Key Technology Corporation

Src Vision, Inc.

Todd Hoffman

Cliff J Leidecker

Duncan B Campbell

H Parks Squyres

John H Wilbur

An article sorting apparatus and method is disclosed and which conveys a mixture of articles on a conveyor belt and through an inspection zone, and which includes at least one illumination source emitting red, green, and infrared radiation for illuminating the articles in the inspection zone; a detector system for sensing the red, green, and infrared radiation reflected from the articles in the inspection zone, and which generates red data, green data, and infrared data; a processor receiving the red data, green data, and infrared data and which generates article sorting data; and a sorter responsive to the sorting data for separating the articles into acceptable articles and unacceptable articles.

Multi-band spectral sorting system for light-weight articles

A stabilizing system stabilizes light-weight articles carried on conveyors for automated bulk processing equipment. In a preferred embodiment, the light-weight articles, such as, for example, tobacco leaf products or wood chips, are moved and stabilized along a conveyor from a first infeed end to a second discharge end where they are projected in-air along a trajectory through an illumination station and sorting station. An enclosed off-belt housing is provided within which the light-weight articles are projected along a controlled trajectory to be processed by the optical inspection and sorting systems.

Growing community of inventors

Medford, OR, United States of America

Todd Hoffman