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Small arms ammunition inspection system

  • US 4,923,066 A
  • Filed: 10/08/1987
  • Issued: 05/08/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A small arms ammunition inspection system for cartridges, cases, bullets and the like, said system comprising:

  • interface means for receiving a supply of ammunition cartridges and providing each cartridge with a predetermined orientation;

    conveying means for locating each of the cartridges for inspection in at least one imaging station;

    means for imaging surface areas of each cartridge in said imaging station to provide video surface feature data associated therewith; and

    means for processing said video surface feature data to detect the presence of a predetermined set of characteristics and provide output signals in accordance therewith,said conveying means being operated to sort each of said inspected cartridges in accordance with said output signals, said conveying means further comprising means for maintaining cartridges in individual slots of a handling plate in a static orientation when said imaging means is operated, and wherein said imaging means comprises an optical system comprising;

    at least one illumination means;

    means for direction light from said illumination means to the head area of said cartridge; and

    means for directing reflected light from said head area to at least one area CCD camera for producing video signals in accordance with surface features of said head area, and wherein said system also comprises a removable color filter between said illumination means and said head area and wherein said video surface feature data processing means is operated to detect the presence of a complete waterproofing/varnish ring around the primer cap in said set of characteristics, said detection operation comprising subtraction of said video signals produced when said color filter is not present.

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