EP0789634B1 - Singulator as well as apparatus and method for grading articles - Google Patents
Singulator as well as apparatus and method for grading articles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0789634B1 EP0789634B1 EP95937231A EP95937231A EP0789634B1 EP 0789634 B1 EP0789634 B1 EP 0789634B1 EP 95937231 A EP95937231 A EP 95937231A EP 95937231 A EP95937231 A EP 95937231A EP 0789634 B1 EP0789634 B1 EP 0789634B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- items
- stream
- discharge zone
- scanning
- streams
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/34—Sorting according to other particular properties
- B07C5/342—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour
- B07C5/3422—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
- B07C5/361—Processing or control devices therefor, e.g. escort memory
Definitions
- This invention relates to article grading methods and apparatus and in particular but not solely to optical scanning methods and apparatus used in the grading and/or packaging of fruit and/or vegetables.
- Apparatus for the grading of fruit which included a fast moving single stream grading conveyor with an endless circuit of carriers or cups for holding individual items of fruit. It is known to pass the fruit on the fast moving conveyor through an imaging zone, where while being rotated on the carriers or cups, the fruit are optically scanned to analyse for example the fruits' colour so that the fruit may for example be colour graded. It is also known to weigh each cup to ascertain the presence and, if present, the weight of items in each cup. This information may then be used to discharge the fruit carried by the individual cups into appropriate discharge lanes for packing.
- Apparatus such as this has the disadvantage that for high speed operation the grading conveyor must move very rapidly and the scanning can produce blurred, fuzzy or less accurate images.
- Apparatus for grading fruit which has a multiple stream singulator for supplying fruit to the single stream grading conveyor.
- the multiple stream singulator has the desired effect of spreading fruit supplied to it in an even manner, such that fruit arriving at the single stream grading conveyor arrives in a fairly steady supply, and therefore the utilisation of the single stream grading conveyor, in terms of the number of filled cups per the total number of cups is higher than would be the case without the multiple stream singulator.
- currently known multiple stream singulators have advancing rows of effective cups delivering fruit to a discharge zone from where the fruit is then received by the grading conveyor, and each row of fruit on the singulator is delivered to the discharge zone simultaneously, and consequently the fruit arrives at the discharge conveyor in bunches. This has the disadvantage of not being a particularly steady flow.
- the multi-stream singulator as defined in the paragraph immediately above and further including apparatus for scanning items to be graded which includes
- a plan elevation is shown of the relevant portion of apparatus for the grading of items, the apparatus shown is generally to be applied to fruit or vegetables, however items of other purpose may also be graded in the same manner.
- Single stream grading conveyor 1 is shown for movement of attached cups 2 in the direction of arrow 8.
- Attached cups 2 are preferably of the form shown and described in WO94/14547.
- the preferred cups described in WO94/14547 have a cup-like depression formed from a bow-tie roller on one side and an angled cross member on the other side.
- the cups are adapted to be individually actuable to discharge an item present in the cup-like depression to one or other sides of grading conveyor 1.
- the grading conveyor 1 receives fruit from singulator 4 via discharge zone 3.
- the singulator 4 has rotating shafts 5 with bow-tie rollers 6 mounted thereon, the shafts 5 attached to a chain conveyor (not shown), so that a conveyor is formed having multiple streams of effective cups 7, being the formed depressions between the forwardly adjacent rollers 6, the conveyor advancing the effective cups 7 to discharge zone 3.
- the rollers 6 are caused, over at least some of the length of the singulating conveyor, to rotate in either a forwards or a backwards direction.
- rollers 6 may be keyed, or otherwise non-rotatingly attached, to the shafts 5, and causing shafts 5 to rotate, for example by powering sprockets keyed to the shafts, or rotation of the rollers 6 may be achieved by having the rollers able to freely rotate relative to the shaft and causing each individual roller to rotate, for example by moving the rollers over a raised surface.
- items are presented to singulator 4, where the rotating rollers 6 cause items to become evenly distributed across the width of singulating means 4 in effective cups 7, such that practically all items rest individually in an individual effective cup 7.
