Inspection apparatus, e.g. for a sorting machine
AssigneeGunson's Sortex Limited
InventorHerbert Fraenkel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Inspection apparatus comprising a transparent or translucent tubular member having at least a frusto-conical portion, illuminating elements disposed externally of the tubular member for producing an illuminated zone within the frusto-conical portion, and a viewing arrangement disposed externally of the tubular member and arranged to view objects passing through the illuminated zone in the frusto-conical portion so as to respond to the value of a property of said objects, the tubular member reflecting substantially no light from the illuminated zone onto the viewing arrangement.
Claims15
Inspection apparatus comprising a transparent or translucent tubular member having at least a frusto-conical portion, illuminating means disposed externally of the tubular member for producing an illuminated zone within the frusto-conical portion, and viewing means disposed externally of the tubular member and arranged on a viewing axis which passes only through the frusto-conical portion, the viewing means being arranged to view objects passing through the illuminated zone in the frusto-conical portion so as to respond to the value of a property of said objects, the tubular member reflecting substantially no light from the illuminated zone onto the viewing means.
A sorting machine comprising a transparent or translucent tubular member having at least a frusto-conical portion;
- means for feeding objects to be sorted to the interior of the tubular member so as to fall therethrough under gravity;
- illuminating means disposed externally of the tubular member for producing an illuminated zone within the frusto-conical portion;
- viewing means disposed externally of the tubular member and arranged on a viewing axis which passes only through the frusto-conical portion, the viewing means being arranged to view objects passing through the illuminated zone in the frusto-conical portion so as to respond to the value of a property thereof, the tubular member reflecting substantially no light from the illuminated zone onto the viewing means;
- and separator means, controlled by the viewing means, for effecting relative separation between objects which have and fail to have a predetermined value of said property.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.