Abstract: A method for converting municipal solid waste to a stable solid fill-material (backfill) in the form of a multiplicity of compacted pieces, the method including mechanically reducing solid-waste piece size to form a solid-waste stream, heating the solid-waste stream and thereby killing bacteria in such stream, adding an antimicrobial agent to the solid-waste stream, and pelletizing the solid-waste stream.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for separating plastics from compost material. In an embodiment, the method comprises: providing an inclined trough having a feed entry at a top end and a materials discharge end at a bottom end, the inclined trough including a plurality of riffles positioned substantially perpendicularly to a direction of flow of compost material down the inclined trough; inducing a vibration in the inclined trough to induce a prolonged period of hindered unsettling in the compost material; providing a longitudinal dam to at least one side of the inclined trough; and generating an air flow over a substantial length of the inclined trough perpendicular to the direction of flow of compost material down the inclined trough, thereby to blow plastics separated from the compost material over the longitudinal dam.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system are provided for separating material. In some embodiments the separator may include a deck. The deck may accept the material to be separated at a feed end and may provide separated output material at a discharge end. The flow of the material along the deck from the feed end to the discharge end may define a feed direction. The deck may be subject to a vibration or conveyance aligned with the feed direction. The deck may include riffles or corrugations. The riffles may be oriented at an angle relative to a direction of the vibration or conveyance, or at an angle relative to the feed direction. The deck may be subjected to an end-to-end elevation or slope. The end-to-end slope may be positive/downhill, negative/uphill, or zero.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for separating materials of different specific gravities including a material flow-path surface having a trap structure with an oscillator coupled thereto to cause oscillation thereof while the surface is immersed in a standing fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system are provided for separating material. In some embodiments the separator may include a deck. The deck may accept the material to be separated at a feed end and may provide separated output material at a discharge end. The flow of the material along the deck from the feed end to the discharge end may define a feed direction. The deck may be subject to a vibration or conveyance aligned with the feed direction. The deck may include riffles or corrugations. The riffles may be oriented at an angle relative to a direction of the vibration or conveyance, or at an angle relative to the feed direction. The deck may be subjected to an end-to-end elevation or slope. The end-to-end slope may be positive/downhill, negative/uphill, or zero.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for separating materials of different specific gravities including a material flow-path surface having a trap structure with an oscillator coupled thereto to cause oscillation thereof while the surface is immersed in a standing fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for the separation of solids from a semi-solid viscous mass, the method comprising treating a solids-containing semi-solid viscous mass in an apparatus comprising a separating member incorporating a substantially flat solid surface and a supporting member, wherein the separating member is adapted to selectively impart directional momentum to the solids, thereby facilitating separation of the solids from the semi-solid viscous mass. Preferably the separating member comprises a substantially flat solid surface adapted for vibrational motion, the vibrational motion causing the solids material to be displaced from the remainder of the semi-solid viscous mass.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the separation of husks and other chaff material apart from bird seed includes a smaller diameter inner container that is placed inside of a larger diameter outer container. A plurality of feet elevate the inner container above a floor of the outer container. A lid is used to cover the outer container and also the inner container. A housing is attached to the inside center of the lid and it includes a motor disposed distally from the lid with a fan blade attached thereto to displace air. A plurality of vanes are attached to the housing from which they extend until they contact the inside surface of the inner container. The vanes prevent a cyclonic air current pattern from occurring and so help to displace the husks apart from the seed. An offset mass introduces vibration which tends to raise more of the husks to the surface where they are displaced out from the inner container.

Abstract: A system for dry separation of powders into at least two fractions including a powder to be separated and a separator including a hollow body rotating about an axis and defining a cavity having a powder engaging surface, the surface of the cavity being a surface of revolution which rotates about the axis, an upper edge of the cavity having a greater diameter than a lower edge, a system controlling the rotation of the body, at least one feeder continuously feeding dry powder into a feeding zone adjacent to the cavity surface near the lower edge, the length of the feeding zone being at least an order of magnitude less than a circumference of the cavity surface of the lower edge, at least one discharge device continuously discharging the powder from the cavity surface, the at least one discharge device including a body arranged along substantially the entire length of the generatrix of the cavity surface and located immediately in front of the feeding zone aligned with the rotation of the cavity surface, a first

Abstract: A table separator is provided, wherein the table separator comprises a plurality of solid-bottom trays and a plurality of dimples for facilitating separation of degerminated corn into endosperm and germ fractions, the dimples being aligned in linear juxtaposition on the surface of the trays and having a center portion raised with respect to the perimeter of the dimples.