- the process of singulation serves to distribute the presented items through the rotational movement of the rollers so that the items are distributed approximately entirely in to only one layer of items.
- the items in effective cups 7 are advanced by the advancement of the conveyor forming singulator 4 to discharge zone 3 where the items are discharged from the effective cups 7 into discharge zone 3.
- the items are then received by the cups 2 of single stream grading conveyor 1 whereon they are advanced in the direction of arrow 8 to eventually be discharged into discharge zones appropriate to each individual item as decided by a discharge control means.
- singulating means 4 is able to advance at a considerably lesser speed than grading conveyor 1, due to multiple rows feeding only one row.
- single stream grading conveyor 1 is advancing at a substantially faster speed than multiple stream singulator 4, it is preferable that the items, between being discharged at discharge zone 3 and being received at discharge zone 3 by the single stream grading conveyor, are accelerated to index the speed of travel of the items in discharge zone 3 with the speed of travel of the grading conveyor 1, at the point of reception by grading conveyor 1.
- the items may be permitted to accelerate by free travel down a sloping surface, the length and gradient of the surface being calculated to provide appropriate acceleration so that approximately the desired speed is obtained, or for example discharge zone 3 may include an armadillo plate conveyor, the plates of the conveyor being substantially overlapping at its singulator end, and becoming less overlapping closer to the grading conveyor end, such that in plates advancing from the singulator end to the grading conveyor end the plates face effective acceleration from an initial speed, and consequently any items thereon also undergo acceleration.
- Scanning zone 10 may for example have a digital camera 15 taking sequential frames of the entire scanning zone. To these ends, given the rotation of the items on the singulating conveyor 4, the sequential frames taken by the camera 15 allow several views of each item, of different rotational aspects, to be taken as the item progresses from entry into scanning zone 10 to moving out of scanning zone 10.
- Other configurations for scanning zone 10 are possible, for example the zone may, rather than having only one camera covering the entire zone, have multiple cameras, each scanning a reduced section of the zone.
- Other forms of scanning device are also possible for example the scanning device may involve use of ultrasound or could for example be an X-ray device.
- the output of the camera or cameras or other optical scanning devices used in the scanning zone 10 is analysed to provide an indication of at least one discernable characteristic of each item on the singulating conveyor, the results of the analysis being fed to a discharge controller 14, which in the current form of the invention is for example, a computer program, so that the discharge controller may make use of the indication of the discernable characteristic of each item in controlling, via output 18, the discharge of each item from the grading conveyor.
- the discernable characteristic of each item would be a visually discernable characteristic, for example the colouring of each item, and the discharge of each item from the grading conveyor may be weighted according to the coloration of each item.
- means for associating the discernable characteristic for an item with the item's position on the single stream grading conveyor are provided.
- the means for associating may take a number of forms. For example, with reference to Figure 3, video images may be taken by digital camera 17 of the discharge zone, at sufficient rate that items entering the discharge zone may be tracked through the discharge zone to their receipt onto single stream grading conveyor 1, the analysis of the tracking allowing mapping of a given item's position on singulating conveyor 4, and thereby the discernable characteristic of the item, to the item's position on single stream grading conveyor 1.
- Means for serially determining the position may for example be a weighing means 16, the weighing means 16 weighing each individual cup, and thereby ascertaining the presence or absence of an item thereon, and thereby allowing association of the next ranked item of the series to be associated with the cup.
- FIG. 2 and 4 Another form of means for associating in accordance with the invention is depicted in Figures 2 and 4. It can be seen in Figures 2 and 4 that the multiple streams of the singulator 4 are staggered, so that rather than multiple items arriving at discharge zone 3 simultaneously, the items arrive at discharge zone 3 serially, the series being preserved through the discharge zone, and therefore onto grading conveyor 1.
- the use of means to serially determine the position on the grading conveyor of the items may be used to associate the discernable characteristic of each item with the item's position on the grading conveyor.
