Box inspection device and method

An inspection device for monitoring the quality of boxes in-line as they are produced from a folded blank having four interconnected panels with a gap formed between two of said panels, each panel having a longitudinal edge and a lateral edge, comprising:

• (a) means for creating an electronic image of the blank having said gap;
• (b) digitizing means for processing the electronic image of the blank to provide digitized data;
• (c) computer-assisted evaluation means for processing the digitized data to determine critical parameters of the blank;
• and
• (d) means for comparing the critical parameters with corresponding parameters stored in the computer to predict whether a folded blank, when unfolded, will produce a square box having essentially all 90.degree. angles between adjacent interconnected panels.

An inspection device for monitoring the quality of boxes in-line as they are produced by a folding machine from a blank having four interconnected panels with a gap formed between two of said panels, each panel having a longitudinal edge, a lead lateral edge, and a trailing lateral edge, comprising:

• (a) means for squaring and stacking the blanks;
• (b) means for rendering each blank visually exposed to a first electronic imaging means for producing an electronic image of a portion of the blank having said gap;
• (c) digitizing means for processing the electronic image of the blank to provide digitized data;
• (d) computer-assisted evaluation means for processing the digitized data to determine critical parameters of the blank;
• and
• (e) means for comparing the critical parameters with corresponding parameters stored in the computer-assisted evaluation means to determine whether a folded blank, when unfolded, will produce a square box having essentially all 90.degree. angles between adjacent interconnected panels.