RU2800540C2 - Control line for empty glass containers - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: inspection of empty glass containers.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the inspection of empty glass containers, such as bottles, jars, vials, moving along the conveyor after their manufacture, in order to identify and measure possible dimensional or inclusion-type defects. The control line (100) contains at least: - at the finish control station, the finish control unit (200) configured to detect non-contact defects such as inclusions in the neck (5) of the containers using light rays; - at the bottom inspection station, a bottom inspection unit (300) capable of detecting non-contact defects such as inclusions in the bottom (3) of the containers using light rays; - at the radiographic measurement station, a radiographic installation (400) for automatic measurement of the linear dimensions of at least one checked area of the containers. All three installations (200, 300, 400) are located, each, at different posts along the trajectory of the containers. In each installation, the section of the device (11) of the transportation ensures the transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory (T) in the horizontal plane (Pc) of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers.

EFFECT: creation of a non-contact measurement technology that allows accurate dimensional measurements on containers, in particular, which can detect possible inclusions in the neck and bottom of the container and which can measure at least the inner diameter of the neck and/ or at least the wall thickness of the container body in the context of monitoring a container moving at high speed on a conveyor.

21 cl, 21 dwg

Description

The field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to the technical field of inspecting empty glass containers, such as bottles, jars, vials, for possible dimensional or inclusion-type defects.

In particular, the present invention relates to the measurement and inspection of defects such as inclusions on empty glass containers moving along the conveyor after their manufacture, in order to determine whether such containers meet the required dimensional and defect-free criteria.

After manufacturing, empty glass containers undergo various types of inspection for the presence of defects, including inspection for the presence of inclusions, or dimensional inspection.

As is well known, in such containers there is a risk of having one or more localized areas of poor distribution of glass, impairing the aesthetic appearance or, more seriously, reducing the mechanical strength of the containers. In addition, the presence of impurities in a glass container is usually a serious quality problem, as it almost always leads to a decrease in mechanical strength.

In order to measure the wall thickness of a container, for example, EP 0 320 139 or EP 0 584 673 propose the so-called triangulation method, according to which a light beam is directed at the container wall with a non-zero angle of incidence and the light beams reflected by the outer surface and inner surface of the wall.

An alternative to the above optical triangulation method is the measurement using the so-called "optical confocal chromatic" method described in DE 10 2007 044 530 or FR2738343A1. According to this method, a light beam with chromatic coding is emitted, then the beams reflected by the inner and outer sides fall on a sensor that allows analyzing the wavelength of the reflected beams, and the thickness is determined depending on the wavelengths of these reflected beams.

Document EP 2 676 127 describes a device that makes it possible to measure the thickness of the glass wall of containers at several measurement points distributed over one another in the area of control over a certain height of the container along the central axis. The control method is designed to detect material distribution defects in transparent containers having a central axis and a wall limited between the outer surface and the inner surface.

The optical measurements described above are widely used because they are non-contact and fast, but they require the containers to be rotated to measure the circumferential thickness. Therefore, these principles cannot be applied to the measurement of containers moving linearly on a conveyor during their manufacture.

It should also be noted that the rotation of the containers required for optical thickness measurement is expensive. Indeed, bringing into rotation requires the use of sophisticated maneuvering equipment. It is necessary to stop the containers that are progressively approaching along the conveyor, set them into rotation during the measurement and resume their translational movement on the conveyor again. In this case, the containers come into contact with guides, with rollers, with stars. The adjustments are laborious and require the use of equipment adapted to each container format (variable equipment). Finally, speeds are limited to 300-400 containers per minute, while the current production of glass containers on the most modern lines currently exceeds 700 containers per minute. Therefore, in some cases it is necessary to duplicate the measuring equipment.

In addition to wall thickness measurements, empty glass containers are usually measured at the level of the mouth or rim of the container (inside/outside diameters, tightness, height) and the neck of the container (inside diameter, inside profile, broach).

To carry out such control, as is known, one or more devices are used, each of which contains an inspection head designed to be lowered either by a precise distance depending on the type of container, or to bring into contact with the container, or to bring it into a position of support on the container. during control. Classically, the inspection head is used with a machine that has either a linear conveyor capable of holding the containers in precise positions, or preferably a star conveyor with an indexed circular motion to feed the containers to the various inspection stations. Each check head is moved in a reciprocating vertical motion in the case of a star conveyor, while for a linear conveyor the check head can additionally move horizontally.

Document FR 2 818 748 describes a control device comprising a head mounted on a horizontal link, which is fixed to a carriage moved in a reciprocating vertical motion by means of a belt mounted between an idler pulley and a servo driven pulley. One of the disadvantages of such a device is the relatively large moving mass, which limits the speed and acceleration of the movement of the inspection head. As a result, the speed of control of vessels is limited, which is the main disadvantage in the process of conveyor production of containers. Another disadvantage of such a known device is when the head is intended to come into contact with the container. Indeed, the stroke of the test head is not defined due to the variation in the height of the containers and defects that affect this stroke, preventing the test head from lowering during the broaching operation. Therefore, due to the uncertainty of this stroke and the mass being carried, a strong collision between the test head and the container can occur, which can lead to damage to the vessel and/or test head.

The document GB 1 432 120 describes a container control device containing several control posts, one of which is designed to control the dimensional conformity of the rims and necks of the containers. This control post contains a movable unit that is moved by means of a mechanized drive system in reciprocating motion relative to the device body in the direction of movement parallel to the axis of symmetry of the containers. This movable unit is equipped with an external gauge for external control of the rim of containers and an internal gauge for internal control of the rim and neck of containers. The device described in this document GB 1 432 120 has the same drawbacks as the device disclosed in document FR 2 818 748.

FR 2 965 344 proposes to lighten the moving part by combining contact detection with dynamic control of the vertical movement, which makes the solution much faster, but still the disadvantages associated with mechanical movements of container maneuvering, with variable equipment and with the contact of gauges with containers, remain main disadvantages. Document EP-2.622.305 also describes a machine using gauges that come into contact with a container.

In the field of monitoring the volume of liquid contained in a container, WO 2010/025539 describes an X-ray inspection system and method. The principle of control according to this document is to determine the thickness of the liquid passed by the beams on the basis of the radiographic image (position 512 in Fig. 5a and 592 in Fig. 5b) in order to determine the filling level (meniscus 520) and, therefore, the total volume of liquid inside the container. To do this, the method proposes to subtract from the radiographic image the attenuation associated with the passable glass thicknesses 508 and 506.

However, in the radiographic image projected in the direction 502-504, it is impossible to determine the attenuation associated with the glass and the attenuation associated with the contained liquid. To solve this problem, this document proposes to create a theoretical three-dimensional model of the container based on its two-dimensional radiographic image. The attenuation of the theoretical 3D container model is subtracted from the radiographic image to determine the measured attenuations, with only the attenuations of the liquid allowing an approximate determination of the volume of the liquid.

According to the example described in this document, a theoretical three-dimensional model is obtained from a radiographic image taken in only one direction of projection. The radiographic image is analyzed to know the two-dimensional capacitance profile projected in the projection direction. The 2D tank profile is used to obtain the theoretical 3D shape of the tank, either from a library of stored models or by rotating the 2D profile, taking into account the expected shape of the axial symmetry of the tanks.

According to another exemplary embodiment, this document proposes to take x-ray images in different directions in order to improve the accuracy of determining the position of the liquid meniscus. According to this example, the method involves determining the position of the liquid meniscus in the first radiographic direction, the position of the liquid meniscus in the second radiographic direction, and selecting the position of the liquid meniscus for the average position of the liquid meniscus.

Regardless of the implementation example, the theoretical three-dimensional model built according to this document does not correspond to the actual capacitance being removed. Therefore, measurements, in particular thickness measurements, made on such a theoretical three-dimensional model are erroneous. In addition, it should be noted that the only possible thickness measurements are measurements in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the radiographic projection. Thus, dimensions such as glass thickness, in directions not orthogonal to the radiographic projection direction, will be exactly the same as thicknesses in a two-dimensional profile, ie, in directions orthogonal to the radiographic projections. This hypothesis, which is tested only for an ideal or theoretical tank, as suggested in this document, is of course false for a tank that needs to be accurately measured.

JP S60 260807 proposes to measure the wall thickness of a pipe that is translated along the axis of the pipe by measuring with x-rays from one or more sources, each of which is associated with sensors. Sources and sensors are located in such a way as to obtain radiographic projections in a plane orthogonal to the direction of movement of the pipe. Therefore, radiographic projections are coplanar in the projection plane, which is orthogonal to the axis of symmetry of the pipe. The direction of these radiographic projections forms a right angle (90°) with respect to the direction of movement. This method does not fully recognize the inner and outer surfaces of the pipe. The method described in this document makes it possible to measure only the combined thickness of the two walls of a pipe in the direction of projection, without reconstructing the three-dimensional model of the pipe, which would allow accurate measurements in other directions.

Similarly, US Pat. No. 5,864,600 describes a method for determining the filling level of a vessel using an x-ray source and a sensor located transversely on both sides of a conveyor transporting the vessels. This system does not allow measurements to be made on a non-transverse surface, as this document does not provide for 3D vessel modeling.

US 2009/0262891 describes an x-ray system for detecting objects in baggage moving forward on a conveyor. This system contains impulse generating tubes or a sensor having a large size parallel to the direction of travel. This document provides a method for reconstructing an object, which is not satisfactory, since the lack of projections in the direction of movement does not allow measurements in the direction orthogonal to the direction of movement. The lack of radiographic projections in the angular sector does not allow the implementation of a digital model, which should provide accurate measurements.

Document DE 197 56 697 describes a device having the same drawbacks as the system in US 2009/0262891.

Document WO 2010/092368 describes an X-ray visualization device for a translational object using a radiation source and three linear probes.

US 2006/0058974 describes a digital radiography system for capturing digital images, in particular of tanks or sewers, and converting these digital images into an absolute thickness map characterizing the object being inspected. The digital data obtained by each sensing element is calibrated, for example, by correcting for fluctuations in the x-ray paths between the x-ray source and the sensor, correcting for spatial frequency response changes, correcting for changes in the geometric profile of the object being tested, and correcting for the material contained within and/or around the object. . This technology cannot be used for dimensional control of containers moving on a conveyor.

An analysis of known technical solutions leads to the conclusion that there is a need for a new technology that allows dimensional measurements on containers without changing their integrity and while maintaining a high speed of transportation of these containers.

The present invention addresses this need and provides a new non-contact measurement technology that allows precise dimensional measurements to be made on containers moving at high speed on a conveyor.

Inclusions are defects in the wall thickness of containers that reflect light. Usually they are controlled with the reflection of light on the defect. To detect inclusions, the area of the product is illuminated at precise angles of incidence using light sources that emit directional (converging or slightly diverging) light beams in the direction of the specified area. The illuminated area is observed using light sensors such as photodiodes as in EP0053151, networks of photodiodes or image sensors such as line or matrix cameras as in EP1147405 and EP2082217. This observation is carried out at precise viewing angles at which the incident light reflected by the inclusion-type defect will be received/observed by light sensors, which will only receive light when passing through the inclusion during rotation of the product about its vertical axis. Indeed, known detection technologies typically require rotation of the item under test about a central axis by at least 360 degrees of angle.

However, there are devices that allow the detection of some inclusions when the product is moved progressively. US4293219 proposes a solution without a camera. In this solution, the sensors contain, each, only one photosensitive element, collecting all the reflected light perceived in the receiving cone, determined by the focal length of its lens and its aperture. The solution does not make it possible to distinguish either the shape of the observed reflecting objects, or their exact location in the field of sensors, so it is impossible to distinguish between small objects, that is, to distinguish between small inclusions and small interference.

The ARGOS machine, marketed by the Applicant, is a camera-assisted translational detection machine that does not require rotation of the product about its central axis. Cameras improve detection by capturing images of each illuminated area. The machine is designed to detect inclusions on the rim and on part of the container shoulder. It uses an illumination and observation head, in which directional light emitters and endoscopic heads are grouped depending on the diameter of the rim of the product. The lighting and observation head forms a tunnel through which the neck of the containers passes during their forward movement through the control installation. Endoscopes are used to reduce the number of images taken in different viewing directions to a small number of sensors. For example, all endoscopes designed to detect vertical inclusions (when tangentially illuminated clockwise or counterclockwise) are associated with one camera that much. Only one image is taken for each product for this type of inclusions.

Document EP2434276 describes a machine that detects inclusions on the mouth of a container by combining two orthogonal translational movements, since the vertical translational motion is combined with the horizontal translational motion of the translation, that is, not with a simple translational motion. To ensure vertical movement, it is necessary to provide a maneuvering device. But this device is bulky and takes up space around the containers, covering parts of the container that cannot be inspected, at least in the case of containers of low height.

One of the objectives of the invention is to provide an inspection line which can detect possible inclusions in the neck and bottom of the container and which can measure at least the inside diameter of the neck and/or at least the wall thickness of the container body in the context of high speed container inspection. .

Disclosure of the essence of the invention

The invention proposes a control line for empty glass containers of one series.

Each container of the series has a wall limited by an inner surface and an outer surface, having a central axis and forming from top to bottom along the central axis: a neck ending in a rim, the upper side of which forms the upper plane of the container perpendicular to the central axis, a shoulder, a body and a bottom of the container forms the lower plane of the container, perpendicular to the central axis.