- the form of singulating means shown in Figures 2 and 4 has the further advantage that items are not discharged from the singulating means to the discharge zone simultaneously, and therefore a more steady stream of items arrives at grading conveyor 1. It is considered that such a singulator is advantageous, and may be used in grading apparatus with or without the inclusion of scanning of items while on the singulator.
- rollers 6 are provided on shafts 5 with approximately single roller spacings laterally provided between adjacent rollers on each shaft, so that the shafts may, when assembled to form a conveyor, form a series of laterally adjacent streams, each stream partially advanced (or partially delayed) compared to its laterally adjacent streams by approximately half of a cup period.
- imaging of the items on the singulating conveyor provides the significant advantage that the items are travelling at a significantly slower speed and therefore blurring and fuzzing of images is reduced. Also, the high density of items on the singulating conveyor allows a single camera view to cover a larger number of items with each shot, and thereby it is possible to reduce the wastage of processor time in analysing redundant portions of an image.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
- Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
- Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
- Discharge Of Articles From Conveyors (AREA)
- Control Of Conveyors (AREA)
Abstract
An article grading conveyor has a multi-stream singulating conveyor (4) carrying and advancing articles to be graded to a discharge zone (3). Articles from the discharge zone (3) are received onto a single stream grading conveyor (1). Optical scanning of the articles is undertaken by a scanner (15) scanning a zone (10) of the singulating conveyor (4), to determine a physical attribute of each article. Means are provided to associate the scanned attribute of each article from the singulating conveyor (4) with its subsequent position on the single stream grading conveyor (1). A multi-stream singulator having at least two streams of cup, at least one stream of cups being a partial cup in advance of the other streams so that the items are discharged non-simultaneously is also disclosed.
Description
This invention relates to article grading methods and apparatus and
in particular but not solely to optical scanning methods and apparatus used
in the grading and/or packaging of fruit and/or vegetables.
Apparatus for the grading of fruit is known which included a fast
moving single stream grading conveyor with an endless circuit of carriers or
cups for holding individual items of fruit. It is known to pass the fruit on
the fast moving conveyor through an imaging zone, where while being
rotated on the carriers or cups, the fruit are optically scanned to analyse for
example the fruits' colour so that the fruit may for example be colour
graded. It is also known to weigh each cup to ascertain the presence and,
if present, the weight of items in each cup. This information may then be
used to discharge the fruit carried by the individual cups into appropriate
discharge lanes for packing.
Apparatus such as this has the disadvantage that for high speed
operation the grading conveyor must move very rapidly and the scanning
can produce blurred, fuzzy or less accurate images.
In United States patent 4,106,628 (Warkentin) apparatus for sorting fruit or the like
includes a multistream conveyor which feeds a single stream conveyor which in tum feeds a roller
conveyor from which the fruit is discharged. Colour and weight sensing is used to sort the fruit.
Apparatus for grading fruit is also known which has a multiple
stream singulator for supplying fruit to the single stream grading conveyor.
The multiple stream singulator has the desired effect of spreading fruit
supplied to it in an even manner, such that fruit arriving at the single
stream grading conveyor arrives in a fairly steady supply, and therefore the
utilisation of the single stream grading conveyor, in terms of the number of
filled cups per the total number of cups is higher than would be the case
without the multiple stream singulator. However, currently known multiple
stream singulators have advancing rows of effective cups delivering fruit to
a discharge zone from where the fruit is then received by the grading
conveyor, and each row of fruit on the singulator is delivered to the
discharge zone simultaneously, and consequently the fruit arrives at the
discharge conveyor in bunches. This has the disadvantage of not being a
particularly steady flow.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method
and or apparatus for article grading which go some way towards
overcoming the above disadvantages.
