Abstract: A T shaped screen panel seal strip for use in spanning between screen support rails in a vibrating screen is disclosed, which has a plurality of notches therein in registration with the screen support rails so that the strip can be placed over either new or existing screen support rails (after having been cleaned of any cushioning cap material). The strip can be metallic or a plastic material. The method includes retrofitting existing screens with a new sealing strip by first removing any cushion cap material and then placing the T shaped seal strip over the support rails.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for sorting mined material is based on using a range of options for sensing multiple properties of a mined material on a fragment by fragment basis and then analyzing the multiple types of data and making decisions about the classification of each fragment and then sorting the fragment based on the analysis. The multiple sensing options include the response of the fragments to electromagnetic radiation. Other sensing options may include sensors that look at the response of fragments of a mined material to an acoustic wave or a magnetic field or optical sensors that evaluate texture or other surface characteristics of fragments.

Abstract: An improved technique for particle separation is provided. A serpentine structure is utilized in a continuous fluid flow environment to allow for suitable separation of particles to occur in a manner that does not require external application of forces to initiate the separation. The geometry of the serpentine structure and associated forces generated in connection with fluid flow therein suffice.

Abstract: An apparatus (25) for use in screening a liquid and solids mixture feed (2) comprises a conduit (18), including a screening portion (22) that is formed and arranged to divide a liquid and solids mixture feed flowing through the conduit. The feed (2) is divided into a first, cleaned stream (C1) comprising liquid and solid particles of below a selected size limit, and a second, concentrated, stream (24) comprising liquid, and particles above the selected size limit. The apparatus (25) may be a stand alone module, part of a system with other solids and liquids separating equipment or an integral part of a solids and liquid separator such as a shale shaker. Methods of using the apparatus (25) are also described.

Abstract: An improved actuator for use in a microfluidic particle sorting system utilizes a staggered packing scheme for a plurality of actuators used to selectively deflect a particle in an associated sorting channel from a stream of channels. An actuator block may be provided for housing a two-dimensional array of actuators, each configured to align with an actuation port in an associated sorting chip containing a plurality of sorting channels. The actuator block may include a built-in stressing means to pre-stress each actuator housed by the block. An actuator comprising a piezo-electric stack may employ contact-based electrical connection rather than soldered wires to improve packing density. The actuator may be an external actuator. That is, the external actuator is external to the substrate in which the sorting channels are formed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for managing (e.g. sorting, orienting, arranging, and stacking, etc.) one or more utensils; the utensils having a first and second end that define a longitudinal axis. The utensil sorting apparatus comprises of a plurality of arms to which a mechanism for locating a utensil, one or mechanisms for identifying a utensil, a device for orienting a utensil, and a device for grasping a utensil are attached. The grasping mechanism is used to transport a utensil to various steps used in a sorting process with a final step being to place the utensil in a designated bin, or compartment. The utensils placed in a compartment are oriented such that the first end of each utensil is at the same end of a wall of the compartment. The apparatus can also be used to arrange and stack utensils in preparation for secondary operations.

Abstract: A wafer separation apparatus improves wafer separation performance in separation and transfer and suppresses the occurrence of wafer breakage in separation and transfer, while remaining inexpensive and small. The apparatus includes: a cassette that vertically accommodates a large number of single wafers in intimate contact with each other, the cassette being at least vertically opened; a cassette support that removably supports the cassette, the cassette support being at least vertically opened; a hoisting unit that hoists and lowers the cassette support integrally with the cassette; a liquid bath that accommodates a liquid into which the cassette support is immersed integrally with the cassette when the hoisting unit descends; a nozzle in the inside of the liquid bath to issue micro bubbles from the underside of the cassette support toward a large number of the wafers; and a micro bubble generator that generates micro bubbles to be issued from the nozzle.

Abstract: A system and method of sorting documents utilizing an algorithm or routine that alternates an order of documents with smallest sheet count documents followed by largest sheet count documents in order to optimizes a document throughput of an inserter based on a maximum speed that documents can be collated and accumulated and an algorithm or routine for optimizing the document throughput of a dual sheet cutter by grouping even sheet count documents together on evenly paired sheet boundaries within a mailing group of printed documents, with or without the use of dynamic motion control of the inserter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is the use of differences in x-ray linear absorption coefficients to process ore and remove elements with higher atomic number from elements with lower atomic numbers. Use of this dry method at the mine reduces pollution and transportation costs. One example of said invention is the ejection of inclusions with sulfur, silicates, mercury, arsenic and radioactive elements from coal. This reduces the amount and toxicity of coal ash. It also reduces air emissions and the energy required to clean stack gases from coal combustion. Removal of said ejected elements improves thermal efficiency and reduces the pollution and carbon footprint for electrical production.

