Abstract: The invention relates to a method for sorting carpet or similar pieces of material to material type and the like, wherein the method comprises the following steps of: placing pieces of carpet on a transport system; disentangling or separating the pieces of carpet on a transport system; fixing pieces of carpet individually to a guide system; recognizing the type of carpet during movement along the guide system; and releasing a piece of carpet into or onto a relevant location determined by the recognition.

Abstract: A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a “soda straw” collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches.

Abstract: A method of processing documents of value.

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 discarded industrial product recycling system capable of acquiring pertinent data required for processings of discarded industrial products such as discarders, reception dates, persons responsible for disposal, disposal dates and so forth for selecting proper disposal for each of the discarded industrial products while automatizing the article data acquisition to a possible maximum for enhancing the enhance disposal rate. An electronic tag (radio-frequency identifier tag) is attached to each of discarded industrial products to allow data required for the processing to be written and read by readers/writers. At a time point and a place where a discarded industrial product is received, basic data required for the processing of that article is written in the electronic tag. Pertinent processing route for each of the manufactured articles is decided by reading the data from the electronic tag while writing additional data in the tag as occasion requires.

Abstract: A wafer ID optical sorting system includes an auto-ID reader, a manual-ID reader and a conveying device, operation of which units is controlled by a monitoring system. The auto-ID reader, connected to the monitoring system, can automatically read and identify an ID and allows the ID to be displayed on the monitoring system. The manual-ID reader, connected to the monitoring system, can fetch the ID image and allows it to be displayed on the monitoring system. The conveying device, connected to the monitoring system, can move the auto-ID reader and the manual-ID reader.

Abstract: A device for the optoelectronic classification of semiconductor materials, which has an identifying device 6 that forwards the morphology of the product 1 to be classified to an evaluating device 7 which evaluates the data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to sorting apparatuses and sorting methods. According to one aspect of the present invention, a sorting apparatus includes an intake section configured to receive plural articles to be sorted; an exhaust section located downstream of the intake section; and an air manifold adjacent the intake section and positioned to emit an air stream in a generally downstream direction and wherein the articles move in a given direction of movement, and the emitted air stream sorts at least some articles from remaining articles and directs the at least some articles in the downstream direction from the intake section to the exhaust section.

Abstract: A sorter is provided for sorting unacceptable agricultural products or foreign objects from acceptable ones. Preferably, the sorter is a monochromatic one performed as the products pass in streams past an illuminated viewing station. The view station includes a plurality of aligned optical sensors. The optical sensors sense the reflected light from the stream of product passing the optical station and form electrical signals indicative of the sensed light. The electrical signals are then processed and the product is accepted or rejected based on its optical characteristics. The sorter may illuminate the product stream with a source capable of generating a visible light spectra or with a source capable of generating a near-infrared spectra. Each illumination source having specific mounting sockets in the sorter. Additionally, the sorter is capable of operating a near-IR source at a significantly reduced voltage whereby the working life of the source is greatly extended.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting indicia on articles. The indicia act to identify a group of articles, having a common characteristic. The articles may be address panels used in mass mailings. Particular address panels, representing the beginning or end of a zip code or a postal delivery route, are pre-marked with one or more special indicia. The apparatus includes a scanning station, a computerized system controller, and a marking station. The scanning station includes a video camera, a video analyzer, a camera controller, and a video monitor. The video camera is programmable by using the camera controller and the video monitor, to scan only a predetermined operative scanning area of each article. The video analyzer assess each pixel within the scanning area and adds up the total number of pixels having a desired characteristic. If the pixel count satisfies predetermined criteria correlating to the presence of an indicia, the article is electronically tagged by the system controller.

Abstract: A device for sorting raw, pre-treated or recycled bulk materials, which are comprised of individual components to be sorted, wherein the classification of the parts to be sorted occurs along empirically determined classification parameters and the material which is sorted is removed, the device including a conveyance device for supplying the bulk material, a conditioning device for wetting the bulk material, a break-down device for breaking down the bulk material into individual parts to be sorted, a sensor device for sensing the classification-relevant characteristics of the components to be sorted and for production of measurement data, which includes at least one camera, which is connected to a device for evaluation of electronically measured values with at least one micro computer for classification of the components to be sorted and for achievement of a control signal by means of a control unit, wherein the camera is associated with at least one even diffused light emitting light source.

