Apparatus for the inspection of syringes

Rows of ten filled hypodermic syringes, without rods and in depending position, are transferred successively from ten-row trays to a rail conveyor by a gang chuck having ten expandable inserts which enter and lift the syringes by their open piston ends. The syringes are conveyed to like chucks on a turret and carried thereby in closely spaced sequence through two inspection stations. Ahead of the first station, they are spun rapidly and then stopped to leave their contents spinning for inspection for suspended particles. in the second, the syringes are rotated slowly to aid inspection for gross defects. Syringes found defective are pulled off their chucks manually by the inspectors and dropped to a chute for reject syringes. Accepted syringes are transferred in vertical position from the turret to an angled delivery wheel, which tilts them to a horizontal position and delivers them to a conveyor leading to a rod inserting machine and labelling and packaging mechanism.