The Titan Corporation

Surebeam Corporation

Other

John Thomas Allen

Colin Brian Williams

George Michael Sullivan

Gary K Loda

Richard O Peck

Gary M Pageau

Bernard G Wickersham

Bruce D Sellers

Leonard C Bisgrove

Kenneth Whitham

Bengt E Nyman

Russell A Parker

Richard C Miller

Anthony Alexander Zante

Richard Joseph Mendonsa

Harrold Brook Knowles

Michael Scott Brazell

Gary Michael Pageau

Articles move on a conveyor mechanism in a first direction past a radiation source for an irradiation of the articles (by e.g., an electron beam, x-rays or gamma rays) by radiation moving in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the fires direction. The distance between the radiation source and the articles on the conveyor mechanism may be adjusted to provide for the irradiation of each position in the articles and to minimize the amount of the radiation which does not pass into the articles. The adjustment may be made by (1) adjusting the position of the radiation source in a particular direction corresponding to the direction of the radiation source and the articles on the conveyor mechanism, (2) actuating an individual one of a plurality of conveyors for moving the articles past the accelerator, each conveyor being separated from the radiation source by a distance different from the distance of the other conveyors from the radiation source or (3) repositioning the articles on a single conveyor in the particular direction. The distance between the radiation source and the conveyor mechanism may be varied dependent upon changes in the dimension of individual articles relative to the dimension of other articles, in a direction substantially perpendicular to (a) the direction of the radiation source and (b) the path of movement of the articles on the conveyor mechanism. Instead of irradiating a single article at any one time, the system may simultaneously irradiate a batch or stack of articles of the same or different sizes.

System for, and method of, irradiating articles particularly articles with variable dimensions

A continuously provided ground food product (e.g. meat) is leveled to a particular thickness and then irradiated. The leveler may be formed from two (2) spaced members (e.g., closed loop belts) spaced from each other by a distance progressively decreasing to a distance corresponding to the particular thickness. This distance may be adjustable to define any desired thickness for the food product. The leveler and the radiation source are disposed in a chamber providing shielding against radiation. The belt carrying the food product past the radiation source deposits the irradiated food product in a receptacle. A transport mechanism (e.g. auger) transports the irradiated food product, without exposing the food product to harmful bacteria, from the receptacle to a former which provides the food product in individual configurations (e.g. hamburgers, chubs and case ready) without exposing the product to harmful bacteria. The formed product is thereafter stored in an environment which excludes harmful bacteria. The belt carrying the food product may be reversed in direction when the radiation from the source is interrupted. The food products are then deposited in a second receptacle and are discarded.

System for, and method of, irradiating food products

A first support structure disposes articles relative to a radiation beam, preferably x-rays, to obtain an irradiation of the articles. A second support structure disposes articles relative to the beam and to the articles on the first structure to obtain an irradiation of the articles by radiation passing from the accelerator through the articles on the first structure. A mechanism transfers the particles on the first structure to the second structure, after the irradiation of the articles on the first structure, to obtain the irradiation of the articles on the second structure. Each of the first and second structures may provide for an irradiation of articles initially through first sides of the articles and subsequently through second sides of the articles opposite to first sides. The irradiation of the first sides of the articles on the first and second support structures are preferably synchronous from a time standpoint as are the irradiation of the second sides of the articles on the structures. The transfer mechanism provides for the transfer of the articles from the first structure to the second structure after the synchronous irradiation of the second sides of the articles on the support structures. A loading area transfers articles to the first structure for an irradiation of the articles by the x-ray beam. A unloading area provides for transfer of articles from the second structure after the irradiation of the opposite sides of the articles on the second structure.

System for, and method of, irradiating article with x-ray beam

A first robotic assembly transfers articles from carriers on a transport mechanism at a loading area to a first load conveyor. The conveyor transfers the articles to a process conveyor which moves the articles through a target region at a substantially constant speed. The process conveyor then transfers the articles to a second load conveyor. A second robotic assembly then transfers the articles to article carriers on the transport mechanism at an unloading area. The load and process conveyors may be divided into two tracks. First and second radiation sources respectively disposed at first and second gaps in the process conveyor in the target region respectively irradiate the articles in both tracks in opposite directions from positions above and below the articles. Articles on the tracks may be (a) diverged on the first load conveyor to separate the articles from the dividers, (b) converged on the process conveyor to minimize the width of the radiation sources and (c) diverged on the second load conveyor. If one of the radiation sources is not operative, the other source may irradiate the opposite sides of the articles during article movements sequentially on the first tracks of the first load conveyor, the process conveyor and the second load conveyor and then sequentially on the second tracks of the first load conveyor, the process conveyor and the second load conveyor. The articles are inverted during their transfer from the first track of the second load conveyor to the second track of the first load conveyor.

System for, and method of, irradiating articles to sterilize the articles

An article irradiation system includes (1) a radiation source for scanning a target region with radiation, (2) a conveyor system including a process conveyor positioned for transporting articles in a given direction through the target region, and (3) radiation shielding material defining the walls of a chamber containing the radiation source, the target region and a position of the conveyor system. The radiation source is disposed inside a loop defined by a portion of the conveyor system and is adapted to scan the articles in the chamber in a plane transverse to the given direction of the transport by the process conveyor. A shield (e.g., an intermediate wall) of radiation shielding material positioned within the loop supports a radiation shielding ceiling of the chamber, inhibits photons emitted from a beam stop in one of the chamber walls from impinging on the outer walls of the chamber and restricts flow in the chamber of ozone derived in the target region from the radiation source. A first queue is disposed outside of the chamber for transferring into the chamber articles from a loading area; a second queue is disposed in the chamber for moving the articles past the radiation source for irradiation by the source; and a third queue is disposed in the chamber for transferring articles from the chamber, after irradiation, for movement to an unloading area The operations of the first, second and third queues are synchronized. The shield inhibits radiation from the source from reaching the queues.

