Ronald Duane Wertz
Engineers at Vassar Dr, Boulder, CO

5140274, Aug 18, 1992

Jun 13, 1990

7/537036

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
H. Kent Minet - Littleton CO
Stephen M. Horacek - Louisville CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01R 2726

324671

An apparatus and method for non-destructively measuring the thickness of an internal coating in a container and when the internal coating is defective the area of exposed metal. The apparatus uses a frequency source which is capable of generating two sinusoidal signals of predetermined frequency and of constant amplitude wherein the two sinusoidal signals are ninety degrees apart in phase. One of the two signals is applied across a predetermined area at a selected interior configuration in the container. The applied signal has its phase and amplitude varied as a function of the thickness of the internal coating and as a function of exposed surface metal from defects in the coating. Applied signal as varied is converted to a voltage in a current-to-voltage amplifier and delivered into an electronic circuit which combines it with the second signal from the frequency source in order to produce a capacitive output indicative of the thickness of the internal coating being measured in the predetermined area. The applied signal as varied is also combined with the first signal in order to produce a resistive output indicative of the area of exposed metal. A plurality of sensing probes are placed in a container to obtain thickness and exposed metal area measurements at different predetermined areas of the container, thereby obtaining a profile of the interior coating of the container.

4681448, Jul 21, 1987

Mar 25, 1985

6/715825

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01B 902

356352

A method and apparatus is disclosed for stabilizing the operative angle of acceptance of a multiple-beam interferometer means that is employed in an optical measuring system wherein optical radiation source means are employed. In accordance with the disclosed apparatus, the optical radiation source means is utilized to provide a reference point optical radiation source which emits reference optical radiation that is received by the multiple-beam interferometer means. With respect to such reference optical radiation, a set of reference non-localized multiple-beam interference fringes are created by the interferometer means. A photoelectric detection means is provided to detect the two-dimensional position of at least a portion of the innermost interference fringe of the reference set of interference fringes. Such positional information is transmitted by electrical signals to a processor means which compares such signals to desired values therefor. The desired values reflect what size said detected innermost fringe should be if the multiple-beam interferometer means is operating at a predetermined and desired angle of acceptance.

5493221, Feb 20, 1996

Jun 4, 1993

8/072465

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO

Alltrista Corporation - Muncie IN

G01B 706, G01R 3312, G01N 2772

324229

Apparatus (40) locates welds or other junctures (20) in sheet material (12). The apparatus (40) includes a sensor (16) that produces a varying signal that is a function of the distance (100) between a surface (26) of sheet material (12) and the sensor (16), a differentiator circuit (42) differentiates the varying signal as a function of time, a comparator (44) compares the differentiated signal with a calculated allowable and sends a signal to an input (90) of an electronic latch (46), the electronic latch (46) sends a signal to a reject mechanism (48), and the reject mechanism (48) sends a reject-accomplished signal to a reset terminal (98) of the electronic latch (46). The method of the invention includes transporting the sheet material (12), producing a rate of change signal that is a function of changes in thickness (18) of the sheet material (12), determining an allowable rate of change signal, and comparing the produced rate of change signal with the allowable rate of change signal. Preferably, the producing step includes obtaining a varying electrical signal whose variations are a function of variations in the thickness (18) of the sheet material (12), and developing a rate of change of signal from the varying electrical signal.

5245399, Sep 14, 1993

May 28, 1992

7/890670

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
Jeffrey P. Davies - Louisville CO
Robert H. Cormack - Boulder CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01N 2127, G01N 2190, G06K 968

356 71

An optical inspection system which inspects for the presence of defects in colored labels placed, for example, on the side walls of cylindrical beverage cans. The optical inspection system utilizes a conveyor for conveying the beverage cans in a production line where such beverage cans typically are randomly oriented. The optical inspection system positions an optical head near the beverage cans as they move in the production line without physically interfering or interacting with the movement. The optical head senses a preselected number of different colors which appear in a predetermined field of view of each moving can. The cans being randomly oriented have different portions of the label visible in the predetermined field of view which is fixed in position. The optical head produces analog electrical signals corresponding to the intensity of each sensed color. A computer is utilized to process these analog electrical signals from the optical head.

