Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed... – By conveyor and means driven for turning successive conveyed...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-20
2001-03-13
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3615)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed...
By conveyor and means driven for turning successive conveyed...
C198S346200, C209S545000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199679
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device and a method for inspecting objects, particularly empty drinks bottles. The device includes a conveyor installation, which features a number of conveyors running at different speeds with an essentially horizontal conveyor surface for conveying and at the same time rotating the objects.
SCOPE OF THE PRIOR ART
In an inspection device of this type, which is known from DE-A-35 32 068, the conveyor installation consists of a total of four conveyor belts running at different speeds, the belts being arranged next to each other with no separation. Because of the different speeds of the conveyor belts, the objects standing on them are made to rotate, in such a way that a single side wall checking installation is sufficient to inspect every object over its entire circumference.
An inspection device is known from EP-A-0 415 154, in which the objects are inspected by two side wall checking installations, and are rotated by 90° about their vertical axis on the way between the two side wall checking installations. The objects are rotated by virtue of the fact that, between the two side wall checking installations, they are held by their sides by conveyor belts which are running at different speeds. In this region the objects are not supported on their underside, and, that being so, a bottom inspection can be carried out in this region.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve the universal applicability of devices and methods of this type for various objects, particularly empty bottles of various diameters.
This object is achieved, according to the invention, in that the conveyor installation is formed by two conveyors arranged with a lateral separation, in which a bottom checking installation, which features a radiation source and a recognition installation, is provided within the separation between the conveyors.
This solution is noteworthy due to its mechanical simplicity and robustness.
A rail is preferably arranged stretching in the direction of transport over the first, slower-running conveyor in such a way that the objects can roll or slide along the rail. The separation between the rail and the edge of the conveyor and the separation between the two conveyors is preferably chosen to be such that the objects stand with a larger part of their bottom surface on the first, slower conveyor than on the second, faster one. The width of the region of the slower conveyor on which the objects stand can be up to about ⅓ of the radius of the objects. The second, faster conveyor preferably has a top surface with a friction coating, so that the friction between the under surface of the objects on the faster conveyor is greater than on the slower conveyor. For particularly unstable objects, the rails can also be constructed so as to run along with the objects, in the form of a synchronously running belt or a conveyor, which makes use of vertically projecting engagement lugs on its chain links.
A side wall checking installation is preferably provided, featuring a light source and a recognition installation, between which the objects are conveyed through by the conveyor installation. In order, furthermore, to minimise the space required for the inspection equipment, further inspection installations, such as checking of the mouth and the screw top, and checking for soap suds, are preferably carried out simultaneously during the crossover phase or during the rotation phase, e.g. simultaneously with the side wall checking. This is possible because the movement can be frozen by stroboscopic illumination or shutter cameras, and the rotation of the bottles, for example, therefore causes no disturbance.
It has been shown that the objects stand up securely enough although they are only supported on lateral edge portions of their under surface. In particular, the speed at which the objects rotate about their vertical axis is very steady.
The inspection device is arranged on a conveyor, on which the objects, for example empty bottles, are transported. This conveyor represents the first conveyor of the inspection installation. The second conveyor is arranged parallel to it, separated by a distance of about ⅔ to ¾ of the diameter of the objects and parallel to the first conveyor. At the intake end of the inspection device, the objects are shifted, by a rail running at an angle over the first conveyor, laterally towards the second conveyor, so that they stand with edge regions of their under surface on both conveyors. While being shifted laterally, they continue to be supported by crossover plates which bridge the gap between the first conveyor and the second conveyor. The crossover plates are generally restricted to the region in which the objects are being shifted from the first conveyor in the direction of the second conveyor. As soon as the objects are standing on both conveyors, no further supplementary support is required for the objects, so the crossover plates do not stretch into this region. If needs be, in the case of very unsteady objects, for example drinks bottles with a small under surface, a guide rail can be provided, arranged, between the two conveyors, for example, at the height of the conveyor levels or slightly lower, which prevents the objects toppling over in the direction of travel or against the direction of travel.
The bottom checking is preferably carried out twice over an interval within which the objects are rotated by 90° or 270°. In that way the entire bottom region can be inspected despite the lateral portions being masked by the conveyors. Furthermore, the bottom inspection can be carried out several times after rotation by appropriate subdivisions of 360°, for example in three sections after rotation by 60° on each occasion or 60°+180°.
The bottom inspection can also be carried out in two increments following as closely as possible on one another, and with no actual defined rotation of the objects between the two increments. In this case, both increments of the bottom inspection are carried out in the region of the crossover plates arranged at the intake end or at the outlet end of the inspection device. To that end, the crossover plate consists of transparent material, for example glass or scratch-resistant plastic. Two bottom-checking installations are arranged under the transparent crossover plate, staggered along the direction of transport. The first bottom-checking installation is arranged to be at the place where the objects have about 60% of their under surface standing on the crossover plate, while they are being moved along with the remaining 40% of their under surface still on the first conveyor. The second bottom checking installation is arranged downstream at the place where at most about 40% of the object is standing on the second conveyor, while about 60% of its under surface is still located on the transparent crossover plate. By means of the first and second bottom checking installations, about 60% of the bottom can be inspected at any one time, such that the two
60
% regions together amount to the entire bottom surface of the objects, even allowing for a slight rotation of the objects. Next the objects are again shifted back transversely to the direction of transport by means of a rail, so that they now come to stand on both conveyors, and the rotation of the objects, for side wall inspection, for example, can be brought into action. In this form of the invention, the objects are shifted laterally by the rail far enough towards the second conveyor for them to leave the first conveyor completely and stand only on the crossover plate and the second conveyor. By means of a rail acting on the other side, the objects are shifted back again sufficiently far from there towards the first conveyor, after the second bottom inspection, for them to stand with edge portions of their under surface on both conveyors. While being shifted back in this way, the objects are once again supported on the crossover plate, which in this form of the invention is extended accordi
Dillon, Jr. Joe
Gardner Carton & Douglas
Heuft Systemtechnik GmbH
Valenza Joseph E.
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