Article irradiation system having intermediate wall of radiation shielding material within loop of a conveyor system that transports the articles

Articles are transported by a conveyor system in a loop from a loading area past a target region to an unloading area adjacent the loading area. A first side of the article is irradiated by a radiation source in the target region during the article movement through the target region. The radiation source may be substantially parallel or perpendicular to the conveyor system. The loop has curved portions and straight portions between the curved portions. Radiation shielding material substantially fills the space within the loop. The conveyor system and the radiation source are disposed within a chamber made from a radiation shielding material (e.g. concrete). The shielding material inside and outside the loop defines a radiation-free loop portion having straight portions with a relatively close spacing. A bridge having no radiation shielding and a relatively short length is disposed in this radiation-free area as are the loading and unloading areas. The bridge rotates the articles through an 180&deg; angle after the irradiation of the first side of the article and transfers the articles to the conveyor system at a position before the target region to obtain another movement of the articles past the radiation source and an irradiation of the second side of the articles. After such irradiation, the articles are transferred to the unloading area.

Article irradiation system in which article transporting conveyor is closely encompassed by shielding material

An article irradiation system includes a radiation source for scanning a target region with radiation; a conveyor system including a process conveyor positioned for transporting articles in a given direction through the target region; radiation shielding material defining a chamber containing the radiation source, the target region and a portion of the conveyor system; wherein the radiation source is disposed along an approximately horizontal axis inside a loop defined by a portion of the conveyor system and is adapted for scanning the articles being transported through the target region with radiation scanned in a plane transverse to the given direction of transport by the process conveyor; and an intermediate wall of radiation shielding material positioned within the loop and transverse to the approximately horizontal axis. The intermediate wall supports a ceiling of the chamber, inhibits photons emitted from a beam stop disposed in a given wall from impinging upon at least one other wall of the chamber and restricts flow throughout the chamber of ozone derived in the target region from the radiation source.

Article irradiation system having intermediate wall of radiation

An article irradiation system includes a radiation source for scanning a target region with radiation; a first conveyor system for transporting articles from a loading area though the target region to an unloading area; and radiation shielding material defining a tunnel closely encompassing portions of the conveyor system extending away from the target region toward the loading and unloading areas for shielding the loading and unloading areas from radiation derived from the radiation source. The first conveyor system is disposed in a path having curved turns of such degree between the target region and the loading and unloading areas that the closely encompassing radiation shielding material precludes a direct line of sight between the target region and the loading and unloading areas and thereby facilitates a compact embodiment in which the first conveyor system may be included in an assembly line. A second conveyor system is coupled to the first conveyor system for transporting the articles from a first position on the first conveyor system that is past the target region and at which the path of the first conveyor system has a given alignment to a second position on the first conveyor system that is before the target region and at which the path of the first conveyor system has an alignment that is one-hundred-and-eighty degrees different than the given alignment to thereby reorient the articles transported by the first conveyor system by one-hundred-and-eighty degrees with respect to the path of the first conveyor system for retransportation through the target region. In a radiation shielding assembly having a radiation shield defining a corridor through which the electron beam is scanned and further defining a tunnel through which articles may be transported through the target region, a beam stop is disposed within a recess in a portion of the radiation shield on the opposite side of the target region from the radiation source so that photons emitted from the beam stop toward the radiation source but obliquely thereto are inhibited from entering the tunnel by such portion the radiation shield.

Article irradiation system in which article-transporting conveyor is

A conveyor system includes; a plurality of article carriers; a process conveyor for supporting and transporting the article carriers past the given location at a first speed; an overhead power and free transport conveyor for transporting the article carriers from a loading area at a second speed that differs from the first speed; and a load conveyor adapted for engaging the article carriers and for transporting the engaged article carriers from the transport conveyor to the process conveyor at a speed that is varied during transport by the load conveyor in such a manner that the article carriers are so positioned on the process conveyor that there is a predetermined separation distance between adjacent positioned article carriers. A reroute conveyor is coupled to the process conveyor for retransportation by the process conveyor. Transport by the conveyors is interrupted when a measured speed of article carrier movement past the given location is outside of a given range. The article carrier is adapted for transport by an overhead conveyor having a track and for horizontal reorientation while suspended from the conveyor track, and has a member having a serrated edge extending away from the article carrier for engagement by a limit switch disposed in relation to the conveyor so as to be periodically operated by contact with the serrated edge of the member as the article carrier is being transported by the process conveyor to thereby enable the speed at which the article carrier is being transported to be monitored by measuring the frequency of operation of the limit switch by contact with the serrated edge.

Article carrier for conveyor system

An article irradiation system includes a radiation source disposed along a horizontal axis; a plurality of article carriers; a process conveyor for supporting and transporting the article carriers past the radiation source at a first speed; an overhead power and free transport conveyor for transporting the article carriers from a loading area at a second speed that differs from the first speed; and a load conveyor adapted for engaging the article carriers and for transporting the engaged article carriers from the transport conveyor to the process conveyor at a speed that is varied during transport by the load conveyor in such a manner that the article carriers are so positioned on the process conveyor that there is a predetermined separation distance between adjacent positioned article carriers. A reroute conveyor is coupled to the process conveyor for transporting those article carriers carrying articles that have received radiation impinging upon only the first side of the articles. A rack disposed adjacent the reroute conveyor reorients about a vertical axis by 180 degrees the article carriers being transported by the reroute conveyor; and the reoriented article carriers are transported from the reroute conveyor to the process conveyor for retransportation past the radiation source so that a second side of the carried articles opposite to the first side receives impinging radiation from the radiation source.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

John Thomas Allen