With Deposition Patents (Class 209/135)
  • Patent number: 6089378
    Abstract: A device and process for separating impurities from textile fibers during horizontal pneumatic transport is provided. The device includes a hollow parallelepiped separator of rectangular cross-section for the passage of transport fluids, such as air, therethrough. The passage section is subdivided into an upper part, for the cleaned fluid, and a lower part, for the separation of the impurities (i.e., foreign materials) in a hopper intercepted by an extractor having a seal. This subdivision is regulated by a deflector knife which induces an S-shaped motion of the transport fluid 4 and separates the impurities (i.e., foreign materials) by centrifugal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Marzoli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mario Mascheretti, Giovanni Battista Pasini
  • Patent number: 6015648
    Abstract: A gas stream classifier has a gas stream classifying means for classifying a feed powder supplied from a feed supply nozzle, into at least a coarse powder fraction, a median powder fraction and a fine powder fraction by an inertia force acting on particles and a centrifugal force acting on a curved gas stream due to Coanda effect in a classification zone, wherein the classification zone is defined by at least a Coanda block and a plurality of classifying edges, the feed supply nozzle is attached at the top of the gas stream classifier, the Coanda block is attached on one side of the feed supply nozzle, and the feed supply nozzle has at its rear end a feed powder intake portion for supplying the feed powder, and a high-pressure air intake portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Mitsumura, Toshinobu Ohnishi, Yoshinori Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5967333
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating a mixed granular material into granules of different specific gravities or ranges of specific gravity using a powered air flow is described. A divider plate is located below the air flow path within the apparatus to separate the two material flows from each other. The divider plate can be rotated about an axis and can also be translated or displaced within the apparatus in order to precisely define the separation point between the material flows. Hoppers are used to collect and discharge the separated granular materials, and a conveyor belt is provided within the apparatus to transport one of the separated granular materials to the corresponding hopper. The conveyor belt reduces clogging of the separated granular material and also allows a greater degree of separation to be maintained between the hoppers, thereby allowing standard conveyors to be placed beneath the hopper discharge openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Marcor Management, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark C. Smith
  • Patent number: 5957299
    Abstract: A separator wheel for an air separator, through which separation air loaded with fine material flows through the separator wheel from the outside to the inside and in which the separation air loaded with fine material is discharged in an axial direction from separator wheel, includes at its periphery channels in axially different radial planes with different angles to the radial direction of the separator wheel, the angle of incline of the channels near an outflow end of the separator wheel being greater than the angle of incline of channels away from outflow end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventors: Josef Keuschnigg, Jurgen Roth
  • Patent number: 5941768
    Abstract: A corn cob collection apparatus is described which may be pulled behind a combine so that the corn plant residue being discharged from the combine will be collected by the apparatus with the apparatus separating the stalks, husks, etc., from the heavier cobs. The cobs, once separated from the husks, stalks, etc., are conveyed to the wagon box provided on the wheeled frame of the apparatus. The separation of the stalks, husks, etc., from the corn cobs is achieved by passing a stream of air through the corn plant residue with the lighter stalks, husks, etc., being discharged to the ground with the cobs being collected in a wagon box on the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Inventor: Vernon L. Flamme
  • Patent number: 5934482
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating a mixed granular material into granules of different specific gravities or ranges of specific gravity using a powered air flow is described. A divider plate is located below the air flow path within the apparatus to separate the two material flows from each other. The divider plate can be rotated about an axis and can also be translated or displaced within the apparatus in order to precisely define the separation point between the material flows. Hoppers are used to collect and discharge the separated granular materials, and a conveyor belt is provided within the apparatus to transport one of the separated granular materials to the corresponding hopper. The conveyor belt reduces clogging of the separated granular material and also allows a greater degree of separation to be maintained between the hoppers, thereby allowing standard conveyors to be placed beneath the hopper discharge openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Marcor Management, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark C. Smith