Abstract: Methods for classifying plants by remote sensing and image analysis technology are presented. These methods are useful for evaluating plants and for selecting plants for a plant breeding program which has as its goal to selectively alter phenotype. The methods combine the newer techniques of remote sensing technology to obtain indirect correlates of the traits of interest, with classical pedigree breeding strategies. Thermal and infrared reflectance measures of plant canopies are examples of energy values measured by remote sensing, used to indirectly predict the selected traits.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same of have some unifying visual characteristic, said apparatus including: (a) a conveying means for transporting the articles along a predetermined path; (b) at least one vision recognition unit; (c) removal means for selectively removing those articles from the conveying means which have been recognised by the vision recognition unit as having the one or more predetermined visual characteristics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for removing clear avian eggs from a moving egg flat without contacting the removed eggs and without contaminating the eggs remaining within the egg flat. Clear eggs are identified by passing an egg flat between respective pairs of light sources and light detectors and detecting the amount of light that passes through each egg. Clear eggs are then ejected from the moving egg flat into a stationary receptacle located above the moving egg flat by applying a first stream of air to the lower end of the clear egg. A second stream of air may also be applied to the egg after the egg has been lifted from the egg flat by the first stream of air. This second stream of air is applied to the egg along a direction substantially transverse to the first stream of air. A third stream of air may be utilized to dislodge an egg from a stuck condition prior to being ejected from the egg flat.

Abstract: A stream of mixed particulates of two or more materials having different induction heating characteristics (i.e., distinct thermal, dielectric strength and/or loss tangent characteristics), such as recycled glass cullet including fragments of glass mixed with fragments of glass-like contaminants such as ceramics, pyroceramics, tempered glass or the like, is sorted using the differing characteristics of the glass and contaminants to cause detectable differences in temperature. A thick heating layer many particles deep is formed on a conveyor path for heating the stream in a compact mass for uniform heating. An electromagnetic induction heater applies microwave energy between 0.915 and 2.45 GHz for heating the mass, which is then spread into a thin detecting layer, for example one particle deep, on a further conveyor. The detecting layer is digitally imaged using a thermal camera.

Abstract: A device for separating at least one item from a housing part includes a gripping device, a pushing-out means and, if appropriate, a sensing device for identifying the item. The separating device can be used expediently for installations for the disassembly of cassettes or cartridges for audio, video, data or film applications.

Abstract: A method and device for improving the efficiency of mechanical transplanting, wherein seedling balls carrying no seedlings or undersize seedlings are automatically removed prior to the planting stage. Several seedling balls are simultaneously extracted from a common cultivation tray and deficient balls are detected and removed. The deficit caused by a removed seedling ball is compensated by momentarily increasing the rate of feeding balls from the tray. No separate replacement seedling supply is required.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method and an apparatus for sorting seeds for the assessment of the maturity and quality of seeds by measuring the amount of chlorophyll fluorescence. Fluorescence of the chlorophyll molecule is induced by irradiating the seeds with electromagnetic radiation with a suitable wavelength and measuring the chlorophyll fluorescence. Properties of the method are the very high sensitivity, being fully non-destructive and the very high speed.

Abstract: Coded articles are conveyed through an orienting section which tends to arrange the articles in single-file, spaced apart relationship. The articles are then conveyed through a reader/sensor mechanism where the codes are read and the spatial relationship of the packages is determined. Articles which are both properly scanned and properly spaced are conveyed to respective branch lines of a sorter section in accordance with information gleaned from the codes. Articles which are improperly scanned or improperly spaced are diverted to a recycle conveyor by a recycle diverter device located upstream of the sorter section and are re-routed back to the orienting section.

