Apparatus for separating crops from other matter

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SORTING BODIES INTO AT LEAST TWO CATEGORIES IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE DEGREE OF TRANSMISSION OF IONISING RADIATION AND COMPRISING A SOURCE OF IONISING RADIATION FOR PRODUCING A BEAM OF RADIATION COMPRISING A SERIES OF PULSES OF SHORT DURATION, MEANS FOR PASSING SAID BODIES THROUGH THE BEAM, THE EFFECTIVE ZONE OF SAID BEAM HAVING AN APPRECIABLE DIMENSION TRANSVERSE TO THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BODIES THROUGH THE BEAM, DETECTION MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE RADIATION RECEIVED AND DIVERTING MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID DETECTION MEANS TO DIVERT AT LEAST ONE SAID CATEGORY FROM A SUCCESSION OF SAID BODIES, SAID DIVERTING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENTLY OPERATING MECHANISMS ARRANGED AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO SAID GENERAL DIRECTION, WHEREBY BODIES PASSING AT RANDOM THROUGH ANY PART OF THE BEAM OF RADIATION ARE SENSED FOR FUNCTIONING OF THE APPROPRIATE DIVERTING MECHANISM.