  • Patent number: 5871103
    Abstract: The device (10) includes a cylindrical guiding channel (16) communicating with a lower container (17) formed with two parallel planar walls (21) separated by a distance smaller than the maximum width of the guiding channel. The device is further provided with a motion generator (24) arranged to generate a substantially laminar fluid flow in the guiding channel for conveying particles to the guiding channel. The particles introduced in the guiding channel (16) receive the kinetic energy of the fluid flow, fall in the lower container (17) and are recovered at positions which depend of the mass and the kinetic energy received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Inventor: Laurent Durst
  • Patent number: 5791490
    Abstract: The invention relates to a separator comprising a separator housing with an inlet spiral for separating air which opens tangentially into an annular separating chamber and is divided into a plurality of delivery channels which lie one above the other, as well as a basket-shaped separator rotor disposed centrally and with a vertical axis in the separator housing and a guide vane ring which surrounds the latter with a radial clearance. In order that this separator on the one hand has a high effectiveness of separation between oversize material and fine material and on the other hand facilitates a sufficiently broad grain size distribution of the fine material, the overall shape of the separator rotor is that of a cone which tapers downwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Krupp Polysius AG
    Inventors: Otto Heinemann, Ingo Engeln, Hubert Eickholt, Ludger Lohnherr, Michael von Seebach, Ludger Schulte
  • Patent number: 5740917
    Abstract: The present invention entails a device for separating liquid and entrained solids from a vapor stream traveling under pressure within a conduit by inducement of the annular boundary layer within the pipe wall, to a stratified region flowing along the bottom of the pipe, for removal by way of a condensate drain pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Inventor: Douglas B. Jung
  • Patent number: 5732829
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating a mixed granular material into granules of different specific gravities or ranges of specific gravity using a powered air flow is described. A divider plate is located below the air flow path within the apparatus to separate the two material flows from each other. The divider plate can be rotated about an axis and can also be translated or displaced within the apparatus in order to precisely define the separation point between the material flows. Hoppers are used to collect and discharge the separated granular materials, and a conveyor belt is provided within the apparatus to transport one of the separated granular materials to the corresponding hopper. The conveyor belt reduces clogging of the separated granular material and also allows a greater degree of separation to be maintained between the hoppers, thereby allowing standard conveyors to be placed beneath the hopper discharge openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Marcor Management, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark C. Smith
  • Patent number: 5695069
    Abstract: A mobile vehicle containing fluorescent lamp separation apparatus is transported to the site of a facility which uses fluorescent lamps and collects used lamps for processing. The lamps are loaded into a bin in the vehicle, the bin is closed to enclose the apparatus from the atmosphere, and the apparatus is then operated to crush the lamps and separate the crushed lamp debris into solid particular matter and dust which can be carried by airflow. The particulate matter which is substantially cleansed of mercury and phosphor powder is discharged into a first receptacle outside the vehicle, and the dust entrained in the air is trapped in a dust filter and discharged into a second receptacle which primarily contains the more hazardous dust materials. The air drawn through the dust filter is further passed through a charcoal filter to filter out mercury and other potentially hazardous vapors from the air before it is discharged to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Budget Lamp Reclaimers, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon P. Mortrud
  • Patent number: 5685434
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vertical drop, multi-pass cleaner comprising a housing and first and second panels defining a separation plenum therebetween through which the product drops substantially vertically through an upwardly directed air flow and a plurality of cross air flows. The panels are mounted on tracks within the housing and are separately removable from the housing as desired by the operator for cleaning or repair. The present invention may also includes a velocity control module having metering vanes to control the air flow through individual ones of the plurality of cross flow air passages, the vanes being either manually or automatically adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Inventor: Kyle D. Ackerman
