The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-26
Machines That Are
Almost Human
Bean Growers Eye
B Y E. C. TAYL o r


ND you ever sort dried navy
81 beans or soy beans? Pick out
the best, grade them all and throw
away those unfit for the baked bean
pot?
Fatiguing, wasn't it? Sorting and
grading even pound or TWO grows
tiresOme, even if it is done in the
kitchen in preparation for supper.
The scores of workers in the
large food establishments where
hundreds of thousands of dried
beans are graded after each crop
became positively weary, and their
employers found by experience that
the sorting of the beans suffered as
result. Toward the end of each
day, beans of inferior grade were
left in the package of higher brade
beans, and the food packing con-
Germs cast about for some new
method of sorting and grading
beans.
Science came to their rescue.
The bean growers eye" was pro-
duced. 1t really cannot think, of
course, but it performs its task
much more accurately and swiftly
than human beings, and completely
does away with the carelessness of
human SOrterS.
The "eye" is fastened above a
carrier along which the beans are
transported, and it is an infallible
detectOr of inferiOrity. AS the
beans pass under it. the inferior
beans are automatically cast aside,
and those remaining are separated
according to their grades
The device is simply a photo
electric cell, a simple electric bulb
with a coating inside of certain ele-
ments.
The SenSitiZed mirror surface of
the bulb causes it to give off elec-
irons that are sensitive to long
light waves or short light waves.
whichever is desired, and the reflec-
tiOn or nOn-reflectiOn of the infe-
riOr bean attracts the attention of
the phOtO-electric cell.
The cell communicates with bat
terry attachment and the battery
throws out a current of electricity.
The current, becoming greatly mag
nified gives forth enough energy
to control a mechanical device
which removes the inferior bean.
Simple, isn't it? One such device
does the work of many human
hands and eyes, and never becomes
fatigued or careless.
The "eye" is one Of the marvels
of modern science, developed and
adapted to the necessities of mod
ern industry. Although conceived
and produced primarily for bean
growers, its use has been extended
to many other industries, until now
it plays an important part in the
sorting and grading of many other
foods and products
1t plays its part in the orange
groves of California and Florida,
where it sorts oranges. This little
device can look at thousands of
oranges passing it in the packing
houses of the citrus districts, and
unerringly pick and separate the
green, partly green and ripe fruit.
The ''eye" is becoming more and
more useful, too. in the tobacco
rapidly abOlishing the tedious job
of sorting leaf tobacco. The "eye"
looks over the tobacco as 1t comes
from the curing houses, and
automatically grades and sorts the
leaves. and it does so much
more accurately than the human
hand and eye could do it.
That old prerogative of the wom-
an shopper-matching colors-ls
being abolished by the electric
"eye" A similar device to that
used for grading beans for baking
has been developed that looks at
two pieces Of silk, wool or cotton.
and unerringly matches them.
Since no two pieces of cloth are
Of exactly the same shade, the
builders of this modern robot de-
liberately made it slightly inaccu-
rate. Instead Of demanding that
colors match perfectly. the "eye"
declares them matched when they
are only few thousandths Of a de-
gree of shade apart in color.
The woman shopper. no matter
how good her eyesight, cannot tell
the difference between two pieces
of cloth that are whole shades
apart The "eye" could match col
ors perfectly, but they won't let It,
When-and if-this device Is uni
versally adopted, what a boon II
will be to women shoppers. No
more running from store to store
to match a piece of goods for
Sally's new dress, or TO match
stockings for that new evening
gown. All a woman will have to do
will be to take a sample of the
color she wants to the store, and
| let the "eye" do the work. She will
know that the colors match abso-
lutely, so perfectly that no human
eye ever could tell any difference.
Co. 1881. Western Newspaper Union.)
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