SISTEMA PER IL CONTROLLO DI QUALITA' DEI PEZZI BASATO SULL'ASPETTO SUPERFICIALE DEGLI STESSI

Inspection apparatus 1 for effecting quality control of article, e.g. patterned ceramic tiles, issuing from an industrial process comprises conveyor means 4,4', 8,8' for delivering the articles successively to the apparatus 1 in line with the production line, spring biased centring means 11 for centring each article on the apparatus 1, optical sensors for determining the article position and its length, parabolic reflecting lighting means 12 for illuminating each article when centred on the apparatus 1, which may be controlled by the optical sensors, and video image generating means 13 supported by an overhead structure 14 for generating video signals of each article so that the characteristics of each article can be compared with a standard. The characteristics may include the articles' form, design or colour. The video imaging means may be a video camera which is controlled by the optical sensors. The system may also detect failures and generate alarm signals.