Method and system for grading and sorting articles

An identification system for grading and sorting articles comprising a conveyor line for sequentially conveying a plurality of articles, a coding station for identifying a first one of said plurality of articles with an electronically stored information code indicative of specific characteristics of said first article, and sequentially operable indicator means to visually identify the location of said first article moving along a predetermined portion of said conveyor line at said coding station where said information code is to be stored until said information code is completed and a termination signal to that effect is generated whereby a following article is visually indicated by said indicator means as being a first article in said predetermined portion of said conveyor line and identified with its information code, said indicator means being a plurality of light sources positioned along said predetermined portion of said conveyor line, said light sources being illuminated momentarily in sequence and in alignment with said first one of said articles moving along said conveyor line, said light sources being illuminated for a time duration dependent on the displacement time of said first article along said predetermined portion of said conveyor line.