Patent ID: 8534466

Claim:
A utensil sorting apparatus for managing one or more utensils, the apparatus comprising: a) a plurality of arms capable of maneuvering linearly in at least one direction and capable of moving rotationally in at least one direction such that the plurality of arms are capable of: i. transporting a first utensil from an unsorted area to a sorted area; ii. for physically orienting the first utensil iii. for stacking or arranging the first utensil b) a locating mechanism to locate the first utensil in an unsorted area c) a grasping mechanism capable of coupling and lifting the first utensil d) an identifying mechanism determining utensil type and orientation of the first utensil coupled to the grasping mechanisms; e) a plate, substantially perpendicular to a grasped first utensil, that an end of the grasped first utensil is pushed against to provide alignment and identification of the grasped first utensil.