US3675769A - Method and apparatus for separating potatoes from stones and soil clods - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for separating potatoes from stones and soil clods Download PDF

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Publication number
US3675769A
US3675769A US112322A US3675769DA US3675769A US 3675769 A US3675769 A US 3675769A US 112322 A US112322 A US 112322A US 3675769D A US3675769D A US 3675769DA US 3675769 A US3675769 A US 3675769A
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Prior art keywords
sorting
mixture
energy
approximately
stones
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US112322A
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Albert G Story
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Colorado State University Research Foundation
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    • 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
    • B07C5/3425—Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour of granular material, e.g. ore particles, grain
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
    • B07B13/00—Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices

Definitions

  • the reflected energy thus collected and divided is then passed to separate yet identical photo cells, however, the character of the light reaching them is of a mutually-exclusive wave length due to selective filtration.
  • the magnitude of the band of filtered energy reaching one photo cell from a particular element is combined with a like measure of a difi'erent band of filtered energy reaching the other detector and a ratio thereof is formed which is then used to identify and differentiate between the various elements of the harvested mixture.
  • the resulting mechanism is fully automatic thus eliminating the need for any hand-sorting in an era where even common labor is both expensive and hard to find. Minimal handling of the potatoes is required thus assuring that the crop will not be downgraded because of abuse during the sorting operation.
  • the mechanical elements of the system are simple, cheap and readily available even in farm communities. About the only items that arent easily repaired in the field are the optical subassembly and the electromechanical subassembly; however, these subassemblies are quite rugged and, therefore, capable of withstanding considerable abuse.
  • the electronic components are both simple and inexpensive.
  • optical components comprise little more than silvered beam-splitting grids,simple double-convex collector lenses and inexpensive filters, none of which need even be of panicu larly high quality.
  • both the optical and electronic subassemblies are well-suited to modular treatment whereby an inoperative unit can be replaced with a'serviceable one even in the field in a matter of minutes.
  • the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for sorting and separating potatoes from both stones and soil clods.
  • a second objective is the provision of a method of the type aforementioned in which the sorting function is reliably performed by discriminating between the relative absorptive and reflective characteristics of the elements of the mixture within selected bands of visible light and radiant energy in the infrared end of the spectrum.
  • Another objective of the invention herein disclosed and claimed is to provide a potato separating apparatus which involves minimal handling and abuse thereof while removing the stones and soil clods therefrom.
  • Still another objective is to provide a potato sorting and separating device that is readily integrated with existing potato harvesting equipment.
  • An additional object is to provide a sorting method whereby the elements of the heterogeneous mixture being sorted are segregated and individually examined one-at-a-time in a plurality of parallel lines moving simultaneously past a series of identical optical discriminators.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking down and to the left upon the sorting and separating apparatus of the present invention, it having been shown located adjacent the discharge end of the soileseparating rod-link conveyor that forms a part of a conventional potato harvester; however, the apparatus need not be located at that particular point in order to operate;
  • FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section to an enlarged scale showing one of the solenoid-actuated sorting gates and associated linkage that are used to pass the potatoes on through the system while discharging the stones and soil clods therefrom;
  • FIG. 3 is a rear fragmentary elevation to an enlarged scale showing one section of the V-belt and pulley system that is used to channel the elements of the mixture into line relation preparatory to their passing beneath the discriminators;
  • FIG. 4 is an end view to a somewhat enlarged scale showing the relative locations of the energy source, the optical and electromechanical subassemblies of the differential discriminator as they are arranged within the housing therefor;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section to a further enlarged scale showing the details of the optical subassembly and photo cell sensing elements of photoelectric detector housed therein;
  • FIG. 6 is a plan view of one of the silvered beam'splitting grids of the optical subassembly;
  • FIG. 7 is an edge view showing a pair of said beam-splitting grids superimposed one atop the other for relative parallel adjustment;
  • FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the electromechanical circuit used in association with the optical subassembly to trigger the sorting gate.
  • reference numeral 10 has been chosen to broadly designate the sorting and separating apparatus in its entirety while numeral 12 denotes the discharge end of the rod-link conveyor apron that carries the mixture of potatoes, stones and soil clods dug up by a conventional potato harvester of which said apron forms an integral part.
