Patents by Inventor Paul Torek
Paul Torek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11192146Abstract: A system has a conveyor for carrying at least two categories of scrap particles positioned at random on a surface of the conveyor, with at least some of the particles comprising metal. The system has a sensor array with a series of analog inductive proximity sensors arranged transversely across the conveyor. An active sensing end face of each sensor lies in a sensing plane, and the sensing plane is generally parallel with the surface of the conveyor. A control system of is configured to sample and quantize analog signals from the series of sensors in the array, and locate and classify a scrap particle on the conveyor passing over the array into one of at least two categories of material based on the quantized signals. A method for sorting the particles is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2018Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: Huron Valley Steel CorporationInventors: Michael A Hawkins, Kalyani Chaganti, Paul Torek, Benjamin H Aubuchon, Richard Wolanski, Kerry Lang
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Patent number: 10898928Abstract: A system and a method of sorting scrap particles is provided. A moving conveyor containing scrap particles is imaged using a vision system to create a vision image corresponding to a timed location of the conveyor, and is sensed using a sensing system to create a sensing matrix corresponding to the timed location. The sensing system has at least one array of analog proximity sensors. A control system analyzes the vision image as a vision matrix of cells, and generates a vision vector containing vision data from the vision matrix for the particle. The control system analyzes the sensing matrix, and generates a sensing data vector containing sensing data from the sensing matrix for the particle. The control system classifies the particle into one of at least two classifications of a material as a function of the vision data vector and the sensing data vector.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2018Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Huron Valley Steel CorporationInventors: Kalyani Chaganti, Paul Torek, Michael A. Hawkins
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Publication number: 20200101497Abstract: A system has a conveyor for carrying at least two categories of scrap particles positioned at random on a surface of the conveyor, with at least some of the particles comprising metal. The system has a sensor array with a series of analog inductive proximity sensors arranged transversely across the conveyor. An active sensing end face of each sensor lies in a sensing plane, and the sensing plane is generally parallel with the surface of the conveyor. A control system of is configured to sample and quantize analog signals from the series of sensors in the array, and locate and classify a scrap particle on the conveyor passing over the array into one of at least two categories of material based on the quantized signals. A method for sorting the particles is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2018Publication date: April 2, 2020Applicant: HURON VALLEY STEEL CORPORATIONInventors: Michael A HAWKINS, Kalyani CHAGANTI, Paul TOREK, Benjamin H AUBUCHON, Richard WOLANSKI, Kerry LANG
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Publication number: 20190299255Abstract: A system and a method of sorting scrap particles is provided. A moving conveyor containing scrap particles is imaged using a vision system to create a vision image corresponding to a timed location of the conveyor, and is sensed using a sensing system to create a sensing matrix corresponding to the timed location. The sensing system has at least one array of analog proximity sensors. A control system analyzes the vision image as a vision matrix of cells, and generates a vision vector containing vision data from the vision matrix for the particle. The control system analyzes the sensing matrix, and generates a sensing data vector containing sensing data from the sensing matrix for the particle. The control system classifies the particle into one of at least two classifications of a material as a function of the vision data vector and the sensing data vector.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2018Publication date: October 3, 2019Inventors: Kalyani CHAGANTI, Paul TOREK, Michael A. HAWKINS
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Patent number: 9785851Abstract: A system and a method of sorting scrap particles includes imaging a moving conveyor containing scrap particles using a vision system to create an image. A computer analyzes the image as a matrix of cells, identifies cells in the matrix containing a particle, and calculates a color input for the particle from a color model by determining color components for each cell associated with the particle. A light beam is directed to the particle on the conveyor downstream of the vision system, and at least one emitted band of light from the particle is isolated and detected at a selected frequency band to provide spectral data for the particle. The computer generates a vector for the particle containing the color input and the spectral data, and classifies the particle into one of at least two classifications of a material as a function of the vector.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Huron Valley Steel CorporationInventors: Paul Torek, Benjamin Aubuchon, Kalyani Chaganti
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Patent number: 9486839Abstract: An apparatus and a method for sorting scrap metal containing at least two categories of metals are provided. An x-ray beam is directed towards at least a portion of a particle of scrap metal. Backscattered x-rays, forward scattered x-rays, and transmitted x-rays from the particle are measured and input into a classifier, such as a database with a cutoff plane. The scrap metal is sorted into a first category and a second category on the scrap metal by a controller. An x-ray source for a scanning system is provided with an electron beam generator, an electromagnetic beam focusing coil, a pair of saddle shaped beam steering coils, and a target foil to create a scanning x-ray beam along a plane.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2012Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Huron Valley Steel CorporationInventors: Paul Torek, Daniel F. Gorzen, Kalyani Chaganti
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Publication number: 20130304254Abstract: An apparatus and a method for sorting scrap metal containing at least two categories of metals are provided. An x-ray beam is directed towards at least a portion of a particle of scrap metal. Backscattered x-rays, forward scattered x-rays, and transmitted x-rays from the particle are measured and input into a classifier, such as a database with a cutoff plane. The scrap metal is sorted into a first category and a second category on the scrap metal by a controller. An x-ray source for a scanning system is provided with an electron beam generator, an electromagnetic beam focusing coil, a pair of saddle shaped beam steering coils, and a target foil to create a scanning x-ray beam along a plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2012Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: HURON VALLEY STEEL CORPORATIONInventors: Paul Torek, Daniel F. Gorzen, Kalyani Chaganti