Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination of light sensitive means, means passing a single file of products to be sorted past said first mentioned means, means illuminating the products in said single file as they pass said light sensitive means to develop signals corresponding to the individual products, means amplifying said signals, a peak voltage detector connected to said amplifying means, said detector developing relatively short pulses corresponding to the peaks of the signals from said products, comparator means responsive to signals from products having unacceptable optical properties, gating means connected to said comparator means and to said peak detector rendering said comparator means nonresponsive to said signals except when a pulse is received by said gating means from the output of said peak detector, signal stretching means connected to the output of said comparator means for receiving a signal corresponding to a product having unacceptable optical properties, means connecting said signal stretching means to a delay means providing a predetermined delay to the signal supplied thereto from said signal stretching means, means connected to the output of said delay means for controlling the energization of a solenoid valve after said predetermined delay, said solenoid valve controlling an air jet to deflect the product having unacceptable optical properties from said single file after said product has left the scanning zone occupied by said light sensitive means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination of light sensitive means, means passing a single file of products to be sorted past said first mentioned means, means illuminating the products in said single file as they pass said light sensitive means to develop signals corresponding to the individual products, means amplifying said signals, a peak voltage detector connected to said amplifying means, said detector developing relatively short pulses corresponding to the peaks of the signals from said products, comparator means responsive to signals from products having unacceptable optical properties, gating means connected to said comparator means and to said peak detector rendering said comparator means nonresponsive to said signals except when a pulse is received by said gating means from the output of said peak detector, signal stretching means connected to the output of said comparator means for receiving a signal corresponding to a product having unacceptable optical properties, means connecting said signal stretching means to a delay means providing a predetermined delay to the signal supplied thereto from said signal stretching means, means connected to the output of said delay means for controlling the energization of a solenoid valve after said predetermined delay, said solenoid valve controlling an air jet to deflect the product having unacceptable optical properties from said single file after said product has left the scanning zone occupied by said light sensitive means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said comparator means comprises at least two comparators, means biasing one of said comparators to respond to signals derived from products having predetermined optical properties and means biasing the other of said comparators to respond to signals derived from producTs having other predetermined optical properties.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 2, further characterized in that said comparators comprise operational amplifiers and connections between compensating terminals of said operational amplifiers and said transistor gating said operational amplifiers to transmit an output pulse if a signal corresponding to a product of unacceptable optical properties is simultaneously supplied to the input of either of said operational amplifiers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said gating means comprises a transistor and said pulse from said peak detector is transmitted to the base of said transistor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said delay means comprises a shift register and a clock pulse generator connected to said shift register.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said signal stretching means comprises a section connected to said delay means for producing a substantially stretched pulse to control the energization of said solenoid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
In apparatus for sorting products comprising the combination as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an alarm connected to said amplifying means to indicate interruption of the single file of products.