Abstract: A separator tank has a pressurized separating medium of a selected specific gravity introduced through one of its two end walls adjacent the top of the level of the medium, which forms the bath, in the tank. The other end wall of the tank has weir discharge openings to enable the coal, which is separated from the waste of the raw coal through floating to the top of the medium while the waste falls to the bottom of the medium, to flow therethrough with the medium to a weir chute and to maintain a selected level of the medium within the tank. The tank has a paddle wheel assembly to pick up the waste on a semi-cylindrical bottom wall of the tank and remove it therefrom. The paddle wheel assembly has a plurality of equally angularly spaced arms with each including an outer arm, which is resiliently biased to pass over obstructions, having its tip ride along the bottom wall of the tank.

Abstract: A centrifugal classifier is disclosed having a high and adjustable yield of fine material. The classifier has a substantially cylindrical upright housing with an approximately tangential sifting-air inlet, in which are arranged, at a radial distance from, and centrally of, the casing of the housing, a vane-ring and, at a radial distance, inwardly therefrom, a sifting rotor with a lamination-ring forming radial passages, an inlet for the granular material to be classified opening, at the top, into the classifying area located between the said vane-ring and sifting rotor, and an outlet for the sifting air, charged with fine material, being located adjacent the rotor, the diameter of the outlet corresponding approximately to the inside diameter of the rotor, and the sifting-air inlet and the vane-ring extending over approximately the same axial length as the rotor, characterized in that the classifier as a whole is adapted to pivot about a horizontal axis.

Abstract: Sifters which may comprise a plurality of elastic plates with embedded reinforcements are arranged to be releasably attached at the corners to spacer elements supported on a main frame. Adjoining corners of adjacent sieve plates are supported on a single spacer element. Each corner has a depending stub which is received in an opening in the spacer element. Each sieve element may have a peripheral sealing lip. The cross section of the frame struts is shaped to allow sifted material to fall off.

Abstract: A control system of particulate material treatment plant comprising screening means which produces undersize and oversize fractions and which is controllable to vary one size fraction relatively to the other size fraction, preparation or dense medium washer means producing a relatively low ash oversize fraction and a relatively high ash oversize fraction and two storage bunkers for the undersize fraction and for the relatively low ash oversize fraction, respectively, the control system comprising sensor means for sensing the amounts of particulate material in each of the two storage bunkers and for deriving signals indicative of the sensed amounts, control means receive the derived signals and control the operation of the screening means in accordance with the received signals.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for the flotation processing of minerals. The starting material is pretreated by means of flotation agents and is then spread in the form of a controllable thin film over a fixed perforated controllable-surface drum, the so-obtained suspension-film is blown through by an airstream from the inner to the outer side of said drum, and the stability or the composition of the frothed layer or of the unfrothed layer over the surface of the suspension is controlled.

Abstract: A mixture containing a dispersed bitumen, oil or hydrocarbon phase and a continuous aqueous phase is passed for treatment through a rotating horizontal tumbler, containing oleophilic free bodies, for the purpose of increasing the particle size of the dispersed phase and facilitating subsequent separation of the phases of the mixture. Alternately, a mixture containing a dispersed aqueous phase and a continuous bitumen, oil or hydrocarbon phase is passed for treatment through a rotating horizontal tumbler, containing hydrophilic and oleophilic free bodies, for the purpose of increasing the particle size of the dispersed phase and facilitating subsequent separation of the phases of the mixture.

Abstract: The process of separating minerals or metals from a crushed ore mixture of crushed ore, aqueous solution, and flotation agent by passing the mixture from an inlet through free fall into a container so entrapping air during the free fall and encouraging the development of a large quantity of froth, and an apparatus for separating minerals or metals from a crushed ore mixture consisting of a container and a mixture inlet situated above the container so that an air space exists between the inlet and the upper surface of the mixture in the container during operation.

Abstract: A process for cleaning undeslimed coal includes the steps of determining the scalar value of cross-correlation function of the measured values of the percent magnetics and the bulk specific gravity of a heavy media and coal slurry being fed to a cyclone, comparing the value to a set-point value determined after start-up when the recirculating suspension in the feed slurry is normally clean, and diverting at least a portion of the heavy media suspension that is separated from the underflow of the cyclone from being mixed with the feed coal slurry, to thereby correspondingly reduce the slime content of the feed slurry, and concurrently increasing the flow of cleaner heavy media suspension to the feed coal slurry until the cross-correlation function is brought up to the set-point value. Also disclosed is an embodiment of the process for cleaning coal, wherein the overflow from the cyclone is screened and screened solution is split between a first recycle loop for cleaning the suspension and the heavy media sump.

Abstract: To fractionate fiber stock there is used a sieve device which can be constructed in the manner of a secondary stock pulper or fiberizer, yet contains a sieve having a hole size in a range of about 0.8 to 2.4 millimeters diameter. The fiberizer contains a rotor driven by a drive motor and equipped with arms movable around the sieve. At the side of the sieve confronting the rotor there is located a closed long fiber chamber with which merges the infeed line for a cleaned fiber stock suspension which is obtained from waste paper. At the same time a long fiber line leads out of this long fiber chamber into a long fiber vat or container. Behind the sieve there is located a short fiber chamber from which leads a short fiber line to a short fiber vat or container. In at least one of the lines there is arranged a throttle element which is actuated as a function of a signal received from a power measuring device.

