowing the sensing of a sloping blemish.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including shadow memory means for providing circuitry that will ignore a shadow generated at the irregular surface of the edge of the item under inspection.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including close item separator means associated with the means for shaping a window, which close item separator means monitors that portion of the signal that is near to the neck of items under inspection, determining thereby the delineation between items that are adjacent to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including a computer means for defining against a model the viewing limits of the optical inspection apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for passing an item to be inspected through said housing consists of: a bottle conveyor apparatus consisting of a continuous Belt traveling through said optical inspection apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including means for generating a signal to activate the circuitry means upon receipt of a signal from the solid state scanning means that a reduction in light level falling thereon has occured.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 9, further including means for terminating the window upon receipt of a signal from the solid state scanning means that the light level falling thereon has increased due to the item under inspection passing from the viewing area of the optical inspection apparatus.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including means for selectively ignoring information contained in a certain number of vertical sweeps made proximate to the leading edge of the item under inspection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical inspection apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including means for selectively ignoring information contained in a certain number of vertical sweeps made proximate to the trailing edge of the item under inspection.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |