Apparatus for measuring the internal quality of produce

Claim 2

In apparatus for internally inspecting articles uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said rotatable members each having an outer wall with a surface that extends parallel to said transverse axes, a plurality of tubular light shields that are yieldable or at least partially collapsible in their axial directions equiangularly disposed about and extending outwardly from the wall of each member, means for rotating said members in synchronism with the movement of said articles past the inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position a tubular member of each rotating member is aligned with an article along a light beam path that extends through the article and through the walls of both members, said tubular light shields being of sufficient lengths so that each one, when aligned with an article at the inspection position, yieldably engages its outer end with a moving article, means for directing light along said light beam path and through a pair of light shields that are aligned with an article at the inspection position, means for receiving light transmitted along the light beam path and through a pair of aligned light shields and article.

Claim 3

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular light shields are made of a yieldable elastomeric material.

Claim 4

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular light shields are bellows-like in shape and are at least partially collapsible in an axial direction upon application of an axial force thereto.

Claim 5

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for directing light along said light beam path includes a pulsed light source, and means responsive to the movement of articles on said conveyor for pulsing the light source when an article is at the inspection position and in alignment with a pair of tubular light shields.

Claim 6

The apparatus claimed in claim 4 wherein said tubular light shields are made of a yieldable, opaque, elastomeric material.

Claim 7

The apparatus claimed in claim 5 wherein said tubular light shields are bellows-like in shape and are at least partially collapsible in an axial direction upon application of an axial force thereto.

Claim 8

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said members are hollow and their walls apertured at the locations where the light shields are disposed thereon, said means for directing light along said light beam path is fixedly disposed within the wall of one of the rotating members, and said means for receiving light is fixedly disposed within the wall of the other rotating member.

Claim 9

The apparatus claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for directing light along said light path includes a pulsed light source, and means responsive to the movement of articles on said conveyor for pulsing the light source when an article is at the inspection position and in alignment with a pair of tubular light shields.

Claim 10

The apparatus claimed in claim 8 wherein said tubular light shields are made of a yieldable elastomeric material.

Claim 11

The apparatus claimed in claim 8 wherein said tubular light shields are bellows-like in shape and are at least partially collapsible in an axial direction upon application of an axial force thereto.

Claim 12

In apparatus for internally inspecting articles uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said rotatable members each having an outer wall with a surface that extends parallel to said transverse axes, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about said wall of each rotatable member and at a predetermined position relative to said conveyor, a tubular light shield that is yieldable or at least partially collapsible in its axial direction disposed about each aperture of said rotatable members and extending outwardly from the respective wall, means for rotating said members in synchronism with the movement of said articles past the inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position a light shield of each rotating member is aligned with an article along a light beam path that extends through the article, said tubular light shields being of sufficient lengths so that each one, when aligned with an article at the inspection position, yieldably engages its outer end with a moving article, means for directing light along said light beam path and through a pair of light shields that are aligned with an article at the inspection position, detector means on the other side of the conveyor for receiving light transmitted along the light beam path and through a pair of aligned light shields and an article.

Claim 13

In apparatus for internally inspecting articles uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said rotatable members each having an outer wall with a surface that extends parallel to said transverse axes, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about said wall of each rotatable member and at a predetermined position relative to said conveyor, a tubular light shield that is yieldable or at least partially collapsible in its axial direction disposed about each aperture of said rotatable members and extending outwardly from the respective wall, means for rotating said members in synchronism with the movement of said articles past the inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position a light shield of each rotating member is aligned with an article along a light beam path that extends through the article, said tubular light shields being of sufficient lengths so that each one, when aligned with an article at the inspection position, yieldably engages its outer end with a moving article, means for directing light along said light beam path and through a pair of light shields that are aligned with an article at the inspection position, detector means on the other side of the conveyor for receiving light transmitted along the light beam path and through a pair of aligned light shields and an article.

