Scrap sorting system

Claim 1

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: a conveyor for conveying the scrap particles, the conveyor comprising an opaque endless belt including a plurality of openings of uniform size extending linearly along the belt in the direction of conveyance, the openings being separated by a uniform distance, and having a surface providing a uniformly contrasting background for the particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the particles on the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of different preselected wavelengths at a pre-defined viewing area along which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of a color image of the viewing area; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into an imaginary matrix of cells independently of the presence or absence of particles in the viewing area, analyzing digital data corresponding to the image to determine for each cell in the matrix whether the color of the image in that cell satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal as a function of the comparison of each cell of the matrix with the predetermined color criteria; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image at timed intervals based upon the movement of the conveyor; a separator located downstream from the image detector; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor and for sending a control signal to activate the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to selectively actuate the separator to separate desired from undesired objects; wherein the position sensor comprises a timing eye including a beam transmitter and a reflector, each mounted in alignment with the other with the belt therebetween so that a signal is transmitted to the first controller and the second controller on the transmission of the beam through the openings in the belt as the belt moves in the direction of conveyance.

Claim 2

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: a conveyor for conveying the scrap particles, the conveyor comprising an opaque endless belt including a plurality of openings of uniform size extending linearly along the belt in the direction of conveyance, the openings being separated by a uniform distance, and having a surface providing a uniformly contrasting background for the particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the particles on the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of different preselected wavelengths at a pre-defined viewing area along which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of a color image of the viewing area; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into an imaginary matrix of cells independently of the presence or absence of particles in the viewing area, analyzing digital data corresponding to the image to determine for each cell in the matrix whether the color of the image in that cell satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal as a function of the comparison of each cell of the matrix with the predetermined color criteria; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image at timed intervals based upon the movement of the conveyor; a separator located downstream from the image detector; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor and for sending a control signal to activate the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to selectively actuate the separator to separate desired from undesired objects; wherein the position sensor comprises a timing eye including a beam transmitter and a reflector, each mounted in alignment with the other with the belt therebetween so that a signal is transmitted to the first controller and the second controller on the transmission of the beam through the openings in the belt as the belt moves in the direction of conveyance.

Claim 5

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: a conveyor for conveying the scrap particles and having a surface providing a uniformly contrasting background for the particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the particles on the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of different preselected wavelengths at a pre-defined viewing area along which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor, wherein the lighting shroud is downwardly opening and includes at least one light source located within the shroud, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source, and a power source for adjustably energizing the light source to maintain the light source at a relatively constant, predetermined level of illumination; at least one light controller connected to the light source, and at least one photoelectric eye connected to the light controller and mounted inside the shroud to sense the level of illumination within the shroud and periodically transmit a signal to the light controller corresponding to the sensed illumination level, whereby the controller automatically adjust the illumination level of the light source to maintain the illumination under the shroud at a predetermined level; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of a color image of the viewing area; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into an imaginary matrix of cells independently of the presence or absence of particles in the viewing area, analyzing digital data corresponding to the image to determine for each cell in the matrix whether the color of the image in that cell satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal as a function of the comparison of each cell of the matrix with the predetermined color criteria; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image at timed intervals based upon the movement of the conveyor; a separator located downstream from the image detector; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor and for sending a control signal to activate the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to selectively actuate the separator to separate desired from undesired objects.

Claim 6

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: a conveyor for conveying the scrap particles and having a surface providing a uniformly contrasting background for the particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the particles on the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of different preselected wavelengths at a pre-defined viewing area along which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor, wherein the lighting shroud is downwardly opening and includes at least one light source located within the shroud, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source, and a power source for adjustably energizing the light source to maintain the light source at a relatively constant, predetermined level of illumination; at least one light controller connected to the light source, and at least one photoelectric eye connected to the light controller and mounted inside the shroud to sense the level of illumination within the shroud and periodically transmit a signal to the light controller corresponding to the sensed illumination level, whereby the controller automatically adjust the illumination level of the light source to maintain the illumination under the shroud at a predetermined level; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of a color image of the viewing area; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into an imaginary matrix of cells independently of the presence or absence of particles in the viewing area, analyzing digital data corresponding to the image to determine for each cell in the matrix whether the color of the image in that cell satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal as a function of the comparison of each cell of the matrix with the predetermined color criteria; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image at timed intervals based upon the movement of the conveyor; a separator located downstream from the image detector; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor and for sending a control signal to activate the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to selectively actuate the separator to separate desired from undesired objects.

Claim 22

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: an opaque endless belt conveyor for conveying the scrap particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of a pre-defined viewing area through which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor, the shroud being downwardly opening and including at least one light source located within the shroud, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source, and a power source for adjustably energizing the light source to maintain the light source at a relatively constant, predetermined level of illumination; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of an image of the viewing area; a wetting device mounted upstream from the image detector for wetting the surface of the conveyor belt, thereby creating a more uniform background for the objects supported and conveyed thereon; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into a matrix of cells, each cell including a plurality of pixels, analyzing digital data corresponding to each pixel in the image to determine whether the data for that pixel satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal corresponding to each cell as a function of the results of the color criteria determination for the pixels in that cell; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor and determining whether the conveyor has advanced by a distance equal to the length of the viewing area, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image based upon this determination; a separator located downstream from the image detector, the separator comprising a plurality of spaced apart air nozzles distributed across the width of the conveyor downstream from the image processor in respective alignment with columns of cells of the matrix; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor, receiving a signal from the position sensor, and determining when the conveyor has advanced by a distance equal to the length of a cell, and for sending a control signal to activate selected air nozzles of the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to separate desired from undesired objects.

Claim 23

A system for sorting scrap particles based upon color, the system comprising: an opaque endless belt conveyor for conveying the scrap particles; a position sensor for determining the position of the conveyor; a lighting shroud mounted above the conveyor for providing constant, controlled illumination of a pre-defined viewing area through which the particles are conveyed by the conveyor, the shroud being downwardly opening and including at least one light source located within the shroud, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light source, and a power source for adjustably energizing the light source to maintain the light source at a relatively constant, predetermined level of illumination; an image detector mounted within the shroud above the conveyor for acquisition of an image of the viewing area; a wetting device mounted upstream from the image detector for wetting the surface of the conveyor belt, thereby creating a more uniform background for the objects supported and conveyed thereon; an image processor for receiving from the image detector the data corresponding to an image of the viewing area, the processor including logic for dividing the viewing area into a matrix of cells, each cell including a plurality of pixels, analyzing digital data corresponding to each pixel in the image to determine whether the data for that pixel satisfies a predetermined color criteria, and emitting a discriminator signal corresponding to each cell as a function of the results of the color criteria determination for the pixels in that cell; a first controller for receiving a signal from the position sensor and determining whether the conveyor has advanced by a distance equal to the length of the viewing area, and for sending an activation signal to acquire an image based upon this determination; a separator located downstream from the image detector, the separator comprising a plurality of spaced apart air nozzles distributed across the width of the conveyor downstream from the image processor in respective alignment with columns of cells of the matrix; and a second controller for receiving discriminator signals from the image processor, receiving a signal from the position sensor, and determining when the conveyor has advanced by a distance equal to the length of a cell, and for sending a control signal to activate selected air nozzles of the separator as a function of the discriminator signal received from the image processor to separate desired from undesired objects.