Patents Examined by Muhammad Awais
  • Patent number: 11969766
    Abstract: An article sorting nesting device includes an article delivery device, a rack assembly and a collection device under operation by a controller to transport, sort and nest random articles into a particular configuration. The rack assembly is arranged at an angle and incrementally displaced relative to the delivery device to position empty shelves adjacent the delivery device to successively receive the articles by gravity. The controller controls which articles from the shelves are delivered in sequence to a collection device based on a sensed length, width or color of each article. The collection device collects the selected sequential articles and arranges them in the particular configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: James L. Taylor Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Bradley S. Quick
  • Patent number: 11969765
    Abstract: Included are a chute arranged in an inclined manner to allow sorting targets to flow downward, optical detection means for detecting the sorting targets at a detection position, and ejector means for sorting and removing the sorting targets based on a result of detection of the optical detection means. The chute is provided with an optical detection slit in a direction orthogonal to a flow-down direction of the sorting targets, a slit width of the optical detection slit is adjustable, and the optical detection means images the sorting targets flowing downward on the chute with the imaging means at a position where the optical detection slit is provided as the detection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: SATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Kawamura, Takuya Nishida
  • Patent number: 11958058
    Abstract: A system for sorting metallic objects by magnetic separation has an electromagnetic core. The electronic core includes at least a first portion, a second portion, and a bottom. A sorting flap is arranged facing the electromagnetic core to fashion a circulation space for a conveyor of objects to be sorted from the first portion toward the second portion. The sorting flap includes a magnetic element arranged to form an air gap (E1) between the first portion and the sorting flap. The air gap forms a magnetic barrier opposing the passage of non-magnetic metallic objects, such that the objects are ejected from the conveyor. The second portion is arranged to ensure a return of the magnetic flux lines toward the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ETABLISSEMENTS RAOUL LENOIR
    Inventors: Pierre Pitot, Gregory Durand, Quentin Laurent, Dominique Steichen, Cyril Brisebard
  • Patent number: 11931746
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing aggregate material includes a chassis, a trough mounted on the chassis at an inclined angle, and at least one shaft rotatably mounted within the trough and extending from a lower to an upper end of the trough. The at least one shaft has blades mounted thereon, the blades being angled so that they carry material within the trough towards the upper end of the trough when the at least one shaft is in a normal direction of rotation. A discharge opening is formed in a base of the trough adjacent the upper end of the trough, a weir being provided in the trough upstream of the discharge opening over which processed material must pass to reach the discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CDE Global Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Convery
  • Patent number: 11931747
    Abstract: This invention relates to an inverted up-flow separator, its use in a method of recovering target mineral particles from tailings and a process for the recovery of target mineral particles from tailings using the inverted up-flow separator of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: FINETECH MINERALS PROPRIETARY LIMITED
    Inventor: Rudy Niemoller
  • Patent number: 11925943
    Abstract: A method of separating a shell from a seed may involve introducing a feed stream containing shells of a fruit intermixed with seeds of the fruit into a separation column at a feed stream location. The method may also involve introducing a first volume of a separation liquid into the separation column at a first liquid addition location located below the feed stream location and a second volume of the separation liquid into the separation column at a second liquid addition location located above feed stream location. The separation liquid may flow upwardly in the separation column at a rate effective to cause the seeds of the fruit to flow upwardly with the separation liquid toward a seed outlet of the separation column while the shells of the fruit flow downwardly against the upwardly flowing separation liquid toward a shell outlet of the separation column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: CROWN IRON WORKS COMPANY
    Inventor: Wade Steven Martinson
  • Patent number: 11925959
    Abstract: In batchwise operation, the granulate grains (4) are filled into the dedusting container (9), which has no closure element at the lower granule outlet opening (25) and in which the whirling nozzles (31) for introducing compressed air are arranged in a lower cone (28), and—in particular depending on the filling level in the intermediate container (14) below—are filled into the dedusting container (9) either dropped downwards without counterflow (32), dedusting being effected by conveying out the introduced air, optionally due to the negative pressure at the upper air outlet opening, whereby only freely suspended dust particles are sucked off or already during the filling process a counterflow (32) is introduced, which partially does not allow the filled granulate grains (4) to fall through the granulate outlet opening (25) but holds them quasi floating at the level of the lower third or lower quarter of the dedusting container (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HELIOS GERÄTEBAU FÜR KUNSTSTOFFTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Klaus Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 11926961
    Abstract: A method for dilution for a pressure screen comprising a rotor rotating inside a screen a distance to the screen, includes supplying feeding stock into a screening zone formed in the spacing between the rotor and the screen with some of the feeding stock passing through the screen into an accept area to become accept, and the remaining feeding stock discharged into a reject area as reject flow. The amount of the dilution water added into the reject flow is 0.8 to 3.5 times the amount of the reject flow by volume. Additionally, a pressure screen comprises a dilution water adding apparatus adapted to add dilution water directly into the reject area of the pressure screen, wherein the amount of the dilution water added into the reject flow is 0.8 to 3.5 times of the amount of the reject flow by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ANDRITZ (China) Ltd.
