The invention concerns a method for measuring the dimensions of empty glass containers (2) consisting in: selecting at least one region to be inspected of the container, transporting the containers, positioning, on either side of the region to be inspected, at least one focus of an X-ray generator tube and image sensors, acquiring, using image sensors, for each container during its displacement, at least three radiographic images of the inspected region, analyzing the at least three radiographic images so as to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points to deduce at least one inner diameter of the neck and/or one thickness of the body.

An apparatus for sorting containers, in particular, beverage containers, may comprise at least one conveyor belt for transporting a multitude of containers, an identification device for identifying a decor on each container conveyed on the conveyor belt, wherein selection data can be generated by the identification device depending on the respective decor present on a specifically detected container, and a selection device for repositioning individual containers on the conveyor belt depending on the respectively identified decor. The selection device forms a continuous track and has shifting means for shifting the identified containers. The continuous track extends along the conveyor belt in a selection region, and the individual shifting means in the selection region can be accelerated to the same speed as the conveyor belt by means of a transport device, thereby being adjacent to a specific and previously identified container.

An empties sorting device includes a sorting table with a table surface, a feed section, and a discharge section. The discharge section has a dividing device with at least one section partition wall. The device further includes a conveying device, which is designed in such a way that the empties can be transferred from the feed section to the discharge section, and a guiding device with a guiding element, designed to be movable at least into a first guiding position associated with a first collecting channel, and a second guiding position associated with a second collecting channel, and a controller designed to control the movement of the guiding element into the first and second guiding positions in accordance with the type of empties. A discharge section partition wall between the collecting channels can be moved parallel to the table surface, thus allowing an associated collecting channel size to be varied.

An optoelectronic sensor (10) is provided for detecting transparent objects (30) in a monitored zone (22) that has a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light signal (14), a light receiver (26) for generating a received signal from the received light signal, an evaluation unit (28) that is configured to evaluate the received signal and to generate an object determination signal that indicates whether a transparent object (30) has been detected in the monitored zone (22), and an output (32) for outputting the object determination signal. The evaluation unit (28) is further configured to recognize with respect to the received signal and to a piece of reference information whether a detected transparent object (30) has an additional feature (34) and to output a corresponding piece of additional feature information.

The invention concerns a method for measuring the dimensions of empty glass containers (2) consisting in: selecting at least one region to be inspected of the container, transporting the containers, positioning, on either side of the region to be inspected, at least one focus of an X-ray generator tube and image sensors, acquiring, using image sensors, for each container during its displacement, at least three radiographic images of the inspected region, analyzing the at least three radiographic images so as to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points to deduce at least one inner diameter of the neck and/or one thickness of the body.

The present invention relates to a testing method and a corresponding testing system, for example for testing workpieces (2), which are provided for producing containers, in particular beverage bottles, and which can consist of a basic body and a barrier layer that is at least partially applied to the basic body, whereby the workpieces (2) are transported into a receiving vessel (4) by means of a transport device (3), and whereby an image of the workpieces (2) is generated by means of a capturing device (6) and is transmitted to a processing device for testing, wherein the workpieces (2) are led into the receiving vessel (4) upon leaving the transport device (3), whereby the image is generated between the departure from the transport device (3) and the receiving vessel (4) and wherein the image is processed by the processing device in such a way that the quality of the basic body and/or the quality of the barrier layer of the workpieces (2) is tested in order to detect defective workpieces (2). The same testing system and the same testing method can also be used to count the workpieces (2).

An apparatus for sorting containers, in particular, beverage containers, may comprise at least one conveyor belt for transporting a multitude of containers, an identification device for identifying a decor on each container conveyed on the conveyor belt, wherein selection data can be generated by the identification device depending on the respective decor present on a specifically detected container, and a selection device for repositioning individual containers on the conveyor belt depending on the respectively identified decor. The selection device forms a continuous track and has shifting means for shifting the identified containers. The continuous track extends along the conveyor belt in a selection region, and the individual shifting means in the selection region can be accelerated to the same speed as the conveyor belt by means of a transport device, thereby being adjacent to a specific and previously identified container.

An optoelectronic sensor (10) is provided for detecting transparent objects (30) in a monitored zone (22) that has a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light signal (14), a light receiver (26) for generating a received signal from the received light signal, an evaluation unit (28) that is configured to evaluate the received signal and to generate an object determination signal that indicates whether a transparent object (30) has been detected in the monitored zone (22), and an output (32) for outputting the object determination signal. The evaluation unit (28) is further configured to recognize with respect to the received signal and to a piece of reference information whether a detected transparent object (30) has an additional feature (34) and to output a corresponding piece of additional feature information.

An empties sorting device includes a sorting table with a table surface, a feed section, and a discharge section. The discharge section has a dividing device with at least one section partition wall. The device further includes a conveying device, which is designed in such a way that the empties can be transferred from the feed section to the discharge section, and a guiding device with a guiding element, designed to be movable at least into a first guiding position associated with a first collecting channel, and a second guiding position associated with a second collecting channel, and a controller designed to control the movement of the guiding element into the first and second guiding positions in accordance with the type of empties. A discharge section partition wall between the collecting channels can be moved parallel to the table surface, thus allowing an associated collecting channel size to be varied.

The present invention relates to a testing method and a corresponding testing system, for example for testing workpieces (2), which are provided for producing containers, in particular beverage bottles, and which can consist of a basic body and a barrier layer that is at least partially applied to the basic body, whereby the workpieces (2) are transported into a receiving vessel (4) by means of a transport device (3), and whereby an image of the workpieces (2) is generated by means of a capturing device (6) and is transmitted to a processing device for testing, wherein the workpieces (2) are led into the receiving vessel (4) upon leaving the transport device (3), whereby the image is generated between the departure from the transport device (3) and the receiving vessel (4) and wherein the image is processed by the processing device in such a way that the quality of the basic body and/or the quality of the barrier layer of the workpieces (2) is tested in order to detect defective workpieces (2). The same testing system and the same testing method can also be used to count the workpieces (2).