Abstract: Apparatus for counting opaque and transparent containers has a movable conveyor which delivers such containers along a path to a discharge zone. The conveyor path is separated by dividers into adjacent lanes and such dividers are of varying height relative to the conveyor. A metering device overlies the conveyor path and is operable to preclude container stacking. A counting mechanism is associated with each of the lanes to count each container that passes the discharge zone. The counting mechanism comprises a sonic sensor having an emitter and a receiver which are angularly arranged in a plane at an angle to the path of container movement through the discharge zone, thereby avoiding linearity between adjacent sonic sensors.

Abstract: Apparatus for counting containers such as empty aluminum cans comprises a loading conveyor for feeding empty containers to a counting unit having a movable conveyor underlying spaced, parallel partitions which provide a plurality of parallel pathways along which the containers are conveyed toward a discharge zone. Upstream from the discharge zone is a metering device which overlies the containers and which precludes more than one container in any row from passing the metering device at any one time. Downstream from the metering device are counters which record the number of containers discharged from the counting unit. Containers discharged from the counting unit are conveyed to an elevated level from which they are discharged to a bin for crushing and baling.