Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for the optical inspection of at least partially transparent objects, such as bottles or flasks, arranged in line on a moving horizontal table conveyor. A light source is located on one side of the conveyor and a linear electronic camera on the other. The camera comprises a line of photodetectors extending in a first direction. A lens forms on the camera an image of a portion of the object being inspected, the image being oriented so that as the object moves, the image moves in the same direction as the first direction. The image is scanned rapidly and repeatedly in the first direction by electronically scanning the line of photodetectors. The image is scanned in a second direction, preferably perpendicular to the first direction by a pivoting mirror which varies the portion of the object that is imaged onto the photodetectors. Advantageously, the rate of scan in the second direction is varied so that different portions of the object receive different amounts of attention, such variation being effected either by a predetermined program or by some feedback mechanism.

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First Claim