Abstract: A screenless vibratory separator consists of a trough, support assemblies, a vibrator, a blade and an adjuster for the blade. The trough having a flat bottom plate and two outlets is open, and is supported by the support assemblies. The vibrator is mounted on the trough. When operating, a mixture is stratified into an upper layer and a lower layer which are separated by the blade and are discharged respectively from the outlets.

Abstract: A material separating apparatus which is particularly suitable for sorting different forms of waste material including a carrier, generally a table (1) having a surface (10) onto which material can be deposited; and a drive element (3) for providing the carrier surface with a reciprocating motion in the plane of the carrier surface; the drive element being arranged to provide, in use, an abrupt change of direction of the carrier surface at each end of its travel to provide a motion to cause different components of the material to be separated in consequence of obtaining different velocities in dependence on their physical properties, and the table surface having different sloping zones for channeling out different materials. The drive element uses an offset crank linkage which collapses at the end of travel in each direction enabling the inertia of the table to continue until it hits a stop and is then drawn back in the reverse direction by the linkage.

Abstract: A granulator for separating the constituent parts of electrical cable containing relatively light-weight plastic covering relatively heavy electrically-conductive material. The granulator includes a first cutter for cutting the cable into short pieces and a second cutter for cutting the short pieces of cable into a still shorter length sufficient to detach the plastic from the electrically-conductive material to form a mixture of small pieces of plastic and electrically-conductive material. A vibratory sorter separates the mixture of plastic and electrically-conductive material, and includes an elongate, circular and spirally-extending track having a material inlet adjacent a bottom end thereof for receiving the mixture of plastic and electrically-conductive material for separation and a electrically-conductive material discharge slot adjacent a top end thereof for discharging electrically-conductive material.

Abstract: A three phase method of treating solid waste to eliminate hazards and preserve the resource value of the constituent materials, separating and recovering the constituent materials, and productively using those constituent materials, includes, in the first phase, steps to separate ferrous metal constituents from the waste stream, shred and grind the solid wastes to generally uniform small particles, dry the waste material to remove essentially all free moisture and render the wastes biologically inert, compact the dried waste materials into uniform high density blocks, and encapsulate the compacted blocks; includes, in the second phase, steps to return the compacted blocks to uniform particles and separate the combined constituent materials on the basis of density, with primary processing utilizing a series of fluidized bed and cyclonic separator assemblies and with secondary processing utilizing combinations of vibratory conveyors, melt separation assemblies, and the like; and includes, in the third phase, st

Abstract: A dry fluidized bed sorting device comprises a sorting deck arranged with an inclination to make a vibrating motion and continuously supplied with a fluidized bed used as media, while being supplied with materials to be sorted, a large number of separation promoting pieces planted on the bottom of the sorting deck and bent to the downstream side, and a separation plate arranged at a boundary portion for separating the materials to be sorted into deposits and flotages and located on the downstream side of the sorting deck.

Abstract: A nonferrous material sorting apparatus comprises a screening device for screening nonferrous materials to be sorted into materials of a plurality of size ranges, a first sorting device for sorting the nonferrous materials of the minimum size range according to the weight ratio by an inclined vibrating air table supplied with air, and a second sorting device for sorting the nonferrous materials of the size range larger than the minimum size range according to the size in specific gravity of the nonferrous materials relative to constituent materials of a fluidized bed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing the carbon content of fly ash are disclosed. The fly ash is subjected to an inclined surface having first and second vibratory sources for respectively moving the fly ash from the elevated end of the incline to the lower end and to disaggregate and stratify a high carbon fraction from an enhanced fly ash fraction. The second vibratory source, in combination with the inclined surface, separates the lighter, high carbon fraction while the heavier enhanced fly ash fraction travels toward the lower end of the incline. An air jet and associated vacuum draft pull the high carbon fraction from the incline, leaving the enhanced fly ash portion for use, after removal from the surface, as an example, as acceptable mineral admixture for use in Portland Cement concrete.

