Can sorting method and apparatus

A method of sorting articles comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving in an article feed receptacle a plurality of randomly oriented articles having sizes within a selected range of sizes;
• (b) feeding said plurality of articles to a singulating conveyor means operative to convey a stream of said articles one at a time;
• (c) conveying each article to a material detector means;
• (d) generating a material signal indicative of the material of each article;
• (e) conveying each article to a scale means;
• (f) generating a weight signal indicative of the weight of each article;
• (g) in the absence of at least one of a selected material signal and a selected weight signal for an article, discharging said article to a reject location;
• (h) in resonse to the combination of said selected material signal and said selected weight signal for an article, receiving said article in an accept location;
• and
• (i) counting the number of the accepted articles which are received in said accept location.

A method of sorting aluminum cans of selected size and weight ranges from a plurality of articles comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a plurality of randomly oriented articles in a holding receptacle;
• (b) feeding said plurality of articles to a singulating conveyor operative to convey a stream of single articles;
• (c) conveying each article to a material detector means;
• (d) generating a material signal in cooperation with said material detector means for each article, said material signal being indicative of the material of said article;
• (e) conveying each article to a scale means;
• (f) generating a weight signal in cooperation with said scale means for each article, said weight signal being indicative of the weight of said article, and said weight signal being a selected weight signal upon a weighed article weighing not more than a selected weight;
• (g) in the absence of one of a selected material signal and said selected weight signal for an article, conveying said article to a reject location;
• (h) in response to the combination of said selected material signal and said selected weight signal for an article, conveying said article to an accept location;
• (i) counting the number of the accepted articles which are conveyed to said accept location;
• and
• (j) storing the count of said accepted articles.

An apparatus for sorting articles comprising:

• (a) a material detector operative to provide a material signal indicative of the material of each article;
• (b) a scale operative to provide a weight signal indicative of the weight of each article;
• (c) an article feed receptacle for receiving a plurality of randomly oriented articles;
• (d) article accept means operative to receive selected articles according to the material content and weight thereof;
• (e) article reject means operative to discharge articles which are not acceptable according to at least one of the material content and weight thereof;
• (f) article conveyor means driven by a conveyor motor and operative to convey said articles one at a time from said receptacle to said material detector, said scale, and one of said accept means and said reject means;
• (g) control means having said material detector, said scale, said accept means, said reject means, and said motor connected thereto and operative to effect the reception of said selected articles by said accept means and the discharge of all other articles in response to the respective material signal and weight signal generated for each article;
• and
• (h) an accepted article counter operative to count the number of said selected articles which are received by said article accept means.

An apparatus for sorting cans comprising:

• (a) a planar, annular can supporting surface positioned at an acute angle with respect to horizontal, said surface having an upper and a lower portion;
• (b) a can conveying wheel rotatably mounted in substantially parallel spaced relation to said surface, said wheel including a plurality of circumferentially spaced and outwardly extending can pusher arms operative upon rotation of said wheel to convey said cans about said surface;
• (c) cylindrical wall means positioned in surrounding relation to said wheel to maintain the radial position to said cans for conveyance by said wheel;
• (d) motor means operatively connected to said wheel and selectively operable to rotate said wheel;
• (e) metal detector means positioned in spaced relation to a segment of said surface and operative to provide a metal detector signal indicative of the type of metal of each can tested by said metal detector means;
• (f) scale means defining a segment of said surface and operative to provide a weight signal indicative of the weight of each can;
• (g) an accept door defining a segment of said surface and including accept door actuator means for selectively opening and closing said accept door;
• (h) a reject door defining a segment of said surface and including reject door actuator means for selectively opening and closing said reject door;
• (i) control means interconnected with said motor means, said metal detector means, said scale means, said accept door actuator means, and said reject door actuator means and operative upon selected combinations of said metal detector signal and said weight signal to open one of said accept door and said reject door to receive a can therethrough;
• and
• (j) counter means operative to count the number of cans received through said accept door.