Method and apparatus for sorting objects

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SORTING OBJECTS HAVING DIFFERENT DELAYED LIGHT EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS COMPRISING: A LIGHT SOURCE EMITTING LIGHT HAVING A WAVELENGTH IN THE EXCITATION SPECTRUM OF AT LEAST SOME OF SAID OBJECTS WITH A SUFFICIENT INTENSITY OF LIGHT TO SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATE OBJECTS FOR DELAYED LIGHT EMISSION; A CONVEYOR BELT MOVING PAST SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND ADAPTED TO CARRY OBJECTS TO BE SORTED FOR ILLUMINATION OF THESE OBJECTS; AN ELONGATED LIGHT-TIGHT TUNNEL THROUGH SAID CONVEYOR PASSES CARRYING OBJECTS PREVIOUSLY ILLUMINATED; LIGHT-RESPONSIVE MEANS VIEWING A LIMITED PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR IN SAID TUNNEL A PREDETERMINED SPACED DISTANCE FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE TUNNEL AND HAVING A VARIABLE ACTUATION THRESHOLD FOR INCIDENT LIGHT TO PRODUCE SIGNALS AT PREDETERMINED MINIMUM LEVELS OF DELAYED LIGHT EMISSION OF PASSING OBJECTS; MEANS CONTROLLING THE VELOCITY OF TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYOR BELT TO THEREBY ESTABLISH A CONTROLLABLE DELAY TIME BETWEEN ILLUMINATION OF OBJECTS AND VIEWING OF OBJECTS BY THE LIGHT-RESPONSIVE MEANS; AND SEPARATING MEANS OPERATING UPON OBJECTS ON SAID CONVEYOR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID LIGHT-RESPONSIVE MEANS FROM THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE AND CONNECTED FOR ACTUATION BY SAID SIGNALS FROM THE LIGHT-RESPONSIVE MEANS TO SEPARATE OBJECTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DELAYED LIGHT EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS.