Method of and apparatus for high speed, high quality, contaminant removal and color sorting of glass cullet

A method of effectively sorting a group of different colored objects into separate groups of similar colored objects comprising:

• a. receiving an input feed having a plurality of objects;
• b. sorting the input feed at a plurality of first stage sorting devices into a plurality of first stage output feeds, wherein sorting occurs simultaneously for the input feeds;
• c. sorting at least one of the first stage output feeds at a second stage sorting device thereby forming a second output feed;
• d. sorting at least one of the first stage output feeds received directly from a corresponding one of the first stage sorting devices, and the second stage output feed, at a third stage sorting device, thereby forming a third stage output feed;
• e. transmitting at least one light through at least one object in a light sensing region;
• f. receiving the transmitted light utilizing a camera having a plurality of pixels;
• g. determining at least one light intensity value from the transmitted light in the light sensing region;
• h. generating a digital representation of the at least one light intensity value;
• and
• i. calculating a color value from the light intensity value.

A multi-level sorting system for separating different colored cullet into cullet having substantially similar color characteristics comprising:

• a. a first means for sorting the cullets, wherein the first means for sorting directs the sorted cullets into more than two first output paths;
• b. a second means for further sorting at least one received first output path, wherein the second means for sorting directs the further sorted cullets into more than two second output paths;
• c. a third means for subsequently sorting at least one received first output path received directly from the first means for sorting, and at least one received second output path, wherein the third means for sorting directs the subsequently sorted cullets into more than two output paths, wherein the first means, the second means and the third means for sorting sort cullets simultaneously;
• d. means for transmitting at least one light through at least one cullet in a light sensing region;
• e. means for receiving the transmitted light, the means for receiving comprising a camera having a plurality of pixels positioned to receive the transmitted light transmitted from the means for transmitting;
• f. means for determining at least one light intensity value from the transmitted light in the light sensing region;
• g. means for calculating a color value from the at least one light intensity value;
• and
• h. means for directing the at least one cullet to a desired path based on the color value.