This invention regards a stopper device associated with an apparatus for automatic reception, reading and handling of receptacles. More particularly, it regards a passage stopper associated with an apparatus, hereinafter called a receiving apparatus, in which the receptacle, at least during part of the transport through the receiving apparatus, is placed horizontally on a conveyor device, and where rotation about the longitudinal axis of the receptacle is imparted to the receptacle simultaneously with the transport, or as a sepa¬ rate function. The passage stopper is arranged to be able to block the receptacle during transport through the receiving apparatus.

In this context, the term receiving apparatus includes down¬ stream equipment such as conveying ways and sorting plants, in addition to a recognition unit.

Devices for automatic reception, reading and handling of used beverage receptacles, such as described above, must be able

to recognise a number of the characteristics of the recepta¬ cles. This is required in order to make it possible to ac¬ cept, sort and further process the receptacles, and also pay out the correct deposit to the person returning the recepta- cles.

The device must be set to recognise at least one of the char¬ acteristics of the receptacle, which may be: Appearance, typically regarding shape and colour, bar code or other iden¬ tifier, weight and/or type of material.

Because the receptacles to be identified are generally rota- tionally symmetrical about their longitudinal axis, charac¬ teristics such as shape, colour, weight and type of material can easily be determined by observing the receptacle from any aspect relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. Identifiers such as bar codes are often visible only from one side of the receptacle, thus requiring rotation of the recep¬ tacle for reliable reading of the identifier.

It is important for this type of device to receive, recognise and process receptacles at a high speed, so as to allow the user to feed the receptacles in at a natural pace and not have to wait for the device to identify the receptacle.

Norwegian patent 313 496 regards a receiving apparatus in which said factors have been resolved in a largely satisfac¬ tory manner. The receiving apparatus of NO 313 496 is charac- terized in that a belt conveyor is slightly inclined relative to .the. horizontal plane; and relative to the direction of feed perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Together, gravity and the movement of the conveyor belt force the receptacle that is to be fed through the receiving apparatus against support-

ing means arranged in parallel with the direction of trans¬ port, thus effecting simultaneous transport and rotation of the receptacle. Preferably the angle between the conveyor and the supporting means is set so that the receptacle will ro- tate through at least 360 degrees within the reading area of a bar code reader system.

The supporting means, e.g. a plate or an arm against which the receptacle can slide and rotate, indicates the direction of transport of the receptacle without blocking a substantial portion of the backlighting seen from an image processing system.

The receiving apparatus is provided with a bar code reader system and typically also other identification reader sys¬ tems. Such systems may be an integrated part of the image processing system.

A controller processes, electrically or electronically, the data and signals relayed by the detectors and determines the identity of the receptacle based on this. The controller utilises the identity of the receptacle to decide on the fur- ther transport and processing of the receptacle. If the re¬ ceptacle cannot be identified, the conveyor is reversed, thus feeding the receptacle back out of the device.

The receiving apparatus must be capable of receiving and rec¬ ognising receptacles of varying sizes. Typically the recepta- cles have diameters ranging between 50 and 130 mm.

In order to ensure that the receptacles with the largest di¬ ameter go through a complete revolution during the transport through the recognition chamber of the receiving apparatus,

the spiral or helical motion of the receptacle must have a relatively small pitch. A complete revolution is required to ensure that e.g. a bar code on the receptacle can be read.

A relatively, small pitch leads to a reduced rate of feed through the receiving apparatus. A reduced rate of feed is undesirable, as it is important to give the user the impres¬ sion that the receiving apparatus is efficient.

For reasons of space it is also undesirable to extend the re¬ ceiving apparatus to any significant degree.

It may also happen that receptacles are introduced too far in on the conveyor belt, making them unable to rotate through one complete revolution before leaving the conveyor belt. It is also known that unacceptable receptacles have been thrown through the receiving apparatus, causing excess work for per¬ sonnel at the downstream end of the receiving apparatus.

The object of the invention is to remedy or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of prior art.

The object is achieved in accordance with the invention, by the characteristics stated in the description below and in the following claims.

In an apparatus for automatic reception, reading and handling of receptacles, in which the receptacle, at least during part of the transport, is placed horizontally on a conveyor de¬ vice, and where rotatiόn ^""" abbύt ^""" the ^" 3όrigiTudTήal ^" axi ^" s ^" is ^" i ^" m- ^" parted to the receptacle simultaneously with the transporta¬ tion, or as a separate function, there is provided a stopper

(passage stopper) that, when in the operative position, is in a blocking position relative to the axial direction of dis¬ placement of the receptacle.

The passage stopper can be moved between its blocking opera- tive position and an inactive position, and is arranged to be moved from its blocking operative position to its inactive position based on recognition in the receiving apparatus.

A receptacle that, due to the above mentioned factors, has not been recognised in the apparatus, will be able to con- tinue its rotation about its own longitudinal axis after stopping against the passage stopper, allowing a bar code reader or other identification apparatus to repeat the read¬ ing of a bar code or other possible identification each time the receptacle goes through a revolution.

