X-ray thickness gauging and classifying apparatus

Claim 1

ARTICLE THICKNESS GAUGING AND CLASSIFYING APPARATUS ASSOCIATED WITH A CONVEYOR FOR CONVEYING DISCRETE ARTICLES ALONG A PATH COMPRISING; MEANS FOR DELIVERING AN X-RAY BEAM IN THE FORM OF DISCRETE X-RAY PULSES ACROSS SAID PATH; DETECTOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING X-RAY PULSES AND CONVERTING THE X-RAY PULSES INTO ELECTRICAL THICKNESS MEASURING PULSES; MEANS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL TIMING PULSES; DISCRIMINATOR CHANNELS FOR RECEIVING THICKNESS MEASURING PULSES; MEANS FOR COUNTING TIMING PULSES; COOPERATING TIMING AND GATING MEANS EFFECTIVE AT TIMES WHEN AN ARTICLE IS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENT IN THE X-RAY BEAM TO GATE TIMING PULSES TO THE COUNTING MEANS AND THICKNESS MEASURING PULSES TO THE DISCRIMINATOR CHANNELS; INHIBITING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISCRIMINATOR CHANNELS AND BEING CONDITIONED BY THE COUNTING MEANS UPON THE COUNTING OF A DEFINITE NUMBER OF TIMING PULSES TO INHIBIT THE DISCRIMINATOR CHANNELS; AND THICKNESS CLASSIFICATION INDICATING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISCRIMINATOR CHANNELS FOR INDICATING THE THICKNESS CLASSIFICATION OF ARTICLES.