The control line includes a conveyance device that, by contact with at least one contact area of the containers, transports the containers along the movement path, while the containers pass through the transportation volume located along the movement path.

The control line contains several installations located, each, at different posts along the trajectory of movement.

At the finish inspection station, the finish inspection unit can detect defects such as inclusions in the neck (5) of containers without contact using light beams. Installation (200) contains:

a1) the test zone of the finish control installation, in which the neck of the container for testing should be located, while the specified zone contains the upper reference plane, which must coincide with the upper plane of the container during the test, and contains the reference axis, which must coincide with the central axis of the container when the position of the container during the test;

a2) section of the transportation device, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test area of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory of movement in the horizontal plane of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers;

a3) a series of several directional light emitters which are angularly distributed around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each in the direction of the testing area of the installation, a directional light beam along its own beam axis in such a way that the testing area is illuminated by directional light beams under a plurality of different azimuth angles in the projection on the upper reference plane;

a4) a plurality of light receivers which are distributed in an angular direction around the reference axis of the apparatus and which each have a viewing axis and a field of view angle around this viewing axis;

a5) optical elements located on both sides of the respective reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transport.

At the bottom control station, the bottom control unit can detect defects such as inclusions in the bottom of the containers without contact using light beams. Installation contains:

b1) the test zone of the bottom control installation, in which the bottom of the container for testing should be located, while the specified zone contains the lower reference plane, which must coincide with the lower plane of the container during the test, and contains the reference axis, which must coincide with the central axis of the container when the position of the container during the test;

b2) section of the transport device, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test area of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory of movement in the horizontal plane of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers;

b3) a series of several directional light emitters which are angularly distributed around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each in the direction of the test area of the installation, a directional light beam along its own beam axis in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams under a plurality of different azimuth angles in the projection on the lower reference plane;

b4) a plurality of photosensitive receivers which are distributed in an angular direction about the reference axis of the apparatus and which each have an axis of view and a field of view angle about that axis of view;

b5) optical elements located on both sides of the corresponding lower reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transportation.

At the radiographic measurement station, the radiographic installation can automatically measure the linear dimensions of at least one checked area of the containers, and this installation has:

c1) at least one x-ray tube source located outside the passable volume and creating a directed divergent beam of x-rays to pass through at least one test area containing at least part of the neck and/or part of the body of the container;

c2) section of the transportation device, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test area of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory of movement in the horizontal plane of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers;

c3) one or more radiographic image sensors located outside the transport volume to receive x-rays emanating from the source, the source or sources and sensors (Ci) of the radiographic images being arranged so that each image sensor receives a radiographic projection of the area to be inspected by means of rays emanating from the source, when the container intersects these rays, while the directions of the radiographic projection of these radiographic projections differ from each other;

c4) a reading system connected to radiographic image sensors to read, for each container during its movement, at least three radiographic images of the area to be inspected, obtained as a result of at least three different radiographic projections of the area to be inspected with different directions of radiographic projection;

c5) a computer system analyzing said at least three radiographic images of the area to be checked, obtained from at least three different radiographic projections, in order to determine at least the internal diameter of the neck in a plane not orthogonal to the direction of the radiographic projection, and/or the wall thickness body in a plane not orthogonal to the direction of the radiographic projection.

Other distinguishing features of the declared line of control, which are optional but may be combined, are presented in the following paragraphs.

It may contain, at a shoulder and/or body inspection station, different from the rim inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement stations, a shoulder and/or body inspection unit, which can non-contactly detect defects such as inclusions in the shoulder and/or body of containers using light beams. , while the installation contains:

d1) the test zone of the arm and/or body control installation, in which the arm and/or body of the container to be tested must be located, while the specified zone contains an intermediate reference plane that must intersect the shoulder and/or container body during the test, and contains a reference axis, which must coincide with the central axis of the container at the position of the container during the test;

d2) section of the transport device, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory of movement in the horizontal plane of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers;

d3) a series of several directional light emitters which are distributed in an angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each in the direction of the test area of the installation, a directional light beam along its own beam axis in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams under a plurality of different azimuth angles in the projection on the intermediate reference plane;

d4) a plurality of light receivers which are distributed in an angular direction about the reference axis of the apparatus and which each have a viewing axis and a field of view angle about that viewing axis;

d5) optical elements located on both sides of the intermediate reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transport.

In each of the test zones of the installations for the control of the finish, the control of the bottom and the radiographic measurement, the transport device preferably in the test zone of the installation ensures the transport of containers along the trajectory of the movement without controlled rotation around their central axis.

In each of the test areas of the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement installations, the conveying device, preferably in the test zone of the installation, transports the containers along the trajectory of movement in such a way that they are stationary in rotation about their central axis.

Between each of the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement installations, the conveying device preferably ensures that the containers are transported along a conveyance path without controlled rotation about their central axis.

The transport device can be formed at each of the stations by a corresponding transport section of the transport device, which ensures the transport of each container through the station, being in contact with the container, and one of the transport sections, respectively associated with the posts of the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement, provides contact with the first contact area of the containers, while the other of the transport sections associated with the posts of control of the finish, control of the bottom and radiographic measurement, respectively, provides contact with the second contact area of the containers, different from the first contact area.

At each post, the area of contact of the containers with the section of the transport device, which is preferably associated with this post, differs from the area of the containers checked at this post.

In each of the installations for the control of the finish, the control of the bottom and the radiographic measurement, the transport device ensures the transport of containers, preferably without vertical movement.

Preferably, the transport device allows the containers to be transported without vertical movement in the inspection line, neither at the three finish inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement stations, nor between the finish inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement stations.

The containers are preferably transported without controlled rotation about their central axis either at the three stations for finish inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement, or between the finish inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement stations.

The finish control installation may comprise directional light emitter optics located above the upper reference plane and light emitter optics located below the upper reference plane, but outside the transport volume.

The finish control installation may include optical elements of light receivers located above the upper reference plane, and optical elements of light receivers located below the upper reference plane, but outside the volume of transportation.

The bottom control installation may include optical elements of directional light emitters located under the lower reference plane, and optical elements of directional light emitters located above the lower reference plane, but outside the volume of transportation.

The bottom control installation may include optical elements of light receivers located under the lower reference plane, and optical elements of light receivers located above the lower reference plane, but outside the volume of transportation.

The bottom control installation may include directional light emitters distributed in such a way that the test area is illuminated with directional light beams at a variety of different elevation angles relative to the reference plane.

Each container in a series of containers can have a single identifier. In this case, the control line may contain at least one reader of the single identifier of the containers checked by the control line, and may contain a computer system that receives:

- from the finish control setting, at least one finish control data for the container to be tested;

- from the bottom control unit, at least one bottom control data for the container under test;

- from the installation of radiographic measurement at least one measurement of the linear size for the tested container.

In this case, the control line computer system may be configured to generate an informative report linking a single container identifier, said at least one finish control data, said at least one bottom control data, and at least one measurement for that test container, and with the possibility of saving this informative report in electronic memory.

The control line computer system may receive from the arm and/or body control installation at least one arm and/or body control data for the container being tested, which is associated with other data in an informative report.

The control line computer system may be configured to perform computer processing on the informative reports of the group of batch containers.

The control line computer system may be configured to control the corrective action on the container production parameter based on computer processing on the informative batch container group reports.

Determining at least the inside diameter of the neck and/or at least the thickness of the body wall may include building, for each container, a digital geometric model of the region of the container being tested.

The specified digital geometric model may contain three-dimensional coordinates of the set of points calculated on the basis of the specified at least three radiographic images, and this set of points belongs to the inner and/or outer surface of the container wall, while at least two points are in a plane that is not orthogonal to the radiographic projection direction, and at least said inside diameter and/or said at least measurable housing wall thickness can be measured on a digital geometric model in a plane not orthogonal to the radiographic projection direction.

Brief description of the drawings

In FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an X-ray setup that allows X-rays to measure dimensions on linearly moving containers;

in fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective side view of an X-ray machine capable of measuring dimensions on a container using X-rays;

in fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing part of the container to be tested;

in fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the volume traversed or formed by the containers during their linear movement;

in fig. 5 shows a schematic top view of an exemplary embodiment of the claimed installation containing three x-ray sources;

in fig. 6 is a schematic front view in transverse direction of the plant shown in FIG. 5;

in fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the plant shown in FIG. 5;

in fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the determination of a useful angle between two projection directions;

in fig. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the determination of a useful angle between two projection directions;

in fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the positioning of the image sensors relative to the movement of the containers to be tested;

in fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the positioning of the image sensors relative to the movement of the containers to be tested;

in fig. 12 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the claimed installation using matrix image sensors;

in fig. 13 is a view of the X-ray sensing element array showing two distinct zones corresponding to two array image sensors;

in fig. 14 shows a view of the digital geometric model of the container obtained according to the claimed method, when the area to be tested contains a neck;

in fig. 15 shows a vertical section and four horizontal sections of a digital geometric model of a container, which is obtained according to the claimed method and which shows the dimensional measurements;

in fig. 16 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the claimed control line;

in fig. 17 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a part of the claimed control line in the transverse direction with respect to the direction of movement of the containers;

in fig. 18 shows a schematic view of another exemplary embodiment of a part of the claimed control line in the transverse direction with respect to the direction of movement of the containers;

in fig. 19 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the finish control installation in the transverse direction with respect to the direction of movement of the containers;

in fig. 20 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a finish control installation in the direction of movement of the containers;

in fig. 21 is a schematic top view of an example of a finish control setup.

Implementation of the invention

We first give a few definitions of terms used in the framework of the invention.

The x-ray tube source Fj is a point source of x-rays, preferably a "micro-source", for example, with a diameter of 0.01 mm to 1 mm, producing a divergent x-ray beam. Any type of point or near point x-ray source may be used.

The photographic or radiographic sensing element of a sensor of photographic or radiographic images is an element that is sensitive to light rays, respectively to x-rays, in other words, it is an elementary surface, for example, with a size of 0.2 × 0.2 mm or 0.02 × 0 .02 mm in the specific case of radiographic sensors, and converts the light rays received by them, respectively x-rays, into an electrical signal. Typically, an x-ray sensor contains a scintillator that converts x-rays into visible light, then a photographic sensor, i.e. a photoelectric sensor or a light sensor, converts visible light into an electrical signal. There are also technologies for directly converting X-rays into an electrical signal. A pixel denotes the elementary value of a point in a sampled image, characterized, for example, by its gray level between 0 and a maximum value. For example, for a 12-bit digital image, a pixel takes on digital values from 0 to 4095.

The system for reading photographic or radiographic images contains one or more surfaces sensitive to light rays, respectively to x-rays, that is, surfaces containing one or more sensitive elements that convert light rays, respectively x-rays, into an electrical signal for its transmission to the analysis system , classically used by a computer and hereinafter referred to as computer system 600. The signals coming from all sensitive elements belonging to the same zone of the sensitive surface, read by the reader and transmitted together to the computer system, form a photographic, respectively radiographic image. For the purpose of analysis by a computer system, the photographic or radiographic images are preferably converted into digital photographic or radiographic images either as close as possible to the sensitive surface, for example in an electronic circuit integrated in the physical detector component containing the sensitive area, or at a distance, for example, as as close as possible to the computer system 600, and even to the computer system 600 itself.

The photographic region covers light electromagnetic waves, hereinafter referred to as light rays, in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions with a wavelength of 10 nm to 5 mm, preferably 100 nanometers to 20 microns. Preferably, the visible photographic area is used with wavelengths ranging from 380 to 800 nanometers. The radiographic or X-ray region corresponds to high frequency electromagnetic waves whose wavelength is approximately 0.001 nanometer to less than 10 nanometers.

Computer system 600, an example of which is shown schematically in FIG. 16 can be made in the form of at least one standard computer, that is, a computer containing at least one microprocessor, one or more electronic memory units and one or more visualization interfaces (screen, projector, holographic display ...), input (keyboard , mouse, touchpad, touchscreen,…) and/or communications (USB, Ethernet®, Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®,…). A computer system may comprise a computer network using data with one or more other computers on the network or with other networks, such as via the Internet Protocol or Ethernet®. In addition to its direct connection to the image sensors, the computer system can be connected to the sensors transmitting data on the state of the installation and/or to the drive devices of the installation (conveyors, ejectors, ...). Preferably, a computer system may be connected to the X-ray tube(s) to receive operational data from them and/or to control them. A computer system uses one or more software written and/or executed locally or remotely, including on one or more remote computer servers. This software tool or these software preferably contains one or more programs for carrying out the claimed method.

X-ray beams emerging from the source Fj pass through at least one area under test and form on the sensitive radiographic surface a radiographic projection of the area under test, which is sometimes called a luminous image and which contains information about the attenuation of X-rays by the material being passed through.

The x-ray image sensor Ci is the area of the x-ray sensitive surface that receives the x-ray projection of the area to be checked. The radiographic image sensor Ci is exposed to X-rays from the corresponding source Fj. The radiographic image sensor converts this radiographic projection into a radiographic image of the area to be inspected.

