US2920524A - Inspection device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1960 TL ETAL 2,920,524

- INSIEECTION. DEVICE Filed 001' 25, 1954 INVENTORS. RICHARD J. BARTLETT 8| ROBERT W. HOMPE BY I MM FIG.5. W

' ATTORNEYS V United States Patent 'Ofilice 2,920,524 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 INSPECTION DEVICE Richard J. Bartlett, Chalfonte, and Robert W. Hompe,

Ithan, Pa., assignors to Smith, Kline & French Laboratorles, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvan a Application October 25, 1954, Serial No. 464,400

3 Claims. (CI. 88-14) This invention relates to an inspection device and, more particularly, to means for comparing surface indicia appearing on a pair of adjacently positioned articles.

It is a commonly known practice to inspect printing or other indicia on cylindrical or similarly shaped articles for correctness and for quality of lithographic reproduction. While this may be done by hand by comparing a newly printed article with an original, the hand inspection process relies to asubstantial extent upon the exactness of manipulation and observation performed by an inspector.

It is the object of this invention to facilitate an inspection process of this type and to minimize the possibility of error resulting from observational or manipulational failures on the part of an operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanical apparatus by means of which an article to be inspected and a master article with which the article being inspected is to be compared can be simultaneously moved below a screen, thus providing simultaneous scanning of equivalent portions of the two articles being compared.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for illuminating simultaneously scanned portions of the surfaces of a pair of articles and to provide means for magnifying the simultaneously scanned surface portions.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing the front side thereof;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the apparatus on the trace 3-3 shown in Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through the apparatus on the trace 4-4 shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the trace 55 shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section through a portion of the apparatus as indicated by the trace 6-6 in Fig ure 5.

The inspection device which is shown generally at 10 in Figure 1 includes a base plate 12 which is mounted on four feet 14. A front panel 16 extends upwardly from the front of the base plate 12, a rear panel 18 extends upwardly from the rear of the base plate 12, a side panel 20 extends upwardly from the left side of the base plate 12 as viewed from the front thereof, and a hinged access door 22 is hinged to the right-hand end of the rear plate 18 as viewed from the front thereof. A cover plate 24 extends across the top of the enclosure formed by the base, side and end plates. The top plate 24 is attached directly to the rear plate 18 and is joined to the front plate 16 through an inclined plate 26 which extends upwardly and backwardly from the top edge of the front plate 16 at an angle of approximately 30 from the horizontal.

The inclined plate 26 is provided with a rectangular opening in alignment with a rectangular tube 28 which is attached thereto and extends upwardly therefrom. A cap 30 is fitted over the uppermost end of the rectangular tube 28 and is adapted to mount a magnifying lens 32 through which the interior of the enclosure may be viewed.

A support plate 34 is mounted vertically within the enclosure adjacent to and spaced from the side wall 20 thereof and is adapted to rotatably mount a pair of horizontally extending shafts 36 and 38. The shaft 36 extends through the side panel 20 of the enclosure and has afiixed to the end thereof a knurled knob 40. A gear 42 is alfixed'to the shaft 36 and is adapted to drive the shaft 38 through an idler gear 43 in mesh with a gear 44 aifixed to the shaft 38. The gear 43 is mounted on a stub shaft 37 mounted on the plate 34. The gears 42, 43 and 44 are of equal diameter and thus, when the knob 40 is rotated, the shafts 36 and 38 will rotate together at equal rates and in the same direction.

The shafts 36 and 38 extend to the right through the mounting plate 34, as viewed in Figures 3 and 5, and mount mandrels 46 and 48 which are preferably covered with a friction material such as rubber and are adapted to receive articles to be viewed. The two articles 50 and 52 shown in the drawings positioned on the mandrels 46 and 48, respectively, which are in turn rotated by shafts 36 and 38, respectively, are shown by way of example as body sleeves of conventional inhalers. These body sleeves are printed on the exterior thereof with indicia identifying the product, the manufacturer, the method of use prescribed, etc.

A rod 54 is atfixed to and extends horizontally from the mounting plate 34 on an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the shafts 36 and 38. A plate 56 is hingedly mounted to the shaft 54 and is provided with slots 58 and 60 positioned therein so as to extend trans versely of the surfaces of the two articles 50 and 52, respectively, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof and in a location so as to be visible through and magnified by the magnifying lens 32.

A lamp 62 is mounted in a conventional socket structure 64 which is afiixed to the rear wall 18 of the enclosure and is powered through conductors 66 in a conventional manner. A lamp shield 68 is positioned over the upper portion of the lamp to prevent rays of light emanating from the lamp from passing directly upwardly through the tube 28 to the eyes of a viewer through the magnifying lens 32. It will be evident that the lamp 62 will serve to illuminate the surfaces of the articles 50 and 52 visible through the slots 58 and 60 in the scanning plate 66.

When the apparatus is in use, the hinged side door 22 will be opened and a pair of articles to be compared will be positioned on the mandrels 46 and 48 in such a manner that corresponding surface areas thereof are visible through the slots 58 and 60 in the scanning plate. With the articles thus positioned, the scanning plate is rotated about its hinged pin 54 into the position shown in the figures, the lamp 64 powered to provide the necessary illumination, the door 22 closed to eliminate external and possibly confusing illumination, and then by rotation of the knob 40 the articles to be compared are simultaneously rotated presenting corresponding portions of their surface area at the slots 58 and 60 in the scanning plate for observation in magnified form through the magnifying lens 32.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the invention provides a simple and easily operated apparatus by means of which corresponding surface areas of two articles may be compared and by means of which such comparison can be accomplished with the minimum of possibility of error on the part of an operator.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for comparison of cylindrical articles, comprising a base member, avertically disposed support means. a p o a ja a pa l rolle ch rota ably supported at one. end thereof'by said support means, one of said rollers being adapted to receive and position. a master article and the other of sai rollers being adapted to receive and removably positionan article to be com? pared with said master article, means for synchronously driving said rollers in the same direction, and means through which may be simultaneously viewed corresponding limited portions of. said articles brought inte viewing position by said driving means.

2. A device according to claim 1, comprising. an en: closure; for said device, illuminating means-Within said enclosure, said viewing meansv being adapted for viewing from the exterior of the enclosure and including means magnifying the viewed limited portions of the articles.

3. A device according to claim 1, comprising opaque means interposed between said viewing means and certain portions of said articles, thereby preventing viewing of said certain portions and permitting viewing of said corresponding limited portions for scanning thereof.

Referencesflited in the file of" this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,470 Stone Dec. 26, 1893 2,026,330 Tauschek Dec. 31, 1935 2,161,594 Ruth June 6, 1939 2,425,197 Montague Aug. 5, 1947 2,427,256 Butscher Sept. 9, 1947 2,570,489 Ryder Oct. 9, 1951

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