Patent ID: 8662314

Claim:
A sorting apparatus, comprising: a conveyor for transporting a multiplicity of articles in a continuous product stream, and which includes acceptable and unacceptable articles, and foreign material, and propel the product stream into a first path of travel; an inspection station positioned along the first path of travel, and wherein the inspection station visually inspects the product stream to identify the respective acceptable articles, unacceptable articles and foreign material, and further generates a plurality of routing signals following the inspection of the product stream; and a diverter assembly located downstream of the inspection station, and in spaced relation relative to the conveyor, and wherein the diverter assembly is controlled by the plurality of routing signals supplied by the inspection station, and further has a first and second plurality of selectively moveable launching blocks, and wherein the second plurality of launching blocks are located downstream of, and in substantially gravitationally feeding alignment with, the respective first plurality of selectively moveable launching blocks, and wherein the individual moveable launching blocks of the first and second plurality each have a first, retracted position, and a second, extended position, and wherein, when the individual launching blocks of the first and second plurality are both in the retracted position, the individual articles moving along in the product stream move along a second path of travel; and wherein when the individual moveable launching blocks of the first plurality are in the extended position, the individual articles moving along in the product stream move along a third path of travel; and wherein when the individual moveable launching blocks of the first plurality are in a retracted position, and the second plurality of launching blocks are in an extended position, the individual articles travelling along in the product stream move in a fourth path of travel, and wherein the second, third and fourth paths of travel effect the sorting of the articles in the product stream.