Geosource, Inc.

Charles R Brazell

James F Lockett

Elias H Codding

Michael C Hoover

Joseph A Villanueva

Shyam B Mehta

An apparatus for sorting articles based upon the presence of defects on the surface thereof is characterized by a roller conveyor carrying a random array of articles in transverse channels defined between adjacent rollers. As the conveyor is advanced through a viewed area the articles are simultaneously rotated such that electrical images are formed of the portions of the surface of each article within a viewing zone defined in each channel during a given time frame. The viewing zones advance a predetermined distance through the viewed are in synchronization with the scanning of the electrical images. A characteristic signal for the portion of the electrical image corresponding to each article is developed and output to a processor. The processor generates a classification signal representative of the acceptability of each article based upon the percentage of total surface of area or number of defects on the surface each article.

Roll sorting apparatus

A network for separating an article-detect signal into a number of parts corresponding to the number of articles randomly disposed in next-abutting relationship is characterized by a circuit arrangement adapted to sample and hold a predetermined percentage of the peak magnitude of a characteristic signal representative of each article, a comparator for comparing the instantaneous value of the characteristic signal with the predetermined peak and for generating an enabling signal when the instantaneous characteristic signal falls below the predetermined percentage, and a timer responsive to the enabling signal to interrupt the article-detect signal for a predetermined time interval after a predetermined time delay.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Charles R Brazell