  • a segregating conveyor 14 forms a continuation of the harvester apron 12 and, as will be seen presently, functions to channel the individual elements of the harvested mixture into a plurality of tranversely spaced parallel lines moving, as before, in the direction of the arrows.
  • each of the several discriminators is operative to differentiate between potatoes and stones or soil clods passing therebeneath and to generate a triggering pulse whenever a potato is detected.
  • sorting gates 20 that bridge the gap between the latter conveyor and another conveyor 22, which may be an integral part of a conventional potato harvester and which runs laterally in a direction normal to the previous flow.
  • the sorting gates operate independently of one another whenever a potato has been detected to rock forwardly to catch the potato and roll same down onto the lateral conveyor 22.
  • the stones and soil clods on the other hand, merely drop through the gap between the segregating conveyor 14 and the sorting gates in their unactuated position where they are redirected down onto the ground under the machine.
  • the segregating conveyor 14 includes a horizontally disposed tranversely extending drive shaft 24 located at the intake end thereof which may either be independently powered by a suitable prime mover (not shown) or, preferably, connected in synchronous driven relation to the adjacent shaft 26 (FIG. 1) of the harvester by an appropriate power transfer mechanism such as the sprocket chain drive designated broadly by numeral 28 in FIG. 1.
  • Shaft 24 mounts a series of V-belt pulleys 30 in side-by-side relation that are all of the same diameter.
  • Driven shaft 32 at the discharge end of the segregating conveyor mounts three different sizes of V-belt pulleys, 32L, 32M and 325.
  • a set of six such pulleys arranged with a pair of the largest diameter pulleys 32L on the outside, a pair of the smallest ones 32S adjacent one another on the inside, and one of the medium sized pulleys 32M positioned between each large and small one as shown in FIG.
  • the differential discriminator 16 will be seen to include longitudinally spaced banks of three different subassemblies mounted within a common housing 18.
  • the first of these is the energy source 36 which is connected through the bottom wall 38 of the housing and constit'utes, in the particular form shown, an ordinary incandescent lamp bulb positioned to shine down on the elements of the mixture passing single file therebeneath on the segregating conveyor.
  • an ordinary incandescent lamp bulb positioned to shine down on the elements of the mixture passing single file therebeneath on the segregating conveyor.
  • Such a lamp will radiate energy up into the ultraviolet nearblue end of the invisible light spectrum at about 0.2g, down through the visible light range and well down into the infrared at about 2.5 to 3.0g.
  • the sorting function can be carried out with nearly perfect results by sampling the reflectances within the somewhat narrower bands of 0.6 l.3;r and 1.4 2.2g. thus leaving out the shorter wave lengths in the blue end of the spectrum as well as the ultraviolet, and also the longer wavelengths in the infrared end of the spectrum.
  • the next element in the differential discriminators located in housing 18 is the optical subassembly 40 of the electro-optical detector that has been indicated in a general way by numeral 42 and which will be described in detail presently in connection with FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.
  • one detector 42 is provided for each lamp bulb 36 located immediately downstream thereof where the visible and radiant energy reflected from the mixture of aligned elements passing therebeneath will be reflected up into the optical subassembly 40.
  • the detector 42 in addition to the optical subassembly 40, includes the photo cell sensors 44A and 44B (FIGS. 5 and 8) of the electromechanical subassembly that has-been referred to generally by numeral 46 and which both sorts the potatoes from the foreign objects and triggers the sorting gates.
  • the optical subassembly will be seen to include a downwardly directed collector lens 48 housed in a tubular lens mount 50 that receives the light reflected from the elements of the mixture moving therebeneath and directs same onto a pair of sandwiched beam-splitting grids 52 disposed at a 45 angle relative to said light path.
  • Collector lens 48 is a simple double-convex lens and, as previously mentioned, it neednt even be of good optical quality as precise resolution and definition are not nearly as important here as they would be in an image-producing optical instrument. In fact, it would seem that this is an ideal application for plastic lenses which are both inexpensive and rugged while providing moderately good quality.
  • the beam-splitting grids comprise mirrors having alternate transparent and silvered bands 54 and 56.
  • the reflected light impinges upon one of these grids, approximately half of it will pass on through while the other half will be reflected off at right angles.
  • FIGS. 5 and 7 it will be noted that two grids are used in face-to-face sandwiched relation to one another.
  • the housing 58 (FIG. 4) includes diagonally disposed channel 60 adapted to retain these grids and permit one to be adjusted relative to the other.
