Glass sorter
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsDonald J. Christian, Chin-Hu Feng, Jerry L. McComas, Andrew K. Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a method and apparatus for purification and color sortation of waste glass, a glass beneficiation process and apparatus. The invention crushes the glass into pieces less than 3 inches in size, delables the glass, and then sorts the glass according to the light transmissive properties of the glass utilizing an array of lamps electrically connected to a control module.
Claims17
An apparatus for the beneficiation of transparent material according to light transmitting properties of the transparent material, comprising:
- a control module;
- a first array of lamps, wherein the first array of lamps is electrically connected to the control module;
- a first array of sensors electrically connected to the control module and positioned opposed from the first array of lamps;
- a means for conveying the transparent material to a position above the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors and directing the transparent material between the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors;
- and
- an actuator means electrically connected to the control module for deflecting some of the transparent material dropped between the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors in response to the light transmitted from the first array of lamps through the transparent material to the first array of sensors.
An apparatus for the beneficiation of transparent material, comprising:
- a means for crushing the transparent material into pieces of transparent material;
- and
- a first sorter, comprising:
- a control module;
- a first array of lamps, wherein the first array of lamps is electrically connected to the control module;
- a first array of sensors electrically connected to the control module and positioned opposed from the first array of lamps;
- a means for conveying the pieces of transparent material to a position above the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors and directing the transparent material between the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors;
- and
- an actuator means electrically connected to the control module for deflecting some of the pieces of transparent material dropped between the first array of lamps and the first array of sensors in response to the light transmitted from the first array of lamps through the transparent material to the first array of sensors so that the actuator means provides deflected transparent material as a first output and undeflected material as a second output.
A method of separating transparent material according to the light transmitting properties of the transparent material, comprising the steps of:
- passing the transparent material between a first array of lamps and a first array of sensors;
- transmitting light at a first frequency from the first array of lamps through the transparent material to the first array of sensors at a first time;
- transmitting light at a second frequency from the first array of lamps through the transparent material to the first array of sensors at a second time;
- and
- deflecting some of the transparent material according to the light received at the first array of sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.