A method and system for sorting workpieces, such as chicken nuggets. The sorting system includes a conveyor system that advances in a forward direction and one or more blow off bars positioned over the conveyor system. The blow off bars extend along the forward advancing direction. The blow off bars include one or more valved nozzles connected to a pressurized source of a fluid, and the nozzles are positioned to discharge the fluid across the conveyor system.

An automatic machine (2) for processing objects (3) passing in a flow (F) on a conveyor (4) has a selective ejection device (1) with at least one bar (5) with nozzles (6) that is disposed transverse to the direction of said flow (F), after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor (4), and having an active surface strip (7) that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings (6) of the nozzles (6) of the pneumatic bar (5), this surface strip (7) being situated beneath the conveying plane (4) of the conveyor (4). This machine has a device (8) for cleaning at least said surface strip (7), this cleaning device (8) having at least one cleaning head (9) that is able to move in translation along the longitudinal axis (AL) of the bar (5) and at least over the entire extent of the installation or overlap region, said or each cleaning head (9) comprising at least one scraping member (10), which moves in contact with at least said surface strip (7), and at least one nozzle for blowing air of which the pressurized jet is directed toward said surface strip (7) and precedes the scraping member (10) during the movement of the mobile cleaning head (9).

Sorting of produce, such as date palm fruit is achieve by receiving the unsorted fruit, using a plurality of sensors capable of sensing data for determining characteristics of the produce according to criteria comprising size, moisture or moisture content, and color. A control and evaluation unit, responsive to the sensed data, determines the characteristics of the produce and identifies each item of produce according to the characteristics as one of the predetermined categories. An air jet sorter is used to selectively divert the produce to the different ones of the output bins or ports according to the identified category for that produce.

Methods and devices for sorting cottonseeds. Methods include the use of an optical sorter to sort cottonseed by color. Additionally, methods include sorting cottonseed using a gravity table to collect high-density seed (accepts) and mid-density seed (middlings), followed by sorting the mid-density, and optionally, the high-density seed using an optical sorter to collect dark cottonseed, thereby providing high-quality cottonseed for packaging. Devices and systems comprising one or more gravity tables and one or more optical sorters are provided.

An automated object sorting system is provided. In various embodiments, the automated object sorting system includes an automated object extraction assembly and an automated object collection assembly. The automated object extraction assembly extracts one or more objects from an object sorting tray based on one or more attributes and/or traits of interest. The automated collection assembly selectively deposits the extracted objects in selected collection receptacles according to the particular attributes and/or traits of each respective object.

Provided is a reject selection device for selecting rejects from a set of dried fruit or nuts moved on a conveyor belt, the device including a support element with a central zone above the conveyor belt at a distance thereto, parallel and transversal thereto, a sensor suitable for detecting physical and/or chemical qualities of the dried fruit or nuts and the position thereof on the conveyor belt, suction means with a set of suction nozzles arranged in the central zone, and identification software in communication with the sensor and suction means for identifying rejected pieces of fruit or nuts and instructing the suction means to remove the rejected pieces from the conveyor belt.

Differences in x-ray absorption coefficients and ash content are used to process coal waste and concentrate rare earth elements (REE) found in coal seams. A method for processing the coal waste includes receiving, by a detector, at least one collimated x-ray beam from an x-ray source that has been passed through a sample of coal waste; determining measurements of at least one x-ray absorption characteristic of the sample based on the received at least one collimated x-ray beam; and identifying a first region in the sample having a concentration of rare earth elements based on the measured x-ray absorption characteristic.

A system (1) for analyzing and sorting material (2) including a feeder (10) for transporting at least one piece of material along a feeding surface (15) towards and onto an upper portion (21) of a chute (20), a sorting device (50), a laser device (30), a spectrometer (40) configured to detect an emission from the piece of material and to produce an output signal corresponding to the emission, and a controller device configured to receive the output signal and to operate the sorting device. The laser device and the spectrometer are both provided on a level below the feeding surface. Also, the laser device is configured to produce a laser beam that can be incident on the piece of material when the piece of material is at least partially protruding from the chute or has fallen off from the chute via the lower edge of the chute and is airborne.

A food article defect removal apparatus includes a manifold that defines one or more chambers for holding pressurized fluid. First channels extend from a first side of the manifold into fluid communication with the chambers. Second channels extend from the first side of the manifold to a second side of the manifold. Valves selectively connect corresponding first channels and second channels together to dispense the pressurized fluid from the manifold. The manifold can have an exterior wall that at least partially defines a first chamber and a second chamber, with an interior wall disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber. The interior wall can define the second channels. The valves can be included with a valve assembly, which includes a driver operably coupled with the valves. The valves can be pluggably coupled with the driver.

A system is provided for the identification and separation of heterogeneous material, the system comprising: a hyperspectral identification system for capturing spectra of material; a computer receiving and analyzing data from the hyperspectral identification system and selecting desired materials from the heterogeneous materials; and an ejection system, whereby the desired materials are ejected from the system.