If the area of the sensing surface contains a line of sensing elements, the transmitted radiographic image is linear, consisting of a line of pixels forming a table of values with the same size. If the area of the sensitive surface contains a matrix of sensitive elements, the radiographic image is matrix and consists of a matrix of pixels forming a table of values with two dimensions. If the area of the sensitive surface contains only one sensitive element, the radiographic image is dotted and consists of a pixel having a single value.

A light sensor is a surface area sensitive to light rays, which converts these rays into a photographic image. If the area of the sensitive surface contains a line of sensing elements, the photographic image is linear, consisting of a line of pixels forming a table of values with one size. If the area of the sensing surface contains a matrix of sensing elements, the photographic image is matrix and consists of a matrix of pixels forming a table of values with two dimensions. If the area of the sensitive surface contains only one sensitive element, the photographic image is dotted and consists of a pixel having a single value.

The photographic or radiographic camera comprises a light sensor or radiographic image sensor, the image signal of which is read sequentially in order to obtain successive photographic or radiographic images.

The radiographic projection direction Dji is an oriented direction or vector emanating from the source Fj and passing through the center of the radiographic image sensor Ci, that is, through the center of the X-ray sensitive zone that receives the radiographic projection of the area to be checked at the moment of exposure during the movement of the container between the source and radiographic image sensor. For a radiographic image sensor-corresponding source pair, the direction of the radiographic projection is a vector coming from the source and reaching the middle of the image sensor. The positioning of the radiographic image sensors is carried out in such a way that the sensing surface is not parallel to the direction of the radiographic projection. In some cases, it is preferable that the sensing surface of the radiographic image sensor be orthogonal to the direction of the radiographic projection defined with the corresponding source. However, this is not a necessary condition, for example, if the sensitive surface contains several sensitive radiographic zones, which interact with several different sources, that is, with different projection directions, each time an image is taken.

The radiographic projection directions Dji are different if the projection directions Dji taken in pairs form a minimum angle of at least 5° between them.

The sensing surface zone, containing only one line of sensing elements, forms a linear image sensor, which contains a linear network of sensing elements distributed over a segment of the reference line. According to this definition, a column or row belonging to a matrix sensing surface, read and transmitted separately by a reader, is considered to be a linear image sensor. Therefore, several zones of one sensitive surface, each containing one line of different pixels, form several linear image sensors. In the case of a radiographic image sensor, the direction of radiographic projection corresponding to the resulting linear radiographic image is the direction emanating from the source and passing through the midpoint of the reference line segment at the time the image was taken.

The area of the sensitive surface, containing the matrix of sensing elements, forms a matrix image sensor, which contains a matrix network of sensing elements distributed in the form of a matrix. As shown in FIG. 12, according to this definition, the sensing area C11, C12, which belongs to the larger sensing surface Ss and which is read and transmitted separately by the reader, is a matrix image sensor. Thus, several areas of the matrix sensing surface C11, C12 of one surface, read and transmitted separately by the reader, form several matrix image sensors that produce different radiographic images, respectively M11, M12 (Fig. 13). In the case of a radiographic image, the projection direction D11, D12 corresponding to the matrix radiographic image M11, M12, respectively, is the direction emanating from the source F1 and passing through the middle of the area C11, C12 of the matrix sensing surface at the time of image capture. Therefore, the image sensors C11, C12 may be non-separated areas activated sequentially in time.

Of course, in the case of a radiographic image sensor, a person skilled in the art can use a matrix sensor technology based on a brightness amplifier or a "screen repeating camera", in which the scintillator plate receives a luminous image, converts it into visible light, with the visible image behind the scintillator photographed by a camera sensitive in the scintillator radiation region, usually in the visible region, and, if necessary, equipped with a lens.

As follows from the figures, the object of the invention is the line 100 of the control of empty glass containers belonging to the same series.

Typically, the container 2 has a central axis A2, which may be the axis of symmetry and even the axis of symmetry of the body of revolution. As shown in FIG. 3, the container 2 has a glass wall 7 bounded internally by an internal surface 8 and externally by an external surface 9. Between the internal surface 8 and the external surface 9, the wall 7 has a thickness "e". Classically, the container 2 is a hollow object, the wall 7 of which forms from the bottom up along the central axis A2 the bottom 3, associated with the heel 3', from which the body 4 departs, extended by the shoulder 4', associated with the neck or neck 5, ending with the rim 6, limiting mouth that allows you to fill or empty the container. In the case of bottles and some vials, in contrast to cans, the neck 5 corresponds to a region of tapering diameter of the container compared to the body 4. The shoulder 4' is the interface between the body 4 and the neck 5. In the case of some cans and some other bottles, the shoulder 4' connects the body 4 directly with the finish 6. The upper part of the mouth 5 is formed by the finish, which comprises a finish surface 6', which is a transverse side perpendicular to the central axis A2 of the container, at the upper end of the finish 6. The finish 6 usually includes a rim 6", which protrudes radially outward with respect to the neck 5. The lower end of such a rim 6" forms a transverse annular surface, facing axially downwards, called counter-rim, which defines the lower end of the rim 6. In the present text, the neck 5 contains the rim 6, as well as the surface 6' whisk, rim 6” and counter whisk. The neck 5 has an inner diameter D defined by the inner surface 8 of the wall. In the present text, the terms "top" and "bottom" are arbitrary and correspond to the usual orientation of a container such as a can or bottle, which rests with its bottom 3 on a horizontal surface. The surface 6' of the rim forms the upper plane Psup of container 2, which is perpendicular to the central axis A2. The bottom 3 of the container forms the bottom plane Pinf of the container, which is perpendicular to the central axis A2. In the following it will be considered that the control of the bottom also includes the control of the heel and even the bottom of the container body. It should also be noted that the bottom 3 inclusions are often gaps that extend to the heel 3' and vice versa.

Line 100 control contains at least three installations 200, 300, 400, each of which is at a separate post along the trajectory of the tanks.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 16, control line 100 includes at least:

a) at the finish control station - a finish control unit 200, which can non-contactly detect defects such as inclusions in the neck of containers using light rays;

b) at the bottom control station, a bottom control unit 300, which can detect defects such as inclusions in the bottom of the containers without contact using light beams; And

c) at the station of radiographic measurement - radiographic installation 400 for automatic measurement of the linear dimensions of at least one checked area of the containers.

Of course, the control line 100 may contain other posts and other control or measurement facilities. In the same way, besides the control of inclusions or measurement of linear dimensions, one or the other of the installations may provide other types of control or other measurements. In particular, as mentioned above, the bottom inspection unit 300 can preferably also detect defects, such as inclusions in the heel 3' of the containers, and even preferably in at least part of the container body 4, for example, in the lower part of the container body 4, without contact using light beams.

Line 100 control also contains a device 11 for transporting containers 2 along the trajectory of the containers with the direction formed by the vector T of the movement. Between the installations and within said installations, the path is preferably contained in the transport plane Pc, which in this case is considered to be horizontal and perpendicular to the central axis A2 of the containers.

The three posts for finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement and therefore the respective installations are arranged one after the other along the trajectory of the containers on the control line, i.e. along the transport device 11, or in the specified order, as shown, for example, in FIG. 16, or in any other order.

At each of the three finish control, bottom control, and X-ray measurement stations, and therefore in the respective finish control stations 100, bottom control 200, and X-ray measurement 400, the travel path is straight and contained in the transport plane.

Preferably between said installations and in said installations, ie along the entire inspection line 100, the path is contained in the same horizontal transport plane Pc perpendicular to the central axis A2 of the containers.

Preferably, the trajectory defined by the transport device 11 is also rectilinear between and at said stations, that is to say, rectilinear along the entire inspection line 100 . However, the invention does not exclude the possibility of changing the trajectory or the direction of the trajectory between two stations and, therefore, between two installations. Similarly, the invention does not preclude the presence of a storage table type device between two stations and therefore between two installations where containers can accumulate.

At each of the three stations for finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement, and therefore in the respective installations, the containers are not subjected to controlled rotation about their central axis A2. By this it is to be understood that the rotation of the containers around their central axis A2 can occur, but in an uncontrolled manner, for example due to erroneous contact with the stationary guides of the transport device 11 . Preferably, at each of the three stations for finish inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement, and therefore in the respective installations, and especially in the test zones of these installations, the containers are stationary in rotation about their central axis A2 and move along the trajectory of movement. Preferably, at each of the three stations for finish control, bottom control and X-ray measurement and, therefore, in the respective installations, and especially in the inspection zones of these installations, there is no stoppage of the movement of containers during operation along the trajectory of movement. However, it is usually useful and even necessary to control the gap between products, in other words, the free gap between two successive containers 2 moving along the control line 100. To do this, if the gap between the containers at the input of the control line 100 is insufficient, a separating device is installed on the trajectory of the movement of the products. Such a separating device, which is known and not described in this text, works by creating an acceleration of the products at the exit with respect to the entrance. Preferably, according to an embodiment of the invention, the gap between the products is created as close as possible to the input to the control line 100 and, in particular, to the input of the installations 200, 500, 300 and 400. the capacitance control lines 100 during operation are not subject to acceleration or deceleration of their movement along the path of movement. The movement of containers is stable and avoids accidents, collisions, falls or accumulations, which ensures a stable rhythm of production at an optimal speed. However, if one of the installations 200, 500, 300, 400 requires additional spacing, a separating device can be placed at the inlet of this installation, i.e. between two installations 200, 500, 300 or 400.

At each of the posts, the device 11 is formed by a respective section 112, 113, 114 of the transport device, which allows each container to be transported through the post while in contact with the container.

As will be specified below, one among the transport sections associated with the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement stations, respectively, makes contact with the first contact area of the containers, while the other among the transport sections associated with the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement stations, respectively , provides contact with the second contact area of the containers, different from the first contact area.

In the example in FIG. 16, it can be noted that at least one of the transport sections, in this case the two transport sections 112, 114, associated respectively with the control stations of the finish 200 and radiographic measurement 400, makes contact with the first contact area of the containers. Such a section is a belt conveyor 112, 114, which comes into contact with the bottom 3 of the tanks 2, while the transport section 113 associated with the bottom control post 300 is made in the form of a conveyor with side belts, which provides contact with the body 4 of the tanks 2.

It is noted that in this embodiment, two of the conveying sections, associated respectively with different stations, in this case with the control stations of the finish 200 and radiographic measurement 400, provide contact with the same contact area of the containers, in this case with the bottom 3 of the containers. However, inspection line configurations can be envisaged in which three transport sections, associated respectively with finish inspection 200, bottom inspection 300 and radiographic measurement 400, make contact with three different contact areas of the containers 2.

In the example in FIG. 18, the transport section 112 associated with the finish control station 200 is made in the form of a belt or chain conveyor that comes into contact with the bottom 3 of the containers 2, while the transport section 113 associated with the bottom control station 300 is made in the form of a conveyor that provides contact with the neck of containers, for example, with part of the rim 6 of the container, called the counter-corolla. In other embodiments, one or the other of the transport portions may provide contact with the neck or finish.

In FIG. 16 shows an inspection line 100 which includes, at a shoulder and/or body inspection station other than the rim inspection, bottom inspection and radiographic measurement stations, a shoulder and/or body inspection station 500 that can non-contactly detect, using light beams, defects such as inclusions in shoulder and/or container body. In this example, the shoulder and/or body control post 500 is located between the finish control 200 and bottom control 300, although other arrangements are possible. In this example, the control post of the arm and/or body is connected to the transport section, which essentially forms a continuation of the transport section associated with the adjacent post, in this case with the immediately previous post, namely, it is a conveyor belt on which the bottom 3 rests on the containers. However, a shoulder and/or body control post may have an associated transport leg different from the two transport legs associated with two adjacent posts, and even different from all other transport legs associated with other control line 100 posts.

On the claimed control line 100, the finish control set 200, the bottom control 300, and the possible body and/or shoulder control set 500 have common points, which will be described in conjunction with highlighting possible differences between them. These three installations are installations that can non-contactly detect, by means of light beams, defects of the type of inclusions in the respective test areas of the containers, namely, respectively, in the finish 6, the bottom 3 and the body 4 and/or the shoulder 4' of the container. The light rays used for detection are in the photographic region, preferably with a wavelength of 100 nanometers to 20 microns, more preferably in the visible photographic region with wavelengths of 380 to 800 nanometers.

Inclusions are defects that have the form of cracks in the thickness of the tank wall. The inclusion may be a through crack along the wall thickness, passing in this case from the inner surface 8 to the outer surface 9 of the wall. However, as a rule, it is a blind crack, which usually comes out on at least one of the two inner 8 or outer 9 surfaces. If the inclusion is a crack, it can be considered limited by two surface elements of the container wall material. These two surface elements are opposite each other, and they can be considered parallel to each other and separated by a thin and even infinitely thin layer of air. These surface features, which are usually not flat, ie curved, can have a wide variety of configurations and orientations with respect to the area of the vessel wall in which the inclusion has formed. To determine the orientation of the inclusion, an approximation must first be made, assuming that these surface elements can be approximated using an approximation plane or a series of approximation planes.

