Abstract: A hydraulic actuated agricultural product sorting apparatus employing a hopper introducing products into a fluid flow which carries them into two counter-rotating spirals mounted side by side which align and merge the products and then moves them in line into a singulator which uniformly spaces them prior to their movement through an inspection station which inspects them and signals a gating means for sorting the products according to the signals received from the inspection station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for grading and sorting articles, particularly fruit, according to size, surface blemish and surface color. Fruit is passed sequentially through a camera array which scans the surface of each fruit and measures the intensity of light reflected from successive discrete surface segments. Significant differences between such measured intensities are detected and a measurement of surface blemish is generated in accordance therewith. Size measurements are derived by counting the total number of segments in the surface of each fruit. Color measurements are derived by averaging the ratio of red light intensity to infrared light intensity reflected from each of a plurality of surface areas of each fruit. The fruit are separated and delivered to separate receivers by a mechanism responsive to the size, blemish and color measurements of the respective fruit.

Abstract: Nahcolite-containing ore particles are separated from oil shale particles in a mixture of particles of nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore by irradiating the mixture of ore particles with electromagnetic energy in the infrared region of the spectrum and sorting the particles according to energy reflected at one or more selected wavelengths within that region to separate the nahcolite-containing ore particles from the oil shale particles.

Abstract: Articles, such as rectangular thin film circuits (11), are sorted by advancing a row of the articles along a chute (20). The leading article (11-A) in the row is stopped in a test position with a releasable stop member (40), after which the lead article is tested for a characteristic, such as by a photoelectric detector (41) that scans a circuit and detects the absence or presence of an ink mark (16) previously applied to a defective circuit. If the article is of a first type (good circuit), the stop 40 is released so that the lead article advances further to a receiver (30). If the article is of a second type (bad circuit), a mechanism (45) is operated to eject the article transversely from the chute (arrow C). Preferably, an article to be ejected is pivoted (arrow F) about a transverse axis (F) to disengage the trailing edge (48) of the lead article (11-A) from the leading edge (49) of a following article (11-B) prior to ejection from the chute.

Abstract: Apparatus for sorting articles is characterized by a circuit arrangement responsive to first and second electrical signals representative of the light reflected from the same portion of the article to be sorted as detected against a first and a second background, the first background having a reflectivity characteristic greater than the reflectivity characteristic of the second background, to generate an electrical signal representation of the portion of the viewing zone occupied by the article. This signal is used to scale both the first and second signals to provide an electrical signal representation of the reflectivity of the article at the first and second color wavelengths.

Abstract: The inspection of a cylindrical article is accomplished by scanning the surface of the article in a plane transverse to its longitudinal axis with a light beam sequentially reflected from mirrors spaced about the periphery of the article. Light that is reflected or scattered from the article's surface is detected by sensors which are symmetrically positioned on either side of the scanning plane. Intensity variations and time variations of the sensor signals thus produced are processed to extract information concerning the article's surface uniformity, cross sectional shape, longitudinal shape and length as the article is moved along its longitudinal axis through the inspection plane.An apparatus is also described for effecting such a method. The apparatus uses a rotating polygonal mirror scanner, a plurality of fixed mirrors positioned in the scanning plane peripherally around the article to be inspected and annular sensors positioned fore and aft of the scanning plane through which the articles pass.

Abstract: Sorting apparatus and method comprise a viewing area, a removal area, and a conveyor for passing a thin bed of indiscriminately mixed items first through the viewing area and then through the removal area. Radiant energy, which includes bands of two mutually different wavelengths that are reflected in a predetermined relationship by some of the items and in other than that relationship by the other items in the mixture, is flooded into the viewing area as an integrated spread throughout the area from preferably special light fixtures producing both visible light and infrared radiation.

Abstract: An electro-optical inspection system for a binary patterned web which automatically determines registration and the quality of subjects of inspection by comparison with a master pattern stored in the memory of a computer and then passes or rejects individual subjects of inspection depending on the outcome of the comparison effected.