Accordingly in one aspect of the invention there is provided
In a further asoect, the multi-stream singulator as defined in the
paragraph immediately above and further including apparatus for scanning
items to be graded which includes
According to further still another aspect of this invention there is
provided a method of scanning items to be graded which includes
One preferred form of the present invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;
- Figure 1
- is a plan elevation of a form of an apparatus,
- Figure 2
- is a plan elevation of a first form of the present invention,
- Figure 3
- is a schematic of the form of the apparatus including control system, and
- Figure 4
- is a schematic of the first form of the invention including control system.
With reference to Figure 1, a plan elevation is shown of the relevant
portion of apparatus for the grading of items, the apparatus shown is
generally to be applied to fruit or vegetables, however items of other
purpose may also be graded in the same manner. Single stream grading
conveyor 1 is shown for movement of attached cups 2 in the direction of
arrow 8. Attached cups 2 are preferably of the form shown and described
in WO94/14547. The preferred cups described in WO94/14547 have a
cup-like depression formed from a bow-tie roller on one side and an angled
cross member on the other side. The cups are adapted to be individually
actuable to discharge an item present in the cup-like depression to one or
other sides of grading conveyor 1. The grading conveyor 1 receives fruit
from singulator 4 via discharge zone 3. The singulator 4 has rotating
shafts 5 with bow-tie rollers 6 mounted thereon, the shafts 5 attached to a
chain conveyor (not shown), so that a conveyor is formed having multiple
streams of effective cups 7, being the formed depressions between the
forwardly adjacent rollers 6, the conveyor advancing the effective cups 7
to discharge zone 3. The rollers 6 are caused, over at least some of the
length of the singulating conveyor, to rotate in either a forwards or a
backwards direction. This may be achieved by either having the rollers 6
keyed, or otherwise non-rotatingly attached, to the shafts 5, and causing
shafts 5 to rotate, for example by powering sprockets keyed to the shafts,
or rotation of the rollers 6 may be achieved by having the rollers able to
freely rotate relative to the shaft and causing each individual roller to
rotate, for example by moving the rollers over a raised surface.
In use, items are presented to singulator 4, where the rotating rollers
6 cause items to become evenly distributed across the width of singulating
means 4 in effective cups 7, such that practically all items rest individually
in an individual effective cup 7. The process of singulation serves to
distribute the presented items through the rotational movement of the
rollers so that the items are distributed approximately entirely in to only one
layer of items. The items in effective cups 7 are advanced by the
advancement of the conveyor forming singulator 4 to discharge zone 3
where the items are discharged from the effective cups 7 into discharge
zone 3. The items are then received by the cups 2 of single stream grading
conveyor 1 whereon they are advanced in the direction of arrow 8 to
eventually be discharged into discharge zones appropriate to each individual
item as decided by a discharge control means.
Advantageously the configuration described allows, given similar
spacing between forwardly adjacent rollers 6 of singulator 4 as between
forwardly adjacent cups 2 of single stream grading conveyor 1, singulating
means 4 is able to advance at a considerably lesser speed than grading
conveyor 1, due to multiple rows feeding only one row.
Given that single stream grading conveyor 1 is advancing at a
substantially faster speed than multiple stream singulator 4, it is preferable
that the items, between being discharged at discharge zone 3 and being
received at discharge zone 3 by the single stream grading conveyor, are
accelerated to index the speed of travel of the items in discharge zone 3
with the speed of travel of the grading conveyor 1, at the point of reception
by grading conveyor 1. A number of methods are apparent for the
acceleration of items, for example the items may be permitted to
accelerate by free travel down a sloping surface, the length and gradient of
the surface being calculated to provide appropriate acceleration so that
approximately the desired speed is obtained, or for example discharge zone
3 may include an armadillo plate conveyor, the plates of the conveyor being
substantially overlapping at its singulator end, and becoming less
overlapping closer to the grading conveyor end, such that in plates
advancing from the singulator end to the grading conveyor end the plates
face effective acceleration from an initial speed, and consequently any
items thereon also undergo acceleration.