Abstract: A mined ore processing apparatus to process mined ores, such as oil sands ore, into granular material is disclosed. An ore processor bed receives the ore to be processed. The ore processor bed has a frame supporting several rotating elements each separately driven to provide independent rotation rate and direction from the other. The ore processing bed is operable as a sizing device to decimate mined ore supply into granular material and separating it from rocks and other large lump mineral materials found in situ. The ore processing bed may be oriented to provide an upward inclination, which, when combined with alternating rotating element rotation directions, provides a crushing action to the ore material to crush larger rock. Alternately, a rock crusher is also provided to disintegrate oversized materials.

Abstract: A process for classifying water-absorbing polymer beads, wherein the polymer beads are separated into n particle size fractions by means of at least n screens and n is an integer greater than 1.

Abstract: A component sorting and wasting device is provided with a plurality of waste boxes having respective IDs and arranged at predetermined locations for receiving components to be wasted therein and a component mounting mechanism being capable of picking up components from a component supply device in mounting the picked-up components on circuit boards and of sorting and wasting each of components which are recognized as being unable to be mounted on the circuit boards, in one of the waste boxes selected for the component to be wasted.

Abstract: An optical granular material-sorting apparatus includes: a transfer means for transferring objects being sorted; an optical detection means for detecting, at a detection position, objects being sorted as they drop from an end of the transfer means; and a blasting means provided below the optical detection means and designed to blow away objects being sorted through blasting of air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The blasting means has a piezoelectric valve which is driven by a driving means to blast air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The driving means applies voltage to a piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from a gas release channel when the valve opens.

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: There is provided an apparatus for grouping randomly oriented articles traveling on a conveyor, said conveyor having an in-feed end, an out-feed end and a predetermined width. The apparatus comprises an inspection head located in a fixed position above the conveyor, the inspection head for capturing images of the articles traveling on the conveyor, a grouping unit located in a fixed position relative to the conveyor and downstream of the inspection head and a control unit for receiving and processing the captured images from the inspection head. The grouping unit comprises a plurality of individually controllable pins, the individually controllable pins each moveable between a buffering position wherein the pin arrests movement of an article in alignment with the pin and a grouping position wherein the pin allows the article to move to a grouping location.

Abstract: The invention refers to a screen star, in particular for a screen machine, wherein the screen star is configured essentially disc-like and can be arranged on a shaft, wherein referring to the center of the screen star at least two outside-running star fingers are provided. The invention is characterized in that the length of the star fingers differs.

Abstract: A motor driven crusher for agitating and crushing material is provided. The crusher includes a frame removably coupled to a mechanical bucket and a plurality of shafts rotatably coupled within the frame and operationally coupled to the motor. The crusher further includes a plurality of crushing agitators coupled to each shaft of the plurality of shafts; and a plurality of screening spaces each having a predetermined spacing, wherein material placed on a top side of the crusher is agitated and crushed by the plurality of crushing agitators while the plurality of shafts rotate, screening small material through the plurality of screening spaces while crushing the larger material on the top side of the crusher to fit within the plurality of screening spaces.

Abstract: A method of sorting mined material for subsequent processing to recover valuable material, such as valuable metals, from the mined material is disclosed. The method includes a combination of selective breakage of mined material, for example, by using microwaves and/or high pressure grinding rolls, subsequent size separation, and then particle sorting of a coarse fraction of the separated material based on differential heating and thermal imaging.

Abstract: A wood veneer diverter system comprises a plurality of veneer diverters operable to divert veneer downwardly and away from a belt based on the category or grade of the veneer. These veneer diverters are desirably rotated so that they pass through a veneer flow path in the direction of veneer flow. The veneer diverters may be configured to enhance their effectiveness in diverting veneer away from belts that move the veneer.

Abstract: A filter screen including a frame having an upstream surface, a downstream surface opposite the upstream surface, a perimeter grating element, and a plurality of inner grating elements extending within the perimeter grating element and forming at least one opening extending from the upstream surface to the downstream surface; a filter element disposed on the upstream surface; and a tension element disposed on the downstream surface. A method of manufacturing a filter screen, the method including forming a frame having an upstream surface, a downstream surface opposite the upstream surface, a perimeter grating element, and a plurality of inner grating elements extending within the perimeter grating element and forming at least one opening extending from the upstream surface to the downstream surface; attaching a filter element to the upstream surface; and attaching a tension element to the downstream surface.