Hybrid starwheel system for inspecting an empty bottle

A hybrid starwheel system for inspecting a quality of empty bottles comprises:

• a conveyor conveying one or more bottles along a path in a single direction;
• the conveyor conveying the one or more bottles at a first speed;
• a starwheel, disposed along the path, receiving each of the one or more bottles from the conveyor, the starwheel rotating at a second speed, relative to the path;
• the second speed being less than the first speed;
• a sensor disposed adjacent the starwheel for detecting at least one of a residual liquid in any bottle disposed in the starwheel and a defect in one of a base of the bottle, inner sidewall of the bottle, finish of the bottle or a thread of the bottle;
• the starwheel depositing each bottle on the conveyor at a position along the path downstream of the starwheel;
• an outer sidewall inspection system disposed along the path, downstream of the starwheel, receives each bottle that exits the starwheel;
• the outer sidewall inspection system has a first camera assembly and a second camera assembly disposed along the path so that each bottle passes between the first camera assembly and the second camera assembly;
• a first belt is disposed along the conveyor, downstream of the second camera assembly, on a first side of the conveyor;
• a second belt is disposed along the conveyor, downstream of the second camera assembly, on a second side of the conveyor in facing relation with the first belt;
• the first belt and the second belt rotating the bottle as the bottle passes therebetween, and
• the outer sidewall inspection system having a third camera assembly and a fourth camera assembly disposed along the path, downstream of the first belt so that each bottle passes between the third camera assembly and the fourth camera assembly.