    Inventor: Alexander Gscheider
  • Patent number: 11921026
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for anti-sorting particles is disclosed. In an example embodiment, particles move in a fluid along a microfluidic channel. A measurement device determines which particles are selected or desired particles by measuring a desired characteristic of the particles and outputting an associated signal. The energy source continuously imparts a force on unselected or undesired particles in a deflection region of the microfluidic channel to remove the unselected or undesired particles from the stream of particles. Based upon the signal outputted by the measurement device, the energy source is controlled to reduce or eliminate the force on selected particles such that the selected particles flow on a natural or expected flow path to a collection area such as an output channel. By avoiding application of force to desired particles, the anti-sorting systems and methods can improve viability and other characteristics of the desired particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: CYTONOME/ST, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Charles Sharpe, Kiryakos S. Mutafopulos
  • Patent number: 11911775
    Abstract: A compact hydraulic particle separator apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a partition. A liquid fluid flow upwelling through the partition from the lower chamber is caused to mix with tangential jet of fluid flowing introduced above the partition in the upper chamber produces an upwardly-flowing cyclonic flow within the upper chamber. Particle mixtures containing low- and high-density particles and other solids are introduced into the upper chamber through a feed tube having a mouth that is offset from the center of the upper chamber. Low-density particles are immediately entrained in the cyclonic flow and swept upward and exit the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventors: John M Richmond, Michael Gray
  • Patent number: 11911801
    Abstract: Apparatuses, method and computer program products for automatically performing sorting operations are disclosed herein. An example apparatus may comprise: an array of gripping elements, and at least one processing component configured to: obtain image data corresponding with the plurality of items; identify, from the image data, one or more characteristics of the plurality of items; determine, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics, an ordered sequence corresponding with the plurality of items; and generate a control indication to cause at least one of the gripping elements to perform the sorting operations based at least in part on the ordered sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Wicks, David Pepley
  • Patent number: 11911800
    Abstract: A mail piece sortation system for maximizing a number of INTELLIGENT MAIL BARCODES (IMBs) encoded mail pieces that are postal-allowable within a mailing tray is described. The system utilizes the thickness of each mail piece, which is determined before placement of the mail piece into a mailing tray. A computer controller oversees the operation of the system and tracks the thickness of each mail piece for assembling each mailing tray with a maximum number of mail pieces based on the thickness determination to achieve a maximum allowable number of mail pieces within the mail tray. INTELLIGENT MAIL TRAY LABELS (IMTLs) are created by the system and attached by an operator to each mailing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Broadridge Output Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Preston, Marc Fagan
  • Patent number: 11904361
    Abstract: A screen plate for a separating device for classifying bulk material along with separating device having at least one screen plate therein classifying bulk material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Thomas Aigner, Franz Bergmann, Andreas Schneider, Jonas Killermann
  • Patent number: 11897000
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for sorting powder particles into ranges of particles according to one or more of a density, size and/or shape of the particles, wherein the device (1) comprises a particle sorting chamber (2) with at least one sloping side wall (3), which side wall (3) slopes from a lower part (4) of the sorting chamber (2) towards an upper part (5) thereof, wherein the lower part (4) of the sorting chamber (2) is larger dimensioned than the upper part (5), wherein at the upper part (5) of the particle sorting chamber (2) an inlet (6) is provided for supplying a flow of the powder particles to be sorted to the sorting chamber (2), wherein a particle outlet (7) is provided in the upper part (5) of the sorting chamber (2) for conducting sorted particles from the sorting chamber (2) through a duct (8) to at least one particle sedimentation classifier (9), wherein in the lower part (4) of the sorting chamber (2) means (11) are provided for generating an upward rotating gas flow in th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: Value Ash Technologies NV, Vito NV
    Inventors: Roeland Geurts, Ruben Snellings, Michel Loots, Vladimir Zyryanov
  • Patent number: 11883830
