Check detector for glass bottle neck and finish portion

A flaw detection assembly for inspecting the production of bottles, comprising:

• rotating means for rotating an individual bottle, about a predetermined position;
• an array of light emitters positioned about the rotating means and directing light toward the predetermined position so that light can impact a bottle;
• an array of light detectors positioned about the rotating means for detecting the light emitted from the array of light emitters after impacting a bottle;
• a controller for sequentially activating the light detectors to provide data on the light contracting a flaw associated with the bottle, the light directly transmitted through the bottle and the light reflected from a known and acceptable characteristic of the bottle including seams;
• and
• means for removing the data on the light contacting a flaw from the remaining data to enable a flow detection signal when the removed data is compared to a predetermined value to indicate a flaw.

A check detector system for monitoring the production of molded glass bottle necks and finish portions comprising:

• a bottle rotating means for rotating a molded glass bottle successively conveyed to a fixed position in the course of a glass bottle handling route;
• a plurality of light emitters mounted adjacent the fixed position, for emitting, to the neck and finish portion of the glass bottle rotated at the fixed position light, while the emitted region of the emitting light by the plurality of the light emitters is fixed to one position and the relevant emitting light is converged to the emitted region from directions which differ from one another;
• a plurality of light receivers equipped with light receiving sensors for detecting the reflected light by any checks generated at the neck and finish portion, the reflected light reflected at the mold seam formed at the neck and finish portion, and direct light transmitted through the neck and finish portion;
• and
• a controller having a light emitter control section for switching on a plurality of the light emitters successively and repeatedly in a light emitting condition, a light receiver control section for constantly operating a plurality of light receivers during the light emitting condition so that each of the reflected lights and direct light are inputted as data, and means for processing the data to eliminate the data generated by the light reflected at the mold seam and the direct light transmitted through the neck and finish portion.

A method of inspecting glass bottles that are molded with a neck portion and a mold seam, comprising the steps of:

• delivering a molded glass bottle to an inspection position;
• illuminating the molded glass bottle with light of a wavelength that can be reflected by defective regions of the glass bottle;
• receiving collectively any light which has been reflected by a defective region, light which has been reflected by the mold seam and light which has been transmitted through the molded glass bottle and providing an output data signal;
• providing masking data representative of pre-stored output data of light which has been reflected by the mold seam and light which has been transmitted through the glass bottle of an equivalent properly manufactured glass bottle, and
• processing the output data signal and the pre-stored output data to mask the light which has been reflected by the mold seam of the molded glass bottle at the inspection position and the light transmitted through the molded glass bottle whereby a defect can be detected from the masked output data signal.