The present invention relates to glass container inspection machines and more particularly to such machines which use star wheel conveyors.
A conventional way of inspecting bottles which are being carried along a linear conveyor is to utilize a star wheel conveyor to remove the bottles from the linear conveyor, displace the bottles through a number of inspection stations, and than redeliver the inspected bottles to the linear conveyor.
An infeed mechanism which properly spaces the bottles is associated with the linear conveyor on the infeed side and an outfeed mechanism is associated with the linear conveyor on the outfeed side. Conventionally, either the linear conveyor or the inspection machine has to be taken apart establish the desired relationship between the infeed and outfeed mechanisms and the linear conveyor.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a glass container inspection machine having a star wheel feeder and an infeed mechanism which can be completely suspended so that the machine can be installed in association with a linear conveyor without dismantling the infeed mechanism.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following portion of this specification and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate in accordance with the mandate of the patent statutes a presently preferred embodiment incorporating the principles of the invention.