Method and apparatus for detecting and ejecting misaligned containers
AssigneeAmbec
InventorsThomas Spangenberg, Thomas Lamb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to an apparatus for detecting and ejecting fallen containers on a conveyor line. The detecting apparatus includes at least three sensors arranged beside the conveyor system. Two of the sensors are positioned to detect the top of a container and a third sensor is positioned to detect the bottom of the container. When a container is judged to be fallen on the conveyor line, a control system sends a signal to an ejector apparatus to remove the fallen container from the conveyor line.
Claims29
An apparatus for detecting and ejecting down containers on a conveyor comprising:
- at least three sensors arranged beside said conveyor wherein at least two of said sensors are positioned to detect the tops of said containers and at least one of said sensors is positioned to detect the bottoms of said containers when said containers are in an upright position;
- a control system for determining whether said containers are down based on signals generated from said sensors;
- and
- an ejector to remove any fallen containers, said ejector being actuated by a signal from said control system.
A method for removing down containers on a conveyor line comprising the steps of:
- moving a plurality of containers on a conveyor line, each of said containers having a top and a bottom;
- detecting the presence or absence of the tops of said containers with at least two sensors;
- detecting the bottoms of said containers with at least one sensor;
- determining whether a container is in an upright or fallen position based on signals output from said sensors;
- and
- removing any fallen containers based on said determination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.