Patent ID: 9697596
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: B07C,F42B,G01B,G01N,G06T

Claim:
1. A method of optically inspecting parts, each of the parts of the type having a length, a width, an axis and a head, the method comprising: supporting a part to be inspected at a loading station; transferring the supported part by a split belt conveyor so that the part travels along a first path which extends from the loading station to an inspection station at which the part has a predetermined position and orientation for inspection; simultaneously imaging a plurality of exterior side surfaces of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part at the inspection station to form an optical image of at least a portion of each of the imaged side surfaces of the part at a single image plane; detecting the optical images at the image plane; processing the detected optical images to obtain a plurality of views of the part which are angularly spaced about the axis of the part; and transferring the part after the inspection at the inspection station so that the inspected part travels along a second path which extends from the inspection station to an unloading station.