Referring further to Figures 1, 3 and 4, the effective cups 7 of
singulator 4, in advancing to discharge zone 3, pass through scanning zone
10. Scanning zone 10 may for example have a digital camera 15 taking
sequential frames of the entire scanning zone. To these ends, given the
rotation of the items on the singulating conveyor 4, the sequential frames
taken by the camera 15 allow several views of each item, of different
rotational aspects, to be taken as the item progresses from entry into
scanning zone 10 to moving out of scanning zone 10. Other configurations
for scanning zone 10 are possible, for example the zone may, rather than
having only one camera covering the entire zone, have multiple cameras,
each scanning a reduced section of the zone. Other forms of scanning
device are also possible for example the scanning device may involve use
of ultrasound or could for example be an X-ray device.
The output of the camera or cameras or other optical scanning
devices used in the scanning zone 10 is analysed to provide an indication
of at least one discernable characteristic of each item on the singulating
conveyor, the results of the analysis being fed to a discharge controller 14,
which in the current form of the invention is for example, a computer
program, so that the discharge controller may make use of the indication of
the discernable characteristic of each item in controlling, via output 18, the
discharge of each item from the grading conveyor. With camera 15 as the
scanning device, the discernable characteristic of each item would be a
visually discernable characteristic, for example the colouring of each item,
and the discharge of each item from the grading conveyor may be weighted
according to the coloration of each item.
In order to be able to make use of the indication of the discernable
characteristics of each item at the discharge control means, means for
associating the discernable characteristic for an item with the item's
position on the single stream grading conveyor, are provided. The means
for associating may take a number of forms. For example, with reference
to Figure 3, video images may be taken by digital camera 17 of the
discharge zone, at sufficient rate that items entering the discharge zone
may be tracked through the discharge zone to their receipt onto single
stream grading conveyor 1, the analysis of the tracking allowing mapping
of a given item's position on singulating conveyor 4, and thereby the
discernable characteristic of the item, to the item's position on single
stream grading conveyor 1. Using this form of means for associating, it
may be possible to give a direct indication of the exact cup onto which the
item is received on single stream grading conveyor 1, or it might be
preferable to determine only the relative order in which items are received
by grading conveyor 1, the exact positions being determined by means to
serially determine the position on the grading conveyor of each serially
ranked item. Means for serially determining the position may for example
be a weighing means 16, the weighing means 16 weighing each individual
cup, and thereby ascertaining the presence or absence of an item thereon,
and thereby allowing association of the next ranked item of the series to be
associated with the cup.
Another form of means for associating in accordance with the
invention is depicted in Figures 2 and 4. It can be seen in Figures 2 and 4
that the multiple streams of the singulator 4 are staggered, so that rather
than multiple items arriving at discharge zone 3 simultaneously, the items
arrive at discharge zone 3 serially, the series being preserved through the
discharge zone, and therefore onto grading conveyor 1. In a similar manner
to that for the imaging technique described above the use of means to
serially determine the position on the grading conveyor of the items may be
used to associate the discernable characteristic of each item with the
item's position on the grading conveyor.
The form of singulating means shown in Figures 2 and 4 has the
further advantage that items are not discharged from the singulating means
to the discharge zone simultaneously, and therefore a more steady stream
of items arrives at grading conveyor 1. It is considered that such a
singulator is advantageous, and may be used in grading apparatus with or
without the inclusion of scanning of items while on the singulator. In this
form of the singulator, rollers 6 are provided on shafts 5 with approximately
single roller spacings laterally provided between adjacent rollers on each
shaft, so that the shafts may, when assembled to form a conveyor, form a
series of laterally adjacent streams, each stream partially advanced (or
partially delayed) compared to its laterally adjacent streams by
approximately half of a cup period.
Therefore it can be seen from the above description that imaging of
the items on the singulating conveyor provides the significant advantage
that the items are travelling at a significantly slower speed and therefore
blurring and fuzzing of images is reduced. Also, the high density of items
on the singulating conveyor allows a single camera view to cover a larger
number of items with each shot, and thereby it is possible to reduce the
wastage of processor time in analysing redundant portions of an image.