In the field of glass containers, the skilled person usually distinguishes between so-called vertical inclusions and so-called horizontal inclusions, depending on their orientation relative to the central axis A2 of the container 2, which is considered to be vertical. The so-called vertical inclusions have surface elements with a vertical approximation plane or with an approximation plane having an inclination with respect to the vertical of less than 45 degrees of angle, preferably less than 30 degrees of angle. The inclination of a plane relative to the vertical is defined as the acute angle between the normal to this plane and the horizontal plane. It should be noted that the vertical plane may be a radial plane containing the central axis of the container, or a plane forming an angle with such a radial plane. The so-called horizontal inclusions have surface elements with a horizontal approximation plane or with an approximation plane having an inclination with respect to the horizontal of less than 45 degrees of angle, preferably less than 30 degrees of angle. The inclination of a plane relative to the horizontal is defined as the acute angle between the normal to this plane and the vertical direction.

The well-known principle of detection of inclusion-type defects, which is used in the installations 200, 300 and 500, is based on the detection of specular reflection of the incident beam.

At least for the detection of vertical inclusions, directional light emitters are usually used, each emitting a directional light beam. A directional light beam is a light beam that has a beam axis and whose beams are contained in a solid angle of illumination around that beam axis, where the solid angle is small. The solid angle of a beam is the solid angle of a circular cone that contains all of the beam's light rays. For simplification, not the solid angle is conditionally determined by the steradian, but the angle of divergence of the incident beam in the divergence measurement plane, which is the plane of the solid angle containing the axis of the solid angle. As a rule, an incident beam is used, having an angle of divergence in the test zone that is less than 30 degrees of angle, preferably less than 25 degrees of angle, even more preferably less than 20 degrees of angle. The directional incident beam may be a laser beam or other beam with parallel beams defined by the beam axis and the beam diameter. The narrow incident beam may be a divergent beam or a convergent beam in the test area.

Thus, the surface element of the container, which is illuminated by the directional light emitter, receives a beam containing light rays at close angles of incidence, in other words, at angles of incidence, the difference of which is less than 30 degrees, even 25 degrees, even 20 degrees; it is in this sense that they are called directed. Several directional light emitters that illuminate the same surface of a section of the outer surface of the container, allow you to get different angles of incidence and, possibly, angles of incidence different from the angles of incidence of another directional light emitter, while the angles of incidence are adapted to detect inclusions of different orientation relative to the outer container surface.

The area of the container which is located in the test area and is thus illuminated by this directional light emitter may be enclosed in a circle with a diameter of 5 millimeters to 14 millimeters. The illuminated area may be rectangular and have, for example, a horizontal width of up to 100 or 120 millimeters to cover the entire finish and, for example, 60 millimeters in height to cover the height of the finish. Of course, the rims are usually cylinders, and the rectangular shape of the beam can only be noted by imagining an illuminated plane, orthogonal to the axis of the beam, located near the surface of the rim or the central axis of the container in the test area.

The radiation surface of the directional light emitters is preferably inscribed in a circle with a diameter ranging from 4 millimeters to 30 millimeters.

At least one light receiver, but typically several light receivers, are provided to receive a specular reflection of the incident beam.

Taking into account the diversity and randomness of the orientation of the inclusions and taking into account the use of directional light emitters, at least for vertical inclusions, it is necessary to provide several directed incident beams and/or several receivers to detect a possible inclusion in the tested area of the container.

Examples of a finish control unit 200 and a bottom control unit 300 are shown schematically in FIG. 17 and 18. In Figs. 19 and 20 are schematic views of the finish control unit 200, respectively a side view with respect to the path of movement of the containers and a view along the axis of the path of movement.

Each of the finish control stations 200, the bottom control station 300, and optionally the body and/or shoulder control station 500 includes a test area of the machine, in which the test area of the container to be tested is to be located. The check zone can be extended along the trajectory of movement. In each installation 200, 300, 500, it is possible to define a reference axis A200, A300, A500, which must coincide with the central axis A2 of the container A2 when the container is positioned during the inspection. For example, you can arbitrarily define that this reference axis is located in the middle of the test area along the trajectory of the containers. This reference axis A200, A300, A500 of the installation can serve as an indicator of the position of the corresponding post.

In each test zone, you can define a reference plane that is parallel to the transport plane in the installation. For the finish control setting 200, the reference plane is the upper reference plane Prefh, which must coincide with the upper plane Psup of the vessel 2 during inspection. For the bottom control setting 300, the reference plane is the bottom reference plane Prefb, which must coincide with the bottom plane Pinf of the vessel 2 during inspection. For the arm and/or body inspection rig 500, the reference plane may be an intermediate plane perpendicular to the rig reference axis A500 and intersecting the arm 4' and/or the container body 4 during inspection.

Preferably, the test areas of the finish control units 200, bottom test 300, and optional body and/or shoulder test set 500 are separated from each other along the movement path, i.e. do not overlap or intersect each other.

The finish control 200, bottom control 300, and optional body and/or shoulder control 500 each comprise a series of several directional light emitters 201, 202, ..., 20n, 301, 302, ..., 30n, which are angularly distributed around the support axes A200, A300, A500 of the installation and emit, each, a directional light beam along its own axis of the beam A201, A202, ..., A20n, A301, A302, ..., A30n so that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams at many different azimuth angles in projection onto a reference plane around the reference axis of the installation and preferably also at a plurality of different elevation angles relative to the reference plane. Each directional light beam thus determines the field of illumination in the test area. In some embodiments, the illumination field of the directional beam in the test zone covers the entire test area of the object located in this test zone. In some embodiments, the illumination field of the directional beam in the test area covers only part of the test area of the object located in this test area. Preferably, the illumination fields of several light emitters 201, 202, ..., 20n, 301, 302, ..., 30n intersect in the test zone of the installation, that is, on the checked area of the controlled capacity, while the axes of the beams have different orientations in azimuth around the reference axis and, possibly , in elevation relative to the reference plane. Thus, a given point of the test area of the installation and, consequently, a given point of the tested area of the object located in the test area, is in the position of illumination by several light emitters in several directions of the beam axis, in particular, different in azimuth around the reference axis. Preferably, all points of the test area of the object located in the test zone are illuminated by several light emitters in several directions of the beam axis.

The light emitter contains a light source and, as a rule, an optical processing device, which ends with a light emitting surface through which the light beam is emitted towards the area to be checked. The light source is, for example, an LED, a filament, an electric arc source or an electrofluorescent source (neon, plasma, ...). The processing device may contain one or more optical components such as optical lenses, optical condensers, mirrors, light guides (in particular optical fibers), irises, masks, and so on. A mask should be understood as an opaque part having a cutout in its center and intended to be shaped by blocking the light beam passing through it. Typically, a directional light emitter includes a processing device that includes at least one optical lens or at least one optical condenser. The directional light emitter may comprise a processing device including a mask positioned to be projected optically mating with the surface or surface area of the container to delimit the illuminated area. A rectangular mask allows you to get a rectangular illuminated area. The light source and the optical components of the optical processing device are optical elements of the light emitter. It is possible to provide one or more or all of the light emitters of the installation with its own individual light source. However, it is possible to provide one common light source for several light emitters. In this case, they may each have their own processing device terminating in an individual light emitting surface, even though the processing devices of multiple emitters may contain one or more common optical components at the input of their individual light emitting surface. Typically, the common source may be associated with an optical fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, among which each optical fiber or each of the optical fiber groups belongs to a single light emitter processing device. A directional light emitter typically includes a light emitting surface of a small size. Preferably, the emitting surface of the directional light emitters is inscribed in a circle with a diameter between 4 millimeters and 30 millimeters.

In some embodiments, the test setup may include directional light emitters 201, 202, ..., 20n, 301, 302, ..., 30n, which are distributed in such a way that the directional light beams illuminate the test area at a variety of different elevation angles relative to the reference plane, being at this on one side of the reference plane of the installation, that is, so that the directed light beams have their respective beam axes A201, A202, ..., A20n, A301, A302, ..., A30n, distributed at many different elevation angles relative to the reference plane. The elevation angle of the directional light beam is an acute angle formed by the beam axis with the reference plane. Two beams are considered to be on the same side of the reference plane if the radiation surfaces of the directional light emitters from which they emerge are located on the same side of the reference plane.

Similarly, each of the finish control 200, bottom control 300, and optional body and/or shoulder control 500 comprises a plurality of light receivers 211, 212, ..., 21n, 311, 312, ..., 31n, which are angularly distributed around reference axis of the installation and each of which has a viewing axis A211, A212, ..., A21n, A311, A312, ..., A31n and a field of view AV211, AV311, ..., around this viewing axis. Preferably, the plurality of light receivers have their fields of view which intersect in the region to be checked, with their view axes having different orientations. As a rule, the field of view of the light receiver covers a part of the checked area of the object or the whole checked area of the object along the viewing axis. For example, in order to inspect finishes with a diameter of 100 millimeters, the field of view of the light receiver and its processing device preferably has a horizontal width greater than 100 millimeters in the inspection zone, measured in a vertical plane containing the reference axis of the installation and perpendicular to the axis of view. Thus, a given point of the test zone of the installation and, consequently, a given point of the checked area of the object located in the test zone, is in the position of being able to be observed by several light receivers in several directions of the viewing axis. Preferably, all points of the tested area of the object located in the test area are in the position of being able to be observed by several light receivers in several directions of the viewing axis.

The light receiver 211 212 . The light sensor is, for example, a photoelectric sensor, such as CCD type or CMOS type. The optical processing device may comprise one or more optical components such as optical lenses, optical condensers, mirrors, light guides (particularly optical fibers), irises, masks, and the like. In other words, the sensing area of the light sensor may be located at a distance from the light entry surface and may also have different orientations. The processing device forms an image of the checked area of the container or part of the checked area on the light sensor, as a rule, a linear or two-dimensional image. It mates at least part of the outer surface of the container with the sensitive surface of the sensor. It also determines the viewing axis of the light receiver. The light sensor and the optical components of the optical processing device are optical elements of the light receiver 211, 212, ..., 21n, 311, 312, ..., 31n. It is possible to provide that one or more or all of the light receivers 211, 212, ..., 21n, 311, 312, ..., 31n of the installation have their own individual light sensor. However, provision can be made for several light receivers to use a common light sensor. In this case, light receivers with a common light sensor may each have their own optical processing device terminating in an individual entry surface, even though the multiple emitter processing devices may comprise one or more common optical components at the exit of their individual light entry surface.

In order to ensure the detection of vertical inclusions in the test area, which is connected to the reference plane of the installation, it is necessary to provide that at least a part of the directional light emitters, at least their light emitting surface, are located on the other side of the reference plane with respect to the light receivers, at least to their entry surface, which are provided to collect, after specular reflection from switching on, the light emitted by the directional light emitters. Thus, each of the installations for the control of the rim 200, the control of the bottom 300 and the possible installation 500 of the body and/or shoulders control contains optical elements on both sides of the corresponding reference plane, and these optical elements belong either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers 211 , 212, …, 21n, 311, 312, …, 31n settings.

In order to ensure the detection of horizontal inclusions in the area to be checked, which is associated with the reference plane of the installation, it is necessary to provide that at least a part of the light receivers is located on the same side of the reference plane as the emitter or emitters. It should be noted that in order to ensure the detection of horizontal inclusions, diffused, that is, non-directional, illumination can be used. Diffused illumination can be provided by the presence of one or more light emitters. One or more light emitters having a non-point light emitting surface of large size can be used. To ensure the detection of horizontal inclusions, the installation may contain a large diffuser, behind which one or more light sources are located.

To ensure simultaneous detection of vertical inclusions and horizontal inclusions, the installation must therefore have at least optical elements of light receivers on both sides of the reference plane, or at least optical elements of light emitters on both sides of the reference plane, or both. For example, such an installation would have light emitters located on only one side of the reference plane, but light receivers located on both sides of the reference plane, or vice versa.

Thus, each of the installations for monitoring the rim 200, monitoring the bottom 300 and the possible installation 500 for monitoring the body and/or shoulders contains optical elements located on both sides of the corresponding reference plane, and these optical elements belong either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light installation receivers, or to emitters and receivers.

In the examples in FIG. 16-21, the finish control unit 200 contains optical elements of light emitters 201, 202, ..., 20n, which are located on both sides of the upper reference plane Prefh, but all light receivers 211, 212, ..., 21n are located above the upper reference plane.

In the examples in FIG. 16-18, the bottom control installation 300 includes light emitter elements 301, 302, ..., 30n, which are located on both sides of the lower reference plane, but all light receivers 311, 312, ..., 31n are located below the lower reference plane.

On the other hand, in FIG. 20 clearly shows that the installation does not contain any element of the light emitter or light receiver, which are located in the transport volume Vt. In the case where the trajectory of the containers passing through the installation is a flat trajectory in a plane parallel to the reference plane, which is the case shown, this necessarily leads to a restriction on the possibility of arranging the elements of the light emitter or light receiver in the part that is on the same side from the reference plane, which is the volume of transportation. In particular, this leads to the formation of an inlet tunnel volume and an exit tunnel volume in which it is not possible to arrange the light emitter or light receiver elements.

Further with reference to Fig. 1-15 follows a description of the X-ray unit 400 for automatic measurement of linear dimensions of at least one test area of containers, which allows the measurement method to be carried out on empty glass containers 2.