Abstract: A system for automatically inspecting matter for varying composition comprises one or more detection stations through which one or more streams of matter are advanced and particular materials therein are detected through their diffusely reflected IR spectra, if any, and/or through their variation of an electromagnetic field by their metallic portions, if any. A row of light sources distributed across the overall width of one or more belt conveyors may cause desired portions of the stream to reflect light diffusely onto a part-toroidal mirror extending over that overall width, whence the light is reflected, by a rotating, polygonal mirror through optical filters dedicated to differing IR wavelengths, onto detectors the data output of which is utilized in controlling solenoid valves operating air jet nozzles which separate-out the desired portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for the optoelectronic classification of semiconductor materials, has a separating device 2 and a slide face 3, the angle of the slide face 3 to the horizontal being adjustable, and the separating device 2 and the slide face 3 each having a surface made of the semiconductor material to be separated. There is a radiation source 5, through the beam path of which the material to be classified falls, and a shape recognition device 6, which transmits the shape of the material to be classified to a control unit 7, which controls at least one diverter device 8.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting fruit determines the proportion of fruit in a mixture of products containing fruit and bodies foreign to the fruit by capturing at least one initial image of a surface of the mixture to be examined. The device then assigns to each image pixel of one of two extreme grey levels according to the initial grey level of the pixel relative to a set threshold and then records the number of pixels of at least one extreme grey level to determine a area ratio between areas occupied by fruit and foreign bodies in the image. The invention has particular application to the harvesting of fruit, berries and the like produced on trees or bushes grown in rows to use the calculated proportion of fruit to adapt at least one of the functioning parameters of the machine.

Abstract: A sensor section for obtaining identification data from a bill passing through a bill transfer path can selectively be mounted in a plurality of positions on the body of a bill identifying apparatus. The sensor section is mounted in one of the mounting positions, and a certain region of the bill passing through the transfer path is sensed by means of a sensor section to obtain identification data. When the use of forged bill is identified by the bill identifying apparatus, or after the machine has been used for a predetermined time, the mounting position of the sensor section is changed to another one. Thereupon, the sensor section senses other region of the bill passing through the transfer path to obtain identification data. Thus, the sensor section can easily cope with the use of the counterfeit bill even if the bill identifying apparatus is designed to be capable of sensing only a part of the whole area of the bill.

Abstract: A method for determining the purity of processed waste glass, in which the sample quantity is taken from the processed waste glass stream and is deposited preferably in one layer and is allowed to flow over a free-falling track and the foreign matter according to non-ferrous metals and opaque foreign particles are blown out and weighed according to a separate detection of said groups of foreign matter and for the determination of the quality of the sample the ratios of non-ferrous metal additions to the entire sample quantity and the opaque foreign particles to the entire sample quantity are determined, with said groups of foreign matter being jointly weighed continuously and the weight increases, depending on the group of foreign matter--non-ferrous metals or opaque foreign particles--which was detected immediately prior to the weight increase, being added to this group of foreign matter.

Abstract: A glass cullet separation apparatus according to the present invention includes a hopper (1), a rotary feeder (6), an inclined guide plate (14), a conveying belt (17), and a foreign glass discrimination device (37). The discriminated device can radiate a laser beam onto a surface of a cullet passing over a slit of the conveying belt (17) for emission therefrom and for discriminating a "yes or no" foreign glass determination by analyzing a spectrum of the emission. Also, included is a color discrimination device (41), a foreign glass discrimination trigger sensor (33), a color discrimination trigger sensor (40), and air nozzles (44) for ejecting the cullet at each predetermined positions which correspond to the cullet of the foreign glass and the cullet of each color. A non-contact type photoelectric sensor (45) is provided for sensing the cullet passing the air nozzle (44).

Abstract: The sorting system provides a high degree of sorting accuracy even in high throughput sorting applications such as high speed wood chip sorting. In one embodiment, a sorting apparatus (10) includes a shaker (12) for distributing stock material, a spectrographic analyzer (14) for identifying unacceptable material in a product stream, an ejector (16) for diverting unacceptable material from the product stream, a three-zone sorting receptacle (18) and a recirculating system (20) for returning a selected portion of the sorter output for an additional pass by the analyzer (14) and ejector (16). The three-zone sorting receptacle (18) divides the product stream into an accept portion, a rejection portion, and an ambiguous portion including both acceptable product and unacceptable material. The ambiguous portion is re-sorted for improved accuracy at high throughput levels.

