Arthur W Vogeley

6563904, May 13, 2003

Dec 1, 2000

09/727729

Corneel Constant Wijts - Redmond VA
Norman A. Rudy - Snohomish WA
Morteza Safai - Seattle WA
Arthur W. Vogeley - Seattle WA

FMC Technologies, Inc. - Chicago IL

G01J 23083

378 58, 378 54, 452150, 83 72, 83932

A conveyor ( ) moves a workpiece (WP) past an x-ray source ( ) to detect existence and location of any undesirable material included in the workpiece, such as bones, fat, metal, etc. Thereafter, the conveyor carries the workpiece further, wherein a cutter ( ) segments the detected undesirable material from the workpiece into a segmented portion (SP) having a visually distinguishable shape, such as square, round, triangular, etc. A worker stationed downstream of the cutter along the conveyor may then easily spot the segmented portion (SP) in a distinguishable shape and offload the segmented portion from the conveyor, while leaving the rest of the workpiece (WP) on the conveyor for further processing. Alternatively, a pickup device ( ) may be used to automatically offload the segmented portion from the conveyor. A computer ( ) keeps track of the locations of the workpiece and the segmented portion at all times.

20060157388, Jul 20, 2006

Dec 28, 2005

11/321755

George Blaine - Lake Stevens WA, US
John Strong - Kirkland WA, US
Arthur Vogeley - Seattle WA, US
Craig Pfarr - Issaquah WA, US

B07C 5/02

209003200

A method is provided for sorting incoming products (e.g., chicken butterflies) to be portioned into two or more types of end products (e.g., sandwich portions, strips, nuggets, etc.) to meet production goals. The method includes generally four steps. First, information on incoming products is received. Second, for each incoming product, a parameter value (e.g., the weight of an end product to be produced from the incoming product) is calculated for each of the two or more types of end products that may be produced from the incoming product. Third, the calculated parameter values for the incoming products for the two or more types of end products, respectively, are normalized so as to meet the production goals while at the same time achieving optimum parameter values. Fourth, for each incoming product, the end product with the best (e.g., largest) normalized parameter value is selected as the end product to be produced from the incoming product.

55856039, Dec 17, 1996

Dec 23, 1993

8/172406

Arthur W. Vogeley - Bellevue WA

Design Systems, Inc. - Redmond WA

G01G 1922
G01G 314
G01B 1502

177 2513

A method and system for weighing an object as it is carried on a conveyor past an x-ray source. X-rays from the x-ray source pass through the object, are attenuated in proportion to the mass of the object through which they pass, and impinge upon an x-ray detector array. X-ray detector array includes a layer of scintillating material that produces light in response to the intensity of the x-rays and a plurality of photodiodes to detect the light. The intensity of the x-rays received at the x-ray detector array is indicated by signals produced by the photodiodes, which are periodically scanned by a processor. The photodiode signals are each converted to a value representing the average areal density for a volume element extending above the photodiode into the object. Using the average areal density for each volume element and the size of each volume element, the processor determines the mass of the volume element. The entire object is advanced, and the mass of the volume elements in the object are generated and stored.

53242289, Jun 28, 1994

Jul 27, 1992

7/920064

Arthur W. Vogeley - Renton WA

Frigoscandia Food Processing Systems A.B. - Helsingborg

A22C 1712

452158

Meat portioning apparatus supports meat products on an endless conveyor to move through a light stripe at which upstream and downstream cameras view the light stripe and convert spaced apart points of light to electric signals representing various magnitudes of light brightness, the magnitude of brightness above a predetermined minimum representing areas of peripheral fat on the meat product. The electric signals of magnitude above the predetermined minimum are utilized by a computer to control one or more line-type cutters to cut the meat product along lines which remove the areas of fat from the meat product.

59370807, Aug 10, 1999

Jan 24, 1997

8/788681

Arthur W. Vogeley - Seattle WA
Bret J. Larreau - Carnation WA

Design Systems, Inc. - Redmond WA

G06K 900
G06F 1900

382110

A computer controlled method and apparatus for meat slabbing according to updated information from the meat product and/or the slab cut from the meat product. Such information may include the weight and fat content of the cut slab. This information may be used to reoptimize the slabbing of the meat product and also may be used to further process the cut slab. Such processing might include marking the location of fat to be trimmed, trimming the fat from the slab, portioning the slab and sorting the slab in accordance with preselected parameters.