Provided is a color sorting machine capable of properly removing foreign mater even when the specific gravity of the object to be sorted is low. A color sorting machine M1 removes foreign matter F in the object to be sorted being conveyed from a conveyance route G into a removal route R. The color sorting machine M1 is equipped with a supply portion 1 supplying the object to be sorted to the conveyance route G, a sorting portion 2 surrounding a sorting region R and partially formed by transparent walls 21a and 21b, a first conveying portion 3 surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G to the sorting region R, a second conveying portion 4 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G from the sorting region R, a removing portion 5 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the removal route D extending from the sorting region R, an air intake port 32, a detection device 6 optically detecting the foreign matter F in the object to be sorted, a removal device 7 having an ejection port 72 hermetically inserted into the sorting portion 2, and a first suction device 8 provided in the second conveying portion 4 and sucking in the air in the conveyance route G to thereby generating an airflow heading for the second conveying portion 4 from the air intake port 32.

The invention relates to a method for separating and categorizing at least one substrate (02; 03) that originates from a sheet source (47) or is transported in the form of a material web (02) to a cross-cutting apparatus and is separated into a multiplicity of sheets (03) there, wherein the respective sheets (03) are inspected in respective inspection operations with regard to at least one property that the substrate (02; 03) already had before the particular separating operation or severing operation, and wherein the sheets (03) are each assigned to one of at least three categories in an assigning operation on the basis of the result of the inspection carried out in the particular inspection operation, and wherein each of the sheets (03) is deposited on a delivery pile (06; 07; 08) corresponding to its category, and to a substrate categorizing machine (01), which has a sheet source (47) or a material-web source (09) and a cross-cutting device (11), wherein the substrate categorizing machine (01) has, downstream of the sheet source (47) or downstream of the cross-cutting device (11), a sheet transport device (12) having a gripper system (13), and an inspection device (14; 16; 17; 18), and, downstream of the inspection device (14; 16; 17; 18), a delivery apparatus (19), which has at least three depositing stations (21; 22; 23).

Disclosed are systems and methods for sorting material on a conveyor of a conveyor system, such as a conveyor system for material including non-ferrous metals. The conveyor system includes a conveyor belt and a separator system. The conveyor belt is adapted to convey the material. The separator system includes a separator below the conveyor belt and is configured to selectively apply a separating force onto the material on the conveyor belt such that at least one piece of the material is lifted off of the conveyor belt. A method of sorting material on a conveyor belt includes receiving the material on the conveyor belt, conveying the material with the conveyor belt, and applying the separating force onto the material with the separator such that at least one piece of the material is lifted off of the conveyor belt.

A maintenance system is disclosed for assisting in maintaining an automated carrier system for moving objects to be processed. The maintenance system includes a plurality of automated carriers that are adapted to move on an array of discontinuous standard track sections, each said automated carrier including a carrier body that is no larger in either a length or width direction that a standard track section, and an automated maintenance carrier that is adapted to move on the array of discontinuous track sections, said automated maintenance system including a maintenance body that is larger in at least one of a length or width direction than the standard track section.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a discontinuous plurality of track sections on which an automated carrier may be directed to move, and the automated carrier includes a base structure on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a discontinuous plurality of track sections on which an automated carrier may be directed to move, and the automated carrier includes a base structure on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

There is provided a conveyor assembly for sorting merchandise items. In one form, the conveyor assembly includes: a merchandise identification module; sortation modules each comprising a multi-directional sorting portion with two sets of rollers, a first wing including a third set of rollers, a second wing including a fourth set of rollers, and a controller configured to receive an IP address; a first, disassembled state of the sortation modules; a second, assembled state of the sortation modules; a merchandise database; and a control circuit configured to receive identifying information about an unsorted merchandise item, assign a unique IP address to each sortation module corresponding to the position of the sortation module, determine a sortation destination for the unsorted merchandise item, determine the sortation module corresponding to the sortation destination; and instruct the controller of the corresponding sortation module to divert the unsorted merchandise item to the sortation destination.

A maintenance system is disclosed for assisting in maintaining an automated carrier system for moving objects to be processed. The maintenance system includes a plurality of automated carriers that are adapted to move on an array of discontinuous standard track sections, each said automated carrier including a carrier body that is no larger in either a length or width direction that a standard track section, and an automated maintenance carrier that is adapted to move on the array of discontinuous track sections, said automated maintenance system including a maintenance body that is larger in at least one of a length or width direction than the standard track section.

To provide an optical grain sorter that can reduce the proportion of non-defective grains blown off collaterally, and even in a case in which a plurality of defective grains or the like fall down in a state overlapping each other, can blow off all the defective grains or the like. The optical granular matter sorter includes a control unit configured to control an ejection time of a compressed gas from an air ejecting unit based on a result of detection obtained by an optical detecting unit, in which the control unit has a comparing unit configured to compare a defect detection time for an object to be sorted by the optical detecting unit and a single-granular matter passage set time set in advance, and a calculating unit configured to multiply the defect detection time by a predetermined coefficient based on a result of comparison obtained by the comparing unit to calculate the ejection time, and in a case in which the defect detection time is less than or equal to the single-granular matter passage set time as the result of comparison obtained by the comparing unit, the calculating unit multiplies the defect detection time by a small coefficient as compared to a case in which the defect detection time exceeds the single-granular matter passage set time to calculate the ejection time, and controls the ejection time of the compressed gas from the air ejecting unit based on a result of calculation.

Disclosed is a system for sorting copper-bearing ore to select portions having a desired target copper content. The system includes a first magnetic resonance analyzer for measuring the copper content of ore input into the system and a controller that controls a diverter to divert portions of the input ore to a collection path when the copper content meets or exceeds a predetermined cut-off value. The system also includes a second magnetic resonance analyzer to measure the copper content of the ore in the collection path. The measurements are then fed back to the controller where the controller can adjust the predetermined cut-off value above, up or down, to optimize the yield of ore with the targeted copper content.