Apparatus for conveying containers, in particular glass bottles, into an inspection zone for determining material defects

In an apparatus for conveying containers, in particular glass bottles, into an inspection zone for determining manufacturing defects, an inspection zone is provided in the conveyor belt. In the inspection zone, there are arranged, for receiving the containers, plates which are uniformly spaced with respect to one another and circulate around the inspection zone on a closed, predetermined track. The plates can be rotated at least within an essentially linear region of the inspection zone. At a distance from the plates which corresponds to the height of the containers to be inspected, mandrels are attached at the axis of rotation of every plate. They circulate around the inspection zone synchronously with the plates and centre the containers on the plates. The mandrels can be moved higher in the vertical direction by means of in each case a cam provided at the transition zones to the inlet and outlet belt, so that the containers, after they have passed through the inspection zone, can be removed from the plates of the transporting stars.