Determination of characteristics of material
First Claim
1. Apparatus for automatically inspecting matter for varying composition, comprising advancing means for advancing a stream of said matter, a detection station through which said stream passes, emitting means serving to emit a detection medium to be active at a transverse section of said stream at said station, said transverse section being comprised of a multiplicity of individual detection zones distributed across substantially the width of said stream, receiving means at said station arranged to extend physically across substantially the width of said stream and serving to receive detection medium varied by variations in the composition of said matter at said section, detecting means arranged to be in communication with said receiving means and serving to generate detection data in dependence upon the variations in said medium, and data-obtaining means connected to said detecting means and arranged to use the detection data from said individual detection zones to construct a two-dimensional simulation of said matter passing through said detection station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automatically inspecting matter for varying composition comprises one or more detection stations through which one or more streams of matter are advanced and particular materials therein are detected through their diffusely reflected IR spectra, if any, and/or through their variation of an electromagnetic field by their metallic portions, if any. A row of light sources distributed across the overall width of one or more belt conveyors may cause desired portions of the stream to reflect light diffusely onto a part-toroidal mirror extending over that overall width, whence the light is reflected, by a rotating, polygonal mirror through optical filters dedicated to differing IR wavelengths, onto detectors the data output of which is utilized in controlling solenoid valves operating air jet nozzles which separate-out the desired portions. Alternatively or additionally, an oscillator and an antenna which extends over that overall width generate an electromagnetic field through the belt and sensing coils sense variations therein produced by metallic portions of the stream passing through the detection station and the detection data produced by the sensing coils is used to control the solenoid valves operating the nozzles to separate-out the metallic portions.
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Citations
44 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for automatically inspecting matter for varying composition, comprising advancing means for advancing a stream of said matter, a detection station through which said stream passes, emitting means serving to emit a detection medium to be active at a transverse section of said stream at said station, said transverse section being comprised of a multiplicity of individual detection zones distributed across substantially the width of said stream, receiving means at said station arranged to extend physically across substantially the width of said stream and serving to receive detection medium varied by variations in the composition of said matter at said section, detecting means arranged to be in communication with said receiving means and serving to generate detection data in dependence upon the variations in said medium, and data-obtaining means connected to said detecting means and arranged to use the detection data from said individual detection zones to construct a two-dimensional simulation of said matter passing through said detection station.
- 20. A method of automatically inspecting matter for varying composition, comprising passing a stream of said matter through a detection station, emitting a detection medium to be active at a transverse section of said stream at said detection station, wherein said medium is varied by variations in the composition of said matter at said transverse section, receiving the varied medium over substantially the width of the stream at receiving means which physically extends across substantially the width of said stream, and generating detection data in dependence upon the variations in said medium, wherein said transverse section comprises a multiplicity of individual detection zones distributed across substantially the width of said stream, and the detection data from said individual detection zones is used to construct a two-dimensional simulation of said matter passing through said detection station.
Specification