Claims (12)
- A multi-stream singulator (4) comprising at least two streams of cups (7), characterised in that at least one of said streams of cups (7) being a partial cup in advance of the other streams of cups (7),
such that concurrent advancement of said streams of cups (7) to a discharge zone (3) causes items carried on said cups (7) of said at least one partially advanced stream to be discharged non-simultaneously with items carried on said cups (7) of said other streams. - A multi-stream singulator according to claim 1 characterised in having at least two streams of bow-tie rollers (6) and forwardly adjacent said bow-tie rollers form a cup therebetween.
- , A multi-stream singulator as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that each stream is partially advanced or partially delayed relative to its laterally adjacent stream(s) by approximately half a cup (7) period.
- A multi-stream singulator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in further including apparatus for scanning items to be graded includingmeans to receive onto a single stream grading conveyor (1) from said discharge zone (3) the discharged items of the multi-stream singulator (4),means to scan (15) the multiple streams of the multi-stream singulator (4) for at least one discernable characteristic of each item and feed output signals from said scanning to discharge control means (14) of said single stream grading conveyor (1) andmeans to, for each item, associate said at least one discernable characteristic of said item with the position of said item on said single stream grading conveyor (1).
- Apparatus according to claim 4 characterised in that said scanning (15) is optical scanning and said at least one discernable characteristic is at least a visually discernable characteristic.
- Apparatus according to either claims 4 or 5 characterised in that said apparatus includes means to advance said multiple streams to said discharge zone (3) such that items serially enter said discharge zone in a predetermined order, means to maintain said predetermined order through said discharge zone (3), and means to receive said items onto said discharge conveyor (1) in said predetermined order.
- Apparatus according to either of claims 4 or 5 characterised in that said apparatus includes means (17) to optically scan said discharge zone (3), means to use said optical scanning to track items through said discharge zone (3) and means to determine the order in which said items are received onto said grading conveyor (1) from the tracking of said items.
- Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7 characterised in that said apparatus includes means to serially weigh the items on said grading conveyor, the timing of said serial weighing (16) indicating the relative spacing of positions in said series and
means to determine the position on said grading conveyor (1) of each said item from said timing. - Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8 characterised in that said apparatus includes
means to accelerate said items in said discharge zone, to index the speed of said items at the interface between said discharge zone (3) and said grading conveyor (1) to the speed of said grading conveyor (1). - , A method of scanning items to be graded characterised in that It includespresenting the items to be scanned and graded to a singulating means (4) adapted to advance multiple streams of the items present on cups (7) to a discharge zone (3), wherein at least one of said streams of cups (7) is a partial cup 17) in advance relative to its laterally adjacent stream(s),receiving onto a single stream grading conveyor (1) from said discharge zone (3) the discharged items of the multiple stream singulating means (4),scanning (15) the multiple streams of the singulating means (4) for at least one discernable characteristic of each item and feeding output signals from said scanning (15) to discharge control means (14) of said single stream grading conveyor (1) andensuring between the discharge of the multiple stream singulating means at the discharge zone (3) and the uptake from the discharge zone by said single stream grading conveyor (1) a preservation of the sequence for the items determined during the scanning of the Items.
- Apparatus for scanning items to be graded characterised in that it Includesmeans to present the items to be scanned and graded to a singulating means (4) adapted to advance multiple streams of the Items present on cups (7) to a discharge zone (3) with at least one of the streams of cups (7) being a partial cup (7) in advance relative to its laterally adjacent stream(s),means to receive onto a single stream grading conveyor (1) from said discharge zone (3) the discharged items of the multiple stream singulating means (4),means (15) to scan the multiple streams of the singulating means (4) for a least one discernable characteristic of each item and feed output signals from said scanning to discharge control means (14) of said single stream grading conveyor (1) andmeans to ensure between the discharge of the multiple stream singulating means (4) at the discharge zone (3) and the uptake from the discharge zone (3) by said single stream grading conveyor (1) a preservation of the sequence for the items determined during the scanning of the items.
