EP0220832A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for sorting articles
Assignee: British Airways PLC
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Filing: 1986-09-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A method of, and apparatus for, sorting elongate articles such as pieces of metallic cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) comprising the provision of a belt (l) which is movable at a uniform speed in a predetermined direction (2) carrying such articles on its upper surface, the elongate articles each having one end abutting against a datum line (4) and being arranged to mask photo-electric cells or other energy receivers (5, 6, 7) spaced at different distances from said datum line (4) as they move along the belt (l) in said direction (2). The cells or other energy receivers (5, 6, 7) are linked to a programmable logic controller or other computer which is programmed to recognise the individual pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) by way of the patterns of masking of the energy receivers (5, 6, 7) which they respectively produce, means governed by the programmable logic controller or other computer being provided to direct the individually recognised pieces of cutlery off the belt (l) to corresponding individual destinations. Preferably, the programmable logic controller or other computer is so programmed, and the energy receivers (5, 6, 7) are so arranged, that the disposition of each piece of cutlery on the belt (l) can be recognised so that any such piece disposed one way round can be displaced from the belt (l) to its destination via means which will reverse it end-for-end through substantially l80° while an identical piece of cutlery disposed on said belt (l) the opposite way round will be directed to its destination from the belt (l) without encountering the last mentioned means and thus not being reversed as regards its orientation.
Inventors
- 👤 Vasant Janardan Shend'ge
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 08:34
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/04; B07C5/10; B07C99/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of sorting elongate articles of dis-similar shape, characterised in that the method comprises moving successive articles along a path (l) with their longitudinal axes substantially perpendicular to their direction of travel (2) and with one end of each article in register with a datum line (4) extending lengthwise of said path (l), providing a plurality of energy receivers (5, 6, 7) at different perpendicular distances from said datum line (4) which distances are such that elongate articles of different lengths will mask corresponding numbers of those receivers (5, 6, 7) as they travel past them, whereby the identity of each successive elongate article may be recognised, and providing sorting means responsive to the article identifying means to direct articles of each detected shape to a destination individual thereto.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of sorting elongate articles of dis-similar shape, characterised in that the method comprises moving successive articles along a path (l) with their longitudinal axes substantially perpendicular to their direction of travel (2) and with one end of each article in register with a datum line (4) extending lengthwise of said path (l), providing a plurality of energy receivers (5, 6, 7) at different perpendicular distances from said datum line (4) which distances are such that elongate articles of different lengths will mask corresponding numbers of those receivers (5, 6, 7) as they travel past them, whereby the identity of each successive elongate article may be recognised, and providing sorting means responsive to the article identifying means to direct articles of each detected shape to a destination individual thereto.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim l, characterised in that said path (l) is afforded by the upper surface of a belt, and by the provision of means to drive said belt (l) at a uniform speed in said direction (2).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the upper surface of said belt (l) is horizontally or substantially horizontally disposed.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
46 words
A method according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the energy receivers (5, 6, 7) are in the form of photo-electric cells which are normally illuminated but which are selectively masked by said elongate articles as the latter are moved lengthwise along said path (l).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
89 words
A method according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the elongate articles are pieces of metallic cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) and that a programmable logic controller is programmed to recognise the masking patterns produced by the various pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3), is linked to the energy receivers (5, 6, 7), and is arranged to operate means to direct the various pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) off said path (l) to destinations corresponding to their recognised identities.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
113 words
A method according to claim 5, characterised in that said energy receivers (5, 6, 7) are so arranged, and said programmable logic controller is so programmed, as to recognise not only the identities of the pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) but also their dispositions on said path (l) as regards which end of each such piece registers with said datum line (4), the programmable logic controller also being so programmed as to direct a piece of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) off said path (l) to a different receiving station to that of an identical piece of cutlery disposed on said path (l) the opposite way round.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method according to claim 6, characterised in that means is provided to turn each piece of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, or l3) that is disposed one way round when it is displaced from said path (l) end-for-end through substantially l80° before it proceeds beyond this means to its destination, each identical piece of cutlery that is disposed the opposite way round on said path (l) being displaced from that path to its destination without such turning.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 2 or to claim 2 and any one of claims 3 to 7 inclusive, characterised in that said belt (l) has a width (3) of substantially l20mm, one edge thereof being spaced from said datum line (4) by substantially l6mm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 5 or to claim 5 and any one of claims 6 to 8 inclusive, characterised in that means is provided to recognise and discard from said path (l) to a corresponding destination bent or otherwise damaged pieces of cutlery and/or pieces of cutlery which are not "brand" companions of those which the energy receivers and the programmable logic controller are arranged and programmed to deal with.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
185 words
l0. Apparatus for sorting pieces of metallic cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) of dis-similar shape, characterised in that it comprises a belt (l) along which mixed pieces of cutlery are movable at a uniform speed with such pieces of cutlery arranged so that their longitudinal axes extends substantially perpendicular to their direction of travel (2) along the belt (l), the apparatus also comprising a datum line (4) arranged to have one end of each such piece of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) abutting thereagainst during movement in said direction (2) and a plurality of energy receivers (5, 6, 7) at different perpendicular distances from said datum line (4) which distances are such that the pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) of different lengths will mask corresponding numbers of the receivers (5, 6, 7) as they travel past them, whereby the identity of each successive piece of cutlery may be recognised, and characterised in that sorting means responsive to the identification of said pieces of cutlery is provided to direct each such recognised piece to a destination individual thereto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
185 words
l0. Apparatus for sorting pieces of metallic cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) of dis-similar shape, characterised in that it comprises a belt (l) along which mixed pieces of cutlery are movable at a uniform speed with such pieces of cutlery arranged so that their longitudinal axes extends substantially perpendicular to their direction of travel (2) along the belt (l), the apparatus also comprising a datum line (4) arranged to have one end of each such piece of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) abutting thereagainst during movement in said direction (2) and a plurality of energy receivers (5, 6, 7) at different perpendicular distances from said datum line (4) which distances are such that the pieces of cutlery (8, 9, l0, ll, l2, l3) of different lengths will mask corresponding numbers of the receivers (5, 6, 7) as they travel past them, whereby the identity of each successive piece of cutlery may be recognised, and characterised in that sorting means responsive to the identification of said pieces of cutlery is provided to direct each such recognised piece to a destination individual thereto.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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