Sorter for fruit and the like
First Claim
1. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising conveyance means for transporting a plurality of items to be sorted along a track and having individual cups for transporting each said item, said individual cups being connected in a continuous belt,electronic weighing means incorporated into a portion of said track for generating a signal proportional to the weight of said item to be sorted,reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal established according to a predetermined criteria,comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said electronic weighing means to the reference signals provided by said reference signal means,clock means for incrementally signalling changes in position of an item to be sorted,first position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means and the signal from said comparison means for generating a signal indicative of the position of the item to be sorted, anddischarge means responsive to the signal generated by said position indicating means for discharging the item to be sorted at a predetermined position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for automatically sorting fruit and the like by weight or color, or both, using conveyance system to move objects to be sorted past an electromechanical weighing station and an optical color sensing station which, in conjunction with sequential and combinational logic, compare the color and weight of the item to a predetermined criteria and sort according thereto.
107 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising conveyance means for transporting a plurality of items to be sorted along a track and having individual cups for transporting each said item, said individual cups being connected in a continuous belt,
electronic weighing means incorporated into a portion of said track for generating a signal proportional to the weight of said item to be sorted, reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal established according to a predetermined criteria, comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said electronic weighing means to the reference signals provided by said reference signal means, clock means for incrementally signalling changes in position of an item to be sorted, first position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means and the signal from said comparison means for generating a signal indicative of the position of the item to be sorted, and discharge means responsive to the signal generated by said position indicating means for discharging the item to be sorted at a predetermined position.
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3. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising
optical detection means for generating at least two reflectance signals, each proportional to the color of an item to be sorted, but responsive to different wavelengths of reflected light, reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, said reference signal means having an input provided by the first of said two reflectance signals, comparison means for comparing the second of said two reflectance signals generated by said optical detection means to the reference signals provided by the said reference signals means for generating a signal therefrom, clock means for incrementally signaling changes in position of an item to be sorted, and first position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means and the signal from said comparison means for generating a signal indicative of the position of an item to be sorted.
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10. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising
electronic weighing means for generating a signal proportional to the weight of an item to be sorted, first reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, first comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said electronic weighing means to the reference signals provided by said first reference signals means, optical detection means for generating a signal proportional to the color of an item to be sorted, second reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, second comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said optical detection means to the reference signals provided by said second reference signals means, and generating a signal therefrom, clock means for incrementally signaling changes in the position of the item to be sorted, first position indicating means responsive to a signal from said clock means and said signal from said second comparison means for continuously indicating the position of an item to be sorted while the item is in transit between said optical detection means and said electronic weighing means, second position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means, the signal from said first comparison means and said first position indicating means for generating a signal continuously indicative of the position of an item to be sorted after said item has been weighed, and discharge means responsive to the signal from said second position indicating means for discharging the item at a predetermined one of a plurality of sorting positions.
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14. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising
optical detection means for generating at least two signals, the first of said signals being proportional to the reflectance of an item to be sorted at a first frequency, and the second of said signals being proportional to the reflectance of said item at an second frequency, reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each reference signal being established according to a predetermined criteria and said reference signal means having an input provided by said first signal generated by said optical detection means, and comparison means for comparing the second signal generated by said optical detection means to the reference signals provided by said reference signal means and generating a signal therefrom.
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17. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising
conveyance means for transporting an item to be sorted along a track and having individual cups for transporting each said item, electronic weighing means incorporated into a portion of said track for generating a signal proportional to the weight of said item to be sorted, said electronic weighing means comprising a transducer means connected to a first member through a spring, a damping means connected to a second member for decreasing the overshoot of said transducer means in response to a force from the item to be sorted, said damping means being connected to said transducer means by a pair of members connecting said first and second member, and said pair of members being pivotally supported, reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said electronic weighing means to the reference signals provided by said reference signal means, clock means for incrementally signaling changes in position of the item to be sorted, first position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means and the signal from said comparison means for generating a signal indicative of the position of the item to be sorted, and discharge means responsive to the signal generated by said position indicating means for discharging the item to be sorted at a predetermined position.
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18. An automatic sorting apparatus comprising
electronic weighing means for generating a signal proportional to the weight of an item to be sorted, first reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, first comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said electronic weighing means to the reference signals provided by said first reference signal means, and generating a signal therefrom, optical detection means for generating a signal proportional to the color of an item to be sorted, second reference signal means for providing a predetermined number of reference signals, the value of each signal being established according to a predetermined criteria, second comparison means for comparing the signal generated by said optical detection means to the signals provided by said second reference signal means, and generating a signal therefrom, clock means for incrementally signalling changes in position of the item to be sorted, first position indicating means responsive to a signal from said clock means and the signal from a first one of said first and second comparison means for generating a signal continuously indicative of the position of an item to be sorted while the item is in transit between a first one of said optical detection means or said electronic weighing means, and the other of said optical detection means or said electronic weighing means, second position indicating means responsive to the signal from said clock means, the signal from said first position indicating means, and the signal from the other of said first and second comparison means for generating a signal continuously indicative of the position of the item to be sorted after the item has passed the other of said optical detection means and said electronic weighing means, and discharge means responsive to the signal from said second position indicating means for discharging the item at a predetermined one of a plurality of sorting positions.
Specification