- Apparatus according to claim 11 characterised in that said scanning (15) is optical scanning and said at least one diacernable characteristic is at least a visually discernable characteristic.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ26483594 | 1994-11-01 | ||
| NZ26483594 | 1994-11-01 | ||
| PCT/NZ1995/000113 WO1996013340A1 (en) | 1994-11-01 | 1995-11-01 | Article grading apparatus |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP0789634A1 EP0789634A1 (en) | 1997-08-20 |
| EP0789634A4 EP0789634A4 (en) | 1999-01-27 |
| EP0789634B1 true EP0789634B1 (en) | 2001-09-26 |
Family
ID=19924998
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP95937231A Expired - Lifetime EP0789634B1 (en) | 1994-11-01 | 1995-11-01 | Singulator as well as apparatus and method for grading articles |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0789634B1 (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE206080T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU703594B2 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69522952D1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2164782T3 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1996013340A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES2123422B1 (en) * | 1996-07-03 | 1999-08-16 | Amaducci Romana | PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR CHROMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTS. |
| JP2001225029A (en) | 2000-02-18 | 2001-08-21 | Hiroshi Maeda | Transfer device for online inspecting internal quality |
| DE102010015839A1 (en) † | 2010-04-20 | 2011-10-20 | Bizerba Gmbh & Co. Kg | Control procedure for a line unifier |
| EP2711701B1 (en) | 2012-09-21 | 2018-06-13 | Wipotec Wiege- und Positioniersysteme GmbH | Method for transillumination of products |
Family Cites Families (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1212120A (en) * | 1968-12-31 | 1970-11-11 | Sphere Invest Ltd | Position memory system |
| US4106628A (en) * | 1976-02-20 | 1978-08-15 | Warkentin Aaron J | Sorter for fruit and the like |
| AU534616B2 (en) * | 1977-12-16 | 1984-02-09 | Ikanui Farms Ltd. | Conveying articles into single file |
| US4482061A (en) * | 1978-11-24 | 1984-11-13 | Durand-Wayland, Inc. | Apparatus and process for sorting articles |
| US4254877A (en) * | 1979-11-05 | 1981-03-10 | Fmc Corporation | Weight sizing apparatus |
| US4726898A (en) * | 1982-09-30 | 1988-02-23 | Pennwalt Corporation | Apparatus for spinning fruit for sorting thereof |
| GB8432340D0 (en) * | 1984-12-21 | 1985-02-06 | British Res Agricult Eng | Singulator |
| US4717026A (en) * | 1986-04-03 | 1988-01-05 | Golden Aluminum Company | Container scanning and accounting device |
| US5086909A (en) * | 1988-09-23 | 1992-02-11 | Powell Machinery, Inc. | Gentle handling of fruit during weight sizing and other operations |
| US5170880A (en) * | 1991-04-17 | 1992-12-15 | Agri-Tech, Incorporated | Soft drop singulating device |
| DE59200942D1 (en) * | 1991-05-14 | 1995-01-26 | Elpatronic Ag | Method and device for processing, in particular coding and / or testing, plastic bottles or the like. |
| US5339963A (en) * | 1992-03-06 | 1994-08-23 | Agri-Tech, Incorporated | Method and apparatus for sorting objects by color |
| JP3327703B2 (en) * | 1993-10-19 | 2002-09-24 | マグネティック セパレイション システムズ インコーポレイテッド | Classification device for uneven heterogeneous materials |
-
1995
- 1995-11-01 WO PCT/NZ1995/000113 patent/WO1996013340A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1995-11-01 DE DE69522952T patent/DE69522952D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1995-11-01 ES ES95937231T patent/ES2164782T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1995-11-01 EP EP95937231A patent/EP0789634B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1995-11-01 AU AU39394/95A patent/AU703594B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1995-11-01 AT AT95937231T patent/ATE206080T1/en active
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE69522952D1 (en) | 2001-10-31 |
| ATE206080T1 (en) | 2001-10-15 |
| AU703594B2 (en) | 1999-03-25 |
| ES2164782T3 (en) | 2002-03-01 |
| WO1996013340A1 (en) | 1996-05-09 |
| EP0789634A4 (en) | 1999-01-27 |
| EP0789634A1 (en) | 1997-08-20 |
| AU3939495A (en) | 1996-05-23 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4585126A (en) | Method and apparatus for high speed processing of fruit or the like | |
| US4482061A (en) | Apparatus and process for sorting articles | |
| US5086909A (en) | Gentle handling of fruit during weight sizing and other operations | |
| US6659287B1 (en) | Apparatus and method for grading articles | |
| NZ245317A (en) | Aligning and orientating fish on conveyor using tilting portion and chutes | |
| US6481579B2 (en) | Article grading apparatus | |
| EP0789634B1 (en) | Singulator as well as apparatus and method for grading articles | |
| US5197585A (en) | Object sorting apparatus with object holder facilitating lateral transfer | |
| US7607544B2 (en) | Apparatus for use to check potatoes or similar items | |
