Abstract: Granular heat exchange medium is employed to recover waste heat from a combustion furnace, particularly a glass melting furnace, and the heated medium is then employed to pre-heat combustion air entering the furnace. A bed of granular heat exchange medium also may remove particulate emissions from the exhaust gas.

Abstract: A process for preheating glass batch ingredients is disclosed. The invention uses a heat exchange method that employs furnace exhaust gases. The exhaust gases are electrically charged and passed through an electrified bed of heat transfer media to remove particulate from the gases. The gases heat the media while the media scrubs the gases. The heated media then is used to preheat glass batch which is fed to a glass melting furnace.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of glass is disclosed. Dried glass batch agglomerates are used as the media in an electrified filter bed, preheated with furnace exhaust gases, and then fed to a glass melting furnace. Exhaust gases from the preheating are electrically charged and passed through the electrified bed of agglomerates to remove glass batch particulate from the spent gases.

Abstract: An apparatus for electrostatically concentrating mineral particles includes a pair of oppositely charged collector electrodes spaced apart from each other and oriented so that a flow path is formed between them where material containing mineral particles can fall by gravity through at least a major portion of the flow path and the mineral particles will be charged and attracted to the electrodes. Each electrode includes a collector surface formed of a dielectric material which defines at least a substantial portion of the flow path. Ionizers are located midway between the collector electrodes for charging mineral particles at a plurality of locations along the flow path.

Abstract: A rotor-type electrostatic separator is described with means to remove a boundary layer of entrained air from the rotating collector surface prior to depositing on the surface a particulate feed for particle separation. Following the feed hopper a new boundary layer of air with particles in it is entrained on the rotating collector surface. Means are also provided to shield from the action of corona wind the region immediately following the feed hopper where the particles enter the newly-forming boundary layer.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the continuous separation of discarded hygiene articles into their components, namely flock and/or cut absorbent materials on the one hand and sheet coverings on the other comprising first tearing the discarded hygiene articles into large pieces and then conducting the pieces over an oscillating sieve surface, preferably over an oscillating sieve device having decreasing mesh widths with the smallest mesh width being so selected that the flocculent and/or cut absorbent material still can fall through while the large pieces of torn covering are always carried off as sieve residues.

Abstract: In the development of nonuniform latent images on an imaging member, wherein xerographic polar or polarizable toner particles are employed, it is desirable to utilize a development system that will bring the polar or polarizable toner into contact with the latent image without triboelectrically charging the particles and permitting use of nonmagnetic particles when the image is electrostatic and without demagnetizing the latent image when it is magnetic. To achieve this aim, a dielectric brush having convergent electrostatic fields is disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: In the development of nonuniform latent images on an imaging member, wherein xerographic polar or polarizable toner particles are employed, it is desirable to utilize a development system that will bring the polar or polarizable toner into contact with the latent image without triboelectrically charging the particles and without requiring magnetic particles when the image is electrostatic and without demagnetizing the image when it is magnetic. To achieve this aim, a dielectric brush having convergent electrostatic fields is disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating light and heavy materials from one another. Materials to be separated are transported on a conveyer belt past a set of overhead rollers. Air is sucked through gaps between the rollers with covers surrounding groups of rollers which are coupled to a suction pump. Air is jetted through apertures in the conveyer belt to loosen adherence between lighter materials and larger articles. A high voltage is impressed upon the rollers to provide electrostatic attraction for light dry materials. The rollers may be provided with opposing protrusions which are used to pinch off certain materials.

Abstract: A method of storing solar energy in the immediate vicinity of available solar energy comprising the steps of generating electrical current with the available solar energy and charging a strip of electret producing material directly with the electrical current so that the strip of material is changed into a strip of electret means that can be subsequently utilized to produce work, such as forming part of an electrostatic separator unit, whereby the available solar energy need not be transmitted in any form other than by the produced electret means.