  • the lower or nearer of the two grids 52F is fixed while the other 52M is movable by means of adjustable stop 62 that engages the latter along its lower edge.
  • the purpose of the overlapping grids is, of course, to permit one to vary the relative proportions of the light reaching each of the two photo cells 44A and 448.
  • each beam splitter 52 each are passed through a pair of double-convex lenses 64A and 64B disposed at right angles to one another that further concentrate said beams and direct same on to their respective photo cells.
  • Located directly in front of each photo cell in position to intercept the beam is a filter 66A and 663.
  • these pass light within a certain band of the spectrum and block out the remainder. In this instance, they are mutually exclusive in that one passes the band from about 0.6 to 1.3 1. while the other passes the one adjacent thereto of around 1.4;; to 2.2a. Filters capable of discriminating within the selected band widths are readily available commercially and at nominal cost.
  • the detectors are lead sulfide photo conductive cells which exhibit a photosensitivity extending from about 0.5; well up into the infrared range to at least 2.7;.t. They are also not subject to failure by aging or mechanical vibration as are photomultiplier tubes which might be used in the visible range.
  • the electromechanical subassembly 46 that both differentiates between the potatoes and the stones and soil clods and triggers the mechanism that actuates the sorting gates and sorts the latter.
  • a D.C. power supply 70 represented in the form of a pair of 12 V. batteries connected to provide a total potential of 24 V. from +12 V. to -l 2V. powers the circuit and the lamp 36.
  • the photo cells 44A and 443 will both be rendered moderately conductive but to about the same degree so that the ratio of their conductances will be about 1:1.
  • the resistors forming the other side of the bridge may be so chosen that, under this condition the bridge output, when connected as illustrated across a conventional electronic operational amplifier 70, will cause a slightly negative potential to be applied to the amplifier and nothing further happens.
  • the photo cell measuring the reflected energy in the 0.6 to 1.3g. band will be rendered highly conductive to the strong reflections in this area, whereas, conversely, the other cell measuring the reflectance in the 1.4 to 2.2 tband will be even less conductive than with stones and soil clods due to the strong tendency of potatoes to absorb energy in the infrared end of the spectrum above 1.4g.
  • the bridge sees a condition of strongly positiveimbalances as the ratio of reflectances translated into photo cell conductances causes the conductance of cell 44A to be considerably greater than that of cell 448. Obviously this positive imbalance will be impressed across the amplifier 70.
  • the bias thus impressed across amplifier 70 will be amplified several hundred times depending upon the value of resistor 72 which may be of the variable type shown, but may also well be a fixed resistor.
  • the resulting amplified voltage is impressed across the base of a transistorized power circuit that has been broadly indicated by numeral 74 and which functions to control the current to a solenoid which has been similarly identified by numeral 76.
  • a time-delay 78 is interposed between the amplifier 70 and power output 74. The diode in this time-delay serves to isolate the amplifier 70 from the output circuit 74 after the voltage at the amplifier output terminal drops below the voltage on the time-delay capacitor.
  • the solenoid will actuate the sorting gate in a very few milliseconds after a potato is sensed, but gate retraction after the potato passes beyond the field of view of the optical assembly may be delayed as desired by varying the value of the timedelay resistor. This allows the potato sufficient time to roll onto the gate before retraction commences.
  • the electromechanical subassembly 46 described above is located as shown in FIG. 4 in the main discriminator housing 18 and is connected to both the energy source 36 and the optical subassembly 40, the photo cells 44 providing the connection with the latter subassembly.
  • Ambient sunlight could, if desired, be used as the energy source in place of lamp 36 although the latter is preferred because it obviously can be depended upon to shine when the sun is obscured by cloud cover and also because of its relatively constant energy output.
  • the circuit of FIG. 8 is, by no means, the only one that could be used but rather it is intended as being merely representative of one such circuit that has been found quite satisfactory.
  • the circuit shown is designed to ignore the stones and soil clods and respond to only the potatoes.
  • the mechanism is ideally suited for use under conditions where the undesirable elements, namely, the stones and clods, preponderate over the potatoes as is often the case. Other foreign materials, such as dead vines and trash will thus also be sorted from the potatoes.
  • the harvest is relatively free of foreign objects, it might be better to sense the stones and clods and actuate the gates to remove same while ignoring the potatoes. This, of course, can easily be done and it would require only minor modifications in the apparatus and circuitry above described such as could easily be accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the mechanical and electronic arts.