Abstract: A heat transfer recording sheet producing apparatus and a roll shaft supplying apparatus. A web supplying unit supplies a web which is printed with end marks by a gravure printing unit. A drying unit dries the end marks, and then the web is wound onto a roll shaft in a sheet winding unit. The sheet winding unit is provided with roll shafts from the roll shaft supplying apparatus. After winding, a roll form is produced and is discharged to a discharge unit. The roll shaft supplying apparatus has a slit detecting unit to detect the presence or absence of a slit in a roll shaft and to detect the orientation of the roll shaft, and a gripping/turning unit operates on the roll shaft in response to a signal from the slit detecting unit. If a slit is detected and the orientation of the roll shaft is correct, the gripping/turning unit moves the roll shaft to a second discharge unit which supplies the roll shaft to the sheet winding unit.

Abstract: A multiple channel gravity-fed slide for a sorting machine is disclosed wherein the heights of the divider ribs between channels are at least high enough to define the channels and keep normally sized products flowing within the respective channels. At least some of the dividers or ribs have a tall height for supporting a product guide or keeper to provide some singulation and order to the products in the respective channels while allowing oversized and misshapen items to overlap into adjacent channels, thereby minimizing jamming of one or more channels.

Abstract: A method of sequentially sorting pieces of material in real-time into output bins where each piece has a composition defined by a plurality of control elements. Each piece is analyzed to determine the concentrations of each control element in the piece. The output bins are assigned target concentrations of the control elements that are defined by customer requirements. The method establishes a bin order used during composition checking to place each piece in a selected bin. The selected bin is the highest order bin that can accept a piece while retaining the actual concentration for each control element of the selected bin within the target concentration for each control element of the selected bin. To optimize the value of the input material to be sorted the bin order is established for each piece based on real-time sort parameters that can determine via global optimization of data from similar input material.

Abstract: Fruit defects of interest in the production of prunes are identified based on characteristics of illumination reflected by the fruit. Various reflection characteristics can be used in this regard including near infrared reflectivity and polarization state of the reflected illumination. In one embodiment, the apparatus (10) of the present invention includes a transport system (12) for transporting fruit (14) through an inspection zone (16), an illumination system (18) for illuminating the fruit (14), a detector system (20) for detecting reflected illumination (21), a sorting system (22) for separating defective fruit from good fruit, and a control system (24) for controlling operation of the sorting system (22) based on signals from the detector system (20) and transport system (12). The signals from the detector system can be improved by treating the fruit inorder to diminish the chlorophyll response.

Abstract: A method of separating selected fruit from a volume of fruit is based on the reflectivity of the selected fruit. The method utilizes an automated optical inspection and sorting system to illuminate a volume of fruit including cranberries characterized by a spectral power distribution in the infrared spectral region. The system detects reflections of wavelengths of the illumination in the infrared spectral region, identifies the selected fruit based on the detected reflectivity, and sorts the selected fruit from the volume of fruit.

Abstract: Pressed articles are arranged substantially vertical in guide grooves, and transferred to pockets of a conveying drum which is intermittently rotated. The pressed articles are rotated at least more than one turn by a pressed article rotating roller while the pockets are stopped at predetermined positions, and the whole side face of the pressed article is observed by an image pickup apparatus. After changing posture of the pressed articles to be substantially horizontal posture by a posture changing apparatus, front and rear surfaces of the pressed articles are observed by image pickup apparatuses while the pressed articles are held and conveyed on respective sides of equilateral polygons of conveying drums which have equilateral polygonal cross-sections.

Abstract: A conveying system for tablet inspection is provided. The conveying system includes a hopper assembly for feeding tablets to a conveyor at a controlled rate. The conveyor includes a pair of conveyor belts surrounding a plenum that communicates with a vacuum pump. The conveyor belts are parallel to one another and are spaced a distance for efficiently supporting a tablet thereon. An uprighter is disposed between the hopper assembly and the conveyor to rotate the tablets into an upright condition supported on an edge. The tablets are stably held in the upright position by the vacuum pump and are moved rapidly in their upright condition by the rotatably driven conveyor belts. The upright orientation of the tablets permits the opposed sides of each tablet to be electro-optically inspected for defects without repositioning the tablets and without changing the direction of movement.

