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. 09, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 18, 2009
Harry Drewes, Hamburg, DE;
Wolfgang Benz, Börnsen, DE;
Hans Dierken, Amelinghausen, DE;
Peter Funke, Hamburg, DE;
Frank Schuster, Hamburg, DE;
Cliff J. Leidecker, Rogue River, OR (US);
J. Thomas Higgins, Medford, OR (US);
Harry Drewes, Hamburg, DE;
Wolfgang Benz, Börnsen, DE;
Hans Dierken, Amelinghausen, DE;
Peter Funke, Hamburg, DE;
Frank Schuster, Hamburg, DE;
Cliff J. Leidecker, Rogue River, OR (US);
J. Thomas Higgins, Medford, OR (US);
Key Technology, Inc., Walla Walla, WA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for post-threshing inspection and sorting of tobacco lamina is described and which includes a separation conduit which receives a source of post-threshed tobacco lamina and other contaminants for inspection and sorting, and wherein a source of pressurized air causes the tobacco lamina to move along the separation conduit past an inspection station where it is optically inspected to identify undesirable tobacco lamina or other contaminants; and a downstream reject station is provided which responds to a sorting signal provided by the inspection station and which removes unwanted or undesirable tobacco lamina and other contaminants from an air stream so as to provide a resulting product which is substantially free from contaminants or other defects.