  • a pair of longitudinally spaced frame members 78 and 80 extend transversely across the unit between the discharge end of the segregating conveyor and lateral conveyor 22.
  • a U- shaped bracket 82 pivotally mounts solenoid 76 between the frame elements and the core 84 of said solenoid is pivotally attached to a corner at the base of a triangular member 86. The other corner at the base is pivotally attached to one of the frame elements in fixed position by clevis 88 while a similar clevis 96 attaches the third comer to the underside of the gate.
  • Link 92 is similarly attached for pivotal movement between the other frame element and the plate by clevises 90 and 94.
  • the sorting gates 20 should probably be actuated by either hydraulic or pneumatic servo-motors controlled by solenoidoperated valves of the well-known type. Hydraulic power is usually available in farm machinery anyway and cutting down the power requirements to that necessary for actuation of a solenoid valve would seem to be a wise decision. Pneumatic power is even preferable to the hydraulic because it is simpler, cheaper and faster acting, the latter being especially important insofar as actuating the gates is concerned.
  • the apparatus for sorting and separating potatoes from stones and soil clods which comprises:
  • segregating conveyor means locatable adjacent the potato flow path of a potato harvester in position to receive the harvested mixture of potatoes, stones and soil clods therefrom, said conveyor having the conveying surface thereof shaped to define a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel troughs separated by upstanding ridges, said troughs cooperating with one another and with the ridges therebetween to channel the mixture into separate lines having the individual elements thereof moving oneat-a-time toward the discharge end;
  • a transversely extending radiant energy source positioned adjacent the discharge end of the segregating conveyor adapted to radiate an uninterrupted band of both visible and infrared energy down atop each element of the mixture in each line;
  • a sorting gate located at the discharge end of each trough in position to intercept each element of the mixture issuing therefrom, said gate having two operative positions each adapted to deflect the elements impinging thereagainst along a different path;
  • optical means including a beam splitter positioned and adapted to gather the radiant energy reflected from each element in each line of the mixture and divide same into two discreet beams;
  • first filter means positioned and adapted to intercept the radiant energy in one of said beams and pass only that energy within the band that extends from the red down into the infrared-near-red end of the spectrum;
  • second filter means positioned and adapted to intercept the radiant energy in the other of said beams and pass only that energy within that band of the invisible spectrum that extends down from the infrared-near-red into the longer discriminating means having a bridge with a pair of photo cell sensors connected therein, one of said sensors being positioned to intercept the filtered energy passing the first filter means and the second photo cell being positioned to intercept the filtered energy passing the second filter means, said bridge circuit being operative when connected to a DC. power supply to compare the relative reflectances within the selected band widths of each element sensed in terms of the relative conductances of the photo cells and generate a signal whenever the ratio of said conductances exceeds a predetermined value; and,
  • each sorting gate operative to shift the position thereof in response to a signal generated within the discriminator means associated therewith.
  • the sorting and separating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which: the first filter means passes energy within the band of approximately 0.6;, up to approximately 1.3;1. and the second filter means passes energy between approximately 1.4;1. and approximately 2.244..
  • the beam splitter comprises a pair of grids each having alternate transparent and reflecting bands arranged in relatively adjustable face-to-face relation so that the ratio of reflected to transmitted energy can be varied.
  • the segregating conveyor comprises a series of belts reaved in side-by-side parallel relation about longitudinally aligned pairs of pulleys, at least those pulleys at the discharge end being graduated in size to define the troughs.
  • one position of the sorting gate is downwardly and forwardly inclined so as to have an open gap between the leading edge of the latter and the discharge end of the segregating conveyor sized to pass stones and soil clods, and the second position thereof is downwardly and rearwardly inclined so as to form a continuation of said segregating conveyor.
  • the method for sorting and separating potatoes from stones and soil clods which comprises: channeling the mixture of potatoes, stones and soil clods into a plurality of parallel lines where the elements of said mixture can be examined one at a time, passing each element of the mixture beneath a source of radiant energy encompassing a band width that includes at least the red end of the visible spectrum on down through a substantial portion of the infrared end of the invisible spectrum, collecting the radiant energy reflected from each individual element of the mixture and dividing same into two discreet beams, filtering one of said beams so as to include only red through infrared-near-red energy and the other of said beams so as to include the remainder of the reflected infrared energy, sensing the energy reflected from each element within the selected bands and comparing the relative magnitudes thereof, and initiating a sorting function predicated upon the differences in relative reflectance magnitudes within said selected bands.

