Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for screening articles utilizing a computerized touch sensitive screen or other computerized pointing device for operator identification and electronic marking of objects within the article to be further examined. An operator positioned at a computerized touch sensitive screen views electronic images of the articles to be screened as they are conveyed past a sensor array which transmits sequences of images of the series either directly or through a computer to the touch sensitive display screen. The operator manually “touches” objects within the articles displayed on the screen to be identified on coupled interactive screens thereby registering the objects selected within the computer. The computer then provides sequential information identifying actions to be taken and information and data to be recorded.

Abstract: A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

Abstract: An apparatus and process that makes use of spectral information in the mid-infrared range (400 to 4500 cm?1) to identify recyclable materials containing barrier polymers from recyclable materials not containing barrier polymers, which includes projecting light containing the mid-infrared (MIR) range onto materials to be analyzed, dispersing the MIR light that has reflected from or passed through the materials or both into various wavelengths, measuring the intensity of the MIR light at least one wavelength responsive to differences between the materials, measuring the intensity of the MIR light at least one wavelength not responsive to differences between the materials in order to provide a reference, and comparing the measurements in order to identify barrier materials from non-barrier materials.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for sorting plastic materials on a recycling operation wherein near and infrared energy illuminates particles of flake plastic including such as PET, PVC and PS transported along a conveyer line and the contaminant ingredients are identified and ejected from the stream of preferred particles. More accurate sorting, and thus a higher quality sort may be performed where the contaminant materials and the preferred materials are identified by comparing ratios of levels of signals of energy transmitted through or reflected from the particles, the levels of signal being obtained by filtering the energy from the particles through bandpass filters, one filter of which is centered on the absorptive peak of a contaminant and another filter is centered on a frequency exhibiting the energy level of the preferred material equal to that occurring at the center of the filter for the contaminant absorptive peak.

Abstract: A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

Abstract: A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for sorting plastic materials on a recycling operation wherein near and infrared energy illuminates particles of flake plastic including such as PET, PVC and PS transported along a conveyer line and the contaminant ingredients are identified and ejected from the stream of preferred particles. More accurate sorting, and thus a higher quality sort may be performed where the contaminant materials and the preferred materials are identified by comparing ratios of levels of signals of energy transmitted through or reflected from the particles, the levels of signal being obtained by filtering the energy from the particles through bandpass filters, one filter of which is centered on the absorptive peak of a contaminant and another filter is centered on a frequency exhibiting the energy level of the preferred material equal to that occurring at the center of the filter for the contaminant absorptive peak.

Abstract: A high accuracy rapid system for sorting a plurality of waste products by polymer type. The invention involves the application of Raman spectroscopy and complex identification techniques to identify and sort post-consumer plastics for recycling. The invention reads information unique to the molecular structure of the materials to be sorted to identify their chemical compositions and uses rapid high volume sorting techniques to sort them into product streams at commercially viable throughput rates. The system employs a laser diode (20) for irradiating the material sample (10), a spectrograph (50) is used to determine the Raman spectrum of the material sample (10) and a microprocessor based controller (70) is employed to identify the polymer type of the material sample (10).

Abstract: A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

Abstract: A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for classifying materials utilizing a computerized touch sensitive screen or other computerized pointing device for operator identification and electronic marking of spatial coordinates of materials to be extracted. An operator positioned at a computerized touch sensitive screen views electronic images of the mixture of materials to be sorted as they are conveyed past a sensor array which transmits sequences of images of the mixture either directly or through a computer to the touch sensitive display screen. The operator manually "touches" objects displayed on the screen to be extracted from the mixture thereby registering the spatial coordinates of the objects within the computer. The computer then tracks the registered objects as they are conveyed and directs automated devices including mechanical means such as air jets, robotic arms, or other mechanical diverters to extract the registered objects.

Abstract: A technique for sorting different materials using x-ray radiation employs a conveyor for conveying a non-singulated stream of material items along a feed path and a transmission/detection arrangement. The transmission/detection arrangement transmits x-ray radiation to material items in the feed path, detects x-ray radiation received from different portions of each material item, and generates signals corresponding to radiation received from different portions of each material item. A circuit averages at least a portion of the signals to produce an averaged signal and analyses the averaged signal to determine at least one physical property of each material item based on analysis of the averaged signal. A sorting assembly sorts the material items based on the analysis of the averaged signal.

