David B Spencer

US Patent:

6519315, Feb 11, 2003

Filed:

Apr 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/827784

Inventors:

Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

G01T 136

US Classification:

378 45, 378 46

Abstract:

A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

US Patent:

6742059, May 25, 2004

Filed:

Feb 4, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/498287

Inventors:

Stephen Todd - Shrewsbury MA
Andreas Bauer - Acton MA
David Kurt Spencer - Northborough MA
Walter T. Dobberpuhl - Milford MA

Assignee:

EMC Corporation - Hopkinton MA

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

710 19, 709219, 709224, 710 15

Abstract:

There is disclosed a client-server configuration including a peripheral device wherein multiple servers interface with both the client and the peripheral. Management software for determining the operating state of the peripheral, known as server agent software, is employed in the multiple servers under control of the client. In order to avoid conflicting information reflecting multiple operating states of the peripheral, a primary/secondary algorithm is used to enable the client to determine only one peripheral operating state while allowing each server to also verify its connectivity to the peripheral and to the client.

US Patent:

6888917, May 3, 2005

Filed:

Feb 11, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/364783

Inventors:

Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN, US
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

G01N023/02

US Classification:

378 58, 378 57, 378 44

Abstract:

A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

US Patent:

7099433, Aug 29, 2006

Filed:

Mar 1, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/069243

Inventors:

Edward J. Sommer - Nashville TN, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Nashville TN

International Classification:

G01N 23/06
G01N 23/04
G01B 15/02

US Classification:

378 53, 378 57, 378 988, 209589

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is a metal sorting device including an X-ray tube, a dual energy detector array, a microprocessor, and an air ejector array. The device senses the presence of samples in the x-ray sensing region and initiates identifying and sorting the samples. After identifying and classifying the category of a sample, at a specific time, the device activates an array of air ejectors located at specific positions in order to place the sample in the proper collection bin.

US Patent:

7564943, Jul 21, 2009

Filed:

Aug 3, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/498694

Inventors:

Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
R. Lynn Conley - Antioch TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Bedford MA

International Classification:

G01N 23/06
G01N 15/06
G01N 23/00

US Classification:

378 53, 378 58, 25039004

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is a metal sorting device including an X-ray tube, a dual energy detector array, a microprocessor, and an air ejector array. The device senses the presence of samples in the x-ray sensing region and initiates identifying and sorting the samples. After identifying and classifying the category of a sample, at a specific time, the device activates an array of air ejectors located at specific positions in order to place the sample in the proper collection bin.

US Patent:

7616733, Nov 10, 2009

Filed:

Jun 13, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/138927

Inventors:

Edward J. Sommer - Nashville TN, US
Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN, US
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

G01N 23/223

US Classification:

378 44, 378 45

Abstract:

A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection.

US Patent:

7763820, Jul 27, 2010

Filed:

Nov 27, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/986830

Inventors:

David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
R. Lynn Conley - Nashville TN, US
Richard E. Hill - Nashville TN, US
Robert H. Parrish - Nashville TN, US
Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

B07C 5/00

US Classification:

209576, 209579, 209589, 356316, 356318, 378 45, 378 47

Abstract:

A piece of material that includes low-Z elements is classified based on photonic emissions detected from the piece of material. Both XRF spectroscopy and OES techniques, for example, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and spark discharge spectroscopy, may be used to classify the piece of material. A stream of pieces of material are moved along a conveying system into a stimulation and detection area. Each piece of material, in turn, is stimulated with a first and second stimulus, of a same or different type, causing the piece of material to emit emissions, for example, photons, which may include at least one of x-ray photons (i. e. , x-rays) and optical emissions. These emissions then are detected by one or more detectors of a same or different type. The piece of materials is then classified, for example, using a combination of hardware, software and/or firmware, based on the detected emissions, and then sorted.

US Patent:

7848484, Dec 7, 2010

Filed:

Jun 29, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/493578

Inventors:

Charles E. Roos - Nashville TN, US
David B. Spencer - Bedford MA, US
R. Lynn Conley - Antioch TN, US

Assignee:

Spectramet, LLC - Bedford MA

International Classification:

G01N 23/06
G01N 15/06
G01N 23/00

US Classification:

378 53, 378 58, 25039004

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is a metal sorting device including an X-ray tube, a dual energy detector array, a microprocessor, and an air ejector array. The device senses the presence of samples in the x-ray sensing region and initiates identifying and sorting the samples. After identifying and classifying the category of a sample, at a specific time, the device activates an array of air ejectors located at specific positions in order to place the sample in the proper collection bin.