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Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3795310A (en) * 1971-11-10 1974-03-05 Rech Geol Minieres Bureau De Process and apparatus for carrying out said process for the preconcentration of ores by induced measure of the superficial contents
US3975262A (en) * 1975-09-12 1976-08-17 Amf Incorporated Synchronized produce sorting system
DE2746615A1 (de) * 1977-02-04 1978-08-10 Amf Inc Verfahren zum sortieren von gegenstaenden, insbesondere fruechten, gemuese o.dgl.
FR2400396A1 (fr) * 1977-08-18 1979-03-16 Elbicon Electronics Pvba Dispositif de detection de corps etrangers parmi des legumes transportes en vrac sur convoyeur
US4168005A (en) * 1976-09-22 1979-09-18 Andrex N.D.T. Products (Uk) Limited Apparatus for separating objects of a particular kind from a stream of falling objects
US4186836A (en) * 1978-04-10 1980-02-05 Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. Differential reflectivity method and apparatus for sorting indiscriminately mixed items
US4301928A (en) * 1979-10-17 1981-11-24 Pullman Incorporated Heat monitoring and transfer arrangement for sponge iron pellets
US4369886A (en) * 1979-10-09 1983-01-25 Ag-Electron, Inc. Reflectance ratio sorting apparatus
DE3308010A1 (de) * 1982-04-29 1983-11-10 Veb Kombinat Nagema, Ddr 8045 Dresden Vorrichtung zum absondern fehlerhafter flacher dauerbackwaren
DE3306769A1 (de) * 1982-05-25 1983-12-01 State of Israel- Ministry of Agriculture, Beit Dagan Verfahren und vorrichtung zum trennen landwirtschaftlicher produkte von anderen materialien
US4901861A (en) * 1989-02-22 1990-02-20 Clayton Durand Manufacturing Company Asynchronous fruit sorter apparatus
USRE33357E (en) * 1983-05-27 1990-09-25 Key Technology, Inc. Optical inspection apparatus for moving articles
WO1993007468A1 (en) 1991-10-01 1993-04-15 Oseney Limited Scattered/transmitted light information system
US5440127A (en) * 1993-05-17 1995-08-08 Simco/Ramic Corporation Method and apparatus for illuminating target specimens in inspection systems
EP0719598A2 (de) * 1994-12-28 1996-07-03 Satake Corporation Vorrichtung zur Farbsortierung von Körnern
EP0727260A1 (de) * 1993-12-01 1996-08-21 Satake Corporation Vorrichtung zum Sortieren von Getreidekörnern nach Farbe
US5808305A (en) * 1996-10-23 1998-09-15 Src Vision, Inc. Method and apparatus for sorting fruit in the production of prunes
US5828320A (en) * 1997-09-26 1998-10-27 Trigg Industries, Inc. Vehicle overheight detector device and method
US5862919A (en) * 1996-10-10 1999-01-26 Src Vision, Inc. High throughput sorting system
US5884775A (en) * 1996-06-14 1999-03-23 Src Vision, Inc. System and method of inspecting peel-bearing potato pieces for defects
US20100329515A1 (en) * 2009-05-29 2010-12-30 Monsanto Technology Llc Systems and methods for use in characterizing agricultural products
US11624829B2 (en) * 2019-09-12 2023-04-11 Cnh Industrial America Llc System and method for determining soil clod size distribution using spectral analysis

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US2984352A (en) * 1953-05-21 1961-05-16 American Mach & Foundry Cigarette density measuring apparatus
US3373869A (en) * 1965-08-23 1968-03-19 Burson Electronics Inc Towel sorter having an infrared detector
US3435950A (en) * 1966-03-03 1969-04-01 Lew Suverkrop Materials separation devices
US3594579A (en) * 1968-06-06 1971-07-20 Univ California Device and method using gamma rays for size and density produce selection

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2984352A (en) * 1953-05-21 1961-05-16 American Mach & Foundry Cigarette density measuring apparatus
US3373869A (en) * 1965-08-23 1968-03-19 Burson Electronics Inc Towel sorter having an infrared detector
US3435950A (en) * 1966-03-03 1969-04-01 Lew Suverkrop Materials separation devices
US3594579A (en) * 1968-06-06 1971-07-20 Univ California Device and method using gamma rays for size and density produce selection

Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3795310A (en) * 1971-11-10 1974-03-05 Rech Geol Minieres Bureau De Process and apparatus for carrying out said process for the preconcentration of ores by induced measure of the superficial contents
US3975262A (en) * 1975-09-12 1976-08-17 Amf Incorporated Synchronized produce sorting system
US4168005A (en) * 1976-09-22 1979-09-18 Andrex N.D.T. Products (Uk) Limited Apparatus for separating objects of a particular kind from a stream of falling objects
DE2746615A1 (de) * 1977-02-04 1978-08-10 Amf Inc Verfahren zum sortieren von gegenstaenden, insbesondere fruechten, gemuese o.dgl.
