High speed sorting

Claim 1

An apparatus for sorting valuable bodies from non-valuable bodies in a mixture thereof on the basis of a detectable parameter thereof, said apparatus comprising in combination: feeding means, for forming the bodies substantially into a monolayer moving as a stream longitudinally at a known rate, the paths transversely of the stream of individual bodies being within predetermined limits; means for inferring the profile/locations and paths with respect to a time base of actually individual bodies of said mixture in said monolayer; means for obtaining signals diagnostic of values within said stream based on a said detectable parameter of said bodies and for monitoring the source locations of said value signals with respect to said time base; means for relating said time base value/location signals to actually individual bodies having corresponding said time base profile/locations; means for assigning valuable or non-valuable nominations as appropriate to said corresponding actually individual bodies on the basis of a predetermined criterion of value for a said valuable body; and means for separating said nominated valuable bodies from said nominated non-valuable bodies in the stream.

Claim 2

An apparatus for sorting valuable bodies from non-valuable bodies in a mixture thereof on the basis of a detectable parameter thereof, said apparatus comprising in combination: feeding means, for forming the bodies substantially into a monolayer moving as a stream longitudinally at a known rate, the paths transversely of the stream of individual bodies being within predetermined limits; means for inferring the profile/locations and paths with respect to a time base of actually individual bodies of said mixture in said monolayer; means for obtaining signals diagnostic of values within said stream based on a said detectable parameter of said bodies and for monitoring the source locations of said value signals with respect to said time base; means for relating said time base value/location signals to actually individual bodies having corresponding said time base profile/locations; means for assigning valuable or non-valuable nominations as appropriate to said corresponding actually individual bodies on the basis of a predetermined criterion of value for a said valuable body; and means for separating said nominated valuable bodies from said nominated non-valuable bodies in the stream.

Claim 3

An apparatus for sorting valuable bodies from non-valuable bodies on the basis of a detectable parameter thereof, said bodies being in a size-classified mixture, said apparatus comprising in combination: A. feeding means, for forming the size-classified bodies substantially into a monolayer moving as a stream longitudinally at a known rate, the paths transversely of the stream of individual bodies being within predetermined limits; B. a dimension/location monitoring zone, having means for continuously monitoring the instantaneous dimensions transversely and locations transversely of apparently individual bodies viewed from a first aspect transversely of the stream, said monitoring being with respect to a time base; said dimension/location monitoring means comprising (i) a transversely extensive radiation source and (ii) a co-operating transversely extensive detector system for exposure to the radiation, the bodies occulting the radiation according to profile when passing therethrough; the transverse extents of both the radiation source and the detector system being selected with respect both to the known size classification of the bodies and to the said predetermined limits of the paths transversely so that the output signals from the detector system in combination are diagnostic of said instantaneous dimensions and locations; C. first memory means for recording profile-making signals of said instantaneous dimensions and locations with respect to said time base, said profile-making signals comprising digital signal aggregations derived from the instantaneous dimensions transversely of the bodies; D. first logic means associated with said first memory means for (i) continuously comparing said digital signal aggregations of apparently individual bodies with a predetermined repertoire of probable said digital signal aggregations for hypothetical individual bodies of a said mixture when thus formed substantially into a monolayer and monitored; for (ii) inferring from said continuous comparisons the profile/locations with respect to time of actually individual bodies thus formed substantially into said monolayer and monitored; and for (iii) inferring from said infeRred time-base profile/locations the paths of actually individual bodies; E. second memory means for recording said inferred time-base profile/locations and said inferred paths of actually individual bodies; F. a value/location monitoring zone, having means (a) of a type known per se for continuously obtaining signals diagnostic of the value of a body based on a said detectable parameter thereof, and means (b) of a further type known per se for continuously monitoring the instantaneous locations transversely of the sources of said value signals in the stream of bodies, said value/location monitoring being with respect to said time-base, and said sources being viewed from a second aspect transversely of said moving stream, said second aspect being substantially equivalent for said monitoring to said first aspect; G. third memory means for recording said value signals and said instantaneous source locations with respect to said time base; H. second logic means associated with said second and third memory means for relating said value signals to the recorded said inferred time-base profile/locations of actually individual bodies; I. comparator means associated with said second logic means for comparing said recorded value signals with a predetermined criterion of value for a said valuable body and for assigning valuable or non-valuable nominations as appropriate to actually individual bodies having said inferred time-base profile/locations; J. a deflection zone, having means associated with said comparator means, for deflecting say nominated valuable bodies from the moving stream whereby to separate such bodies from nominated non-valuable bodies in the stream; delay means and third logic means being provided, said third logic means being associated with second memory means, for causing the deflection means to operate at a time coincident with the predicted arrival of a nominated valuable body, said arrival being predicted on the basis of the inferred path thereof, and the intensity of the deflection being appropriate for the inferred profile/location thereof.

