EP0146299A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sorting machine
Assignee: Buehler UK Ltd
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Filing: 1984-12-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-12-03
Abstract
Abstract @ A sorting machine for sorting objects by examining light reflected or transmitted by the objects in at least two different parts of the spectrum, said sorting machine comprising feeding means (10-141 for feeding objects (11) to be sorted to a viewing zone (15); illuminating means (23, 24) for effecting illumination in at least two different parts of the spectrum of objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); viewing means (27) arranged to view objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); at least one background means (35) against which the objects (111 are viewed by the viewing means (27); discriminator means (42), controlled by the output from the viewing means (27), for determining whether objects (11) which have been so viewed are desired or undesired; and object separation means (43), controlled by said discriminator means (42), for effecting relative separation between desired and undesired objects (11), characterised by at least first and second lighting means (33, 34) for each background means (35), the said first and second lighting means (33, 34) being separate from the said illuminating means (23, 24) and being respectively arranged in operation to cause the respective background means (35) to emit light in said at least two different parts of the spectrum.
Inventors
- 👤 William Storey Maughan
- 👤 Ronald Corbett Wainwright
- 👤 Furio Suggi-Liverani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:02
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/36; B07C5/363; B07C5/365; B07C5/366; B07C5/34; B07C5/342; B07C5/3425
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
A sorting machine for sorting objects by examining light reflected or transmitted by the objects in at least two different parts of the spectrum, said sorting machine comprising feeding means (10-14) for feeding objects (11) to be sorted to a viewing zone (15); illuminating means (23,24) for effecting illumination in at least two different parts of the spectrum of objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); viewing means (27) arranged to view objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); at least one background means (35) against which the objects (11) are viewed by the viewing means (27); discriminator means (42), controlled by the output from the viewing means (27), for determining whether objects (11) which have been so viewed are desired or undesired; and object separation means (43), controlled by said discriminator means (42), for effecting relative separation between desired and undesired objects (11), characterised by at least first and second lighting means (33,34) for each background means (35), the said first and second lighting means (33,34) being separate from the said illuminating means (23,24) and being respectively arranged in operation to cause the respective background means (35) to emit light in said at least two different parts of the spectrum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
203 words
A sorting machine for sorting objects by examining light reflected or transmitted by the objects in at least two different parts of the spectrum, said sorting machine comprising feeding means (10-14) for feeding objects (11) to be sorted to a viewing zone (15); illuminating means (23,24) for effecting illumination in at least two different parts of the spectrum of objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); viewing means (27) arranged to view objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); at least one background means (35) against which the objects (11) are viewed by the viewing means (27); discriminator means (42), controlled by the output from the viewing means (27), for determining whether objects (11) which have been so viewed are desired or undesired; and object separation means (43), controlled by said discriminator means (42), for effecting relative separation between desired and undesired objects (11), characterised by at least first and second lighting means (33,34) for each background means (35), the said first and second lighting means (33,34) being separate from the said illuminating means (23,24) and being respectively arranged in operation to cause the respective background means (35) to emit light in said at least two different parts of the spectrum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that each of the first and second lighting means (33,34) comrpises at least one incandescent lamp provided with an optical filter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the first and second lighting means (33,34) comprise differently coloured first and second light-emitting diodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by means (36) for varying the relative intensity of the light produced by the first and second lighting means (33,34).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the or each background means comprises a housing (32) having a diffusing screen (35) behind which are disposed the said first and second lighting means (33,34).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the illuminating means (23,24) comprise a plurality of differently coloured light-emitting diodes which are respectively arranged to direct differently coloured light onto objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15) so that light is reflected by or transmitted through the objects (11).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 6 characterised by control means (36) arranged to control the light produced by each light-emitting diode of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that the control means (36) are arranged to effect ON and OFF operation of the light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the lighting means (33,34) for lighting the background means (35) are arranged to be operative throughout the said ON and OFF operation, whereby during the said OFF operation, the or each output from the discriminator means (42) is representative of the degree to which the light from the background means (35) is obscured by an object (11) in the viewing zone (15). and is thus representative of the size of the object (11).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that the control means (36) are arranged to effect amplitude modulation of the light produced by the light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that the control means (36) is arranged ot adjust the relative intensity of the differently coloured light.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 7 characteirsed in that the control means (36) effect differential modulation of the light produced by differently coloured first and second light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
68 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 12 characterised in that in operation each of the first and second light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24) is switched ON at a time when the other light-emitting diode is switched OFF, whereby the output from the discriminator means (42) is successively respectively representative of the light produced by the first and second light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
66 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 12 characterised in that each of the first and second light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24) is amplitude modulated at a different frequency, the viewing means (27) comprising first and second bandpass filters whose outputs are respectively representative of the light from the objects produced respectively by the first and second light-emitting diodes of the illuminating means (23,24).
Claim 16
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of sorting by examining light reflected or transmitted by the objects in at least two different parts of the spectrum, said method comprising feeding objects (11) to be sorted to a viewing zone (15); employing illuminating means (23,24) to effect illumination in two different parts of the spectrum of objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); viewing objects passing through the viewing zone against at least one background means (35); employing discriminator means (42) controlled by the output from the viewing means (27), for determining whether objects (11) which have been so viewed are desired or undesired; and employing object separation means (43), controlled by said discriminator means (42) for effecting relative separation between desired and undesired objects (11) characterised by employing first and second lighting means (33,34) for each background means (35), the said first and second lighting means (33,34) being separate from the said illuminating means (23,24) and being respectively arranged to cause the respective background means (35) to emit light in said two different parts of the spectrum.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of sorting by examining light reflected or transmitted by the objects in at least two different parts of the spectrum, said method comprising feeding objects (11) to be sorted to a viewing zone (15); employing illuminating means (23,24) to effect illumination in two different parts of the spectrum of objects (11) passing through the viewing zone (15); viewing objects passing through the viewing zone against at least one background means (35); employing discriminator means (42) controlled by the output from the viewing means (27), for determining whether objects (11) which have been so viewed are desired or undesired; and employing object separation means (43), controlled by said discriminator means (42) for effecting relative separation between desired and undesired objects (11) characterised by employing first and second lighting means (33,34) for each background means (35), the said first and second lighting means (33,34) being separate from the said illuminating means (23,24) and being respectively arranged to cause the respective background means (35) to emit light in said two different parts of the spectrum.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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