  • Patent number: 5511668
    Abstract: A pneumatic sifter includes a feeder for supplying sift material, optionally with sifting air, to a rotationally symmetrical sifting chamber which surrounds a centrally disposed air outlet chamber, and a coarse particle discharge. In order to keep the flow resistance low as air enters into the air outlet chamber, guide vanes are provided in the air outlet chamber, which are spaced from each other at uniform angular distances and extend approximately over the axial extension of the sifting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Inventor: Josef Keuschnigg
  • Patent number: 5400908
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating constituents of a mixture of dry organic material having different weights or densities, such as pine straw and lawn debris, includes a cylindrical housing that is positioned horizontally with respect to a working surface. The housing has a hopper on its top side, an inlet end and an outlet end, and a fan is mounted at the inlet end. The fan pulls air into the housing and generates a stream of air flow inside the housing from the inlet end to the outlet end thereof. An air baffle structure is located immediately downstream of the fan to produce substantial turbulence in the air flow stream. The mixture of material to be separated is introduced into the housing through the hopper and is then carried from the housing and separated into constituent parts by the stream of air flow. Higher density constituents are deposited at shorter distances from the housing outlet end while lower density constituents are deposited at a greater distance from the housing outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Inventor: James R. Prestwood
  • Patent number: 5366093
    Abstract: Apparatus for separating heavier, undesired components from recycle material that includes used aluminum beverage cans. The apparatus includes a particle separation conduit that is positioned between a shredder, for reducing the recycle material to particulate form, and a suction blower, for conveying the shredded material from the shredder into the particle separation conduit and for conveying the separated shredded aluminum alloy to a receptacle after separation of the heavier components, which can include lead, brass and glass. Adjacent the conduit inlet is a diverging first section that has a gradually enlarging cross-sectional area, and adjacent the conduit outlet is a significantly shorter length, second section that has a decreasing cross-sectional area. The first and second sections are joined in a region close to the conduit outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Reynolds Metals Company
    Inventor: Ronald W. Huber
  • Patent number: 5348163
    Abstract: A method for separating fine particles from contaminant particles suspended in a gaseous medium. The method includes introducing a particle suspension at a predetermined velocity into a vessel having a top and bottom portion, each portion having a discharge outlet. The particle suspension is then directed into an impingement plate, which is arranged within the vessel at a predetermined angle. The impingement plate is angled to achieve uniform distribution of the particle suspension within the vessel after impact with the plate. The fine particles will rise to the top portion of the vessel, and the contaminant, as well as residual fine particles, will settle to the bottom of the vessel. The fine particles and contaminant and residual fine particles are removed from the top and bottom discharge outlets respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Tunison, III, Stephanie E. Church, Gregory W. Leman, Carl L. Troike, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5333797
    Abstract: An improved method of recovering recyclable materials from commingled recyclables is described as well as apparatuses for doing same. Ferrous materials recovery is achieved using the unique combination of a magnetic belt and a vibratory conveyor. Other materials are then separated with a light/heavy separator which uses finger screen, air knife, and vibratory means to separate glass from plastics and aluminum prior to conventional handsorting operations. Excess glass unsuitable for recovery is introduced into a trommel processing loop wherein contaminates are removed and the glass reduced to a particulate useful in the production of glasphalt and aggregate. Air emanating from the air knife is filtered in an improved gravity separator for reintroduction to the light/heavy separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Inventors: John C. Becker, John D. Cameron, Jr., William L. Cameron, Bryan W. Sinram
  • Patent number: 5303455