According to a preferred feature, at least one region of the container is selected for inspection in order to be able to measure dimensions in this region of the container corresponding to the dimensional characteristic of the area being checked. Typically, the test area for this x-ray measurement setup 400 may comprise at least a neck 5 of the container, and the measurement of the dimensional characteristic of this test area corresponds to at least the inner diameter D of the neck. Similarly, the area to be tested may comprise at least a portion of the wall of the body 4 enclosed between the heel and the shoulder and delimited, for example, by two planes parallel to the plane of the container support, and the measurement of the dimensional characteristic of this area to be tested corresponds to the thickness e of the glass wall enclosed between the inner 8 and the outer 9 surfaces bounding this wall 7. Therefore, this radiographic setup 400 is most suited for measuring dimensions associated with the inner surface of the wall at the level of the neck and/or body of the container. Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to measure at least either the inside diameter of the mouth or the thickness of the glass wall, or the inside diameter of the mouth and the thickness of the glass wall.

Similarly, the region to be tested may correspond to the part of the wall 7 containing the body, heel or bottom of the container. The test area can also correspond to the entire container 2. The measured dimensions are the thickness of the glass wall on the body, on the bottom, on the heel, height, inner or outer diameter, width, for example, for the threads on the neck. These measurements also make it possible to derive a dimensional characteristic of the area to be tested, such as the ovality of a container or a container with a curved neck, for example.

The measurement method to be carried out will be described for glass containers 2, that is to say for a series of hollow fabricated objects made of the same material, namely glass. In this case, it is considered that the attenuation coefficient μ of the glass is uniform, that is, it has the same value at any point in the tested area of the containers, and is preferably constant over time and identical for the containers of the series. These conditions are met because the composition of the glass is stable in furnaces producing hundreds of tons of glass per day. It should be noted that the attenuation coefficient μ of glass is strictly a spectral property μ(λ) depending on the wavelength λ or on the energy of the X-rays. In the claimed method, this characteristic is not necessarily taken into account, since the X-ray source has its own emitted spectral composition, and it can be considered that the attenuation μ is a characteristic of the glass for the spectrum of the selected source.

Preferably the topology of the object is known. Accordingly, it can be considered that the X-ray beam passing through the container has passed through a finite number of volumes with known attenuation coefficients, therefore, the path can be decomposed into segments, with each segment connecting two points belonging to the boundary surfaces of the container, passing through the region of constant attenuation, even if the length of these segments is not known a priori. In other words, the geometry of an object can be described by a computer method in advance (before measurement) by displaying all closed surfaces, which can be called the boundary surfaces of the container. The boundary surfaces of the container are the interfaces between the container material and the air.

In addition, a person skilled in the art will be able to implement the invention using any method of taking into account the spectral attenuation of the beams. It can also adapt the emitted spectrum, for example by amplifying it.

Therefore, the weakening of air can be considered negligible compared to the weakening of glass. The attenuation of the X-ray beam passing through the vessel will only depend on the one hand on said permanent attenuation for the emitted X-ray spectrum and on the other hand on the total passable glass thickness. Alternatively, the thickness of the air being passed is considered to be large and uniform for all x-rays and can therefore be considered known. The X-ray attenuation due to air can be subtracted from the total measured attenuation. Thus, for example, it can be considered that the gray level in each radiographic image, possibly corrected, depends only and directly on the total aggregate passable glass thickness. In this case, the boundary surfaces, which are the transitions between air and material, can be precisely defined.

Thus, the computer system 600 takes into account the glass attenuation factor of the containers during inspection for this calculation operation. Preferably, the plant 400 includes a device for providing the computer system with a coefficient of attenuation of the glass of the containers, known, for example, from analyzes of the glass in the oven. This provisioning device may be a mass storage, a human-machine interface, or a wired or wireless data network.

Classically, for this installation 400 for measuring linear dimensions, the corresponding section of the transport device 11 is, for example, a belt or chain conveyor that provides linear translational movement of containers in a standing position, that is, with a contact area of \u200b\u200bthe containers formed by the bottom 3 of the containers, based on the conveyor to be located in plane Rs transportation.

Radiographic installation 400 measurement of linear dimensions allows you to apply the method of automatic measurement of linear dimensions on the containers 2, moving at high speed.

Indeed, the invention relates to the so-called "line" control of a series of containers after the transformation or manufacturing step, in order to control the quality of the containers or the transformation or manufacturing process.

Inspection line 100, which includes units 200, 300, 400, 500, operates at a vessel flow rate of 2. Ideally, inspection line 100, including linear measurement unit 400, can process products at production rates of, for example, more 100 objects per minute, preferably more than 300 objects per minute and, for example, at a production rate of at least 600 containers per minute.

However, with regard to the X-ray dimensional measuring apparatus 400, the calculation time may exceed the interval between two containers. Similarly, exposure times for radiographic image sensors and readouts can be too long. Typically, if the fastest flow cannot be processed with only one X-ray unit 400, several X-ray units 400 can be used in parallel, each of which controls a part of the product. This allows the product stream to be divided into, for example, two parallel streams controlled by two identical or similar X-ray units 400. Of course, it is preferable that the number of streams, and hence the X-ray units 400, remain small.

The X-ray unit 400 represents a significant improvement in measuring the internal surface and wall thickness without contact and with the movement of containers, while eliminating the complex rotation of products used in carousels. This also provides thickness mapping over the entire periphery and over the entire height of the area being tested. In neck inspection, X-ray unit 400 provides neck measurements for all product containers, whereas prior art solutions only performed binary dimensional conformance checks or measurements on a few selected samples. Thus, these measurements make it possible to observe deviations in the manufacturing process.

As shown in particular in FIG. 1 and 2, for convenience in this description, the direction of movement of the containers 2 conventionally runs along the horizontal X axis of the X, Y, Z coordinate system, containing the vertical Z axis perpendicular to the horizontal X axis, and the transverse Y axis perpendicular to the vertical Z axis and to a horizontal axis X, wherein X and Y are in a plane parallel to the transport plane PC, which is horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 4, during their translational movement, the containers 2 form or pass through the so-called transport volume Vt. The plane Ps is a plane secant to the transportation volume Vt, orthogonal to the transportation plane Pc and parallel to the transportation direction T. For example, the plane Ps is a median plane that divides the transport volume Vt into two equal sub-volumes. The plane Ps is a vertical plane because the transport plane is horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the radiographic setup 400 also includes at least one X-ray tube source Fj (where j varies from 1 to k) of the X-ray tube 12, which creates a directed divergent beam of X-rays so that it passes through the transport volume Vt and, in particular, passes through at least measure through the test area of the container 2. It should be noted that in the present description, the container 2 is glass, and the test area of the container is made of a material with a uniform absorption coefficient in transmission for a given x-ray.

The apparatus 400 also includes at least three x-ray image sensors Ci (where i ranges from 1 to N and N is greater than or equal to 3) sensitive to x-rays and arranged to be irradiated by x-rays emanating from source Fj and passing through the transport volume Vt and in particular at least through the area of the container 2 to be checked. Of course, the tube 12 and the image sensors Ci are outside the transport volume Vt in order to allow the containers to move freely within this volume. Classically, the X-ray tubes 12 and the image sensors Ci are located in an X-ray impervious chamber which preferably surrounds the entire radiographic measurement post. This chamber is therefore located along the travel path T, separate from the finish control stations 200, the bottom control 300 and the possible body and/or shoulder control station 500, and in particular separate from the respective test area of these stations.

In some embodiments, the image sensor Ci is associated with a single source Fj in the sense that, in carrying out the method, this image sensor Ci is provided in such a way that the images that it produces and which are taken into account within the method are formed only by rays emanating from the associated source Fj. For example, the setting can be made such that only beams coming from a given source reach the corresponding image sensor, for example by appropriate placement of absorbing masks. According to another example, which can be combined with the previous one, the image pickup by the image sensor is started only when only the single source associated with it is activated.

The X-ray beams emerging from the source Fj associated with the radiographic image sensor Ci pass at least through the area to be checked in the radiographic projection direction Dji (FIGS. 1 and 2). The direction Dji of the radiographic projection is conventionally considered to be the oriented direction of the vector emanating from the source Fj and passing through the center Mi of the image sensor Ci. The source or sources Fj and the image sensors Ci are positioned such that each radiographic image sensor receives a radiographic projection of the region to be inspected in at least one direction of the radiographic projection of the region to be inspected.

However, in some embodiments, multiple image sensors may be associated with a single source Fj, which is preferably pulsed and synchronized with the reading of each of the respective sensors Ci to form radiographic images in projection directions Dji at different values of i. Alternatively, in other embodiments, multiple sources Fj may be associated with a single image sensor Ci, wherein said sources Fj preferably pulse at different times and are synchronized with the reading of their associated sensor Ci to form radiographic images in projection directions Dji at different values of j.

The radiographic unit 400 also includes a reading system connected to the radiographic image sensors Ci so that for each container 2 during its movement through the radiographic measurement station, at least three radiographic projections of the area to be inspected having different radiographic projection directions are read. It may be recalled that the direction of radiographic projection associated with the acquired radiographic image is the direction emanating from the source and passing through the middle of the area of the sensitive surface of the image sensor at the time of image capture. Thus, said at least three radiographic projections have projection directions forming an angle between them in pairs.

The reading system is connected to the computer system 600. According to a preferred embodiment, the computer system records, by means of image sensors Ci, for each container during its movement, radiographic images resulting from a certain number of radiographic projections of the area to be checked in different directions of the radiographic projection. Generally, the number of different radiographic projection directions Dji is three to forty, and preferably four to fifteen. According to the preferred embodiment, the installation 400 contains from three to forty image sensors Ci. According to the preferred embodiment, the installation 400 contains from four to fifteen image sensors Ci.

As will be explained in more detail in the following text of the description, the computer system 600 is programmed in such a way that, for each container, to analyze the specified at least three radiographic images obtained from the specified at least three radiographic projections of different directions in order to determine for each container a digital geometric model of the tested area, containing the three-dimensional coordinates of the set of points belonging to the tank wall in the tested area. In particular, each digital geometric model contains three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points belonging at least to the inner surface of the container wall and preferably to the inner surface and to the outer surface of the container wall. Determination of the three-dimensional coordinates of these points allows to obtain two-dimensional measurements of the container for the area to be checked, namely at least the inner diameter of the mouth or at least the thickness of the glass wall of the container body 4, or at least the inner diameter of the neck and the thickness of the glass wall of the container body.

Determining the 3D coordinates of these points and performing 3D measurements can be done in any appropriate manner using known techniques for analyzing 3D geometric data.

In general, the digital geometric model of the area to be tested comprises three-dimensional coordinates of a collection of points calculated from said at least three radiographic images of the area to be tested. This set of points belongs to the inner and/or outer surface of the container wall, wherein at least two three-dimensional points in space are in a plane not orthogonal to the radiographic projection direction Dji.

Preferably, the digital geometric model of the area under test, containing the three-dimensional coordinates of the set of points, is formed by:

- at least two three-dimensional points in space, each of which belongs to the inner and/or outer surface of the wall of the container and which are not in a plane orthogonal to the direction Dji of the radiographic projection, and are not in a plane parallel to the direction of movement T of movement;

- and/or at least one surface display of the inner and outer surfaces of the wall of the container, containing points that do not belong to a plane orthogonal to the direction Dji of the radiographic projection, and also do not belong to a plane parallel to the direction T of movement;

- and/or one section of the area to be tested in a plane other than the plane orthogonal to the direction Dji of the radiographic projection and different from the plane parallel to the direction T of movement.

Then carry out dimensional measurements according to one of the methods described in the following text of the description.

In general, the dimensional measurements made on the digital geometric model of each container refer to at least the inner diameter of the neck, measured on said model in a plane not orthogonal to the direction Dji of the radiographic projection, and/or at least to the wall thickness of the body, measured on of the specified model in a plane not orthogonal to the direction Dji of the radiographic projection.

The preferred embodiment contains the definition for each container of a digital geometric model that displays the inner surface and the outer surface of the container in the area to be checked.

According to this example, digital analysis of the radiographic images associated with each container allows the construction of a three-dimensional digital geometric model for each of these containers. In other words, for each container, controlled by radiography, a three-dimensional digital geometric model can be built on the basis of the corresponding radiographic images of the specified container. This digital geometry model can be a simple layering of 2D digital geometry models. In terms of mathematics, graphics, and data structure, the implementation of a digital geometry model is a way to display and manipulate 3D containers digitally in the memory of the computer system 600. It should be appreciated that in some of these embodiments, it is possible to define as many 3D digital geometry models as there are filmable objects, and there can be as many objects to be removed as there are objects moving through the transportation system. Indeed, the distinguishing feature of the invention is the possibility of making measurements on each of the objects moving in the installation, including at high speed.

Modeling can be voluminous. A glass container can be represented as voxels, the value of which represents the amount of material. A voxel can be solid, partially solid, or have no material (in which case it is air). The digital geometric model can be analyzed to highlight the boundary surfaces of the container, for example by determining a set of representative points belonging to these boundary surfaces, and then to measure linear dimensions such as length or thickness. It can also be transformed into a surface model, that is, into a model that models the boundary surfaces of containers.

The surface model can, and even preferably, be obtained directly from the radiographic images, ie without calculating the volume model.