4718776, Jan 12, 1988

Nov 17, 1986

6/932446

Jerry R. Gilland - Boulder CO
Christopher L. Sweeney - Denver CO
Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO

Ball Corporation - Broomfield CO

G01K 700

374170

A portable monitoring device and method are disclosed for monitoring a predetermined parameter, such as temperature. The portable device, or probe, is miniaturized and includes a sensor and an associated electronic unit encased within a housing. The sensor senses the parameter to be monitored and produces signals indicative thereof, while the electronic unit includes a converter for converting signals received in analog form to digital signals, a memory for storing the digital signals, and a microprocessor for controlling the sensing and signal storing operations. The probe is a self-sufficient unit, is electrically isolated while at the monitoring area, and is caused to operate in an active mode during periods of sensing and storing of information in memory that requires low power with even lower power consumption being achieved when the probe is inactive. A band, electrically insulated from the remainder of the housing, allows readout of information stored in memory within the probe after the probe has been removed from the monitoring area and mounted at a console unit for readout purposes.

5345309, Sep 6, 1994

Oct 10, 1991

7/774199

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
H. Kent Minet - Littleton CO
Stephen M. Horacek - Louisville CO
Brett A. Nickerson - Northglenn CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01N 2190

356372

A system for generating a solid model of the sidewall of the container. A mandrel selectively holds the container in first and second locations. In the first location, a non-contact measurement apparatus utilizing a digital camera produces digital information for generating a three dimensional sidewall surface profile of the container based upon shadow edge detection. In the second position, a contact measurement apparatus produces information for generating a three dimensional sidewall thickness map of the container. A computer collects the information from the contact and non-contact measurement apparatuses and produces an overall solid model of the sidewall of the container based upon sidewall surface profile and sidewall thickness. The computer generates can tilt, diameter, can ovality, and can squarity information.

5132791, Jul 21, 1992

Sep 25, 1990

7/587870

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
H. Kent Minet - Littleton CO
Daniel J. Messerschmidt - Broomfield CO
Carey Brown - Denver CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

H04N 718

358106

An optical inspection system inspects individual sheets having scrolled and unscrolled edges for defects in a production line with high transfer velocities. Each of the individual sheets are delivered in a production line with some spacing between them and potentially with some degree of skewness and offset from the production center line. The inspection system of the present invention utilizes a formed viewing window over which individual sheets from the production line are delivered. As each sheet is delivered over the formed viewing window, the undersurface of each individual sheet is uniformly and continuously illuminated along the length of the formed viewing window with high intensity diffused light. The reflected light from the surface of each moving individual sheet is captured by at least one video camera. As the sheet moves across the formed viewing window, a line-by-line video image is captured and stored according to a rectangularization technique which eliminates the need for customized masks.

5120126, Jun 9, 1992

Jun 14, 1991

7/715802

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
Jeffrey P. Davies - Louisville CO
Robert H. Cormack - Boulder CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01N 2127, G01N 2190, G06K 968

356 71

An optical inspection system which inspects for the presence of defects in colored labels placed, for example, on the side walls of cylindrical beverage cans. The optical inspection system utilizes a conveyor for conveying the beverage cans in a production line where such beverage cans typically are randomly oriented. The optical inspection system positions an optical head near the beverage cans as they move in the production line without physically interferring or interacting with the movement. The optical head senses a preselected number of different colors which appear in a predetermined field of view of each moving can. The cans being randomly oriented have different portions of the label visible in the predetermined field of view which is fixed in position. The optical head produces analog electrical signals corresponding to the intensity of each sensed color. A computer is utilized to process these analog electrical signals from the optical head.

5374988, Dec 20, 1994

Dec 21, 1992

7/994414

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
Jeffrey P. Davies - Louisville CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01N 2189, G01N 2127

356328

An optical inspection system which inspects for the presence of color defects in a stream of material (e. g. carpeting, fabric, wall paper, printed matter, or a series of discrete objects) traveling along a production line. The optical inspection system positions one or more optical heads near the stream of material as it moves along the production line without physically interfering or interacting with the movement. Each optical head senses a preselected number of different colors appearing in a predetermined field of view on the stream of material. The optical head produces electrical signals corresponding to the intensity of each sensed color within its field of view during each sample. A computer is utilized to process these electrical signals from each optical head. The computer first generates a number of two color signatures based upon the selected number of colors for each optical head.

5167157, Dec 1, 1992

Mar 26, 1991

7/675481

Ronald D. Wertz - Boulder CO
Stephen M. Horacek - Louisville CO
H. Kent Minet - Littleton CO
Robert Cormack - Boulder CO

Ball Corporation - Muncie IN

G01N 2924

73627

An apparatus and method for inspecting multilayer articles. An article to be inspected is clamped in a liquid filled tank between a pair of focused transducers. An ultrasonic pulse is introduced to a cross section of the article from each transducer sequentially. Reflections from the surfaces and interfaces within the article are received by each transducer and transmitted to a computer for analysis. The thicknesses of the innermost layers of the article are determined by calculating the mean of the measurements from each transducer for each inner layer.