Patent ID: 8387800

Claim:
A system to identify and extract metallic items from impacted soil to isolate ordnance-related items from the impacted soil including metallic items and other material for inspection by an ordnance technician, the system comprising: a feeder to feed impacted soil onto a first conveyor belt that conveys the impacted soil in a first direction; a screener to separate metal particles from the impacted soil received from the first conveyor belt, wherein if the particles are smaller than an ordnance-related size of concern, the particles pass through the screener and are deposited into a clean pile, whereas if the particles are larger than the ordnance-related size of concern, the larger particles are passed onto a second conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt to convey the larger particles of impacted soil in a second direction; a electromagnetic belt magnet positioned above the second conveyor belt, the electromagnetic belt magnet to pull metallic items away from the impacted soil for inspection to determine if a metallic item is ordnance related; a pick-line including a conveyor belt, wherein the electromagnetic belt magnet deposits metallic items onto the conveyor belt such that the ordnance technician is capable of inspecting metallic items to determine if a metallic item is ordnance-related, wherein the impacted soil is cycled back to the screener; and a plate barrier straddling the pick-line to protect the ordnance technician from ordnance detonation at the electromagnetic belt magnet.