Abstract: Apparatus for sorting items, such as peeled whole potatoes, which, in the absence of abnormalities, exhibit a substantially uniform light reflectivity, includes an illumination chamber through which the items to be sorted are passed successively as a stream. Light sensors are focused on a cross-sectional slice of the illumination chamber through which the items pass, each of these light sensors being focused on only a small portion of the slice. Electronic circuitry in conjunction with the light sensors counts the number of such sensors sensing abnormalities. If the number of sensors sensing abnormalities is greater than a predetermined minimum, a reject signal is produced. If desired, the circuitry may be arranged to also determine whether the number of sensors sensing abnormalities is greater than a predetermined percentage, for example, 50%, of the total number of sensors sensing the item, and thus produce a second reject signal if the abnromalities make up more than the predetermined percentage.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for high-speed automatic inspection and processing of large numbers of solid discrete particular objects such as multicolored capsule dose forms in regard to color and/or defect detection, in which virtually all unacceptable material is isolated and an accurate running and total count of acceptable material is provided. The objects are transported in a number of channels past respective optical heads comprising an electro-optics system, the transport mechanism being arranged to provide signals representative of relative object location. The electro-optics system is comprised operatively of separate color recognition and shape inspection subsystems. For the former, a plurality of optical channels are arranged in each optical head operatively in P groups of R optical channels each. The R optical channels of each group view different object segments to provide a spatially integrated output for minimizing noise and particularly the effects of printing on the objects.

Abstract: A color recognition system is used to distinguish between objects of various colors. A plurality of light sources are arranged at a sensing station to reflect light from the object as it passes the sensing station to a plurality of cooperatively mounted light detectors. The signals produced by the plurality of detectors are compared with a reference voltage and the comparison utilized to differentiate between objects of different colors passing the sensing station. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the color recognition system is incorporated in a ball separator for a pool table to separate the entirely white cue ball from the partially or wholly differently colored object balls and to divert the cue ball into a first storage station and the object balls into a separate storage station.

Abstract: A sorting apparatus for sorting articles randomly disposed across a wide path is characterized by a plurality of side-by-side viewer elements each assigned a corresponding side-by-side sector of an illuminated viewed area through which the articles to be sorted pass. Electrical signals indicative of the instantaneous average value of light reflected from articles at two predetermined wavelengths as those articles pass through a sector of the viewed area are multiplexed and a classification signal functionally related to the ratio of the two signals is determined. The classification signal is compared to a reference signal indicative of an article having a predetermined physical characteristic, and a reject signal is generated if the compared signals differ by a predetermined amount. The reject signal is stored in an assigned memory location corresponding to the sector of the viewed area through which the article passed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a machine that is capable, by itself alone, of detecting blemishes in olives and similar products, and subsequently to select the said products on the basis of the size of their possible blemishes. For this purpose the machine in question makes use of a television camera that supplies the corresponding video signal to an electronic unit which performs the operation of selection.

Abstract: In the photometric sorting of objects each object is examined in each of a predetermined number of zones for the presence or absence of one or more predetermined surface characteristics. The invention provides that a characteristic determined in one zone be attributed to at least one other zone into which the object extends.

Abstract: A produce sorter is described for removing culls, for example green tomatoes from red tomatoes and for removing foreign objects such as dirt and debris. An image of the produce and the foreign objects passing a station is formed on a light diffusing plate. Light from the diffusing plate impinges upon two pair of phototransducers. The transducers are each preceded by a color filter. The color filters are selected so that one pair of transducers produces electrical signals corresponding to two colors or wavelengths and the other pair produce electrical signals corresponding to two different wavelengths. The filters for one pair of transducers are selected to pass red and green. When the red/green signals have a predetermined relationship a reject signal is generated to reject culls. Additionally, when the signals from the other pair of transducers have a predetermined relationship a reject signal is generated to reject foreign objects.

Abstract: Ticket reading apparatus is disclosed having a moving grooved belt for transporting tickets fed singly thereto by separator rollers controlled by a clutch and brake in relation to information recording speed. Reading is accomplished by at least two detectors spaced to read information along the length of the ticket regardless of end-for-end orientation. Each detector comprises a light source and photocell detector having a narrow rhombic aperture for optimum reading of tickets oriented longitudinally on the belt or only slightly skewed. There is also provided a ticket routing gate assembly operated by a switch enabled by the information recorder to divert tickets to one of two routes and to stack tickets which have not been properly read.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with an optical inspection apparatus for monitoring a continuously moving rod, such as a tobacco rod. The apparatus comprises a circular head through which the rod passes, a first set of fibre optic conductors the ends of which terminate at an inner peripheral surface of the head and which transmits light from a source to the head to illuminate the rod passing through the head, and a second set of fibre optic conductors the ends of which also terminate at an inner surface of the head to pick up light reflected from the rod passing through the head and transmit that light to a photosensitive element. The second set of conductors are divided into angularly spaced groups around the head and adjacent groups lead to separate photosensitive elements. Preferably the light picked up by diametrically opposite pairs of groups are combined.