Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Container
Patent
1994-02-10
1995-11-14
Fulton, Christopher W.
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Container
33552, 33554, 33543, 33 1M, G01B 5012, G01B 520, G01B 5004
Patent
active
054654963
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to apparatus and method for measuring articles, such as bottles.
It is known to measure the dimensions of a bottle to ensure that it is a predetermined size, within predetermined tolerances. It is clearly important that the open-ended top of a bottle be of the correct size to co-operate with a cap or lid for the bottle, that the bottle be perpendicular to its vertical axis (or in some other predetermined orientation) so that the open top is at the correct position when the bottle is moved to a filling station, and that any label-receiving surface on the bottle is correctly sized and orientated. Many other parameters and features may need to be measured.
At present bottles coming off a production line are measured by hand by a skilled quality control operator. The measurer measures selected dimensions using a hand-held measuring device, which could be calipers, a micrometer, or an electronic measuring device. When measuring non-rigid bottles, such as plastics bottles, the pressure exerted by the operator on the bottle when measuring it can deform the bottle and affect the reading. This increases the skill needed to measure the articles.
It is known to measure articles in three-axis measuring devices which have a measuring probe which is adapted to move along three different axes to enable any dimension to be measured. The probe is usually mounted on a massive granite block so as to keep the test bed rigid and so as to be sure of the position of the probe relative to a zero position (0, 0, 0). The (x, y, z) co-ordinates of any part of the article can then be measured and the distance between two measuring positions can give the diameter of the neck of a bottle. Three-axis measuring machines are very expensive.
The aim of the present invention is to provide another measuring device and method suitable for measuring the dimensions of articles.
According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a measuring apparatus for measuring dimensions of an article comprising a measuring head having a measuring probe, a contact-identifying trigger operated by the probe, a base upon which the article to be measured stands, and first and second drive means adapted to move the measuring head along respective first and second directions, the first direction being parallel to the plane of the base and the second direction being inclined relative to the first direction, and in which the base is angularly movable about an axis normal to plane of the base so as to bring portions of an article to be measured into a measuring plane defined by said first and second directions, the arrangement being such that different portions of the article can be brought into the measuring plane.
Such apparatus can be made much more cheaply than a three-axis measuring device.
Preferably the apparatus has two opposed measuring heads, which are most preferably movable in said first direction along the same straight line.
The first and second directions are preferably perpendicular, most preferably horizontal and vertical.
The measuring head is preferably driven in one of the said directions by one of the drive means carried on a carriage, the carriage being driven in the other said direction by the other of the drive means.
The drive means may comprise stepper motors.
The measuring probe is preferably pressure sensitive and may comprise a switch.
The measuring probe is preferably angularly movably mounted on the measuring head and is preferably urged in different angular directions when it contacts oppositely facing surfaces.
Preferably the probe is urged along a circumferential arc relating to the measuring head when it contacts a surface when the measuring head is moving along said first direction, and preferably along the same circumferential arc relative to the measuring head when it contacts a surface when the measuring head is moving along said second direction.
The measuring head preferably moves along said first or said second direction only at any one instant.
The measuring probe is preferably an elongate member
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patent: 4953306 (1990-09-01), Weckenmann et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 6 No. 245 (P-159) (1123) Dec. 1982 re: JP-A 57 142,510.
Fulton Christopher W.
System E. Controls Limited
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