Abstract: Solid waste is sorted by passing it through a rotating hollow drum which has sets of extensions, called flights, from the interior wall of the drum, some sets of flights being separated from each other and from the entrance to the drum by blank sections along the drum wall. The first set of flights are knives, so that filled plastic waste bags are opened and emptied. The second set of flights are adjustable magnet strips, lifting and depositing ferrous material onto a conveyor. A ferrous scraper removes ferrous materials, for depositing onto the conveyor. The third set of flights are flexible lifters for lifting and depositing glass, grit and dirt onto another conveyor. A bar screen is positioned over the conveyor to screen out larger materials, clean the lifters, and to be cleaned by the lifters.

Abstract: A bag opener for opening bags containing recyclable materials includes a source of heat sufficient to melt the bags and an assembly that brings the bags into the vicinity of the source of heat to open the bags. In a preferred embodiment the source of heat includes a heated member and the assembly brings the bags into contact with the heated member to open the bags.

Abstract: An automated sorter includes a feed slide on which containers or refuse may be fed. The feed slide includes a separation region on which a several objects may be located. A light source directs light on the objects in the separation region. An ejector, including several ejector units, is positioned downward of the separation region. A scanner scans the separation region, determines when an object should be ejected, and controls the ejector units to eject the selected objects. Thus, the selected objects are ejected into a first fraction, and the non-selected objects are left in a second fraction. A fraction thus obtained can be sorted, to separate the containers or refuse into further fractions.

Abstract: An automated interrupt driven system which employs a circular buffer is used to sort materials based on differing electromagnetic radiation absorption and penetration characteristics. The system has a conveyor and a source of electromagnetic radiation which radiates materials travelling along the conveyor. A controller samples detector outputs at various times to evaluate the absorption and penetration characteristics of the materials to be sorted, based on a plurality of samples. Portions of the materials are ignored to obtain accurate readings from the detectors. Based on the detected penetration and absorption characteristics, the controller activates ejection mechanisms causing materials of different compositions to be deposited into different bins. The controller executes interrupts to cause detection, ejection, testing, and system history maintenance at required times.

Abstract: A bag opener for opening bags containing recyclable materials includes a source of heat sufficient to melt the bags and an assembly that brings the bags into the vicinity of the source of heat to open the bags. In a preferred embodiment the source of heat includes a heated member and the assembly brings the bags into contact with the heated member to open the bags.

Abstract: Solid waste is sorted by passing it through a rotating hollow drum which has sets of extensions, called flights, from the interior wall of the drum, some sets of flights being separated from each other and from the entrance to the drum by blank sections along the drum wall. The first set of flights are rotatable knives, positioned in a reverse spiral, so that larger items, usually filled plastic waste bags, are inhibited from advancing until opened and emptied. The second set of flights are adjustable magnet strips, lifting and depositing metal material onto a conveyor belt. The third set of flights are flexible lifters for lifting and depositing glass, grit and dirt onto the takeout belt, which rub against the conveyor, thus cleaning both the lifters and the conveyor. A bar screen is positioned over the conveyor to screen out larger materials, clean the lifters, and to be cleaned by the lifters. There is also a movable conveyor belt which relieves jamming by moving away from the drum wall.

Abstract: An automated interrupt driven system which employs a circular buffer is used to sort materials based on differing electromagnetic radiation absorption and penetration characteristics. The system has a conveyor and a source of electromagnetic radiation which radiates materials travelling along the conveyor. A controller samples detector outputs at various times to evaluate the absorption and penetration characteristics of the materials to be sorted, based on a plurality of samples. Portions of the materials are ignored to obtain accurate readings from the detectors. Based on the detected penetration and absorption characteristics, the controller activates ejection mechanisms causing materials of different compositions to be deposited into different bins. The controller executes interrupts to cause detection, ejection, testing, and system history maintenance at required times.

Abstract: An automated interrupt driven system which employs a circular buffer is used to sort materials based on differing electromagnetic radiation absorption and penetration characteristics. The system has a conveyor and a source of electromagnetic radiation which radiates materials travelling along the conveyor. A controller samples detector outputs at various times to evaluate the absorption and penetration characteristics of the materials to be sorted, based on a plurality of samples. Portions of the materials are ignored to obtain accurate readings from the detectors. Based on the detected penetration and absorption characteristics, the controller activates ejection mechanisms causing materials of different compositions to be deposited into different bins. The controller executes interrupts to cause detection, ejection, testing, and system history maintenance at required times.