Inspection machine for bottles or the like

US5505312A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Krones AG Hermann Kronseder Maschinenfabrik · DE

Inventors

• Franz Haring · Neutraubling, DE
• Karl Griesbeck · Karlsruhe, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 13, 1994
• Grant date: Apr 9, 1996
• Expiry date: Jul 13, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S209/939
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

First, second and third linear conveyors are arranged in alignment with each other in the stated order. Bottles to be inspected are conveyed standing on their bottoms on the first linear conveyor through an inspection station followed by an ejector for those bottles which fail to match specified characteristics of an acceptable bottle model. The second conveyor has spaced apart parallel translating conveyor belts for frictionally gripping the bottles by their bodies between them to make their mouth ends and bottoms clear for inspection. The bottle discharge end region of the first conveyor and the bottle inlet end region overlap to achieve an overall shorter machine. The second conveyor has a bottle discharge region that overlaps the bottle inlet end region of the third conveyor to achieve a shorter machine. Bottles determined at the first conveyor inspection station to have one or more characteristics that do not match acceptable bottles are ejected and remaining bottles go on to be inspected for other characteristics at a station adjacent the second conveyor and those found to have one or more unacceptable characteristics differing from an acceptable bottle are ejected upon disch…