Patent GB-775410-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for gauging and sorting articles
IPC: B07C5/08
Filed: 1955-08-19
Abstract: 775,410. Sorting by gauging. CENSOR PATENT-UND VERSUCHSANSTALT. Aug. 19, 1955 [Aug. 19, 1954], No. 23971/55. Class 106 (2). In a device for sorting objects of the kind described in Specification 683,177, where a gauging element 3, 4 determines one geometrical dimension of the object 1 and a classifying gauging element 2, 8 indicates the depth, graduated into tolerance classes, 7b ... 7k, to which the object 1 has penetrated the device, the classifying element 8 unblocks, in succession, one electron tube 11b ... 11k per tolerance class and reblocks it when the associated class has been passed until such time as the gauging element 3, 4 closes contacts 6 which prevents blocking of the tube 11b ... 11k at that moment unblocked and also prevents the unblocking of further tubes and switches into the circuits of the tubes 11b ... 11k a plurality of sorting elements, e.g. relays 17c ... 17k, only that one sorting element associated with the unblocked tube actually operating to set the associated sorting channel 18c, 19c ... 18k, 19k into position to receive the test piece. As shown in Fig. 1 the thyratron tubes 11b ... 11k are energized in succession by voltage from the source 10 flowing via gauge element 8 and segment 7b ... 7k to their control grids, the anode circuit of each thyratron containing a resistancecapacitance network which when the thyratron fires reduces the control grid voltage on the next preceding thyratron to or below extinction value. If the gauging contacts 6 close, e.g. when thyratron 11g is unblocked the control grid voltage is provided with a parallel path through resistance 14 so that thyratrons 11h ... 11k will not now be operated as the element 8 moves over their segments. On closing of contacts 6 a sorting thyratron 15 fires to operate a sorting relay A whose contacts a<SP>1</SP> close all the circuits of the sorting relays 17c ...17k. A relay operating current will, however, flow only through the sorting relay 17g as the thyratron 11g is the only one in conductive condition. Operation of this relay 17g opens the gate 18g of sorting channel 19g. The thyratrons 15 and 17g are blocked on return of the element 8 to the rest-segment 7a. In this manner the objects 1 are sorted into oversize (11b, 19b), undersize (11k, 19k) and seven tolerance classes (11c, 19c ... 11i, 19i) each tolerance class corresponding to the width of its segment 7c ... 7i and the next adjacent insulating strip. By throwing a switch 20 the tolerance classes 7c ... 7i can be limited in size to the width of the segment and objects falling between these classes, i.e. with element 8, on the insulating strips can be assigned to a common intermediate class ejected into channel 19b, resorting as in Specification 763,913, both undersize and oversize objects being ejected through channel 19k. Throwing of switch 20 puts thyratron 11b in parallel with thyratron 11k to control sorting relay 17k and introduces a blocking thyratron 23 which, when the sorting tube 15 is blocked, reblocks in turn each thyratron 11b ... 11k as soon as the gauging element 8 leaves the associated segment 7b ... 7k, so that operation of contact 6 with element 8 on an insulating strip cause the test object to be ejected via channel 19b.