Abstract: A device for separating a heterogeneous mass of solid material into fractions. The constituents of a heterogeneous mass of solid material are comminuted and dried and then separated into fractions. The mass is received in a trough-shaped and subjected to vibration causing high density constituents to segregate downwards and low density constituents to segregate upwards, so that the fractions may be removed at different layer levels.

Abstract: Mixed scrap metal pieces 6 are sorted in a fluidised hindered settler containing sand, through which the pieces settle at a differential rate. The sand is fluidised by air from 20 and vibration-driven around a circular trough 2. A depthwise partition 14a sorts the pieces according to settling rate, whereafter they are removed up separate ramps 14 and 16. The sand is levelled preparatory to receiving the pieces 6, and only afterwards is it fluidised.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the separation of granulate materials, in extruded form of different lengths and of the same or different diameter. It is characterized by the use of a helicoidal vibrating elevator subjected to vibrations whose amplitude is chosen so as to cause on the threads of the spiral on the one hand the ascending flow of all the particles and on the other hand the recovery of the finest particles on the outer edge of the upper thread of the spiral and the largest particles on the inner edge of the upper thread of this spiral.

Abstract: Separating elements (14) arranged about a central shaft (1a) rotate in common about the main axis (A) and individually about their longitudinal axes (B). A centrifugal distributor (6) distributes fine-grain mineral mixture mixed with fluid uniformly to the separating elements (14). In each separating element (14) the partial material flow (2a) is set in rotation about the longitudinal axis (B) by entrainment vanes (18) arranged in a first separating element section (15a) and the heavy fraction is centrifuged on to the separator wall (16a). In the second section (15b), formed as conical tubular worm conveyor, which contains no entrainment vanes, the heavy fraction is transported to the collecting chamber (21) and discharged through first discharge openings (22), the fine-grain mineral mixture being fluidized in pulsation on the separating wall (16b) by the combined rotating movements and the heavy fraction being concentrated.

Abstract: A portable, dry-placer mining apparatus is provided with a vacuum chamber which defines a contained region of lower-than-atmospheric pressure which establishes the mode or means for drawing material into the chamber. The material is then ejected therefrom at a rate determined by the differential pressures established internal and external to the vacuum chamber. To prevent material impaction from interferring with the vacuum controlled output flow of material, any tendency of the material toward impaction is disrupted by an air stream flowing therethrough in response to the lowered pressure within the vacuum chamber. The material is output to a vacuum controlled separator device which is vibrated to separate denser from less-dense materials. A vacuum responsive frequency control is incorporated in the vacuum responsive vibratory drive of the separator device. The entire device is easily manually transportable and may be fitted to a conventional backpack frame.

Abstract: A game based on retrieval of randomly positioned game articles employs a housing containing such articles along with a filler material of light weight, such as polystyrene spheres, in order to have the filler material of relatively lesser specific weight and the game articles of relatively greater specific weight. The housing, provided with access apertures, is vibrated as to thereby cause the game articles to be randomly positioned within the housing as well as randomly positioned with respect to such access apertures. The players, following particular related game rules, in turn, employing related retrieval appliances, attempt to retrieve the game articles through such access apertures without benefit of being able to visually locate such game articles which are covered by the filler material.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for purifying a stream of mechanically comminuted material as well as for enriching fine ores and other minerals uses mechanical sorting. The thickness of the material stream is enlarged by shaking and an upper and a lower layer containing bigger or lighter and smaller or heavier particles, respectively, form due to the effect of gravity on the material stream. The layers are separated by the edge of a tube, whereupon the upper layer leaves the apparatus through the tube. A preferably exchangeable or liftable and lowerable disc deflects the path of the lower layer of the material stream in a meander-like or winding manner to controllably brake the speed of that material stream.