Claim 14

In produce grading apparatus for inspecting the internal quality of articles of produce uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable cylindrical members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said cylindrical members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about the cylindrical wall of each cylindrical member and at a predetermined height relative to said conveyor, means for rotating said cylindrical members in synchronism with the movement of the articles of produce past said inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position an aperture of each cylindrical member is aligned with an article of produce along an axis normal to said conveyor, a tubular, axially yieldable light shield of opaque, flexible, elastomeric material fixed in light shielding manner to each aperture of said cylindrical members and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said tubular light shields being of the same length and each being adapted during a portion of its rotation to engage a moving article of produce on the upstream side of said normal axis and to remain in engagement therewith until the article of produce is on the downstream side of said normal axis, means associated with one of said cylindrical members for directing a beam of light along said normal axis, photodetector means associated with the other one of said cylindrical members for receiving said beam of light after it passes through an article of produce.

Claim 15

In produce grading apparatus for inspecting the internal quality of articles of produce uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable cylindrical members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said cylindrical members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about the cylindrical wall of each cylindrical member and at a predetermined height relative to said conveyor, means for rotating said cylindrical members in synchronism with the movement of the articles of produce past said inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position an aperture of each cylindrical member is aligned with an article of produce along an axis normal to said conveyor, a tubular, axially yieldable light shield of opaque, flexible, elastomeric material fixed in light shielding manner to each aperture of said cylindrical members and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said tubular light shields being of the same length and each being adapted during a portion of its rotation to engage a moving article of produce on the upstream side of said normal axis and to remain in engagement therewith until the article of produce is on the downstream side of said normal axis, means associated with one of said cylindrical members for directing a beam of light along said normal axis, photodetector means associated with the other one of said cylindrical members for receiving said beam of light after it passes through an article of produce.

Claim 16

In produce grading apparatus for inspecting the internal quality of articles of produce uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable cylindrical members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said cylindrical members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about the cylindrical wall of each cylindrical member and at a predetermined elevation relative to said conveyor, a tubular, bellows-like light shield of opaque, flexible, elastomeric material disposed in each aperture of said cylindrical members and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said light shields being yieldable in their axial directions, means for rotating said cylindrical members in synchronism with the movement of the articles of produce past said inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position a tubular light shield of each cylindrical member is aligned with an article of produce along an axis normal to said conveyor, said tubular light shields being of the same length and each being adapted during a portion of its rotation to yieldably engage its outer end with a moving article of produce on the upstream side of said normal axis and to remain in engagement therewith until the article of produce is on the downstream side of said normal axis, means on one side of the conveyor for directing a beam of light along said normal axis and through each article of produce and a pair of aligned light shields, photodetector means on the other side of said conveyor for receiving said beam of light after it passes through an article of produce and a pair of aligned light shields.

Claim 17

In produce grading apparatus for inspecting the internal quality of articles of produce uniformly spaced on a moving conveyor that moves past an inspection position, the combination comprising first and second rotatable cylindrical members disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor at said inspection position, said cylindrical members being rotatable about respective axes that are transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, a plurality of apertures equiangularly disposed about the cylindrical wall of each cylindrical member and at a predetermined elevation relative to said conveyor, a tubular, bellows-like light shield of opaque, flexible, elastomeric material disposed in each aperture of said cylindrical members and extending radially outwardly therefrom, said light shields being yieldable in their axial directions, means for rotating said cylindrical members in synchronism with the movement of the articles of produce past said inspection position so that each time an article of produce is at said inspection position a tubular light shield of each cylindrical member is aligned with an article of produce along an axis normal to said conveyor, said tubular light shields being of the same length and each being adapted during a portion of its rotation to yieldably engage its outer end with a moving article of produce on the upstream side of said normal axis and to remain in engagement therewith until the article of produce is on the downstream side of said normal axis, means on one side of the conveyor for directing a beam of light along said normal axis and through each article of produce and a pair of aligned light shields, photodetector means on the other side of said conveyor for receiving said beam of light after it passes through an article of produce and a pair of aligned light shields.