In surface modeling, the container is formed by at least one three-dimensional surface, for example, a three-dimensional surface, which corresponds to the boundary surface between the material of the container and the environment (generally air), which allows you to define the concepts of internal space and external space of the container. Typically, 3D surfaces are modeled in several ways, such as polygonal modeling, modeling from parametric curves or surfaces (cylinders, cones, spheres, splines,…) or by subdividing surfaces. Using a lattice of polyhedra, such as triangles, the three-dimensional surfaces of containers are displayed as sets of flat faces adjacent to each other with their edges.

The cross section of a three-dimensional container is its intersection with a plane. The section of three-dimensional surfaces are two-dimensional curves in the plane of the section. Knowledge of these two-dimensional curves in the sequence of cut planes allows the reconstruction of three-dimensional surfaces.

To measure linear dimensions, such as length, there are several approaches. Indeed, the linear dimension is the length measured along the line. This line, along which the linear dimension is measured, may be a straight line or a non-straight line, such as any curved line, circle line, broken line, etc. This line can be a planar line that is contained in a plane, or a 3D line that is not contained in a plane. The radiographic setup 400 also makes it possible to determine the angles and coordinates of points on the surfaces of the container in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system.

Within the framework of the first, the so-called volumetric method, it is possible to consider a volumetric model along a straight line or a bundle of straight lines and determine the voxels of the material/air boundary.

Within the framework of the second, so-called surface method, it is possible to calculate a segment whose ends are the intersections of a straight line with the material/air boundary surface of the surface model. Finally, the mixed method is to convert the volume model to a surface model, then apply the second method.

The third method consists in determining in the plane of the section the distance between two points of one or two two-dimensional curves, with any curve being the boundary between the material and air.

A three-dimensional point is a point for which coordinates in three-dimensional space are known in any coordinate system.

These three previous methods are examples of determining the distance between two 3D points to determine a linear dimension measurement.

The object of the invention is to achieve more complete measurements than those achieved with simple two-dimensional radiographic images. Indeed, with a matrix radiographic image sensor, one can easily obtain a two-dimensional radiographic image corresponding to the projection of the area to be checked, and measure the dimensions in a plane orthogonal to the projection direction and called the "projection plane". Similarly, with a linear radiographic image sensor, a two-dimensional radiographic image of the area to be inspected can be easily obtained by arranging successive linear radiographic images taken with a linear radiographic image sensor Ci when the container passes through the projection plane Pji, which is not parallel to the movement, formed by the source Fj and linear probe Ci, and measure the area to be checked only in the projection plane, which is parallel to the direction of movement. However, it is not possible to measure dimensions outside the projection planes with these plain radiography techniques. On the other hand, the X-ray machine 400 can measure dimensions in directions that are not contained in the projection planes and are not parallel to the projection planes. Indeed, during the processing of a combination of radiographic images in at least three different projection directions, it is possible to reconstruct and measure dimensions in almost all directions. This can be done using any method that provides the definition of three-dimensional points in space belonging to the boundary surface included in the test area of the container. A possible method is to reconstruct a 3D model of the area being tested, surface or volume type, or based on cut planes. Indeed, at least two 3D points and even preferably clouds of 3D points distributed in directions not measured from 2D radiographic images alone can be determined either indirectly or directly from the surface or volume model or section planes.

Thus, a digital geometric model consists of different geometric elements, such as points, segments, surfaces, elementary volumes, calculated on the basis of radiographic projections, considering in the calculation of each element the attenuation of at least some X-rays that have passed through this point on a real empty container that the digital geometry model is an accurate representation of the actual empty container geometry, including deformations relative to the ideal empty container. In other words, the coordinates of the geometric elements are determined by assuming that said coordinates have changed radiographic projections, even when these geometric elements are not distinguishable in any of the two-dimensional radiographic projections. Thus, dimensional measurements on a digital geometric model provide information about the dimensions of each simulated empty container based on geometric elements that are not distinguishable in any of the radiographic projections.

In the case where the glass container is made of a single material, ie with an attenuation factor that is constant or considered to be, preferably its digital geometric model is defined in the form of surfaces. For example, in a digital geometric model, you can define and display the inner surface of the neck of the container. According to this example, the area to be tested contains the neck 3 and is therefore located between the surface plane of the finish 6 and another plane parallel to it. In this case, the inner diameter D of the neck can be measured. In particular, several inside diameters D of the neck can be measured. By choosing a given height, for example by choosing a cutting plane parallel to the surface of the rim or the bottom of the container, several diameters can be measured from 0 to 360° in this plane. Thus, it is possible to determine the diameter Do at the orifice (or orifice), for example, 3 mm below the orifice, by placing the cut plane 3 mm below the surface of the rim. It is also possible to determine the minimum diameter D over the entire height h of the inner surface of the neck, in order to replace the pull measurement.

Given the geometry of the containers, it is easier to work with cylindrical coordinates. At the time of making measurements on the container, the method implements a digital geometric model MGN of the container accurately representing at least the test area of said container corresponding to the neck, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 or as shown in FIG. 15 is a vertical section or four horizontal sections of a digital geometric model MGN of a container.

On this digital geometric model it is possible to define a cylindrical coordinate system ZM, ρ, θ with a ZM axis that corresponds to the axis of symmetry of the specified container model, with a height Z along the ZM axis that is zero when in the support plane. In the case of a cylindrical or conical container, ZM can be defined as an axis orthogonal to the plane of the support and passing through the center of the bottom of the container. The digital geometric model MGN of the tank contains the inner SI and the outer surface SE.

According to the preferred option for measuring the neck of each container, on the MGN digital geometric model, the lengths of all segments of the straight line are measured as internal diameters D of the neck, while these segments:

- are orthogonal to the ZM axis of symmetry of the digital geometric model,

- cross the ZM axis of symmetry of the digital geometric model,

- are located at least at two different heights ZG1, ZG2 in the neck of the digital geometric model,

- have directions distributed in the angular direction around the symmetry axis ZM of the digital geometric model, with at least one segment not orthogonal to the projection directions Dji;

- for each height in excess of the number of projection directions Dji;

- and each segment connects two points that belong to the inner surface of the digital geometric model and are opposite to each other with respect to the symmetry axis ZM of the digital geometric model of the container.

It should be noted that the segments exactly intersect with the axis ZM of symmetry in the mathematical sense of the word only in the case of ideal containers in the form of an ideal body of revolution. Naturally, this is not the case, since the digital geometric model reflects the real capacity.

The X-ray unit 400 allows on-line, i.e. when the containers move quickly along the conveyor, and without contact with a mechanical or pneumatic sensor, several measurements, which are necessary depending on the types of products, in order to guarantee the conformity of the mouth.

Broach is the ability to introduce a cylinder of minimum diameter into the neck, for example, a filler tube. To measure broach with X-ray machine 400, the minimum diameter can be determined at several heights along the ZM axis of symmetry and in several directions at angles θ ranging from 0° to 360°. It is also possible to simulate the introduction of a cylinder inside the inner surface of the digital geometric model of each container at the level of its neck and determine the maximum diameter that the cylinder reaches when it fits, that is, comes into contact without the possibility of its further increase, inside the inner surface of the neck or a set of points of the indicated inner surfaces.

As shown in FIG. 15, for at least two different heights ZE1, ZE2, the wall thickness e can be measured along several radial segments orthogonal to the axis ZM and distributed from 0° to 360°. Thus, at least the same function is realized as provided by the optical sensors in the machine that rotates the container, namely, they detect the minimum thickness on the circumference at one, two, three or four different heights.

The digital geometric model of the tested area of each container contains internal SI and external SE surfaces. Therefore, it is possible to determine the thickness e by measuring a large number of segments connecting the outer surface SE and the inner surface SI, evenly distributed over the entire height Z and in the directions θ, with a height step dZ and with an angular step dθ as fine as the resolution of the sensors allows and digital geometric model calculated for each tank. In this way, it is possible to obtain thickness mapping for all or part of the area to be tested, and even for the entire container.

It is also possible to calculate the minimum thickness on the area to be tested, or to determine the corresponding wall zone having a thickness less than the tolerance threshold, and called the "thin zone", and decide on the quality of the container depending on the minimum thickness or on the surface and/or on the shape of the thin zone.

According to an embodiment, the area inspected in this x-ray setup 400 may comprise at least a portion of the neck 5 of the container, and the x-ray images can be analyzed to build a digital geometric model of at least the inner surface of the neck so that the inner diameter D of the neck can be measured on one or several heights and in one or more directions and compare it with the measurement of the dimensional characteristic of the area under test.

According to another embodiment, the area tested in this radiographic setup 400 may comprise at least a portion of the container body 4, and the radiographic images may be analyzed to construct a digital geometric model of the inner surface and outer surface of the container in the wall portion being inspected, and based on the inner and of the outer surfaces of the digital geometric model to obtain a measurement of the thickness "e" of the glass wall of the container body between the indicated surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment, the area to be tested comprises at least a portion of the neck and a portion of the wall of the container body, and radiographic images can be analyzed to build a digital geometric model of the inner surface and outer surface of the container, and based on the inner and outer surfaces of the digital geometric model, measurements of the inner diameter can be obtained. neck and thickness of the glass wall of the container body.

Some previous measurement methods involved the analysis of the geometry of the digital geometric model of each vessel in successive sections at different heights Z in planes orthogonal to the ZM axis of symmetry of the digital geometric model of the vessel, that is, in horizontal sections, which are then analyzed in radial directions, changing the direction of measurement with an angle θ from 0 to 360°. Of course, the same results are obtained using sections in the planes intersecting the ZM axis of symmetry, that is, vertical sections distributed at angles θ from 0 to 360°.

According to a preferred embodiment, the digital geometry model can also be built using an a priori geometry model of the area to be tested, allowing for faster and more reliable reconstruction calculations of the digital geometry model of each container.

Thus, the a priori geometry model is a digital geometry model that serves as an initialization for the reconstruction program to build a digital geometry model of each tested container. Its role is mainly to provide the computer system with information about the shape, geometry, and dimensions of the object being modeled by computation.

In this case, the computer system has an a priori geometric model of the area to be tested for performing this calculation operation. Thus, the installation 400 may include a device for providing the computer system with an a priori geometric model of the area to be tested for containers or series of containers.

An a priori geometric model can be obtained using a digital model of computer-aided design of containers obtained during their design (CAD 3D), or can be obtained from a digital geometric model built on the basis of measurements of one or more containers of one series (and therefore one commercial model) using a measuring device, for example, using a measuring machine with a probe or using an axial tomography machine, or it can be created by a computer system based on entered values and / or made drawings and / or forms selected by the operator, on the human-machine interface of the system .

It is possible to set control parameters by making virtual probe positions available to the computer system. In this case, the apparatus according to the invention of course includes means for providing measurement tolerance intervals.

Another means of determining dimensional measurements and their fit is to compare the digital geometry model of the area being tested with a control or theoretical geometry model.

The reference geometric model is an ideal model for a series of controlled containers. To perform dimensional control, a digital geometric model of the tested area of each container can be compared with a control geometric model common to a series of containers, using an algorithm that includes model matching, then measuring deviations between models. A reference geometric model can also be obtained using a CAD system, at least for the outer surface of the containers.

According to a variant, the reference geometric model and the a priori geometric model are the same geometric model.

From the foregoing, computer system 600 determines for each container at least the inside diameter of the neck and/or the thickness of the glass wall of the container body. In general, the X-ray machine 400 makes it possible to make a number of dimensional measurements on the containers 2. Dimensional control consists in measuring the actual dimensions and comparing them with the required dimensions. Any capacity of the series is a priori close to the ideal control capacity, but differs from it in dimensional deviations. The main task is to compare the measurements obtained on the containers with the required values, for example, determined by the quality control service. These dimensional measurements, or deviations of these dimensions from desired values, can be displayed, stored in memory, and so on. They can also be used to make appropriate container decisions, which can be sorted automatically. According to a preferred embodiment, the computer system 600 is connected to a device for visualizing test area linear measurement values and/or dimensional deviations with respect to control values. For example, the installation 400 or, in general, the claimed inspection line 100 may include a screen for visualizing radiographic images of the area being inspected and the measured dimensions.

Of course, the relative positions of the sources Fj and the image sensors Ci are very different, it should be recalled that the sources Fj and the image sensors Ci are outside the transport volume Vt.

According to an embodiment, the radiographic setup 400 comprises only one source Fj = F1 located along one side of the transport volume Vt and a number of image sensors Ci = C11, C22, C13 located on the opposite side of the transport volume Vt to receive beams emerging from the source Fj and passed through the checked area. In this example, the source has an aperture Of which is measured in at least one of some planes, such as the X,Y plane in FIG. 1 and which is greater than or equal to 90°. This aperture Of is considered at the source outlet when between the source and the volume Vt or between the volume Vt and the image sensors, the installation contains beam-limiting screens only with useful beams in order to reduce scattering.

