Apparatus for examining objects

Claim 1

An apparatus for examining objects each having an elliptical cross sectional face extending in a plane and bounded by a perimeter rim, said apparatus comprising: a test station adapted for location on the path of a means for conveying the objects in a direction through said test station; a means providing signals indicative of the conveying means speed of object conveyance; a means for illuminating said object face with electromagnetic radiation; electronic camera means at the test station for generating a plurality of electromagnetic scans of said object face presented thereto at least in a direction transverse to the conveying direction of the object, said camera means providing output signals associated with said electromagnetic scans; means for processing the camera output signals including a means for detecting signals corresponding to leading and trailing edges of object rim first and second sections displaced from one another in a direction approximately parallel to said conveying direction, a means for detecting signals corresponding to leading and trailing edges of object rim third and fourth sections displaced from one another in a direction approximately perpendicular to said conveying direction, a computation means receiving and said scanned object rim signals for computing magnitudes of displacement between selected ones of said leading and trailing object rim section signals in accordance with said conveyor means speed signals, and computing from said displacement magnitudes signals indicative of the magnitude of ellipticity of said object face; and comparator means for comparing the computed object face ellipticity signals with reference data signals indicative of a preferred magnitude thereof and determining therefrom whether each object complies with preset limits.

Claim 2

An apparatus for examining objects each having an elliptical cross sectional face extending in a plane and bounded by a perimeter rim, said apparatus comprising: a test station adapted for location on the path of a means for conveying the objects in a direction through said test station; a means providing signals indicative of the conveying means speed of object conveyance; a means for illuminating said object face with electromagnetic radiation; electronic camera means at the test station for generating a plurality of electromagnetic scans of said object face presented thereto at least in a direction transverse to the conveying direction of the object, said camera means providing output signals associated with said electromagnetic scans; means for processing the camera output signals including a means for detecting signals corresponding to leading and trailing edges of object rim first and second sections displaced from one another in a direction approximately parallel to said conveying direction, a means for detecting signals corresponding to leading and trailing edges of object rim third and fourth sections displaced from one another in a direction approximately perpendicular to said conveying direction, a computation means receiving and said scanned object rim signals for computing magnitudes of displacement between selected ones of said leading and trailing object rim section signals in accordance with said conveyor means speed signals, and computing from said displacement magnitudes signals indicative of the magnitude of ellipticity of said object face; and comparator means for comparing the computed object face ellipticity signals with reference data signals indicative of a preferred magnitude thereof and determining therefrom whether each object complies with preset limits.