Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Traveling items shifted to form line – or into end or edge...
Patent
1998-05-15
2000-11-21
Bollinger, David H.
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Traveling items shifted to form line, or into end or edge...
209540, 209577, 209587, B07C 502
Patent
active
061490164
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic sorting apparatus useful in sorting articles into batches such that the batched articles are the same or have some unifying characteristic or characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has application and is useful in sorting a range of different articles. Whilst there are various descriptions in this specification to the use of the apparatus of the invention for sorting specific items the invention is equally applicable to the sorting of other articles. One area where there is an increasing need for automated sorting is for articles which are intended to be recycled for further use in commerce. For example, glass bottles are commonly recycled and reused. When such bottles are originally manufactured, they are supplied in homogenous batches. However, after there has been supply and use by the consumer, the bottle becomes one of the heterogenous collection which includes a range of different bottle sizes and types. For the bottles to be commercially useful they need to be sorted back into homogenous groups so that they may be resupplied to an appropriate user. With the present day heavy emphasis on recycling, there are a number of examples of articles where such sorting is commercially important if the articles are to be conveniently re-used. Manual sorting is time consuming laborious and costly. The apparatus of the present invention is particularly suited to the sorting of articles such as garment hangers although it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the invention is by no means limited to its use in connection with such articles.
Garment hangers are produced by a number of different manufacturers in an extensive range of shapes, sizes and colors. Whilst individual plastic garment hangers are relatively cheap to make, major clothing manufacturers and retailers expend significant monies each year on the purchase of garment hangers for presentation of garments for sale. In recent times, it has been appreciated that even relatively light weight plastic hangers can be reused a number of times before they will fail. As a result, it has recently been recognized that if garment hangers are retained by retailers they may be resupplied to the clothing manufacturers for re-use. Once a retailer has sold a range of clothing items it is necessary to sort the retained hangers into groups in which each hanger is similar or the same type if they are to be suitable for re-supply. The applicant has for some time provided services for the re-sorting and recycling of garment hangers but heretofore, it has been necessary for this sorting to be done manually. The exercise is labor intensive and costly.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automated system useful for sorting a group of different articles such as garment hangers into batches where the articles in the batches are either the same or have some unifying characteristic.
Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same or have some unifying visual characteristic, said apparatus including: path; conveying means which have been recognized by the vision recognition unit as having the one or more predetermined visual characteristics.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to sort from a group of different articles two or more batches of articles where members of each batch are either the same or have some unifying visual characteristic.
In such a case, it is preferred that the apparatus include separate and dedicated removal means for each of the types of articles being removed from the conveying means. Each removal means is preferably associated with a collection bay at which the articles are maintained in respective sorted batches.
It is preferred that the one or more vision recognition units be associated with a processing means which is adapted to separately act
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patent: 5335790 (1994-08-01), Geiger et al.
patent: 5335791 (1994-08-01), Eason
patent: 5398818 (1995-03-01), McGarvey
patent: 5477955 (1995-12-01), Madden et al.
patent: 5497887 (1996-03-01), Hiebert
Bollinger David H.
Rosebay Terrace Pty Ltd.
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