Flaw detecting apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for detecting flaws in a bottle or the like, comprising: (a) a light source, (b) a light projecting body adapted to be located in opposition to the mouth of the bottle, the flaws of which are to be detected, said body having (i) a center bore the diameter of which is at least substantially equal to the outer diameter of the mouth of the bottle and, (ii) a plurality of elongated passages extending through said body in communication with said center bore, the longitudinal directions of each of said passages being substantially coincident with a line tangent to a respective one of a number of uniformly spaced points lying on said center bore in a circle corresponding substantially to the peripheral edge of the mouth of said bottle, (c) a plurality of optical fiber bundles, each of said bundles having one end facing said light source for transmitting light simultaneously through said bundles, and an other end extending through a respective one of said passages to illuminate the corresponding portion of the peripheral edge of the mouth of said bottle with light incident thereon in a direction predetermined by the direction of said passage, the number of said passages and associated fiber bundles being such that the entire peripheral edge of the mouth of said bottle is simultaneously illuminated and, (d) means arranged along the axis of said central bore for sensing the image of the illuminated mouth of the bottle through said center bore.