Patent ID: 8373081

Claim:
An inspection system configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including a plurality of carrier bars, each carrier bar being structured to convey a plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path, the inspection system comprising: at least one camera unit configured to sense a predetermined characteristic of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles; a removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, structured to remove at least a selected one of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles from at least a selected one of the plurality of carrier bars depending on whether the predetermined characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit; and a controller in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit, the controller providing a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the predetermined characteristic sensed by the at least one camera unit, wherein the removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having a plurality of extended vacuum nozzles along its length that is equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar, each vacuum nozzle structured to selectively remove the article from the carrier bar by suction.