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: 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 recirculating chamber includes means for receiving debris and spent abrasive from the recirculating chamber and allowing a quantity of the debris and spent abrasive to collect thereby forming a pile of debris and spent abrasive with a face of the pile exposed to incoming debris and spent abrasive. The pile has an angle of repose whereby additional incoming debris and spent abrasive fall down the face to form a substantially unobstructed, vertical, uniform curtain of falling debris and spent abrasive. The apparatus includes means for providing a stream of fluid through the recirculating chamber, and means disposed below the receiving means for drawing off the stream of fluid from the recirculating chamber.

Abstract: A powder dispensing assembly including an elongated chute having opposite ends pivotally supported for rotation about a pivot axis within an elongated housing and having a funnel-shaped cross section with a wide upper portion and a narrow lower portion. A dispensing platform is integral with the rear wall of the chute and extends forwardly beneath the front wall and slopes upwardly to a lip over which particles of powder move to define a falling curtain of powder particles. A supply platform is supported just above the pivot axis and receives powder from an elongated slot and supplies powder to the dispensing platform as the powder falls downwardly through the chute. The supply platform is wider than the angle of repose of the powder supplied thereto so that when the supply platform is not moving powder is not being supplied to the lower dispensing platform. An electromagnet cooperates with a spring plate which is, in turn, connected by a rod through the housing to the rear wall of the chute.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for separating finely sized materials of diverse weights comprising a housing 8 having an opening 20 through which materials may be introduced for separation, an air intake 26 through which air may be introduced, and an air outlet 34 through which an air stream may exit. Means 53 are provided for forcing air into the housing 8 through the air intake 26 and out of said housing through the air outlet 34. A series of steps 10, 12, 14 is mounted within the housing 8 over which the materials may cascade. Means are further provided for channeling air introduced into the housing 8 through the air intake 26 into at least one air stream which passes between adjacent steps of the series of steps whereby the air stream may pass through the cascading materials and entrain the lighter materials.

Abstract: Raw and uncomminuted refuse is introduced through an entrance port into a substantially closed chamber as a horizontally flowing stream so that the refuse drops in the chamber along a path. A current of air is circulated in a closed circuit through the chamber and is directed in the chamber generally perpendicular to the path of the falling refuse and is inspired in the chamber through a sieve oriented substantially perpendicular to the current in the chamber. A minor portion of the air is withdrawn from the circuit, filtered, and released to the atmosphere. This withdrawn portion is replaced in the circuit by drawing air into the chamber substantially only through the entrance port so that slight subatmosphere pressure is created in the chamber to prevent the generation of unwanted dust or smell.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating slack-filled capsules from properly filled capsules having the same surface area comprising:an endless conveyor belt;means for continuously moving the belt on which is contained at least a single layer of capsules;an inclined plane at the terminal end of the belt;a sorting box consisting of a series of fins for orienting the largest cross-sectional area of the capsule profile;a tunnel whose terminal end is adjacent to the box;means for creating laminar air flow through the tunnel;a first tube aligned in about a horizontal position with the tunnel for receiving said slack-filled capsules;a second tube aligned in about a vertical position with the sorting box such that properly filled capsules enter by gravity;such that when the laminar air flow is created through the tunnel, the slack-filled capsules enter the first tube.

Abstract: Particulates removed from the flue gases produced in a fluidized-bed furnace are separated into high-and low-density portions. The low-density portion is predominantly char, and it is returned to the furnace or burned in a separate carbon burnup cell. The high-density portion, which is predominantly limestone products and ash, is discarded or reprocessed.According to another version, the material drained from the bed is separated, the resulting high-and low-density portions being treated in a manner similar to that in which the flue-gas particulates are treated.

Abstract: An air classifier system for separating mixed materials and comprising the combination of a horizontal drum or tunnel having a feed screw therein at one end of which mixed materials are deposited for movement toward the discharge end of the drum, and means for directing a flow of air through the drum at relatively high velocity for entraining and removing light materials from the drum while permitting heavy materials to be independently moved out of the drum by the screw.

Abstract: By combination and interaction of aerodynamic and mechanical forces, textile fibers are removed from a single source, transported, collected, blended, subdivided, and distributed in equal amounts to multiple remote locations, whereby the fibers are continuously assembled into uniform ribbons for subsequent textile processing or supplied directly to open-end spinning units.

Abstract: An improved fibrous concrete batch forming system. The system includes a conveyor for introducing concrete ingredients in solid form into a mixer or the like together with apportioning devices for apportioning large aggregate, cement and sand onto the conveyor. An apportioning device is also provided for apportioning fibrous reinforcing material onto the conveyor. A hopper or the like serves as a source of fibrous reinforcing material. A separator receives fiber from the hopper and separates the same into balls of fiber and substantially individual fibers. Associated with the separator is a device for directing only substantially individual fibers from the separator to the fiber apportioning device.

Abstract: A pneumatic bypass system for air wash separators is disclosed. The system detects a surge or overflow of sand passing into an air wash separator by means of a pressure probe located in the vicinity of the separator's swinging baffle. When a sand surge is detected, a pressure drop is produced in the probe tube operating a pressure switch and solenoid valve for actuating a pneumatic cylinder and piston assembly for opening the swinging baffle to permit the sand surge to pass the separator lip.