SORTING APPARATUS USING PROGRAMMABLE CLASSIFIER

A sorting apparatus for performing an article sort based upon the intensity of light energy reflected from the article at predetermined first and second color wavelengths is characterized by an addressable memory element having a plurality of memory storage locations therein, each memory location being addressable by a different combination of the reflected light intensities at the first and second color wavelengths. Each memory location has stored therein a classification signal representative of the acceptability of an article exhibiting the reflected light intensities at the first and second color wavelengths corresponding to the address of the storage location.