Patent ID: 7494003

Claim:
A bottle inspection machine comprising a starwheel feeder, an outfeed mechanism for receiving bottles from the starwheel feeder including an inner belt conveyor operating at a desired conveyor speed having a pickoff wheel adjacent the starwheel feeder, a second wheel and at least one drive belt supported between said pickoff wheel and second wheel for defining a linear outfeed belt portion leading to an exit location, and an outer serpentine belt conveyor operating at the same desired conveyor speed having an idler wheel, said idler wheel with said pick off wheel defining an opening for receiving a bottle displaced by said starwheel feeder, a third wheel, at least one flexible serpentine belt supported between said idler and third wheels, said idler and third wheels being selectively located to define a serpentine belt path which, with said pick off wheel, defines an interference for the displacement of a bottle therebetween, said serpentine belt being sufficiently flexible so that a bottle displaced into the opening between said pickoff and idler wheels will be conveyed by said serpentine and inner belts with the serpentine belt changing its configuration as the bottle is conveyed around said pick off wheel, and said third wheel being located so that the serpentine belt will maintain a bottle against said linear outfeed belt portion as said bottle is conveyed to the exit location.