According to another embodiment of the x-ray setup 400, at least two x-ray sources Fj (F1 and F2) are located separately in two different positions, and at least three x-ray sensitive image sensors Ci are located such that each source is is associated with at least one image sensor Ci and that each image sensor Ci is associated with a source and receives x-rays emanating from said source and passing through the region to be inspected. In this embodiment, each source has an aperture greater than or equal to 45°, while the sum of the apertures of both sources is greater than or equal to 90°. It is possible, for example, to provide an x-ray setup 400 containing, for example, a source with an aperture Of greater than or equal to 120°, or an x-ray machine 400 containing two sources whose sum of apertures is greater than or equal to 120°.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5-7, X-ray unit 400 contains three sources F1, F2, F3, each associated with a separate tube 12. X-ray unit 400 also contains five image sensors C11, C12, C13, C14 and C15, each sensitive to X-rays. coming from the first corresponding source F1, five image sensors C21, C22, C23, C24 and C25, each sensitive to x-rays coming from the second corresponding source F2, and three image sensors C31, C32, C33, each sensitive, to x-rays coming from the third corresponding source F3.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the x-ray setup 400 includes at least one source (eg, two sources F1 and F2) from which a divergent x-ray beam emerges. At least one source (in this example, two sources F1 and F2) is located on one side of the secant plane Ps so that each of the beams passes through the secant plane Ps and through the area under test, while at least one image sensor Ci, associated with the specified source Fj to receive x-rays emerging from the specified source Fj, is located on the opposite side of the secant plane Ps. (In this example, these are the five image sensors C11, C12, C13, C14 and C15 each sensitive to x-rays from the respective source F1 and the five image sensors C21, C22, C23, C24 and C25 each sensitive , to X-rays coming from the corresponding source F2). Of course, it is possible to place one source on one side of the section plane Ps and another source on the other side of the section plane Ps, with the corresponding image sensors also located on both sides of the section plane Ps.

According to the preferred embodiment of the X-ray unit 400 shown in FIG. 5-7, a source Fj from which a divergent beam of x-rays emerges is located on one side of the transport plane Pc, while at least one image sensor Ci associated with said source Fj for receiving x-rays emanating from said source is located with opposite side relative to the transport plane Pc. In the example shown, the source F3 is located above the transport plane Pc, while the three image sensors C31, C32, C33 are located below the transport plane Pc. Of course, the position between the source and the image sensors can be reversed with respect to the transport plane.

According to a preferred embodiment of the x-ray setup 400, at least one of the sources Fj is/are located in the transportation plane Pc. Preferably, these sources interact with respective image sensors opposite to them with respect to the cutting plane Ps, and thus, in the case of transporting containers located on a flat conveyor, this arrangement ensures that in radiographic images, the projections of the containers are not superimposed on the projection of the conveyor. Thus, in a digital geometric model of containers, it is possible to accurately determine the part of the container that comes into contact with the corresponding section of the conveyor.

According to a preferred embodiment, the arrangement of the image sensors Ci and sources is such that the X-rays emerging from the source or sources Fj and reaching the image sensors Ci pass through only one area to be checked at a time. In other words, X-rays only pass through one container at a time. It should be noted that the X-ray machine 400 or control line 100 may include a system for controlling the gap between successively moving objects, such as screws or canister side contact belts.

The X-ray unit 400 provides not only fast but also inexpensive dimensional inspection with the accuracy required for dimensional inspection. It allows you to reduce the number of images required for reconstruction to the minimum number that allows you to achieve the required dimensional accuracy. For example, with nine projections and with a limited number of images of the area being checked, it allows you to measure the inside diameter of the neck with an accuracy of +/-0.05 mm or the thickness of the container with an accuracy of +/-0.02 mm. Preferably, the radiographic setup 400 comprises one to four Fj sources, and preferably one or two Fj sources, and preferably four to fifteen radiographic image sensors Ci.

The radiographic image sensors and the source or sources should be positioned so that the combination of the at least three projection directions will optimize the definition of the digital geometric model of the area to be inspected, keeping in mind that the passable volume Vt must be left free for the passage of the containers. Preferably, the following rules apply, these rules being valid for linear or matrix image sensors.

In the future, the angle will be considered an absolute value. In FIG. 8 and 9 show two radiographic projection directions Dji and D'ji, which are also vectors. These figures show the angle r between these two projection directions, i.e. , and the angle s complementing the angle r, i.e. s = 180° - r. By definition, the usable angle α between two different projection directions Dji and D'ji in their section plane Pk is the smallest of the angles r and s, i.e. α = Min(r, s). Thus, the usable angle α is the smallest of the angles formed by two straight lines along which the projection directions Dji, D'ji pass, at any point of the area being checked.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least two images are read for each container, obtained from two radiographic projections in two different projection directions Dji and D'ji, forming a useful angle α between them, greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90°. According to a preferred embodiment, at least two images are read for each container, obtained from two radiographic projections in two different directions, forming a useful angle α between them, greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90°.

To this end, the radiographic apparatus 400 comprises at least one source and two image sensors arranged in such a way that the directions of the projection of the test area received by them have a useful angle α between them, greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90°, and preferably greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90°.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the usable angle α between the directions D15 and D11 and between the directions D13 and D25 is greater than 45°. Of course, it is understood that at least one useful angle is greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90° and preferably at least one useful angle is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90°, and other useful angles between the two directions Dji are any. Based on this rule, a person skilled in the art will be able to find the location that gives the most complete distribution of projection directions of the region to be tested.

According to another preferred feature, for each container, the computer system 600 reads at least one radiographic image of the region to be inspected corresponding to a projection direction forming a certain opening angle β with the movement direction T.

As shown in FIG. 10 and 11 consider the angle p between the projection direction (vector Dji) and the trajectory of the containers (vector T), that is, the angle p = (Dji, T), that is, p = (D11, T) and p = (D12, T) in the example shown in FIG. 10 and p = (D22, T) and p = (D11, T) in the example shown in FIG. 11. The angle q, complementing the angle p, is equal to q \u003d 180 ° - p. By definition, the opening angle β between the projection direction Dji and the trajectory T is the smallest of the angles p and q, i.e. β = Min(p, q). Thus, the opening angle β is the smallest of the angles formed by both straight lines, on one of which there is the projection direction Dji, and on the other - the trajectory T, given at any point of the tested area.

According to another preferred feature, for each object, the computer system reads at least one radiographic image of the area to be checked, corresponding to the projection direction Dji forming an opening angle β of 10° to 60° with the movement direction T. In other words, the claimed installation contains at least one source and an image sensor Ci arranged in such a way that, when an object passes through the field of image sensors, the direction Dji of the projection of the area to be checked on the image sensor Ci forms an opening angle β with the direction T of movement, ranging from 10° to 60°.

In other words, the configuration of the X-ray unit 400 is optimized to reduce its size in the direction of travel and at the same time maintain a container-adapted traversal volume Vt and high reconstruction quality.

Taking into account the passable volume Vt, the installation does not project around the direction T of movement. Passable volume Vt sets the minimum opening angle beta. For example, βmin = 10°. There is not a single sensor located in such a way as to obtain a projection with an opening angle β of less than 10°.

From the foregoing, it should be concluded that the distribution of projection angles for each container in accordance with the invention is not necessarily uniform.

As shown in FIG. 9, the distribution of projection angles may have a gap, called the dead corner area, of 2×10°, ie 20°, instead of completely overlapping by 180°.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the radiographic apparatus 400 comprises at least one source F1 and two image sensors C11, C12, for which the projection directions D11, D12 form with the direction of movement T an opening angle β of 10° to 60°, respectively corresponding to the angles p and q. In the example shown in FIG. 11, radiographic setup 400 includes at least one image sensor C11 associated with source F1 and image sensor C22 associated with source F2. The projection directions D11, D22 form an opening angle β of 10° to 60° corresponding to the angles ρ, and thus it is possible to provide, for example, a radiographic setup 400 comprising a source with an aperture Of greater than or equal to 120°, or a radiographic installation 400 containing two sources, the sum of the apertures of which is greater than or equal to 120°. Similarly, the X-ray unit 400 shown in FIG. 5 comprises an image sensor C11 which is connected to the source F1 and whose projection direction D11 forms an opening angle β of 10° to 60° with respect to the movement direction T.

The radiographic image sensors Ci are of the matrix or line type.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the radiographic setup 400 includes linear image sensors. According to this preferred embodiment, each radiographic image sensor Ci comprises a linear network of radiographic elements sensitive to x-rays and distributed along a reference line Li forming with the corresponding source Fj a projection plane Pji containing the radiographic projection direction Dji (FIG. 2). These radiographic image sensors Ci are arranged in such a way that at least m radiographic sensing elements of each of these radiographic image sensors receive a radiographic projection of the region to be inspected by an X-ray beam emerging from a respective source Fj with projection planes Pji for the various image sensors which differ from each other and are not parallel to the transport plane Pc. The number m of the sensors of each linear sensor is greater than 128, preferably greater than 512. The distance between adjacent radiographic sensors (called "pitch" or "pitch" in English) and/or the size of the radiographic sensors is preferably less than 800 µm. The image line reading frequency is preferably greater than 100 Hz, preferably greater than 1 kHz. Of course, these parameters are determined depending on the size of the containers, on the required accuracy and on the speed of movement.

According to a preferred embodiment, the reference lines Li of the at least three linear radiographic image sensors Ci are parallel to each other.

According to another preferred embodiment, the reference lines Li of the at least three linear radiographic image sensors Ci are orthogonal to the transport plane Pc.

According to a variant, the source Fj is located in such a way that its beam passes through the area to be checked, then through the transport plane Pc. In addition, at least one corresponding linear radiographic image sensor Ci is positioned opposite to the source Fj with respect to the transport plane Pc and such that its reference line Li is parallel to the transport plane Pc.

According to these embodiments with linear radiographic image sensors, the reading system reads, by means of each of said at least three radiographic image sensors Ci, with each incremental movement of each container along the path, linear radiographic images of the area to be inspected in an amount selected so that for each container the entire the checked area was completely displayed on all linear radiographic images. Thus, during the movement of the container, each radiographic image sensor can take linear radiographic images so that the entire area to be inspected is fully displayed on all linear radiographic images obtained with said radiographic image sensor. Thus, for each container, at least three sets of linear radiographic images of the area to be inspected are obtained, which are then subjected to analysis. It is possible to acquire matrix radiographic images by arranging sets of linear radiographic images side by side. However, the reconstruction of the geometric model and the measurement of this do not necessarily require.

It should be noted that, taking into account the passable volume Vt, no radiographic projection is read in the dead angle region (β<±10°) located on both sides of the direction T of movement. Despite the absence of radiographic projections in this range of angles, the radiographic setup 400 makes it possible to build an accurate and complete digital geometric model of the container using an a priori geometric model. This allows measurements of the linear size on the entire digital geometric model and, in particular, in directions that are not orthogonal to the possible projection directions, including measurements of the linear size in the measurement directions orthogonal to the missing projection directions corresponding to the dead angle area located from two sides from the direction T of movement.

Incremental movement is the translational movement produced by the capacitance between two successive image captures. At a given speed of movement of the containers, the incremental movement is limited to the lower limit by the reading speed of the image sensors. This parameter, in combination with the vertical resolution of linear image sensors (or with the horizontal and vertical resolutions of matrix image sensors), determines the density of the measured points of the digital geometric model, that is, ultimately the spatial resolution and measurement accuracy of the dimensional characteristic of the area under test. For example, the incremental movement may be less than 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.2 mm, which means that the image sensors are read 5 times during the 1 mm movement of the containers.

Of course, the number of sources, the number of x-ray image sensors corresponding to each source and their relative positions are determined appropriately depending on the required degree of measurement accuracy, on the shape of the objects and on the spaces between them on the conveyor.

The X-ray unit 400 makes it possible to measure dimensions (for dimensional control) on glass containers moving at high speed and without contact, by means of three x-ray projections in different directions and by means of an optimal, fast and sufficiently reliable calculation.

It should be noted that several batches of different containers can be present at the same control line at glass factories at the same time. The X-ray unit 400 and, in general, the inventive inspection line 100 can be used to check the flow of containers consisting of several different series, for example, the first series and the second series. In this case, the X-ray unit 400 or, in general, the control line 100 includes a system that indicates to the computer system 600 the series to which each of the containers belongs in order to carry out the inventive method for all containers of the same series. In other words, it is provided to provide the computer system with an a priori geometric model of each series of containers, and the computer system is configured to associate radiographic images of each container with the series to which it belongs.

It is noted that at each station, the area of contact between the containers and the tote portion associated with that station is preferably different from the area of the containers tested at that station, especially in the case of finish, bottom, and shoulder or hull inspection stations that use optical inspection. using light rays.

In addition, on the control line described above, it is possible to provide for the transport of containers without vertical movement both at all three stations of the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement, and between the posts of the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement. This simplifies the development of the line, reduces its cost, provides high speeds and simplifies format change operations.

In particular, on the control line using the installations described above, it is possible to provide for the transportation of containers without controlled rotation around their central axis at three posts, but at the same time ensuring the control of inclusions and measuring the linear dimensions of 360 degrees of the container around its central axis A2. In addition, preferably on the line of control using the above-described installations, it is possible to provide for the transport of containers without controlled rotation between the stations of the finish control, the bottom control and the radiographic measurement.

