Star wheel conveyor outfeed mechanism and method

An inspection apparatus for containers of different sizes conveyed by different interchangeable circular starwheel conveyors having different numbers of intermediate angular pockets, the starwheel conveyors each being configured to receive a respective container from an infeed screw and after an inspection process to transfer the container to an outtake conveyor, the apparatus comprising:

• an interchangeable starwheel installed in a section apparatus, wherein the installed interchangeable starwheel comprises one of:
• a first circular starwheel conveyor having a first plurality of intermediate angular pockets for conveying a first plurality of containers of a first size;
• and
• a second circular starwheel conveyor having a second plurality of intermediate angular pockets different from the first plurality of intermediate angular pockets for conveying a second plurality of containers of a second size different than the first size;
• an outfeed stripper configured to engage the containers disposed in the installed interchangeable starwheel, wherein a portion of the outfeed stripper is configured to be disposed inside the circumference of the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor and aligned with the rotational path of the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor and wherein the outfeed stripper includes another portion configured to be aligned with the outtake conveyor;
• an outfeed mechanism configured to be disposed adjacent the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor, with the outfeed mechanism configured to operate at a desired conveyor speed;
• and
• a controller configured to be coupled to the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor, the infeed screw, and the outfeed mechanism, with the controller configured to control the rotational movement of the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyors in different predetermined rotational degree movements associated with the particular installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor between dwells of the inspection process wherein inspection of the container occurs and to align the container with the outfeed stripper and the outfeed mechanism for a predetermined time period,
• wherein the outfeed mechanism engages the containers and moves the containers from the installed interchangeable starwheel conveyor to the conveyor.