1461131460-a83def28-a9d2-4d55-ac36-33b0807f9b63

1. An separating system for separating articles, comprising:
a chute comprising first and second longitudinally spaced ends;
at least one roller comprising first and second longitudinally spaced ends, wherein said at least one roller is positioned adjacent to said at least one second end of said chute, said roller being rotatable about an axis; and
at least one receptacle having at least a portion thereof disposed on at least one side of said roller.
2. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said receptacle comprises a conveyor.
3. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one roller comprises a plurality of rollers spaced apart in a lateral direction.
4. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said chute comprises at least one divider having first and second longitudinally spaced ends.
5. The separating system of claim 4, wherein said at least one divider comprises a plurality of dividers defining at least one passage therebetween.
6. The separating system of claim 4, wherein said at least one divider has a greater width at said second end than said first end.
7. The separating system of claim 4, wherein said at least one divider is substantially aligned with said at least one roller along said axis.
8. The separating system of claim 4, wherein said at least one divider has an apex formed along a top thereof.
9. The separating system of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of said at least one divider has a conical shape.
10. The separating system of claim 4, wherein the diameter of said at least one roller is substantially equal to a width of said second end of said at least one divider.
11. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one roller is freely rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
12. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one roller has at least one opening extending therethrough between said first and second ends.
13. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one roller is removably secured to a support structure.
14. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said receptacle comprises at least one separator having first and second longitudinally spaced ends.
15. The separating system of claim 14, wherein said at least one separator comprises a plurality of separators defining at least one channel therebetween.
16. The separating system of claim 14, wherein said at least one separator is substantially aligned with said at least one roller along said axis.
17. The separating system of claim 14, wherein said second end of said at least one roller is adjacent to first end of said at least one separator.
18. The separating system of claim 14, wherein said at least one separator has an apex formed along a top thereof.
19. The separating system of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said at least one separator has a conical shape.
20. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said chute is angularly adjustable relative to a horizontal plane.
21. The separating system of claim 1, wherein said at least one roller comprises a stainless steel material.
22. A method for separating articles, comprising the steps of:
moving said articles along a chute having first and second ends;
impacting a roller positioned adjacent to said second end of chute with at least one of said articles; and
rotating said roller and thereby displacing said at least one of said articles to one side of said roller.
23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising altering a slope of said chute.
24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said displacing said at least one article comprises transferring said at least one article to a receptacle.
25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said receptacle is a conveyor.
26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising transporting said at least one article with said conveyor to an accumulator.
27. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said articles are food products.
28. A separating system for separating articles comprising:
a chute comprising first and second longitudinally spaced ends;
a plurality of laterally spaced rollers positioned adjacent to said second end of said chute, said plurality of rollers each being rotatable about an axis;
at least one receptacle having at least a portion thereof disposed on at least one side of at least one of said plurality of rollers;
a plurality of separators defining at least one channel therebetween and each having first and second longitudinally spaced ends.
29. The separating system of claim 28, wherein said chute comprises a plurality of dividers defining at least one passage therebetween.
30. The separating system of claim 28, wherein said plurality of rollers are freely rotatable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
31. The separating system of claim 28, wherein said receptacle has a plurality of longitudinally extending separators substantially aligned with said plurality of rollers.
32. The separating system of claim 29, wherein said plurality of dividers is substantially aligned with said plurality of rollers.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method comprising:
conducting a plurality of tests on process variables of a thermal process, with a test of the plurality of tests being conducted on two or more process variables, the test comprising:
locally heating a region of a structure, wherein the local heating results in formation of a thermal field in the structure;
assessing one or more temperature integrals of the thermal field; and

based on results of the plurality of tests, generating a process map of the one or more temperature integrals of the thermal field, with the one or more temperature integrals based on a function of the two or more process variables.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more process variables are each selected from a group comprising a power (P) variable associated with the thermal process, a translation speed (V) variable associated with the thermal process, a material feed rate (MFR) variable (or variable related to MFR) used in the thermal process, one or more structure geometry variables, and a structure temperature (T0) variable.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more temperature integrals of the thermal field comprise an average temperature across a volume of the thermal field, an average temperature across a surface area of the thermal field, an average temperature at a particular location of the structure over a period of time, or an evaporation rate.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the average temperature across the surface area of the thermal field is determined in accordance with
T
avg
surf

=
1

A
surf
\ue89e

\u222b
T
surf

\ue89e

\uf74c

A
surf
,
where Asurf is a defined surface area of the thermal field, and Tsurf is a temperature at a particular location on the surface area of the thermal field.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more temperature integrals are further based on a function of at least one of a location of a heat source and a change in geometry of the structure.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tests is conducted with process variables other than the two or more process variables held constant.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the process map comprises interpolating temperature integrals.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
using the process map to select values of the two or more process variables to yield a selected temperature integral of the thermal field, to identify combinations of process variables that yield a particular value of a temperature integral, or to identify regions of process variable space where the one or more temperature integrals are minimized or maximized.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the test of the plurality of tests is conducted on a first process variable, a second process variable, and a third process variable; and the one or more temperature integrals is based on a function of the first process variable, the second process variable, and the third process variable.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the test of the plurality of tests is conducted on different combinations of more than three process variables; and
the one or more temperature integrals is based on a function of the more than three process variables.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operations of conducting and generating are implemented by one or more processing devices.
12. A method comprising
conducting a plurality of tests on process variables of a thermal process, with a test of the plurality of tests being conducted on two or more process variables, the test comprising:
locally heating a region of a structure, wherein the local heating results in formation of a thermal field in the structure;
assessing one or more thermal characteristics of the thermal field;

based on results of the plurality of tests, generating a process map of the one or more thermal characteristics of the thermal field, with the one or more thermal characteristics based on a function of the two or more process variables; and
using the process map to determine a sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics to changes in values of the two or more process variables.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the two or more process variables are each selected from a group comprising a power (P) variable associated with the thermal process, a translation speed (V) variable associated with the thermal process, a material feed rate (MFR) variable (or variable related to MFR) used in the thermal process, one or more structure geometry variables, and a structure temperature (T0) variable.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more thermal characteristics of the thermal field comprises a dimension of the thermal field, a temperature derivative, a thermal gradient, a cooling rate, a temperature integral, an average temperature, or an evaporation rate.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
using the process map to identify combinations of process variables that yield a maximum change in the one or more thermal characteristics.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein:
the test is conducted at a different combination of a first process variable, a second process variable, and a third process variable;
the thermal characteristic is based on a function of the first process variable, the second process variable, and the third process variable; and
using the process map to determine the sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics comprises using the process map to determine the sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics to changes in values of the first, second, and third process variables.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein:
the test is conducted at a different combination of more than three process variables;
the thermal characteristic is based on a function of the more than three process variables; and
using the process map to determine the sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics comprises using the process map to determine the sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics to changes in values of the more than three process variables.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein using the process map to determine the sensitivity of the one or more thermal characteristics comprises identifying a direction within a process variable space that yields a maximum change in the one or more thermal characteristics, within the process variable space.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the direction comprises a direction that is normal to a curve or a surface or a hypersurface of the process map of the one or more thermal characteristics.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the operations of conducting, generating, and using are implemented by one or more processing devices.
21. A method comprising:
conducting a plurality of tests on process variables of a thermal process, with a test of the plurality of tests being conducted on two or more process variables, the test comprising:
locally heating a region of a structure, wherein the local heating results in formation of a thermal field in the structure;
assessing one or more thermal characteristics of the thermal field;