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a fiber lap from fiber tufts includes a fiber opener having an input formed of a fiber feeding mechanism and a series of sawtooth rolls through which the fiber material introduced by the fiber feeding mechanism consecutively passes in a direction of advance; a pneumatic fiber stripping device including a blowing device for directing an airstream toward the last sawtooth roll of the series as viewed in the direction of fiber advance; a hood having an inner face defining a chamber situated above and downstream of the last sawtooth roll for receiving fiber material carried from the last sawtooth roll by the air stream of the fiber stripping device; an air-pervious, continuously moving receiving member disposed in the chamber downstream of the last sawtooth roll; and a suction device facing the underside of the receiving member for generating an air stream passing through the receiving member for drawing fiber material in the chamber onto the upper face of the receiving member for forming
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Ferdinand Leifeld
  • Patent number: 5299694
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for handling pulverulant material in fluidized bed form. The material is fed into the upper part of a two-part container, whose lower part consists of two independent volumes separated from the upper part by a porous wall comprising two horizontal parts at different levels. A pressure gap is created between the two separate volumes, and the evolution of this gap enables clogging to be detected. When the pressure differential exceeds a predetermined value, the porous wall is cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: Aluminum Pechiney
    Inventor: Rene C. Rambaud
  • Patent number: 5294002
    Abstract: Apparatus (10) for separating intermixed particulate materials. The apparatus (10) includes a housing (12) having a coaxial core (14) disposed therewithin to define an annular space (24) between the core (14) and the wall of the housing (12). A recirculator (46) is provided to provide gas to the housing (12) for cyclonic flow within the annular space (24). The intermixed particulate materials are introduced into the housing (12) and permitted to fall, under the influence of gravity, into the annular space (24) where separation is effected by interaction of the upwardly spiralling gas with the downwardly-passing, intermixed particulate materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: Crown Iron Works Company
    Inventor: Darcy Moses
  • Patent number: 5232096
    Abstract: The invention relates to a material dispersion apparatus, particularly for spreading classifiers, with an upper material supply and a material feed surface. The material feed surface is constructed as a sieve-like surface, which is installed in an air channel and the material supply is fluidized above the sieve-like surface and discharged over the outer rim of the material feed surface to fall down to the spreading classifier basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Herbert Weit
  • Patent number: 5195640
    Abstract: An apparatus for recovering and cleaning contaminated abrasive blast media. The blast media is transported in a vacuum airstream to a rotatable drum. Within the rotatable drum is a blocking assembly which selectively channels high-velosity air through an upper region of the rotatable drum and restricts the flow of air through a lower region of the drum. The blast media is repeatedly scooped up and dropped to the high-velocity airstream, thus subjecting it to repeated air-washing. The blocking member includes a flexible member which provides both the open channel region and the restriction to the airflow under the force of gravity as the drum rotates. The abrasive blast media is thus assured of being adequately washed even if the air velocity varies randomly during the cleaning of the blast media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Inventor: Glenn A. Seaverns
  • Patent number: 5158182
    Abstract: A rotary sifter for separating different fractions of particulate material having a cylindrical outer housing and three rotary cages with vertical bars through which material and air pass inwardly with the cages independently rotary mounted, and channels communicating with the spaces below the rotors for collecting the separate fractions of separated material, and additional air delivery means to each of the channels which collect the separated fractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Kloeckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG
    Inventors: Frank Fischer-Helwig, Albert Suessegger, Albrecht Wolter
  • Patent number: 5120431
    Abstract: A pneumatic centrifugal separator comprises guide vanes disposed along the generatrices of a fictitious cylinder having a vertical axis, the guide vanes being adapted to impart to a gas stream entering the fictitious cylinder a rotary motion about the vertical cylinder axis, and a rotor coaxially positioned in the interior of the fictitious cylinder, the rotor being equipped with a first set of vertical blades distributed uniformly along the periphery of the fictitious cylinder and a second set of blades disposed between the blades of the first set and the cylinder axis. A gas stream and particulate material to be sorted is introduced between the guide vanes and the rotor, and the gas stream charged with particles of dimensions smaller than predetermined dimensions and sorted out of the particulate material is drawn out of a central outlet. The second set of blades is arranged to guide the streams of gas coming through channels between adjacent vertical blades of the first set to the central outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: FCB