Claim 4

An apparatus for sorting valuable bodies from non-valuable bodies on the basis of a detectable parameter thereof, said bodies being in a size-classified mixture, said apparatus comprising in combination: A. feeding means, for forming the size-classified bodies substantially into a monolayer moving as a stream longitudinally at a known rate, the paths transversely of the stream of individual bodies being within predetermined limits; B. a dimension/location monitoring zone, having means for continuously monitoring the instantaneous dimensions transversely and locations transversely of apparently individual bodies viewed from a first aspect transversely of the stream, said monitoring being with respect to a time base; said dimension/location monitoring means comprising (i) a transversely extensive radiation source and (ii) a co-operating transversely extensive detector system for exposure to the radiation, the bodies occulting the radiation according to profile when passing therethrough; the transverse extents of both the radiation source and the detector system being selected with respect both to the known size classification of the bodies and to the said predetermined limits of the paths transversely so that the output signals from the detector system in combination are diagnostic of said instantaneous dimensions and locations; C. first memory means for recording profile-making signals of said instantaneous dimensions and locations with respect to said time base, said profile-making signals comprising digital signal aggregations derived from the instantaneous dimensions transversely of the bodies; D. first logic means associated with said first memory means for (i) continuously comparing said digital signal aggregations of apparently individual bodies with a predetermined repertoire of probable said digital signal aggregations for hypothetical individual bodies of a said mixture when thus formed substantially into a monolayer and monitored; for (ii) inferring from said continuous comparisons the profile/locations with respect to time of actually individual bodies thus formed substantially into said monolayer and monitored; and for (iii) inferring from said infeRred time-base profile/locations the paths of actually individual bodies; E. second memory means for recording said inferred time-base profile/locations and said inferred paths of actually individual bodies; F. a value/location monitoring zone, having means (a) of a type known per se for continuously obtaining signals diagnostic of the value of a body based on a said detectable parameter thereof, and means (b) of a further type known per se for continuously monitoring the instantaneous locations transversely of the sources of said value signals in the stream of bodies, said value/location monitoring being with respect to said time-base, and said sources being viewed from a second aspect transversely of said moving stream, said second aspect being substantially equivalent for said monitoring to said first aspect; G. third memory means for recording said value signals and said instantaneous source locations with respect to said time base; H. second logic means associated with said second and third memory means for relating said value signals to the recorded said inferred time-base profile/locations of actually individual bodies; I. comparator means associated with said second logic means for comparing said recorded value signals with a predetermined criterion of value for a said valuable body and for assigning valuable or non-valuable nominations as appropriate to actually individual bodies having said inferred time-base profile/locations; J. a deflection zone, having means associated with said comparator means, for deflecting say nominated valuable bodies from the moving stream whereby to separate such bodies from nominated non-valuable bodies in the stream; delay means and third logic means being provided, said third logic means being associated with second memory means, for causing the deflection means to operate at a time coincident with the predicted arrival of a nominated valuable body, said arrival being predicted on the basis of the inferred path thereof, and the intensity of the deflection being appropriate for the inferred profile/location thereof.