Patent ID: 7581648

Claim:
A sorter for sorting items of various diameters and lengths according to their respective diameters and lengths comprising: a pair of shafts spatially disposed in parallel within a horizontal plane, each of said shafts having a first end and extending along a length to a second end; each of said shafts having: a staging portion located near said first end, said staging portion comprised of a generally cylindrical body having a flight configured in a tight pitch so as to align items to be sorted in a desired orientation between said shafts; a tapered core portion having a first flight and a second flight, said first flight having a greater major diameter than said second flight, wherein said first flight and said second flight travel along said shaft generally toward an extension portion in the same rotational direction; wherein said extension portion is positioned near said second end, said extension portion having a flight which maintains the same major diameter as said flight extends along said shaft toward said second end; a portion configured for connection with a drive means, said drive means configured to rotate said shafts in opposing directions; and whereby rotation of said shaft causes said flights to rotate and causes items placed upon said shafts to be moved from said first end toward said second end between said shafts, items having larger lengths and diameters are moved further along said shafts while items with smaller lengths and diameters fall between said shafts.