    Inventor: Alain Cordonnier
  • Patent number: 5110453
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separation and cleaning of fibers for papermaking machines for the removal of reject material such as tramp iron and knots, delivering a flow of fibers with mixed reject material and releasing the flow to descend gravitationally downwardly, splitting the flow into plural streams and deflecting the streams with an adjustable panel to control the angle, directing jets of air across the descending streams so that heavier reject materials falls downwardly and the fibers are carried laterally outwardly of each of the streams with a plate at the base of the streams adjustable to vary the zones for the rejects and for the acceptable fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Beloit Corporation
    Inventor: James R. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 5076991
    Abstract: A novel process for rapid solidification of ceramic melts combines certain features of cooling by atomization and by contact with chilling surfaces. The material to be solidified is divided into fine liquid droplets that are propelled by a rapid flow of gas toward a rapidly moving chill surface, striking the surface with sufficient velocity to flatten each drop into a flat flake like shape. Apparatus for the process is also disclosed. The process is particularly applicable to making very fine grained, or even amorphous, ceramic materials that can be powdered and then sintered into strong, tough ceramic structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Norton Company
    Inventors: John W. Poole, Merton C. Flemings, Thomas A. Gaspar, Matthew A. Simpson
  • Patent number: 5032256
    Abstract: The application disclosed a granular material classifying device comprising a horizontally disposed, transversely unrestricted wind tunnel, having an upstream end, a downstream end, a top end and a bottom end, for directing a horizontal airflow from the upstream end to the downstream end thereof; an air forcing assembly operatively mounted on the wind tunnel for inducing the horizontal airflow therethrough; a particle injection assembly operatively associated with the wind tunnel for free fallingly injecting a flow of granular particles to be classified into the horizontal airflow at an upstream, top end portion of the wind tunnel; and a bottom skirt assembly mounted at a bottom portion of the wind tunnel; the bottom skirt assembly defining at least one transversely unrestricted skirt cavity in fluid communication with the wind tunnel and having a downwardly and inwardly tapering cross sectional configuration adapted to provide a low velocity airflow interface between the wind tunnel horizontal airflow and th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Inventor: James D. Vickery
  • Patent number: 5024754
    Abstract: The invention relates to a separator with a rotor and a material distributor which are driven separately. Such a separator is particularly suitable for grinding plants which are equipped with a high-pressure grinding roll mill. The scabs discharged from such a roll mill can be broken up in a simple manner in the separator which acts simultaneously as a disagglomerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Krupp Polysius AG
    Inventors: Norbert Patzelt, Michael von Seebach
  • Patent number: 4979622
    Abstract: A portable hull separator includes a closed housing defining a pair of apertures which support removable drawers together with a plurality of air apertures. An air flow chamber within the housing is subjected to an air flow created by a motor driven fan. A seed bin within the housing is coupled to a descending air passage such that seed and hull material within the bin is caused to flow downwardly through the passage in which it is subjected to a transverse air flow. Adjustable gates are provided which alter the air flow characteristics and thereby the hull separation characteristics of the separator in accordance with an external adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Inventor: Dick P. Chiang
  • Patent number: 4950388
    Abstract: An apparatus for the separation of a mixture of particulate material having particles of substantially the same particle size. The apparatus comprising a wind tunnel (10) having an entry and an exit. The exit is associated with a fan (14) for creating an air flow through the wind tunnel (10) from the entry to the exit. An inlet (18) is provided at the top side of the wind tunnel for introducing the particulate material into the wind tunnel whereby it can fall freely under the influence of gravity transverse to the air flow. A plurality of collectors (20) are spaced axially along the bottom of the wind tunnel, each collector extending transversely across the wind tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Robert G. Stafford
    Inventor: Robert G. Stafford
  • Patent number: 4933072