Abstract: A selection machine and process for fine particulate material such as, for example, semolina wheat or other food or industrial products in powdery or granular form, where the particulate material is distributed on a continuous mobile support, is transported from the support to a scanning station for the identification in the particulate material, of undesirable parts thereof, and their position on the support, and, subsequently, to a sorting station having a photoconducting element that can be moved in synchronism with the support and on which photoconducting element is formed a latent image of electrostatic charges, corresponding to the position of the undesirable parts, which electrostatic charges separate the undesirable parts from the desired particulate material by electrostatic attraction.

Abstract: For cleaning foodstuffs in the form of a bulk material, such as cereal grains, rice grains, soybeans, sunflower seeds, coffee beans, and the like, there is provided an optical sorting device (24, 24a, 24a') subsequent to a precleaning system (6), which enables sorting on the basis of color and/or size and/or shape. Each particle of the bulk material is allocated to a particle class determined by parameters and conveyed on a supporting surface transporting the bulk material to a reception area (43, 44, 45) for the respective particle class. To clean the bulk material, impurities and bad particles are sorted out of the product, with the product being partitioned into classes, if required.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for checking an envelope for contents is provided to determine whether or not an envelope has been completely emptied. The thickness of the envelope is measured at a plurality of points along the envelope. From the measured thickness, the thickness, or an integer multiple of the thickness, of the material of the envelope is determined. The thickness of the envelope measured at the plurality of points is compared with the determined material thickness, or integer multiple of the thickness, of the envelope. On the basis of that comparison, a determination is made as to whether or not the envelope has contents therein. The apparatus and method do not rely on measuring the opacity of the envelope.

Abstract: A droplet-deflection flow sorter images a series of droplets, analyzes the image to determine droplet spacing, and alters flow velocity to achieve a desired spacing. Cells in a suspension are forced by gas pressure into a narrow conduit to serialize them and then out a nozzle that includes a "window" that allows cells of interest to be characterized. Droplets breaking off from the exiting jet are imaged by a video system including a strobed light source and a video camera. Droplet spacing is determined by locating the centers of gravity of the droplets. The centers of gravity are located by processing the droplet images to produce line segments corresponding to volumetric droplet slices, with the relative volumes of the slices being proportional to the squares of the line segment lengths. This approach determines droplet center positions and thus spacing more accurately than non-imaging methods, especially with aspherical droplets and droplets with satellites.

Abstract: To test a bottle for contamination, the bottom of the bottle is laterally illuminated with a measuring light beam from a source. This measuring light beam is deflected, as if in a waveguide, in the ring of residual liquids at the bottom of the bottle. Light reemerging from the residual liquid is imaged on a detector by an imaging lens. The detector measures the spectral composition of the deflected light and compares this with theoretical values which should be yielded by the liquid with which the bottle was last filled. If deviations from the theoretical values are excessive, the bottle is rejected. The process described provides a simple way of determining whether a multi-trip bottle has contained an extraneous liquid.

Abstract: A sorting system (10) propels a stream of randomly arranged PET and PVC articles (12, 14) through an inspection zone (20) including a first light polarizer/analyzer combination (24, 26), an article-detecting gap (G), and a second light polarizer/analyzer combination (28, 30). The first and second polarizer/analyzer combinations are oriented to extinguish normally incident light in the absence of articles in the inspection zone and are offset 45 degrees relative to each other such that at least one polarizer/analyzer combination detects a principal axis of birefringence of PET articles. The gap is employed to detect the presence of an article in the inspection zone. A video camera (22) includes first, second, and third CCD arrays (58, 60, 62) positioned to receive respective light rays (48, 64, 50) from the first light polarizer/analyzer combination, the gap, and the second light polarizer/analyzer combination and to generate first, second, and third video signals representative of the light each receives.

Abstract: The present invention provides a carrier tape for storage use of super-miniaturized electronic components, by which the reflection of irradiated light which might cause detection errors cab be prevented, the product inspection can be performed easily and quickly, and number of stored pieces and remaining un-used pieces can be easily and quickly counted, when the presence or absence of deformation--which might take place on the lead portion of the electronic components being stored in the carrier tape--is examined by the optical equipment on the lead portion kept on the carrier tape. The surface of said base component can be treated to form a film to prevent the light reflection or to absorb the light, such as by painting with resins or ink which doesn't reflect the light, or by immersion. Alternatively, the color of the base component is selected to be black.

