Abstract: A vacuum starwheel which provides for a positive vacuum to hold containers, such as bottles, to maintain the bottles in position during transfer by the starwheel, and with the use of a pair of hub members, one rotating relative to the other, and with one hub member including a plurality of ports corresponding to and connecting with tubes and cups to retain the bottles and with the other hub including a plurality of ports connected to either vacuum, pressure or atmosphere, and with at least two of the ports being elongated, and with a first small port intermediate the two elongated ports and a second small port after the two elongated ports and with vacuum always applied to the two elongated ports, and with either vacuum, pressure or atmosphere, applied to the two small ports to either release a bottle at the intermediate position or to transfer the bottle along the entire length of the two elongated ports and then release the bottle.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting the presence of an aqueous base solution in the bottom of a container including means disposed relative to the container for directing energy including at least energy in the infrared region through the bottom of the container and along the central axis of the container, and means disposed relative to the container for detecting the energy of particular infrared wavelengths passing from the bottom of the container and for producing signals in accordance with such detection and with the presence of an aqueous base solution providing for the absorption of the energy at the particular infrared wavelengths and with the absence of an aqueous base solution allowing for the passage of the energy at the particular infrared wavelengths.

Abstract: A torque motor is directly coupled to a starwheel in a system for conveying containers. The torque motor has the unique characteristics of generating a constant torque while operating at the speeds of the starwheel between standstill and the maximum speed at which the containers are conveyed on the conveyor line. The torque motor normally produces a sufficient torque in a direction to overcome the running friction of the starwheel system, thereby causing the starwheel to be effectively a frictionless freewheeling device under all operating conditions.A detector is disposed at a position along the conveyor line in front of the starwheel. The torque from the motor is reversed to produce a braking action on the starwheel when the detector indicates an interruption in the conveyance of the containers. The braking of the starwheel to a standstill is timed so that a particular number of containers (the prime) remain between the detector and the starwheel.