Abstract: Apparatus for detecting containers of predetermined diameter that includes a pair of optical proximity sensors positioned adjacent to a container conveyor such that light energy from the sensors is incident sequentially on the containers as the containers pass on the conveyor adjacent to the sensors. The sensors are adjustably positionable with respect to each other such that the sensors are spaced from each other in the direction of container motion on the conveyor. An electronic circuit is coupled to the sensors for detecting passage of containers on the conveyor while ignoring dithering of the containers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensors are mounted on a common support having a scale for measuring separation between the sensors. Printed indicia in units of container diameter, preferably in both English and metric units, is affixed to the support adjacent to the scale.

Abstract: A completely automated system for inspection and sorting of molded containers, such as glass bottles, as a function of mold cavity of container origin. In a first system section, finished containers are one hundred percent inspected for defects, and a cavity identification device is controlled to reject all containers from cavities associated with defective containers. The cavity identification device is also coupled to feed sampled containers from selected cavities to an automatic sampling indexer wherein the sampled containers are fed to one or more stations for testing physical container properties, such as rupture pressure, wall thickness and internal volume. The cavity identification device and the automatic sampling indexer are controlled by a hierarchy of interconnected computers which receive cavity and test information from the various sections and stations of the system and control the sampling and sorting process based upon predetermined quality standards.