    Abstract: A waste sorting system (1) comprising a tank (S) for collecting recyclable material (RM) and a sorting unit (U) comprising a first sorting station (10) connected to the tank (S) through a transport device (12) of the recyclable material and a first sorting basin (14) containing a first liquid solution (L1) of given density to separate, according to Archimedes' principle, the recyclable material (RM) into a first material phase (F1) of first selection and a second material phase (F2) of first submersion; the first sorting basin (14) is delimited at the bottom by a first lower collection portion (140), the sorting unit (U) comprising first scraper means (16) associated with the first sorting basin (14) for collecting the first phase (F1) from a free surface of the first liquid solution (L1) and first wash means (18) of this first phase (F1); the first lower collection portion (140) being passed through by a first conveyor (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: WEBSPHERE IT & SOFT SOLUTIONS SRL
    Inventors: Maria Giovanna Gamberini, Giovanni Rolfini
  • Patent number: 11883854
    Abstract: An optical sorter includes a light source, a color sensor, a determination part configured to determine a foreign object and/or a defective product, a color shift amount calculation part configured to calculate, based on a color image acquired by the color sensor, an amount of a color shift that occurs due to the fact that at least two element groups out of an R element group, a G element group, and a B element group are spaced apart from each other in a transit direction of a sorting target, a speed calculation part configured to calculate a transit speed of the sorting target based on a separation distance between the at least two element groups in the transit direction, the color shift amount, and a scan time, which is a time required for the color sensor to scan the sorting target once, and a sorting device configured to perform a trajectory change operation for changing a trajectory of a specific sorting target determined based on a result of the determination by the determination part at a timing determ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Doi
  • Patent number: 11878328
    Abstract: A color sorting method for small-grain agricultural products combining an area scanning photoelectric characteristic and a line scanning photoelectric characteristic is provided. The present invention obtains an area scan image of small-grain agricultural product materials on a conveyor belt by using an area scan camera, which can accurately extract area array features of the materials and realize accurate identification of the unqualified materials. At the same time, the present invention can provide key parameters for accurate positioning during free falling of the materials while identifying the unqualified materials by using the area scan image, and can cooperate with the line scan positioning camera and the pneumatic nozzle to achieve high-speed elimination of the unqualified materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Jiangsu University
    Inventors: Jiyong Shi, Yu Shi, Xiaobo Zou, Xiaowei Huang, Zhihua Li, Zhiming Guo, Changsheng Qiao, Junwei Yu, Xinai Zhang, Di Zhang, Xiaodong Zhai, Xuetao Hu, Tingting Shen, Chenguang Zhou, Yang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11865548
    Abstract: A spiral separator for separating more-desired material from less-desired material has a feed arrangement for feeding a slurry of mixed more-desired material and less-desired material, a spiral trough, and a splitting arrangement for off-take of a concentrate band of more desired material, and the spiral trough is configured to provide an effective cross-trough floor slope of less than 8 degrees to horizontal in a turn immediately upstream of the splitting arrangement. The separator may be a multi-stage separator and include a slurry preparation apparatus between each pair of stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: OREKINETICS INVESTMENTS PTY LTD
    Inventors: Ezra McKenzie, Peter Gates
  • Patent number: 11865585
    Abstract: A sorting apparatus, comprising: transportation vehicles for moving, on the basis of a control instruction, along a direction of a transportation row to a target position indicated by the control instruction, such that an object to be sorted is transferred from the current transportation vehicle on which the object is currently placed to a next-row transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation row where the next-row transportation vehicle is located is adjacent to the transportation row where the current transportation vehicle is located in a direction away from a feed inlet. The sorting apparatus occupies a small space, has low requirements on sites, and can be widely applied. Also comprised are a sorting method for a control module of the sorting apparatus, and ac electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium for implementing the sorting method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing Jingdong Qianshi Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiaochong Chen
  • Patent number: 11858007
    Abstract: To provide an optical grain sorter that can reduce the proportion of non-defective grains blown off collaterally, and even in a case in which a plurality of defective grains or the like fall down in a state overlapping each other, can blow off all the defective grains or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Tadashi Matsushita, Masaaki Sadamaru