The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 06, 1987
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1985
Elias H Codding, Houston, TX (US);
Delta Technology Corporation, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A sorter is provided for sorting unacceptable agricultural products from acceptable ones. The sorter is preferably a monochromatic one performed as the products pass in streams past an illuminated viewing station. The view station includes a plurality of optical stations, each composed of a plurality of aligned optical sensors. The optical sensors sense the reflected light from the stream of product passing the optical station and form electrical signals indicative of the sensed light. The electrical signals from the sensors in individual optical stations are sequentially sampled or multiplexed at a rate which permits the product to pass through the viewing station at an increased volume, rather than in serial fashion, increasing the productivity of the sorting operation. Unacceptable products are ejected as they are sensed. The ejected product stream is subjected to a second sort to increase sort accuracy.