Method and apparatus for detecting and segregating defective commodities from a series of discrete commodities

摘要

Cigarette packs which leave a packing machine by moving sideways so that one of the major surfaces of each pack faces forwardly are monitored for the presence of defective envelopes during travel between two endless belt conveyors. When the monitoring system or systems detect a defective pack, such system or systems generate one or more signals which are used to expel the defective pack from the path between the conveyors. The ejection is effected by changing the orientation of defective packs relative to the conveyors so as to reduce the frictional hold of conveyors upon the relatively narrow lateral faces of the defective packs with the result that the thus released defective packs can descend by gravity. The orientation of defective packs can be changed by discrete pins which move into the path of the packs from above, from below or from one side so as to be nearer to the one than to the other conveyor. This causes the defective packs to turn about axes which are located at one side of the central longitudinal vertical symmetry plane of the path for the packs between the two conveyors. That conveyor which is more distant from the axes about which defective packs are caused to turn is flanked by two endless cord-like conveyors which are held in strong frictional engagement with the defective and satisfactory packs so that a portion of a defective pack which is being turned continues to advance with the cord-like conveyors.