Automatic selection apparatus of sheet material

An automatic selection apparatus for detecting defects and sorting a stack of sheet materials comprising:

• feeding means for individually feeding said sheet materials into the apparatus in a perpendicular direction to a flow direction of a manufacturing process for said sheet materials;
• carrying means having a plurality of inspection drums and a downstream carrying chain with a plurality of grippers, the plurality of inspection drums receiving the individual sheet materials from the feeding means and transferring the individual sheet materials to the carrying chain, some of the plurality of grippers holding a front edge of each of said sheet material as the material is fed by the carrying chain;
• first optical defect detection means having at least one reflection type detector facing one of the plurality of inspection drums for detecting defects while said sheet material is on said inspection drum, the sheet material being free of the carrying chain when the at least one reflection type detector is detecting defects;
• second optical defect detection means having a laser light transmission type detector facing said carrying chain for detecting defects of said sheet material carried by the carrying chains by using a plurality of laser illuminators;
• switching means disposed adjacent the carrying chain for selectively activating said carrying means which discontinues movement of said sheet materials by said carrying chain;
• and
• control means for discharging said sheet materials into a first bin and a second bin in response to said first and second optical defect detection means.