JOHN M BEATTY
Engineers in Murrysville, PA

5309486, May 3, 1994

Nov 12, 1992

7/975050

John C. Lichauer - Monroeville PA
Lawrence J. Zana - Hampton Township, Allegheny County PA
Nicola G. Arlia - Bellevue PA
John M. Beatty - Murrysville PA
Hassan J. Ahmed - Irmo SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1700

376248

A non-contact surface flaw detection system for workpieces such as nuclear fuel pellets transports the pellets continuously along an illuminated path while rotating them. A line scan camera records a series of line scans for the pellets and the resulting values of pellet reflectivity are digitized. Pixel values are compared to thresholds defined adaptively by averaging and/or using a video finite impulse response filter, to generate a binary map of "good" and "bad" pixels, that also defines the edges of the pellet in the map. A processor counts and associates bad pixels to logically define and assess blobs of bad pixels. The processor checks for coincidence of the edge pixels with a nominal edge line that best fits the edge, for finding edge flaws. The pellets assessed in this manner are selected or rejected. Camera sensor elements are normalized for gain and offset.

5147047, Sep 15, 1992

Jan 14, 1991

7/640770

Hassan J. Ahmed - Irmo SC
John M. Beatty - Murrysville PA
Ralph W. Kugler - Mt. Lebanon Township, Allegheny County PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

B07C 502

209538

A method and apparatus for inspecting cylindrically configured pellets for surface defects is disclosed. At least one axially extending linear portion of the peripheral surface of the pellet is optically sensed. A set of discrete digital values representative of the optically sensed linear portion of the pellet surface is generated and the set of digital values is compared to a predetermined standard. Groups of digital values representative of adjacent locations on the surface of the pellet having values greater or less than the predetermined standard are identified. The area of adjacent digital values having a value above the standard, and the area of adjacent digital values having a value below the standard are calculated and compared to a predetermined area. The pellet is rejected when the calculated area exceeds a predetermined area. During inspection, the pellet is moved axially through an inspection station by first and second horizontally positioned substantially parallel and longitudinally extending pellet support rolls.

5325443, Jun 28, 1994

Jul 6, 1990

7/549570

John M. Beatty - Murrysville PA
Edward C. Borgoyn - North Braddock PA

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

G06K 956

382 8

The two sides of a flat panel are inspected in successive inspection stations each of which includes a camera having a linear array of CCD elements which generates an image line-by-line from a stripe of light reflected by one flat surface of the panel as the panel is conveyed through the inspection station. The signals representing images of the two faces of the panel are independently digitized and stored in separate pixel arrays of gray-scale values. The images are queued for filtering followed by processing by a single image processing board which generates a table of hits, identified as pixels having gray-scale values which breach preselected thresholds. Sections of the stored pixel array are transmitted sequentially to the image processing board which has a frame size smaller than the stored array, with the frame sized sections overlapping as required to confine the pixels processed to those inside the edges of the panel image. A microprocessor analyzes the hits identified by the image processing board and generates a reject signal if the density of hits exceeds a limit. The microprocessor also associates hits by proximity into blobs and rejects the panel if a weighted count of hits in any blob exceeds predetermined criteria.