| US20010032807A1 (en) | Fruit handling with color sorting | |
| US7104388B2 (en) | Conveyor system for stacked product | |
| US5170880A (en) | Soft drop singulating device | |
| JP2000157937A (en) | High speed sorting device | |
| JPH08301435A (en) | Commodity array and supply device | |
| US20030230437A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for weighing | |
| JP2605655B2 (en) | Conveyor device for long supply of long fruits and vegetables | |
| JP4346768B2 (en) | Automatic egg sorting device | |
| JPH08243508A (en) | Distributing conveyor | |
| JP2007091395A (en) | Aligning device | |
| EP1577024A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for aligning crop articles for grading | |
| CA2229610C (en) | Apparatus and method for grading articles | |
| JPH04243721A (en) | Conveyor for sorting farm product | |
| EP0922639A2 (en) | Egg handling system | |
| JPS5888622A (en) | Quantifying device for massive article | |
| JPS6321346Y2 (en) |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
| 17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19970523 |
|
| AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE |
|
| A4 | Supplementary search report drawn up and despatched |
Effective date: 19981216 |
|
| AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A4 Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE |
|
| 17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20000331 |
|
| GRAG | Despatch of communication of intention to grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA |
|
| RTI1 | Title (correction) |
Free format text: SINGULATOR AS WELL AS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GRADING ARTICLES |
|
| RTI1 | Title (correction) |
Free format text: SINGULATOR AS WELL AS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GRADING ARTICLES |
|
| GRAG | Despatch of communication of intention to grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA |
|
| GRAH | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA |
|
| GRAH | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA |
|
| GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
| AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 Ref country code: NL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 Ref country code: LI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 Ref country code: CH Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 Ref country code: AT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20010926 |
|
| REF | Corresponds to: |
Ref document number: 206080 Country of ref document: AT Date of ref document: 20011015 Kind code of ref document: T |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: EP |
|
| REF | Corresponds to: |
Ref document number: 69522952 Country of ref document: DE Date of ref document: 20011031 |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MC Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20011101 Ref country code: LU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20011101 Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20011101 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: PT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20011226 Ref country code: DK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20011226 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20011228 Ref country code: DE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20011228 |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: IF02 |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: 727 |
|
| NLV1 | Nl: lapsed or annulled due to failure to fulfill the requirements of art. 29p and 29m of the patents act | ||
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FG2A Ref document number: 2164782 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: T3 |
|
| ET | Fr: translation filed | ||
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: 727A |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: PL |
|
| PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
| STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: MM4A |
|
| 26N | No opposition filed | ||
| PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Payment date: 20071219 Year of fee payment: 13 |
|
| PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Payment date: 20071127 Year of fee payment: 13 |
|
| PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Payment date: 20071107 Year of fee payment: 13 Ref country code: FR Payment date: 20071108 Year of fee payment: 13 |
|
| GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20081101 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20081101 |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: ST Effective date: 20090731 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20081101 |
|
| REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FD2A Effective date: 20081103 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20081103 |
|
| PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20081130 |