    Abstract: An elongated, horizontal and at least partially closed air jet dispersion and air jet entrained material deceleration zone is provided and one end of the zone includes at least skewed velocity distribution nozzle of the circular Coanda surface-type opening inwardly along the zone toward the other end thereof. The zone includes discharge structure defining a plurality of downwardly opening gravity-type outlets spaced longitudinally along the zone and duct structure for flowing air and airflow entrained solids therethrough at high velocity is provided. The duct structure includes an outlet end opening into the nozzle and an inlet end open to the ambient atmosphere and positioned to receive gravity discharged solid materials from the outlet spaced one outlet from the aforementioned one end of the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Victor A. Beisel
  • Patent number: 4919795
    Abstract: In a classifier having a rotary classifying impeller in a casing for discharging fine powder to the outside of the casing, a leakage prevention apparatus is provided for the classifier which has a rotary seal member mounted on the upper plate of the rotary classifying impeller at the boundary portion between the rotary classifying impeller and a fine powder discharge duct. The upper portion of the rotary seal member protrudes outwardly from an opening in the top plate of the casing to separate the reduced air pressure in the discharge duct perfectly from the high pressure in the raw material dispersion chamber which is radially outside of the seal member. Furthermore, the rotary seal member can be provided with a circular groove in a J-shaped sectional structure. The end portion of this rotary seal member can also be formed into a square shape, a rounded shape or an inclined acute shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Onoda Cement Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Fujii, Hiroaki Tanaka, Takeshi Furukawa, Masaaki Muraoka, Ryosuke Narishima, Takamiki Tamashige
  • Patent number: 4917852
    Abstract: A novel process for rapid solidification of ceramic melts combines certain features of cooling by atomization and by contact with chilling surfaces. The material to be solidified is divided into fine liquid dropletes that are propelled by a rapid flow of gas toward a rapidly moving chill surface, striking the surface with sufficient velocity to flatten each drop into a flat flake like shape. Apparatus for the process is also disclosed. The process is particularly applicable to making very fine grained, or even amorphous, ceramic materials that can be powdered and then sintered into strong, tough ceramic structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Norton Company
    Inventors: John W. Poole, Merton C. Flemings, Thomas A. Gaspar, Matthew A. Simpson
  • Patent number: 4885832
    Abstract: A whirlwind updraft separator is converted to a side draft classifier by exchanging the rotor assembly for a rejector cage, removing the inner drum, opening the outer casing to provide for a side draft air inlet system, mounting a stationary fines chamber between the rejector cage and sealing the space beneath the side draft air inlet system to the top of the tailings cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Sturtevant, Inc.
    Inventor: William S. English
  • Patent number: 4865721
    Abstract: An aspirator and method for separating fines and foreign matter from dry, free-flowing granular material, characterized by a vertical drop of the unclean granular material in a separation plenum into an opposing upward air stream and a plurality of vertically-spaced, horizontally-extending transverse air streams. Suspended fines and foreign matter are conducted from the granular material in the separation plenum through a plurality of vertically-spaced outlets into a manifold for discharge from the aspirator. The apparatus and method avoid bunching, recompaction and congregating of the granular material during the separation process, to thereby increase throughput and optimize separation efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Carter-Day Company
    Inventors: Charles A. Smith, Donald Deane
  • Patent number: 4853112
    Abstract: Apparatus for separating heavy from light constituents in coarse comminuted municipal waste having a relatively small inlet duct connecting to a much larger air classifying chamber. A by-pass duct is disposed alongside the chamber, and connects thereto at its upstream and at its downstream end. Dameprs are provided to adjust the velocity of airflow through the chamber and by-pass duct depending upon the density of the light weight constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Inventor: Victor Brown
  • Patent number: 4851110
    Abstract: A device and method for separating particles by mass is provided in which the particles are entrained in an airstream and are ejected into a collection zone where they will fall under the influence of gravity, but will separate longitudinally by mass with the most massive particles traveling the farthest. As an enhancement to the separation, an apparatus for forming at least one air curtain perpendicular to the ejection direction is provided which causes the falling particles to separate into discrete groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: T.D.J. Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Rolle, David J. Nebel, John L. Shulan, William P. Liljestrom