In a preferred embodiment a plate member constitutes the pas¬ sage stopper, the principal plane of which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. The plate member can be moved between its operative and its inac¬ tive position by an actuator.

If required, the passage stopper may comprise a rotatable plate member, the principal plane of which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, the plate member being arranged to rotate about an axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the recepta- cle.

Alternatively the passage stopper can comprise an appropri¬ ately formed body that has been given e.g. a spherical shape.

It may be desirable to provide the passage stopper with a reading device, or optionally the passage stopper may be pro¬ vided with a mirror face that co-operates with a reading de¬ vice located in the receiving apparatus in order e.g. to read information from the end portion of the receptacle. The read¬ ing device may be e.g. a camera, a bar code reader, a picto- gram reader or other identification apparatus. In connection with the passage stopper there may also be a device for de¬ struction of the receptacle security code.

The passage stopper according to the invention will, when used in connection with the receiving apparatus of NO 13 496, allow the feed rate in the receiving apparatus to be in¬ creased while the length of the receiving apparatus is re¬ duced. The increased feed rate helps to make it easier to feed asymmetrical receptacles through the receiving appara¬ tus. In this context, asymmetrical receptacles refers to re¬ ceptacles with a principally non-cylindrical shape.

The passage stopper facilitates repeated reading of e.g. a bar code or other codes. The passage stopper also prevents manual movement through the receiving apparatus of recepta¬ cles that are not acceptable.

The following describes a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of the conveyor - device-of -a-,receiving-apparatus,. in._which._a passage stopper according to the invention is in the opera¬ tive position, with a receptacle on its way towards the passage stopper;

Figure 2 shows the conveyor device after the receptacle has stopped against the passage stopper; and

Figure 3 shows the conveyor device after the passage stopper has been moved to the inactive position and the re- ceptacle has passed the passage stopper.

In the drawings, reference number 1 denotes the conveyor de¬ vice of a receiving apparatus. The conveyor device 1 com¬ prises a flat belt conveyor 2, a supporting means 4 and a downstream conveyor 6.

The flat belt conveyor 2 is arranged at a slight angle rela¬ tive to the supporting means 4, and at the same time, the flat belt conveyor 2 presents a slight incline relative to the horizontal plane. The overall effect of these features is that a receptacle 8 placed on the flat belt conveyor 2 will go through a helical displacement when the flat belt conveyor 2 is in operation, the receptacle 8 being simultaneously moved along and rotated about its longitudinal axis 12. The downstream conveyor 6 is arranged to carry off receptacles 8 that have been accepted.

The conveyor device 1 forms part of a receiving apparatus (not shown) that is known per se, and which also comprises the necessary recognition apparatuses. The principle of op¬ eration of the receiving apparatus for recognition of recep¬ tacles 8 is, as mentioned hereinbefore, known from e.g. NO 313 496, and thus will not be described in any more detail - herein-.-

A passage stopper (stopper) 14 is movably arranged at the outlet 16 from the supporting means 4. The passage stopper

14, which is controlled by an actuator (not shown), is, when in the operative blocking position such as shown in figure 1, arranged to prevent a receptacle 8 from being moved out of the outlet 16.

If the receptacle 8 is not recognised during its displacement along the supporting means 4, the passage stopper 14 will re¬ main in the blocking position, so that the receptacle 8 stops against the passage stopper 14, see figure 2.

Due to the working of the flat belt conveyor 2, the recepta- cle 8 will rotate about its longitudinal axis 12, giving a bar code reader or other identification apparatus (not shown) a new chance to read a code (not shown) . For most types of receptacle 8, the longitudinal axis 12 of the receptacle 8 generally coincides with the axial direction of displacement along the supporting means 4.

If the receptacle 8 is not recognised, reversing the direc¬ tion of rotation of the flat belt conveyor 2 returns the re¬ ceptacle 8. As a result of the abutment and rotation of the receptacle 8 against the passage stopper 14 and the resultant displacement relative to the flat belt conveyor 2, it is highly probable that the receptacle will follow a somewhat offset helical path on its return, compared with the path it followed during feeding. As a result it is possible that the receptacle 8 will be recognised and accepted while being dis- placed back through the recognition chamber 1.

- -if- -t-he--receptacl-e--8-is ■recognised -and accepted .while- being,., displaced along the supporting means 4 or while being stopped against the passage stopper 14, the passage stopper 14 is moved back to its inactive position by the actuator (not

shown) , whereby the receptacle 8 can pass out through the outlet 16 and travel onwards on the downstream conveyor 6, see figure 3.

In figure 1, the passage stopper 14 is provided with a read- ing device 18 for reading information off the end portion of the receptacle 8. This may be information that will verify that other recognition information (not shown) is genuine, or information that will allow differentiation between different types of receptacles 8 with very similar geometries.

At the passage stopper 14 there is also provided a marking destruction apparatus 20 for destruction of e.g. the security marking (not shown) on the receptacle 8.