Abstract: A garbage separation apparatus utilizes a vibrating conveyor to form a thin layer of individual items in a stream of municipal waste. The individual items of municipal waste are then transferred to conveyor belts in spaced apart relation. The conveyor belt passes the items of municipal waste under an array of infrared lamps. Immediately after being illuminated by the infrared lamps, the items of municipal waste are imaged by an infrared video system. The infrared video camera produces a video image wherein specific colors refer to a specific range of temperatures. The output of this video camera is processed to separate mono-temperature images which are processed so as to drive the actuation of individual vacuum grippers out of an array of vacuum grippers placed over the conveyor belt transporting the items of municipal waste.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting pieces of waste of materials having different properties comprises a disk revolving about a substantially vertical axis and comprising a conically upwardly and outwardly tapering rim defining a conveying path, which is concave in cross section, the rim constituting an outer guide wall, and a feeding device for feeding successive pieces to the revolving conveying path at a feeding station. The revolution of the conveying path generates a centrifugal force holding the pieces against the outer guide wall, and a sensor device is arranged along the conveying path for sensing the different properties of the successive pieces. Devices controlled by the sensor device remove single pieces at discharge stations dependent on the sensed properties of the pieces.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence material irregularities and holes in thin walled opaque objects such as can ends having a generally centrally disposed integral rivet formed therein. A radiation source is focused so that a substantial portion of emitted radiation is concentrated on the portion of a can end in which the rivet is formed.

Abstract: Provided is a method for tagging thermoplastic containers using near infrared fluorescing compounds or copolymerized residues readily capable of detection. Also provided is a method for identifying a thermoplastic container. Also provided are thermoplastic polymer compositions comprised of the near infrared fluorescing compounds or residues and articles comprised of such compositions.

Abstract: A collection, storage and dispensing system (10 or 30) for shopping carts (E) including an elongated tubular conduit sized to allow a shopping cart (E) to rollably pass therethrough. The conduit includes a novel upright or a sloped first end section (38 or 14) defining an entrance opening (16 or 36) through which shopping carts (E) enter the system (10 or 30), a generally horizontal mid section (12, 32 or 52), and a sloping or an upright second end section (18 or 38) which defines an exit opening (20 or 40) through which shopping carts (E) exit the system (10 or 30). The mid section (12 or 32) is preferably buried below grade, but may also be elevated above a parking lot surface of a store for vehicles to drive beneath. A floor (62) is provided within the conduit (52) atop which shopping carts (E) roll.

Abstract: An integrated bulk food sorting and analysis apparatus comprises a wide-belt product conveyor which receives and conveys a laterally-distributed stream of bulk food articles past a product diverter. An upstream camera is positioned to view the stream of food articles upstream of the product diverter. Automated sorting logic is responsive to the upstream camera to individually determine optical characteristics of each food article. The product diverter is responsive to the automated sorting logic to divert a portion of the food articles from the stream depending upon their individual optical characteristics. The apparatus also includes a downstream camera positioned to view the stream of food articles downstream of the product diverter. A data processor is responsive to both the upstream camera and the downstream camera to periodically examine samples of food articles and to calculate upstream and downstream quality statistics regarding the stream of food articles.

Abstract: A complete sorting system is provided herein including a sequence of interlacing cable conveyors for conveying objects to be sorted, such as apples or other agricultural produce, from bulk storage at the input to the system, through the system, and along to drops at the output of the system. The cable conveyors are configured and arranged to handle even delicate agricultural produce without damage and at high speed. The produce or objects which are conveyed typically do not roll along the conveyors. Preferably, objects of substantially any shape can be conveyed along the system.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus (10) for dividing meat components such as fat and lean mean, the combined fat and lean meat are extruded into one or more chains of material wherein the fat and lean meat are divided into discrete sections along the length thereof. Each chain of material passes through a conduit (14) and the character of material along each chain is sensed by a suitable sensor (18). The fat and lean meat are then diverted by a diverter (20) functioning in delayed response to the sensor (18) in order to separate the fat and lean meat. The apparatus (10) includes an arrangement for preventing the buildup of material on the internal surface of each conduit (14) and thereby prevents any such buildup from interfering with the operation of the sensor (18) or diverter (20). The buildup preventing arrangement preferably includes a heater element (54) associated with each conduit (14) to heat the inner wall of the conduits.

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.