US 12,390,838 B2
Sorting between metal alloys
Nalin Kumar, Fort Wayne, IN (US); Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Jr., Austin, TX (US); and Isha Kamleshbhai Maun, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to SORTERA TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Markle, IN (US)
Filed by Sortera Technologies, Inc., Markle, IN (US)
Filed on Jan. 15, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/412,978.
Application 18/412,978 is a continuation of application No. 17/227,245, filed on Apr. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,964,304.
Application 17/227,245 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/939,011, filed on Jul. 26, 2020, granted, now 11,471,916, issued on Oct. 18, 2022.
Application 16/939,011 is a continuation of application No. 16/375,675, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, granted, now 10,722,922, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Application 16/375,675 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755, filed on Apr. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,710,119, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 15/963,755 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/213,129, filed on Jul. 18, 2016, granted, now 10,207,296, issued on Feb. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/193,332, filed on Jul. 16, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2024/0207899 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B07C 5/342 (2006.01); B07C 5/34 (2006.01); B07C 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/3422 (2013.01) [B07C 5/34 (2013.01); B07C 5/342 (2013.01); B07C 5/04 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0054 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for sorting a plurality of metal alloy pieces into a first collection of metal alloy pieces having a first metal alloy composition and a second collection of metal alloy pieces having one or more second metal alloy compositions different from the first metal alloy composition, the method comprising:
conveying the plurality of metal alloy pieces by a conveyor system at a predetermined speed;
determining an approximate length of each of the plurality of metal scrap pieces along a line parallel to a direction of travel of the plurality of metal alloy pieces by the conveyor system, wherein the determining the approximate length of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces comprises measuring the approximate length of each of the plurality of metal alloys scrap pieces as they travel at the predetermined speed past a distance measuring device;
exposing the plurality of metal scrap pieces to x-rays emitted by an x-ray source of an x-ray fluorescence (“XRF”) system, and detecting, by the XRF system, x-ray fluorescence signals emitted by the plurality of metal scrap pieces in response to the x-rays emitted by the x-ray source;
wherein the XRF system is configured to measure an XRF spectrum emitted from a particular one of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces only for a time period determined as a function of the measured approximate length for the particular one of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces, wherein the time period is determined as a function of the measured approximate length of the particular one of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces and the predetermined speed so that only the XRF spectrum emitted from the particular one of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces is measured and not from an environment surrounding the particular one of each of the plurality of metal alloy pieces;
classifying a first one of the plurality of metal alloy pieces as having the first metal alloy composition as a result of acquired x-ray fluorescence detected from the first one of the plurality of metal alloy pieces using the XRF system; and
sorting the first one of the plurality of metal alloy pieces from the plurality of metal alloy pieces in response to classifying the first one of the plurality of metal alloy pieces as having the first metal alloy composition.