Abstract: A cylindrical dedusting apparatus has an upper material infeed opening to introduce material into a frusto-conical infeed hopper centered over the tip of a conical wash deck supported over an air infeed conduit. Air is blown through slots and openings in the surface of the wash deck to separate dust and debris from the particulate material. The dust-laden air is discharged by passing between the infeed hopper and a cylindrical sleeve to enter into a circular collector for discharge from the apparatus. Flow rate of material over the wash deck is adjusted by vertically moving the infeed hopper within the sleeve relative to the wash deck, the tip serving as a stopper to define the dimension of the gap through which material flows onto the wash deck. Cleaned material passes through a lower discharge opening while dirty air is removed through a radially oriented discharge conduit from the circular collector.

Abstract: A cylindrical dedusting apparatus has an upper material infeed opening to introduce material into a frusto-conical infeed hopper centered over the tip of a conical wash deck supported over an air infeed conduit. Air is blown through slots and openings in the surface of the wash deck to separate dust and debris from the particulate material. The dust-laden air is discharged by passing between the infeed hopper and a cylindrical sleeve to enter into a circular collector for discharge from the apparatus. Flow rate of material over the wash deck is adjusted by vertically moving the infeed hopper within the sleeve relative to the wash deck to vary the dimension of the gap through which material flows onto the wash deck. A closed loop air system can be used with the cylindrical dedusting apparatus with a bleed air module that reduces air flow into the apparatus.

Abstract: A cylindrical dedusting apparatus has an upper material infeed opening to introduce material into a frusto-conical infeed hopper centered over the tip of a conical wash deck supported over an air infeed conduit. Air is blown through slots and openings in the surface of the wash deck to separate dust and debris from the particulate material. The dust-laden air is discharged by passing between the infeed hopper and a cylindrical sleeve to enter into a circular collector for discharge from the apparatus. Flow rate of material over the wash deck is adjusted by vertically moving the infeed hopper within the sleeve relative to the wash deck, the tip serving as a stopper to define the dimension of the gap through which material flows onto the wash deck. Cleaned material passes through a lower discharge opening while dirty air is removed through a radially oriented discharge conduit from the circular collector.

Abstract: A classifier includes a central particle inlet, an inclined feed surface, and a classification surface. A plurality of particle feeding vanes are positioned above the feed surface, and the plurality of particle feeding vanes rotate above the feed surface. A plurality of classification vanes are positioned above the classification surface, and the plurality of classification vanes rotate above the classification surface. Particles enter the classifier through the inlet near an axis of rotation and flow radially outward on the feed surface to the classification surface.

Abstract: A separator that provides a convergent conical flow path for a mixture introduced into the separator at fairly high velocity. Within the convergent flow path, the angular velocity of the spiraling mixture increases such that heavier species are segregated from lighter species. The convergent flow path transitions into a substantially uniform flow path where the spiraling mixture maintains a fairly uniform velocity and further separation occurs. The uniform flow path then transitions to a divergent conical exhaust flow path where some or all of the heavier species are exhausted from the separator. Within the substantially uniform flow path, a retrograde flow of the lighter species is created with an interaction with a diffuser surface arranged in the exhaust flow path. As such, the lighter species are channeled to a separate exit port to provide some degree of separation of the mixture.

Abstract: An article including: a disk or vortex ring with a circular opening in the center of the disk; and a fastener adapted to concentrically attach the disk to the particle outlet opening of a classifier wheel.

Abstract: A powder classifier which includes a classifier rotor fixedly secured to a rotatable shaft and having (i) an interior portion defined by upper and lower plates and (ii) an impeller wheel having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of vanes therethrough. The upper plate has a rounded outer edge along its outer circumference, and the interior portion is in communication with a fine particle discharge outlet. First and second annular rings are concentrically disposed about the outer circumference of the classifier rotor, with the first annular ring being positioned so that a preclassification of a feed powder stream occurs at the first gap such that a fraction of fine particles is separated from the feed stream and flows through the first gap and into the interior portion of the classifier rotor for primary classification, A dispersion disk which rotates independently from the classifier rotor is provided to produce various degrees of dispersion intensities and disperses feed powders prior to classification.

Abstract: The selector for badly-filled capsules consists of a constantly rotating ring-shaped capsule transfer plate which has an infeed for the capsules to be selected and an outfeed for the selected capsules, above which a substantially vertical suction mouth is fitted, being of the compressed air type with Venturi effect in the constricted tube, designed to suck up those capsules whose weight is below a preset value, the suction pressure being adjustable by means of the compressed air supply in the mouth.