FR2400396A1 (fr) * 1977-08-18 1979-03-16 Elbicon Electronics Pvba Dispositif de detection de corps etrangers parmi des legumes transportes en vrac sur convoyeur
US4262806A (en) * 1977-08-18 1981-04-21 Elbicon Electronics Pvba Automatic detection and rejection of foreign bodies from _vegetables transported on a conveyor
US4186836A (en) * 1978-04-10 1980-02-05 Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. Differential reflectivity method and apparatus for sorting indiscriminately mixed items
US4369886A (en) * 1979-10-09 1983-01-25 Ag-Electron, Inc. Reflectance ratio sorting apparatus
US4301928A (en) * 1979-10-17 1981-11-24 Pullman Incorporated Heat monitoring and transfer arrangement for sponge iron pellets
DE3308010A1 (de) * 1982-04-29 1983-11-10 Veb Kombinat Nagema, Ddr 8045 Dresden Vorrichtung zum absondern fehlerhafter flacher dauerbackwaren
DE3306769A1 (de) * 1982-05-25 1983-12-01 State of Israel- Ministry of Agriculture, Beit Dagan Verfahren und vorrichtung zum trennen landwirtschaftlicher produkte von anderen materialien
USRE33357E (en) * 1983-05-27 1990-09-25 Key Technology, Inc. Optical inspection apparatus for moving articles
US4901861A (en) * 1989-02-22 1990-02-20 Clayton Durand Manufacturing Company Asynchronous fruit sorter apparatus
WO1993007468A1 (en) 1991-10-01 1993-04-15 Oseney Limited Scattered/transmitted light information system
US5440127A (en) * 1993-05-17 1995-08-08 Simco/Ramic Corporation Method and apparatus for illuminating target specimens in inspection systems
US5638961A (en) * 1993-12-01 1997-06-17 Satake Corporation Cereal grain color sorting apparatus
EP0727260A1 (de) * 1993-12-01 1996-08-21 Satake Corporation Vorrichtung zum Sortieren von Getreidekörnern nach Farbe
EP0719598A3 (de) * 1994-12-28 1998-01-28 Satake Corporation Vorrichtung zur Farbsortierung von Körnern
EP0719598A2 (de) * 1994-12-28 1996-07-03 Satake Corporation Vorrichtung zur Farbsortierung von Körnern
US5884775A (en) * 1996-06-14 1999-03-23 Src Vision, Inc. System and method of inspecting peel-bearing potato pieces for defects
US6252189B1 (en) 1996-06-14 2001-06-26 Key Technology, Inc. Detecting defective peel-bearing potatoes in a random mixture of defective and acceptable peel-bearing potatoes
US5862919A (en) * 1996-10-10 1999-01-26 Src Vision, Inc. High throughput sorting system
US5808305A (en) * 1996-10-23 1998-09-15 Src Vision, Inc. Method and apparatus for sorting fruit in the production of prunes
US5828320A (en) * 1997-09-26 1998-10-27 Trigg Industries, Inc. Vehicle overheight detector device and method
US20100329515A1 (en) * 2009-05-29 2010-12-30 Monsanto Technology Llc Systems and methods for use in characterizing agricultural products
US9842252B2 (en) 2009-05-29 2017-12-12 Monsanto Technology Llc Systems and methods for use in characterizing agricultural products
US11624829B2 (en) * 2019-09-12 2023-04-11 Cnh Industrial America Llc System and method for determining soil clod size distribution using spectral analysis

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