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:
Sep. 02, 1997
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1995
James E Willis, Austin, TX (US);
Andrew L Heilveil, Austin, TX (US);
Robert Dejaiffe, Dunkirk, NY (US);
Asoma Instruments, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Dunkirk International Glass and Ceramics Corporation, Dunkirk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the composition of glass, and for sorting glass according to composition. Glass of unknown composition is irradiated and an x-ray fluorescence spectrum is detected from the glass. The detected x-ray fluorescence spectrum is then compared with a plurality of fluorescence spectra corresponding to glasses of known composition. The glass of unknown composition is then determined to correspond in composition to the glass of known composition having an x-ray fluorescence spectrum most closely matching the spectrum detected from the glass of unknown composition. The glass may then be sorted according to determined composition. In operation, a substantially continuous stream of glass pieces is irradiated and detected while the stream is moving. Once the composition of a piece of glass in the stream is determined, it is diverted into an appropriate container of like compositioned glass.