Patent ID: 8102170

Claim:
A method for counting and validating discrete articles to be introduced into containers, comprising: providing an apparatus for counting and validating discrete articles to be introduced into containers, the apparatus having a thinning-out section which receives the articles from supply means and distances the articles from one another, wherein the thinning-out section is such that each article crosses at least one detection zone which has electronic components including at least one variable reactance sensor, a reactance of which varies according to specific articles passing through the detection zone, the apparatus having at least one processing unit, connected to the variable reactance sensor in order to receive as an input, an output signal from the variable reactance sensor and to analyze a waveform of the output signal, the waveform being a function of the reactance variation, such that the processing unit outputs data relating to a number of the articles which have passed through the detection zone, including a state of wholeness of the articles and whether articles are of a different nature from other articles that have passed through the detection zone, the thinning-out section being a non-horizontal thinning-out support on which the articles freely descend as they are subject to a non-null force of gravity component; the detection zone being located in the thinning-out section, the at least one variable reactance sensor being a capacitive sensor, the electronic components being armatures of at least one condenser, the thinning-out support having a multiplicity of grooves which have a V-shaped transversal section, a surface of a concavity of which is covered with an electrically-insulating material, detection zones being located in a specific position along the grooves and being laterally defined by the armatures of the at least one condenser, the armatures being non-parallel to one another and being each located on a parallel plane to one of two planes on which surfaces for defining the concavity are located; and wherein the method further comprises the following stages: a. distancing the articles from one another; b. making each article of the articles pass through the at least one detection zone such as to induce a consequent reactance variation in the at least one variable reactance sensor, according to which reactance variation, an output signal of the variable reactance sensor takes on a specific waveform; c. sending the output signal from the variable reactance sensor to the processing unit; d. outputting from the processing unit, data including a number of the articles which have passed through the at least one detection zone, a state of wholeness of the articles as well as a passage of different nature articles through the at least one detection zone.