Abstract: A method of treating a refuse fraction to separate a desired valuable constituent, such as a glass concentrate, is disclosed in which a particulate refuse fraction comprising glass, stones, metal and the like is fed to the top of a rotating support comprising a grounded conductive underlayer and a nonconductive overlayer and the particles are pinned to the rotating support by ion bombardment. The stone and metal particles tend to separate first from the roll while the glass particles have a greater tendency to remain pinned to the roll and can be collected as a separate fraction.

Abstract: A method of separating vermiculite from the associated gangue is disclosed in which the ore is fed to the top of a rotating support comprising a grounded conductive underlayer and a nonconductive overlayer and the ore particles are pinned to the rotating support by ion bombardment. The gangue tends to separate first from the roll while the vermiculite particles have a greater tendency to remain pinned to the roll and can be collected as a separate fraction.

Abstract: An electro-static tobacco separator is provided in which fine tobacco particles are separated from sand particles by passing the mixture along a vibratory conveyor wherein a voltage is impressed across the conveyor and a grid disposed above the conveyor. The lighter tobacco particles are attracted by the oppositely charged grid and passed upwardly into a separate trough which is also vibrated, so that the tobacco particles and sand are separately discharged at the discharge end of the conveyor.

Abstract: The removal of so-called zip-tape from reclaim tobacco is achieved by use of an elongate vibratory conveyor having grooves extending longitudinally therewith and of longitudinal depth profile preselected from groove-containment of the reclaim tobacco, except for the zip-tape content thereof. Rollers having surface affinity for the zip-tape are arranged in overlying relation to the conveyor surface and groove rises, and are disposed in acute angle relation with the conveyor feed direction. The rollers are supported for joint movement with the conveyor so as to be maintained in fixed relation to the conveyor surface during vibration. Zip-tape encountered by the surfaces of the rollers is withdrawn from the conveyor grooves and is displaced successively transversely of the conveyor for collection aside the conveyor.

Abstract: A method of storing solar energy in the immediate vicinity of available solar energy comprising the steps of generating electrical current with the available solar energy and charging a strip of electret producing material directly with the electrical current so that the strip of material is changed into a strip of electret means that can be subsequently utilized to produce work, such as forming part of an electrostatic separator unit, whereby the available solar energy need not be transmitted in any form other than by the produced electret means.

Abstract: Small particles are separated from a mixture of particles by passing mixture through a separating chamber having upper and lower plates. The plates are connected to a potential source to establish an electric field therebetween. The particles coming in contact with the lower plate become charged and are repelled upwardly toward the upper plate. Larger particles fall under the influence of gravity back to the lower plate, while the smaller particles are repelled sufficiently close to the upper plate to be attracted thereby and thereby travel a greater vertical distance than the larger particles. A plurality of tubes extend through the lower plate and terminate a predetermined distance from the upper plate to form passageways extending from the field between the plates outwardly through the bottom plate. The smaller particles, having traveled a greater vertical distance, may then be expelled in their downward travel through the passageways.

Abstract: Electrostatic separation of shredded plastic from processed shredded waste paper is effected in a shredded waste separation chamber having a vertically oriented passageway through which shredded waste paper and plastic descends. A vertical axis rotating plastic separator has an electrostatically charged and optionally heated surface area exposed in the passageway to the descending shredded waste for attracting the shredded plastic waste therefrom. Outside of the chamber the plastic waste is removed from the separator. Circulation of the descending waste material is promoted within the chamber to enhance contact of the plastic waste with the separator surface.

Abstract: A method for preconditioning an electrographic developer comprising an unconsolidated mass of discrete particles of a carrier and of a toner which carries a charge control agent of negative or positive polarity, said method comprising repeatedly passing a flowing stream of such developer through an electrostatic field between a positive or negative electrode and a grounded electrode of opposite polarity, and attracting part of said toner particles to the electrode of sign opposite the sign of said charge control agent. The grounded electrode has an inclined surface and the stream of developer slides down such surface under the other electrode, which is parallel to the grounded electrode. The apparatus includes mixing mechanism for mixing the developer, and conveying mechanism for carrying mixed developer from the bottom of the inclined grounded electrode back to the top for repeated passage through the electrostatic field.