# US 8,770,413 B2 · Inspection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,413 B2 - Document ID: US8770413B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/740,684 - Filed: 2013-01-14 - Published: 2013-05-30 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-01 - Assignees: Ackley Machine Corporation - Applicants: Ackley Machine Corporation - Inventors: E. Michael Ackley; Mark Ford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770413B2 ## CPC - B07C 5/3422: {using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras} - B07C 5/34: Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} - B07C 5/3412: {according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00)} - B07C 5/362: {Separating or distributor mechanisms (switches for postal sorting B07C3/065; particular discharging devices for B65G47/74)} - B07C 5/363: {by means of air} - G01N 21/85: Investigating moving fluids or granular solids - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)} - G01N 21/9508: {Capsules; Tablets} - G01N 2021/845: {Objects on a conveyor} - G01N 2021/8592: {Grain or other flowing solid samples} - G01N 2201/02: Mechanical - G01N 2201/062: LED's - G01N 2201/0621: Supply - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the carrier bar(s) by suction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a genuine batch of pellet-shaped articles, each of the pellet-shaped articles in the genuine batch being free from defects of a predefined magnitude, the method comprising: providing a plurality of pellet-shaped articles to an inspection system configured for use with a conveyer apparatus having at least one row of product receiving pockets, each pocket being structured to convey a pellet-shaped article from the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path, the inspection system comprising: at least one camera unit configured to sense a predetermined characteristic of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, structured to remove at least a selected one of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles from at least a selected one of the pockets depending on whether the predetermined characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit, the removal unit including a rotatable ejection drum having a plurality of extended vacuum nozzles along its length that corresponds to the number of articles conveyable in each row, each vacuum nozzle being structured to selectively remove the article from a corresponding pocket by suction, and a controller in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit, the controller providing a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the predetermined characteristic sensed by the at least one camera unit; separating acceptable pellet-shaped articles to be included in the genuine batch, from unacceptable pellet-shaped articles to be excluded from the genuine batch, in connection with the inspection system; and packaging together the separated acceptable pellet-shaped articles in making the genuine batch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising illuminating, via a light assembly of the inspection system, the articles as they are being sensed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the light assembly includes a dome structure and one or more LED lights, the dome structure including a reflective interior surface adapted to reflect light from the LED lights onto the articles being sensed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively controlling individual ones of a plurality of controllable valves associated with respective vacuum nozzles, in connection with the controller, to control vacuum pressure to the associated nozzle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein each said vacuum nozzle includes a flexible tip portion adapted to engage an article. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a plurality of camera units provided to the inspection system, in connection with respective processors thereof, to cooperate with one another to perform distributed defect and/or error detection with respect to the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection system further comprises a plurality of camera units, the plurality of camera units being divided into first and second separate sets of camera units, and further comprising: processing output from the first set of camera units to detect defects and/or errors of a first magnitude of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis; and processing output from the second set of camera units to detect defects and/or errors of a second magnitude of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis, the first magnitude being greater than the second magnitude. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein each said camera unit includes a respective processor, each said processor being used in said defect and/or error detection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second separate sets of camera units are provided at different respective stages along the predetermined path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising causing at least some of a plurality of camera units provided to the inspection system to cooperate with one another to form a color vision and/or imaging system to at least differentiate between different colors of pellet-shaped articles to help avoid cross contamination as between different pellet-shaped article types conveyed along the predetermined path in connection with a single one of said rows and weed out defective articles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising causing at least some of a plurality of camera units provided to the inspection system to cooperate with one another to form a vision and/or imaging system to determine whether print quality is legible and correctly aligned on individual ones of the pellet-shaped articles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the removal unit is structured to remove all the articles from the pockets by suction, the removal unit being configured to selectively release suction applied to the articles to directly deposit the articles into either one of an accept bin or a reject bin depending on whether either side of the article is defective. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the removal unit selectively removes articles that are acceptable from the pockets by suction and passively allows rejected ones of the articles to be removed from the pockets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the ejection drum is releasably mounted to allow removal for servicing, cleaning, and/or replacement to a drum having a different number and/or arrangement of vacuum nozzles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic includes at least one of marking error, printing misregistration, particular indicia, color, gel coating, and/or laser drilled hole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising associating, in connection with the controller, one or more components of the apparatus with detected defects and/or errors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the association is made based on a positional relationship as to where and/or time as to when, the defect or other error occurred. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection system further comprises at least one carrier bar in which pockets are formed, in rows. ### Claim 19 A method of making an inspection system configured for use with a conveyer apparatus having at least one row of product receiving pockets, each pocket being structured to convey a pellet-shaped article along a predetermined path, the method comprising: providing at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles; locating a removal unit downstream from the at least one camera unit, the removal unit being structured to remove at least a selected one of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles from at least a selected one of the pockets depending on whether the predetermined characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit; connecting a controller to the at least one camera unit and the removal unit, the controller being configured to provide a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the predetermined characteristic sensed by the at least one camera unit, wherein the removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having a plurality of extended vacuum nozzles along its length that corresponds to the number of articles conveyed in each row, each vacuum nozzle structured to selectively remove the article from a corresponding pocket by suction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising providing one or more of: (a) a light assembly for illuminating the articles as they are being sensed; (b) a plurality of controllable valves associated with respective vacuum nozzles, each of the valves being selectively controlled by the controller to control vacuum pressure to the associated nozzle; and (c) a flexible tip portion adapted to engage the article on each said vacuum nozzle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing a plurality of camera units, each said camera unit including a respective processor; and configuring the plurality of camera units to cooperate with one another to perform, via the processors provided thereto, distributed defect and/or error detection with respect to the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing a plurality of camera units; and dividing the plurality of camera units into first and second separate sets of camera units, wherein: output from the first set of camera units is processable to detect defects and/or errors of a first magnitude of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis, output from the second set of camera units is processable to detect defects and/or errors of a second magnitude of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles conveyed along the predetermined path, on a row-by-row basis, the first magnitude is greater than the second magnitude. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein each said camera unit includes a respective processor, each said processor being used in said defect and/or error detection. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising locating the first and second separate sets of camera units at different respective stages along the predetermined path. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing a plurality of camera units; and forming a color vision and/or imaging system in connection with at least some of the camera units in order to at least differentiate between different colors of pellet-shaped articles to help avoid cross contamination as between different pellet-shaped article types conveyed along the predetermined path in connection with a single one of said rows and weed out defective articles. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: providing a plurality of camera units; and forming a vision and/or imaging system in connection with at least some of the camera units in order to determine whether print quality is legible and correctly aligned on individual ones of the pellet-shaped articles. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising configuring the removal unit to remove all the articles from the pockets by suction, and selectively release suction applied to the articles to directly deposit the articles into either one of an accept bin or a reject bin depending on whether either side of the article is defective. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising configuring the removal unit to selectively remove articles that are acceptable from the pockets by suction and passively allows rejected ones of the articles to be removed from the pockets. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising releasably mounting the ejection drum to allow removal for servicing, cleaning, and/or replacement to a drum having a different number and/or arrangement of vacuum nozzles. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising providing at least one carrier bar in which pockets are formed, in rows.