  • Patent number: 4818376
    Abstract: In a classifier including a rotary disc provided on a lower end of a vertical rotary shaft depending from the top of a hopper-type casing, a horizontal dispersing disc is provided directly below the top of the casing, a circular collision plate is spaced from the outer circumference of the horizontal dispersing disc, and a plurality of vortex adjusting members are secured at their upper ends to the horizontal dispersing disc and at their lower ends to the rotary disc, and a leakage prevention apparatus is provided which comprises a plurality of dispersing and classifying vanes spaced from the outside of the vortex adjusting members and the inner sides of the collision plate. The dispersing and classifying vanes depend from the under surface of the horizontal dispersing disc for an appropriate length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Onoda Cement Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Tanaka, Mitsuhiro Ito, Takeshi Furukawa, Satoru Fujii
  • Patent number: 4801374
    Abstract: Seed materials are presorted by directing a stream of air across a cascade of the materials into heavy, mixed and light fractions and only the mixed fraction is then subjected to the usual gamut and further sorting and classifying operations. The heavy fraction consists predominantly of good seed which does not require such futher processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Heid Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Harold
  • Patent number: 4799595
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for classifying powdered bulk materials, particularly ground clinker, limestone or cement raw material, by air sifting. The material to be classified is fed to the cover plate of a cylindrical rotor and charged into a sifting space having the shape of a cylindrical ring which extends between the rotor and a stationary vane ring which is spaced from and surrounds the rotor. While the coarse material descends in the sifting space, the fine material is conveyed into the inside of the rotor and fed to a subsequent separating device for the separating of fine material and sifting air. In order to simplify the construction and stocking, both the rotor and the housing surrounding it are assembled in building-block fashion from a plurality of identical sections, at least one tangential air inlet connection being associated with each housing section. Each housing section can have associated with it at least one cyclone of its own with its own fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: O&K Orenstein & Koppel Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ulrich Binder
  • Patent number: 4792393
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sifter in which the spiral for delivery of the air for sifting is divided into a plurality of channels lying one above another in which elements for setting the quantity of sifting air delivered to the individual channels are provided. In such a sifter the quantity of sifting air in the individual regions of the sifting chamber can be optimally adapted to the requirements, which leads to a substantial improvement in the degree of separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Krupp Polysius AG
    Inventors: Gotthardt Blasczyk, Hubert Eickholt, Otto Heinemann, Norbert Bredenholler, Ludger Kimmeyer, Peter Tiggesbaumker, Michael von Seebach, Heinrich Henne
  • Patent number: 4782001
    Abstract: A process for producing toner particles for developing electrostatic latent images, comprising the steps of introducing colored solid particles containing a binder resin into a multi-division classifying zone divided into at least three sections by partitioning means, so that the particles are fallen along curved lines; collecting a coarse powder consisting primarily of coarse particles in a first divided section, a medium powder consisting primarily of particles having a particle size within a defined range in a second divided section and a fine powder consisting primarily of particles having a particle size smaller than the defined range in a third divided section; feeding the classified coarse powder to a pulverizing step; and introducing the pulverized powder into the multi-division classifying zone. An apparatus for practicing the process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kanda, Takeo Meguro
  • Patent number: 4759840
    Abstract: A device for simultaneously separating cohesively bonded particles, by the action of a turbulent air stream, and classifying them according to their size, the device has a horizontal hood connected to the upstream and downstream air ducts. Equipped with an air fan, the upstream air duct has a converging section to accelerate a stream of air. Feed hoppers distribute the particles into the upstream end of the hood where they are separated and classified. Collecting devices are below the hood to receive the classified particles. A recirculating air duct is disclosed including a built-in filter device. A method is also disclosed for simultaneously separating cohesively bonded particles and classifying them according to their size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: Domtar Inc.