Abstract: A process for the dewatering and particle classification of solids from suspensions, e.g. coal from a slurry in which the coal is transported, makes use of a dewatering centrifuge having two frustoconical centrifuge drum sections of different inclinations such that in a first filtering zone the particles are preliminarily dewatered and then pass by automigration to the next centrifuge drum at which further dewatering takes place. The suspension on the first sieve surface forms a thin layer classification zone having a thickness up to 5 mm and in which the coarse fraction is retained while the fine fraction is passed. The coarse fraction automigrates to the next sieve surface where it is dewatered and the fine fraction separated out in the thin layer classifying zone is then filtered under pressure in a subsequent stage.

Abstract: Particulate materials of different density are separated from one another by placing them in non-reactive liquefied gas of intermediate density whereby the lighter material floats and the heavier material sinks. A pressure field may be established in the liquefied gas to enhance the particulate separation process. The method is especially suited for separating and removing oxide and other particulate contaminants from metal and alloy powders.

Abstract: Apparatus and system for carrying out the air separation of waste wherein the waste is transported by conveyor to the input location of the housing of the apparatus, whereupon it is dropped. A fan having a selectively directed dual airstream is positioned to provide airstream interception of the material stream falling to a confrontation region. Baffling is provided to substantially eliminate turbulence as may be caused by the fan. Separation is developed at three outlets beneath a plenum of the apparatus and a deflector is positioned between that outet receiving organic and that outlet receiving plastic categorized materials. To improve separation, deflectors are mounted vertically on the housing walls to increase airstream velocity. Airstream guidance, deflection and baffling are made adjustable to tune the system to accommodate for variations in the consistency of waste.

Abstract: An arrangement for piling a bulky material of different grain sizes has one central and two lateral passages, a guiding element located upstream of the passages and arranged to guide a flow of a bulky material toward the lateral passages, and grate elements located between the guiding element and a respective one of the passages and arranged so that the fine portion of the material passes through each of the grate elements into a respective one of the lateral passages, whereas the coarse grain portion of the material is guided over the grate elements so as to pass into the central passage.

Abstract: Apparatus for the concentration and sorting of solid waste materials according to their shapes, dimensions, and flexibility without breaking recyclable items. For this purpose, the collar 10 of the apparatus which also comprises a means for extracting flexible products, incorporates lifting devices 11 of bevelled shape and provided with the lining 12 absorbing shocks on the items to be sorted. A portion of these are eliminated at C through large perforations 15, the large flat items being collected at B1, the items having three large dimensions being evacuated at B2.

Abstract: A gas-sparged hydrocyclone apparatus and method for achieving separation by flotation in a centrifugal field. The hydrocyclone apparatus is suitably modified so that a gas phase may be dispersed into the liquid vortex created in the hydrocyclone.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating particles from a fluid, particulate suspension by flotation in a centrifugal field. The apparatus includes a vertically oriented, cylindrical vessel having a tangential inlet and a tangential outlet. The particulate suspension is introduced into the vessel through the inlet and swirls around the inner surface of the vessel in a thin fluid layer. Air is sparged through a porous wall formed in the vessel and into the thin fluid layer of the particulate suspension. Small bubbles are generated at the surface of the porous wall. The directed motion of the particles in the thin layer of particulate fluid suspension results in a high probability for collision and a rapid flotation. The air bubbles and particles form bubble/particle aggregates which migrate towards the axial center of the apparatus and into a froth phase in the core of the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating debris from spent abrasive in an abrasive blasting apparatus in which the debris and spent abrasive are recirculated from a blast zone at high velocity along a recirculation chamber includes means for receiving debris and spent abrasive from the recirculation chamber and allowing a quantity of the debris and spent abrasive to collect thereby forming a pile having a face exposed to incoming debris and spent abrasive. The pile has an angle of repose, whereby additional incoming debris and sent abrasive fall down the face to form a substantially unobstructed, vertical, uniform curtain of falling debris and spent abrasive. Means for providing a stream of fluid through the recirculation chamber are provided. Means having first and second openings are provided for drawing off the stream of fluid, which is divided into portions, from the recirculation chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to the concentration of particulate matter by froth flotation and in particular to improvements leading to the conservation of water. The apparatus includes an upstanding flotation compartment adapted to contain a relatively quiescent body of aqueous pulp. Aqueous pulp is introduced into and float fraction is collected from the upper portion of the flotation compartment, and hydraulic and aeration compartments are disposed near the bottom of the flotation compartment for aerating the water therein. A water-collecting compartment connected to the bottom of the hydraulic and aeration compartments is adapted to receive water from the latter. A tailings-discharge duct centrally of the flotation compartment extends through the hydraulic, aeration and water collection compartments to discharge fluidized tailings.

Abstract: Vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus and method are utilized to transfer food products, such as fish, from a boat to a processing factory directly or via a tender vessel. Fish products such as salmon, are withdrawn from a fishing boat through an intake nozzle of a pneumatic vacuum system and entrained in an air flow, upwardly through inlet or receiving conduits of a vacuum, pneumatic, conveying system, and on through a product separator of an in line assembly of an upper product separator and a lower liquid separator. Salmon continue on flying out of the product separator and commence their downwardly momentum and gravity induced travel through discharge conduits, encompassing essentially non flowing air maintained under continuing vacuum.

Abstract: A centrifugal type cleaner or separator, the separating chamber of which is provided, in its interior, with a sudden and sharp reduction of its cross-sectional area by means at the outer periphery of which is an escape passage for the deflected portion of a vortex type flow. The arrangement provides that as a slurry is moved through the chamber in a vortex type flow, the outer portion of the flow including the larger and lighter solids in the slurry, it is intended to reject, will be deflected to the escape passage while the remaining heavy and small solids will find an exit through the underflow nozzle of the cleaner. In the preferred embodiment here illustrated the escape passage is designed to maintain a vortex type flow pattern for the escaping material.