It has already been proposed, for example in EP2368861 or WO2008101492, that each container of a series of containers has a single identifier. This unique identifier for each container is associated with or contains at least data on the production of the container, and / or time and date, and / or the number of the form in which the container was made, and / or the number of the section or cavity in which the container was made. In this case, it is possible to provide that the control line contains at least one reader of the single identifier of the containers checked on the control line. A computer system 600 can be envisioned that receives:

- from the finish control unit - at least one finish control data for the container to be tested;

- from the bottom control unit - at least one bottom control data for the container under test;

- from the installation of radiographic measurement - at least one measurement of the linear size for the tested container.

In this case, the computer system may be configured to generate an informative report linking, for all the tested containers in the series, a single container identifier, specified at least one finish control data, specified at least one bottom control data, and specified at least one measurement for this tested container, and with the ability to store this informative report in electronic memory, so that the report subsequently remains available preferably throughout the life of the container, including, for example, at least until it is purchased by the end customer, that is, as a rule, during several weeks, preferably several months or even several years.

Of course, if the control line contains the arm and/or body control setting, it is preferably provided that the arm and/or body control information for the container being tested is also fed into the computer system and also linked to other data in an informative report.

For example, an informative report may be part of a database in which these data are related to each other as referring to the same container, in this case a container that can be identified by its single identifier. An informative container report may contain other data, in particular production data, allowing identification of the place, date, hour, minute, second of molding, and/or the manufacturing machine, shape, cavity, etc. Later, other data can be added to the informative report, such as filling, distribution, commercialization, usage, or recycling. An informative report can be entered into the “blockchain”, which allows for flawless tracking.

In addition, the computer system 600 may preferably be configured to perform computer processing on the informative reports of the batch container group. This processing may be statistical processing. In addition, the computer system may be configured to set a corrective action on the container production parameter based on this computer processing on informative batch container group reports.

According to a preferred embodiment, the computer system can be associated with the container sorting device depending on the linear measurement of the area to be checked and/or depending on one or more control data. Thus, this sorting device can remove from the transport device containers that are found to be defective, taking into account the measured linear dimensions.

The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown, and various modifications can be made without departing from its scope.

Claims (58)

1. Inspection line for empty glass containers (2) of the same series, each container of the series having a wall bounded by an inner surface (SI) and an outer surface (SE), having a central axis (A2) and forming from top to bottom along the central axis: - a neck (5) ending in a rim (6), the upper side of which forms the upper plane (Psup) of the container perpendicular to the central axis, - shoulder (4’), - housing (4), - and the bottom (3) of the container, which forms the bottom plane (Pinf) of the container, perpendicular to the central axis; wherein the line (100) control contains a device (11, 112, 113, 114) transportation, which provides due to contact with at least one contact area of the containers transportation of containers along the trajectory (T) of movement, while the containers pass through the volume (Vt ) transportation, located along the trajectory (T) of movement; characterized in that the line of control contains installations located, each, at posts that differ from each other along the trajectory (T) of movement: a) at the finish control station, a finish control unit (200) is configured to detect non-contact defects such as inclusions in the neck (5) of containers using light rays, while the unit (200) contains: a1) the test zone of the finish control installation, in which the neck of the container for testing should be located, while the specified zone contains the upper reference plane (Prefh), which must coincide with the upper plane of the container during the test and contains the reference axis (A200), which must coincide with the central axis (A2) of the container at the position of the container during the test; a2) section (112) of the device (11) of transportation, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory (T) of movement in the horizontal plane (Pc) of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers; a3) a row of several directional light emitters (201, 202, ..., 20n), which are distributed in the angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each, in the direction of the test area of the installation, a directed light beam along its own beam axis (A201, A202 ,…, A20n) in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams at many different azimuth angles in the projection onto the upper reference plane; a4) several light receivers (211, 212,…, 21n), which are distributed in the angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which each have an axis of view (A211, A212,…, A21n) and a field of view angle (AV211,…) around this line of sight; a5) optical elements located on both sides of the corresponding reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transport; b) at the bottom inspection station, a bottom inspection installation (300) configured to detect non-contact defects such as inclusions in the bottom (3) of the containers using light rays, the installation (300) comprising: b1) the test zone of the bottom control installation, in which the bottom of the container for testing should be located, while this zone contains the lower reference plane (Prefb), which must coincide with the lower plane of the container during the test and contains the reference axis (A300), which must coincide with the central axis of the container at the position of the container during the test; b2) section (113) of the device (11) of transportation, which provides in the test area of the installation the transportation of containers along a straight section of the trajectory (T) of movement in the horizontal plane (Pc) of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers; b3) a row of several directional light emitters (301, 302, ..., 30n) which are distributed in an angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each, in the direction of the test area of the installation, a directional light beam along its own beam axis (A301, A302 , …, A30n) in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams at many different azimuth angles projected onto the lower reference plane; b4) several photosensitive receivers (311, 312, ..., 31n) which are distributed in an angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which each have an axis of view (A311, A312, ..., A31n) and a field of view angle (AV311) around this view axes; b5) optical elements located on both sides of the corresponding lower reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transportation; c) at the radiographic measurement station, a radiographic installation (400) for automatic measurement of the linear dimensions of at least one checked area of the containers, and this installation has: c1) at least one source (Fj) of the tube (12) generating x-rays, located outside the passable volume (Vt) and creating a directed divergent beam of x-rays to pass through at least one test area containing at least part of the neck and/or part of the container body; c2) section (114) of the device (11) of transportation, which ensures the transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory (T) of movement in the horizontal plane (Pc) of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers; c3) one or more radiographic image sensors (Ci) located outside the transport volume (Vt) to receive x-rays emanating from the source (Fj), while the source or sources (Fj) and radiographic image sensors (Ci) are located so that so that each image sensor receives a radiographic projection of the area to be inspected by means of beams emanating from the source (Fj), when the container intersects these beams, while the directions of the radiographic projection of these radiographic projections are different from each other; c4) a reading system connected to radiographic image sensors (Ci) to read, for each container during its movement, at least three radiographic images of the area to be inspected resulting from at least three radiographic projections of the area to be inspected with different directions of radiographic projection; c5) a computer system analyzing said at least three radiographic images obtained from at least three different radiographic projections to determine at least the inside diameter of the neck in a plane not orthogonal to the direction (Dji) of the radiographic projection, and/or at least the thickness of the housing wall in a plane not orthogonal to the direction (Dji) of the radiographic projection. 2. The control line according to claim. 1, characterized in that it contains at the control station of the shoulder and/or body, different from the control posts of the rim, the control of the bottom and the radiographic measurement, the installation (500) of the control of the shoulder and/or body, which is configured to non-contact detection using light beams of defects such as inclusions in the shoulder and / or body of the containers, while the installation (500) contains: d1) the test area of the arm and/or body control installation, in which the arm and/or body of the container to be tested must be located, while the specified zone contains an intermediate reference plane that must cross the shoulder and/or body of the container during the test and contains a reference axis (A500), which must coincide with the central axis of the container at the position of the container during the test; d2) section of the transport device (11), which ensures the transportation of containers in the test area of the installation along a straight section of the trajectory (T) of movement in the horizontal plane (Pc) of transportation, perpendicular to the central axis of the containers; d3) a series of several directional light emitters which are distributed in an angular direction around the reference axis of the installation and which emit, each in the direction of the test area of the installation, a directional light beam along its own beam axis in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams under a plurality of different azimuth angles in the projection on the intermediate reference plane; d4) a plurality of light receivers which are distributed in an angular direction about the reference axis of the apparatus and which each have a viewing axis and a field of view angle about that viewing axis; d5) optical elements located on both sides of the intermediate reference plane, these optical elements belonging either to the light emitters of the installation or to the light receivers of the installation, but all of them are outside the scope of transport. 3. Control line according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in each of the test zones of the installations for control of the finish (200), control of the bottom (300) and radiographic measurement (400), the transportation device (11) provides transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along the trajectory of movement without controlled rotation around their central axis (A2). 4. The control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that in each of the test zones of the installations for control of the rim (200), control of the bottom (300) and radiographic measurement (400), the transportation device (11) provides transportation of containers in the test zone of the installation along the trajectory of movement in such a way that they were stationary in rotation around their central axis (A2). 5. Line control according to one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that between each of the installations for the control of the rim (200), the control of the bottom (300) and the radiographic measurement (400), the transportation device (11) ensures the transportation of containers along the trajectory of movement without controlled rotation around their central axis (A2) . 6. Line control according to one of paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that the transport device (11) is formed at each of the posts by a corresponding transport section (112, 113, 114) of the transport device, which ensures the transportation of each container (2) through the post, being in contact with the container, while one of the transport sections associated with the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement stations, respectively, provides contact with the first contact area of the containers, while the other of the transport sections associated with the finish control, bottom control and radiographic measurement stations, respectively, provides contact with the second a contact area of the containers other than the first contact area. 7. The control line according to claim 6, characterized in that at each post the contact zone of the containers with the section of the device (11) of the transportation, which is associated with this post, differs from the zone of the containers checked at this post. 8. Line control according to one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that in each of the installations for the control of the rim (200), the control of the bottom (300) and the radiographic measurement (400), the transportation device (11) ensures the transportation of containers without vertical movement. 9. Line control according to one of paragraphs. 1-8, characterized in that the transportation device (11) provides transportation of containers (2) without vertical movement on the control line (100) both at three posts for control of the rim, control of the bottom and radiographic measurement, and between the posts of control of the rim, control of the bottom and radiographic measurements. 10. Line control according to one of paragraphs. 1-9, characterized in that the containers (2) are transported without controlled rotation around their central axis (A2) both at the three posts for control of the rim, control of the bottom and radiographic measurement, and between the posts of control of the rim, control of the bottom and radiographic measurement. 11. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-10, characterized in that the finish control unit (200) contains optical elements of directional light emitters (201, 202, ..., 20n) located above the upper reference plane (Prefh), and optical elements of light emitters (201, 202, ... , 20n) located below the upper reference plane (Prefh) but outside the transport volume (Vt). 12. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-11, characterized in that the finish control unit (200) contains optical elements of light receivers (211, 212, ..., 21n) located above the upper reference plane (Prefh), and optical elements of light receivers (211, 212, ..., 21n) located below the upper reference plane (Prefh) but outside the transport volume (Vt). 13. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-12, characterized in that the bottom control installation (300) contains optical elements of directional light emitters (301, 302, ..., 30n) located under the lower reference plane (Prefb), and optical elements of directional light emitters (301, 302, …, 30n) located above the lower reference plane (Prefb) but outside the transport volume (Vt). 14. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-13, characterized in that the bottom control installation (300) contains optical elements of light receivers (311, 312, ..., 31n) located under the lower reference plane (Prefb), and optical elements of light receivers (311, 312, ..., 31n) located above the lower reference plane (Prefb) but outside the transport volume (Vt). 15. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-14, characterized in that the installation (200, 300) of the control contains directional light emitters (201, 202, ..., 20n, 301, 302, ..., 30n), distributed in such a way that the test area is illuminated by directional light beams under the set different elevation angles relative to the reference plane (Prefh, Prefb). 16. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-15, characterized in that each container (2) of a series of containers has a single identifier, while the control line (100) contains at least one reader of a single identifier of the containers checked by the control line, while the control line contains a computer system (600) , which gets: - from the installation (200) control of the finisher at least one control data of the finisher for the tested container; - from the bottom control unit (300), at least one bottom control data for the container under test; - from the installation (400) radiographic measurement at least one measurement of the linear size for the checked capacity, moreover, the computer system (600) of the control line is configured to create an informative report linking a single container identifier (2), indicated at least one finish control data, indicated at least one bottom control data and at least one measurement for this checked container , and with the possibility of saving this informative report in electronic memory. 17. The control line according to claim 2, characterized in that each container (2) of a series of containers has a single identifier, while the control line (100) contains at least one reader of a single identifier of the containers checked by the control line, while the control line contains a computer system (600) that receives: - from the installation (200) control of the finisher at least one control data of the finisher for the tested container; - from the bottom control unit (300), at least one bottom control data for the container under test; - from the installation (400) radiographic measurement at least one measurement of the linear size for the checked container, moreover, the computer system (600) of the control line is configured to create an informative report linking a single container identifier (2), indicated at least one finish control data, indicated at least one bottom control data and at least one measurement for this checked container , and with the possibility of storing this informative report in electronic memory, while the computer system (600) of the control line (100) receives from the arm and/or body control unit (500) at least one arm and/or body control data for the container being checked , which is linked to other data in an informative report. 18. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 16 or 17, characterized in that the computer system (600) of the control line (100) is configured to perform computer processing on the informative reports of a group of batch containers. 19. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 16-18, characterized in that the computer system (600) of the control line (100) is configured to control the corrective action on the container production parameter based on computer processing on the informative reports of the batch container group. 20. Control line according to one of paragraphs. 1-19, characterized in that the determination of at least the inner diameter of the neck and/or at least the wall thickness of the body includes the construction, for each container, of a digital geometric model of the checked area of the container. 21. The control line according to claim 20, characterized in that said digital geometric model contains three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points calculated on the basis of said at least three radiographic images, and this set of points belongs to the inner and/or outer surface of the vessel wall, with in this case, at least two points are in a plane not orthogonal to the direction (Dji) of the radiographic projection, while said at least the internal diameter of the neck and/or said at least the measurable wall thickness of the body can be measured on a digital geometric model in the plane, not orthogonal to the direction (Dji) of the radiographic projection.