    Inventors: Wallace J. McIntyre, John H. Gottschalk
  • Patent number: 4756428
    Abstract: A method and mechanism for the separation of materials from a stream of pulverulent material such as cement including a rotatable plate onto which the material is fed with the material being centrifugally discharged in a bell shaped flow pattern, a radially inwardly directed flow of air across the veil carrying fine materials inwardly through a rotatable distributor; and coaxial dip tubes centrally located for receiving the gradations of fine material passing gravitationally downwardly, with the coarse materials remaining outside of the distributor and being received in a downward flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Assignee: Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Heinz Jaeger
  • Patent number: 4657667
    Abstract: A particle classifier has a uniform, laminar, classifying air stream and a duct to introduce particulate material generally perpendicular to the air stream. The particulate material is entrained in a secondary air stream that is diverted as it enters the classifying air stream by a curved surface. The curved surface produces and diverts the air stream by the Coanda effect to minimize disturbance to the classifying air and segregate the particles from the secondary air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation
    Inventor: Bernard Etkin
  • Patent number: 4568453
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing dust from particulate material, utilizing a tower or column having a passage with a series of baffles on opposite sides over which the particulate material cascades while air is drawn across the flow path of the material to remove the dust dispersed in the material and adhering to the surface of the particles of material. Air is drawn across the passage from one side to the other by vacuum or suction from a vacuum pump or the like. In performing the method using the apparatus, the particulate material is introduced at the top of the column and permitted to cascade down through the vertical passage therein from one baffle to the next, and air is drawn inwardly between the baffles on one side and outwardly between the baffles on the opposite side of the column, and, as the air flows through the material cascading between the baffles, it removes the dust from the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Inventor: Henry E. Lowe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4545897
    Abstract: A classifier for particles includes a nozzle substantially in the shape of a rectangle in cross-section, through which a gas stream carrying particles to be separated flows. Finer particles exit through a slit in one side of the substantially rectangular nozzle. In alternative embodiments, more than one such slit may be provided in the nozzle, and/or the nozzle may be substantially angularly-shaped in cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Assignee: Sankyo Dengyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Masuda
  • Patent number: 4519896
    Abstract: A dry material sorting device for selectively sorting mixtures of granular material comprising component materials such as sand and gold having different specific gravities. The use of a horizontal wind tunnel to sort the materials is described. Use of a prescreening device to segregate particles into separate batches based on particle size prior to blowing of the material in the wind tunnel is disclosed. An alternate mode comprising screening of particles after blowing in the wind tunnel using a dynamic screen having variable aperture sizes therein is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Inventor: James D. Vickery
  • Patent number: 4490247
    Abstract: An air stream separator for separating heavier and lighter fractions from a mixture, includes a first vibrating conveyor which conveys the mixture of materials into an upwardly directed air stream at the output end of the conveyor, and a second vibrating conveyor positioned at or below the level of the first conveyor; the second vibrating conveyor includes an input end defined by an upwardly inclined portion onto which a heavier fraction of mixture drops from the output of the first conveyor so that the heavier fraction is separated from the lighter fraction which is impelled by the air stream onto a main, horizontal portion of the second conveyor for conveyance thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Inventors: Lennart G. K. Forsberg, Per-Ingvar Moberg
  • Patent number: 4486300
    Abstract: In a grader device grain is fed down a slide which ejects the grain outwardly and forwardly into an airstream. The slide is provided by a resilient flexible sheet, the contour and inclination of which is adjusted by a plurality of support rods against which the sheet presses and the positions of which are adjustable. A plurality of transverse collecting troughs with adjustable baffles, receive the separated grains according to the weight thereof with the top quality grain being heaviest, collecting in the forward trough. A suction fan extracts dust before it reaches the main airstream and diverts it into a cyclone or the like. Accurate airstream control is achieved by a plurality of adjustable wind boards strategically situated within the grader device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1984
    Inventor: William Prieb