Patent ID: 7353955

Claim:
A baggage screening system, comprising: a plurality of screening subsystems, each comprising an automated bag screen device and a feed conveyor for feeding bags to said screen device, said bag screen device adapted to screen baggage for at least one chosen from weapons and explosive devices; a supply conveyor adapted to selectively supply bags to said screening subsystems; a cleared bag conveyor and an uncleared bag conveyor, said uncleared bag conveyor adapted to deliver bags to a manual screening function; and a sortation conveyor network downstream of said screening subsystem to selectively divert bags to said cleared bag conveyor or said uncleared bag conveyor; wherein said sortation conveyor network comprises a secondary bag screen system, said secondary bag screen system downstream of each said bag screen device, a first diverter between said bag screen device and said secondary bag screen system being adapted to divert a bag to either said cleared bag conveyor or said secondary bag screen system, a second diverter downstream of the associated said secondary bag screen system being adapted to divert a bag to either said cleared bag conveyor or said uncleared bag conveyor, wherein bags cleared by either said bag screen device or said secondary bag screening system are delivered to said cleared bag conveyor, wherein bags not cleared by said bag screen device are delivered to said secondary bag screen system, and wherein bags not cleared by said secondary bag screening system are delivered to said uncleared bag conveyor for delivery to said manual screening function.