Abstract: A device which permits the conveyance of a dry fluid substance from one receptacle to another without the release of a significant amount of dust into the surrounding atmosphere is provided. The device is a housing with an interior volume divided into two sections and having an access opening and a discharge opening. A dry fluid substance is introduced into the device and into an inner chamber within the interior volume of the device which guides the substance from the access opening to the discharge opening and causes the separation of particulate matter from the substance. The particulate matter dispersed from the substance is drawn by a vacuum applied to the housing from the inner chamber into the filter chamber where the particulate matter is retained on a plurality of fine filter bag assemblies.

Abstract: A device which permits the conveyance of a dry fluid substance from one receptacle to another without the release of a significant amount of dust into the surrounding atmosphere is provided. The device is a housing with an interior volume divided into two sections and having an access opening and a discharge opening. A dry fluid substance is introduced into the device and impinges against an orifice wall having a plurality of orifices therethrough, each sized to slow conveyance of the substance through the housing. The contact with the orifice wall causes the separation of fine particulate matter from the substance. The fine particulate matter dispersed from the substance is drawn by a negative pressure applied to the housing from the inner chamber into the filter chamber where the particulate matter is retained on a plurality of fine filter bag assemblies.

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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for blending a material feed and/or separating debris from a material feed is disclosed in which a feed separator is used with a blender and/or debris separator. The feed separator separates a feed from the conveying air flow which conveys the feed and the conveying air flow, devoid of feed, is then used to blend the conveyed feed and/or separate debris therefrom.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating debris from a material product by recirculating the product in a product chamber with a fluid flow and using the fluid flow to entrain and remove debris.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing debris from granular material, utilizes a pair of inner and outer ducts, which are separated by an air chamber for guiding and discharging a backward flow of air under pressure through a passageway opening extending between the two ducts. The air pressure flows through flowing granular material as it moves along a given path from the first duct into the second duct. A spreader member guides the flow of material into an opening between the edge of the spreader and the wall of the outer duct. A porous member disposed downstream of the spreader member near the opening receives the material flowing through the opening and is inclined from the wall toward the central axis of the outer duct, as the air flows backwardly through the porous member.

Abstract: The separator device comprises a vertical, cylindrical container (4), provided at the bottom with a rotary discharge valve (9) and provided with a duct (5) which opens into its top portion and is connected to the feeding source of the meal. This duct (5) discharges the meal onto the top of a conical downwardly diverging tray (1) arranged in the container (4), and arranged at a suitable distance below said tray (1) is another conical member (6) also diverging downwardly and provided with an upwardly directed peripheral edge (106) extending beyond the peripheral outline of the tray, and closely spaced from the side surface of the cylindrical container. At the top of the conical member (6) is an opening (10) which is connected to a conduit (11) extending through the wall of the container (4) and connected to a suction source. Inside the container (4) below the conical members (1, 6), there opens a conduit (15) communicating with the atmosphere.

Abstract: An air classifier having an upright housing open at both ends in which a pipe section is concentrically located to define a first annular passage closed at its upper end. A feed conduit attached to a pneumatic delivery system is concentrically located within the pipe section defining a second annular passage open at both ends. A cover is mounted over the upper end of the housing defining a dispersing chamber for bulk material. The dispersed material falls through the second passage, beyond the lower end of the pipe into an annular chamber where the components are separated by an air stream moving upwardly. The heavier particles falls and the lighter particle travel with the upward air.

Abstract: The invention relates to separators for separating relatively magnetic particles from relatively non-magnetic particles in the dry state. The method of the invention involves allowing a mixture of the particles to flow past a magnet, preferably a high strength magnet, which is so arranged as to produce a strong magnetic field in a radial direction, the radial component greatly exceeding the axial component and the axial component exerting a force which is preferably substantially less than that of gravity. In this way, the magnetic particles are diverted towards the magnet but not retained by it while the non-magnetic particles continue in their original path.

Abstract: A device for separating multi-fraction particulate materials includes a housing with an inner passage for admitting the material to be processed and an outer passage having an outlet and connected to a suction device for producing an air stream in an upward direction. A guide body with a conical surface and a shoulder having an edge are mounted in the housing. The second passage has in the region below the shoulder a zig-zag shaped passage portion. The incoming stream of mixture falls on the conical surface, then on the edge of the shoulder and then is discharged into the zig-zag shaped portion so that when suction is applied to the outlet of the outer passage the material undergoes repeated directional changes during each of which the air stream travels transversely through the material.