US Patent 7956623 Container filling machine

The present invention provides a container filling machine comprising a sensing device for detecting the integrity of discrete articles for personal treatment to be packaged in a container. The sensing device comprises a pair of capacitor plates positioned in a substantially opposing relationship for creating therebetween an electric field, a track for guiding the discrete articles for personal treatment through said electric field and a processing unit. The processing unit is in communication with the pair of capacitor plates, and is operative for detecting a change in capacitance as a discrete article passes through the electric field in order to determine the integrity of the discrete article on the basis of the change in capacitance and a characteristic capacitance change signature. The container filling machine further comprises a transportation device, a rejection device, a counting device and a plurality of path blocking devices.