Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to an apparatus for sorting
seeds, and in particular to an apparatus for sorting seeds in
accordance with colour.
The sorting of seeds, i.e. the removal of bad,
S discoloured seeds from good seeds can be a time consuming,
e~pensive and tedious operation. Sorting is usually a manual
operation carried out on a flat conveyor.
The object of the present invention is to solve the
above problem by providing a relatively simple seed sorting
apparatus, which automatically and quickly sorts seeds in
accordance with colour~
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an
apparatus for sortinq seeds in accordance with colour
comprising drum means; drive means for rotating said drum
means; a plurality of indentation means in said drum means
for receiving seeds, whereby one seed is positioned in each
said indentation means; blower means associated with each
said indentation means for dislodging individual seeds from
said indentation means; camera means for creating an image of
the seeds in said indentation means; and control means
connected to said camera means for triggering said blower
means to disliodge selected seeds.
The invention will be described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate
a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:
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Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a seed
sorting apparatus in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic, partly sectioned end view
of the apparatus of Fig. l;
Figure 3 is a schematic, perspective view from above
and one end of a drum and rollers used in the apparatus of
Figs. 1 and 2; and
Figure 4 is a schematic, perspective view of a
section of the drum of Fig. 3 on a larger scale.
It will be appreciated that, for the sake of
simplicity, parts have been omitted from Figs. 2 and 3.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus of the
present invention includes a skeletal, rectangular frame
generally indicated at 1 for carrying most of the remaining
elements of the apparatus. A hollow, cylindrical, metal drum
2 is rotatably mounted on four rollers 3 (three shown - Fig.
3) in the frame 1. The drum 2 includes a plurality of
parallel, longitudinally extending rows of shallow, concave
recesses 4 (Fig. 4) for receiving seeds (not shown). An
opening 5 is provided at the bottom centre of each recess 4.
The rollers 3 are mounted on stub axles 7 extending inwardly
from crossbars 8 ~one shown) at each end of the frame 1. The
drum 2 is rotated by an electric motor 9 and transmission 10
which are mounted on an inclined plate 12. One end of the
plate 13 is connected to one corner leg 14 of the frame 1,
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and the other end of the plate is suspended from another leg
15 of the frame by cables 16 and a turnbuckle 17. A pulle~
18 (Fig. 3) is connected to the transmission 10 for driving a
belt 19, which extends around the drum 2 and around a pair of
brush rollers 20. Thus, the motor 9 rotates the drum 2 and
the rollers 20. The rollers 20 are mounted in bearings 22
(one set shown~ on a top crossbar 23 for bearing against the
drum 2.
Seeds 25 are fed onto the drum through a hopper 26
mounted on one side of the drum 2. The seeds 25 drop into
the recesses 4 to fill all of the recesses. As the recesses
4 pass beneath the brush rollers 20, any seeds not in a
recess 4 are brushed from the surface of the drum 2. The
seeds then pass beneath sets of strobe lights 27 on the ends
of arms 28 suspended from crossbars 29 (one shown). The
lights 27 are arranged in rows extending the entire length of
the drum 2. The rows of seeds also pass beneath a
digital~imaging camera 30 suspended from the top 32 of the
frame. As mentioned, the camera 30 is a digital/imaging
camera, which takes an optical image and converts the image
directly to a digital image for transfer to a computer ~not
shown). The camera 30 is suspended on a four-way micrometer
bracket assembly 33, so that the camera can be moved very
precisely in any direction to focus and centre over a row of
seeds on the drum 2.
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Additional information is fed to the computer from a
proximity probe sensor 35 (Fig. 3), which is on an L-shaped
arm 36, so that the sensor analyzes the first peripheral row
of recesses 4 at one end of the drum 2. The sensor 35
measures differences in its proximity to metalO In this
case, the sensor is used to sense the passing of the rows of
recesses 4 on the surface of the drum 2. This information is
used by the computer to correlate all distance related
operations. The other end of the arm 36 is pivotally
connected to a post 37 extending upwardly from the centre of
one of the crossbars 8. A turnbuckle 39 extends between the
arm 36 near the sensor 35 and the crossbar 23 to permit
adjustment of the sensor location.
A second arm 40 extends upwardly from the opposite
side of the post 37 for supporting one end of a manifold 41,
which extends through the drum 2. The other end of the
manifold 41 is supported by a post and arm arrangement ~not
shown) similar to the post 37 and the arm 40. One end of the
arm 40 is pivotally connected to the top end of the post 37,
and the other end is supported by a turnbuckle 43, which is
also connected to the crossbar 23.
As best shown in Fig. 4, the manifold 41 carries a
plurality of nozzles defined by tubes 45. The number of
tubes 45 extending through the manifold is equal to the
number o~ recesses 4 or openings 5 in each longitudinal row
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of recesses on the drum 2. Thus, any or all of the seeds in
the recesses could be blown out of the recesses as the row of
recesses containing such seeds passes the tubes 45. A valve
(not shown) is provided in each tube 45, such valve being
housed in a casing 46 (Fig. l) mounted on one end of the
frame l. The tubes are bundled together and pass through one
end of the drum 2 from the casing 46 to the manifold 41.
Seeds 48 rejected by the apparatus, i.e. seeds
having the wrong colour as detected by the camera 30 are
blown into a discharge hopper 50. The rernaining, selected
seeds 51 fall ~rom the drum into another discharge hopper 52.
The operation of the apparatus will be described
with reference to Fig. 2. In use, seeds 25 are fed into the
hopper 26 for transfer to the rotating drum 2. The drum and
seeds pass beneath the rollers 20, which remove any seeds not
located in indentations 4. The seeds thus removed can be
recycled, i.e returned to the hopper 26. At approximately
the top dead centre position of the drum, the uniform rows of
seeds 25 in the indentations 4 pass beneath the strobe lights
27 and the digital/imaging camera 30 which takes a picture,
i.e. creates an image. Each image covers an area of 320
indentations 4 in the drum 2. The strobe lights 27 function
in coordination with the camera 30 to enable each frame or
image to be taken without blur. Each image is analyzed by
~5 the computer, which correlates the image with the location of
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each indentation.
Such location information is supplied by ths sensor
35 (Figs. 1 and 3). A decision is made to either reject of
accept the contents of each indentation ~. The information
5 is stored in the computer memor~ until the drum 2 moves to
approximately 30 degrees beyond top dead centre. In this
position, if a seed is to be rejected an air blast passes
through the tube 45 and the opening 5 to eject the seed 48
rom the indentation 4 into the hopper 50.
Any seeds 51 not ejected from the drum 2 by air
blasts are dislodged by gravit.y into the selected seed hopper
52.
Movement of the drum 2 and seed sorting are
continuous, and are presently limited only by the processing
capability of the computer. A rate of twenty-two images per
second has already been achieved and can be increased by the
use of improved computer technology.
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