Abstract: A molecule is separated from a liquid sample containing said molecule and at least one additional molecule having a larger hydrodynamic diameter than the hydrodynamic diameter of the molecule to be separated, by means of a separation device comprising a substrate, at least one circulation channel arranged in said substrate, and at least one nanotube associated with said molecule to be separated and formed on a free surface of the substrate. Separation is achieved by means of the internal channel of a nanotube, such as a carbon nanotube, presenting an effective diameter chosen in predetermined and controlled manner. The effective diameter of the internal channel is chosen such as to be larger than the hydrodynamic diameter of the molecule to be separated and smaller than the hydrodynamic diameter of the additional molecules of larger hydrodynamic diameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for integrated curing and cooling of golf ball cores. A plate die is used to separate hot golf ball cores from a post-mold matrix. The hot golf ball cores are held in an insulated unit to maintain the elevated temperature of the golf ball cores to achieve additional curing or cross-linking. The hot, cured golf ball cores are then passed through a cooling section where ambient, turbulent air is passed over the golf ball cores to achieve the desired level of cooling. The cooled golf ball cores are delivered to a pneumatic delivery system for additional processing. A cueing hopper is also provided between the insulated unit and the cooling section to serve as a buffer or accumulator in the system.

Abstract: Disclosed within is a fist bracket comprising a base and a circumferential portion extending from the base in which the circumferential portion comprises an outer surface and an inner surface and the outer surface comprises a curved section and a planar section. Also disclosed within is a combination of a motor mount bracket and fist bracket comprising a fist bracket with a base and a circumferential portion extending from the base. The circumferential portion includes an outer surface and an inner surface and the outer surface comprises a curved section and a planar section. The combination further includes a bushing disposed within the circumferential portion of the fist bracket.

Abstract: An apparatus for the removal of objects and other debris from cement that is pumped via a concrete pump includes a secondary screen that is pivotally attached at one end thereof to a concrete pump a predetermined distance above a grate that is disposed over a hopper, the screen having a smaller opening size than that of the grate. An opposite end of the screen is urged toward an opposite end of the hopper by a pair of elastomeric straps. A pair of upraised sides are included at a top and bottom of the screen, the screen having a planar member that is disposed at a steeper angle than is the grate. When cement is poured it first contacts and passes through the secondary screen which automatically descends and rises, thereby maximizing the flow rate of cement through the screen as the objects are removed from the mixture.

Abstract: A manure management system that removes a large percentage of solids from a manure slurry when the slurry is run across a series of sloped screen separators. The sloped screen on the separator has very small openings. In addition, the separator has a water line with spray heads formed across the sloped screen. The spray heads direct water under pressure onto the sloped screen. Further, the separator controls the air flow through the sloped screen.

Abstract: An article processing apparatus having a plurality of input conveyors directing articles into a work station and a single turret sorting mechanism. The work station processes articles while, simultaneously, unprocessed articles are fed into the turret sorting mechanism. The output of the work station is simultaneously fed into the turret sorting mechanism. The turret control mechanism engages articles fed to it using a gripper. The turret sorting mechanism rotates the articles until, in conjunction with a control system, the articles are released onto appropriate locations on a second set of conveyors. The second set of conveyors directs the unprocessed articles to a second work station (where the unprocessed articles are processed) and the articles processed by the first work station are directed to an output station. Once processed, the articles sent to the second work station are also directed to the output station where they are collected and prepared for further processing.

Abstract: An article including; a support member with a plurality of apertures therethrough; and a plurality of gate members attached by at least one end to at least one side of the support member, wherein each gate member is situated in close proximity to at least one of the apertures.

Abstract: An injection molding compound pellet cleaner 10 removes broken pellets and eliminates excessive dust from molding compound pellets for preparation of the pellets for processing in an automatic molding machine. The pellet cleaner includes a vacuum chamber 22 and a perforated canister 50 for holding the pellets 80. A vacuum is generated within the chamber to clean dust from the pellets and to remove broken pellets.

Abstract: A litter box has a tray having a bottom and an outlet at one end of the tray and a sifting element disposed within the tray and having a screen portion and a solid portion, the screen portion being disposed at an angle, facing the outlet of the tray, of 90 degrees or less as measured from the bottom of the tray to the screen portion, and the solid portion extending from the screen portion to the outlet of the tray.

Abstract: A litter box has a tray having a bottom and an outlet at one end of the tray and a sifting element disposed within the tray and having a screen portion and a solid portion, the screen portion being disposed at an angle, facing the outlet of the tray, of 90 degrees or less as measured from the bottom of the tray to the screen portion, and the solid portion extending from the sceen portion to the outlet of the tray.

Abstract: A compacting and selecting machine for solid refuse such as containers and similar includes a loading hopper provided with a detector and guide of objects, a crushing press at the end of the hopper, a lateral conveyor belt to which the object leaving the press is directed by a lateral ejector, the conveyor belt being located over a magnetic plate for the retention of ferrous or similar objects, and at least two collecting bins for the selected objects, one of these bins being for non-ferrous materials and the other for ferrous materials selected by the magnetic plate, the machine cycle being carried out with the aid of auxiliary control device.

Abstract: A municipal solid waste material sorting system comprises a multi-stage trommel having a relatively short first stage section with relatively small holes for screening out grit, dirt, coins, small stones and the like, a second substantially longer second stage section for screening out beverage bottles, metal cans, and other waste materials of similar size and a third stage relatively short section for screening out large objects such as half gallon and gallon plastic, metal and glass containers. The respective screened municipal solid waste fractions from each of the three trommel sections are advantageously handled in respective handling streams. Materials screened in the first stage section of the trommel may be further classified as by a vibrative air table-specific gravity device to recover useful materials, such as glass cullet and coins. Materials screened in the second stage of the trommel may be further screened in a two-section disk screening and air classification arrangement.

Abstract: A selection device for candy, in which confections are dispensed loose onto a first table turning at relatively low speed and spiralled around a fixed guide before being scattered onto a second, annular table that is concentric and coplanar with the first and rotates at higher speed; this second table is encompassed by a cylindrical pan, rotated at the same higher speed about an axis angled away from the axis of the tables to the extent that corresponding peripheral stretches of the second table and the top edge of the pan are made to converge in the same plane. The top edge of the pan is castellated with tapered radial sockets that are designed to accommodate the confections singly, conveying them through a circular path and into contact with a number of fixed cam profiles by which they are deflected from the sockets in such a way as to enable centrifugal ejection at respective selection and reject stations.

Abstract: A mobile seed cleaning and/or separating apparatus has a wheeled, self-propelled chassis mounting a plurality of cleaning and/or separating stations. The stations are interconnected by conveyors which transport the seed through the apparatus. The cleaning and/or separating stations include a coarse screen to remove material of a size larger than the seed to be separated, an aspirator to remove relatively light material, a pair of pocket cylinders to separate materials of different sizes and a screen cylinder to finally screen the seed. After cleaning, the seed passes through a weighing device which continuously batch-weights the seed and actuates a prickling machine to introduce a furyside, mold-inhibitor or other chemical.

Abstract: A sorting device for sorting out a multiplicity of pieces such as tickets, for example, according to their size includes a frame, a drum rotatably mounted in the frame for storing therein pieces such as tickets having different sizes to be sorted out, a sorter on the drum including openings of different dimensions for passing therethrough pieces of different sizes, respectively, and a collector disposed peripherally around the drum in radial alignment with those openings of one dimension for collecting pieces of a particular size passing through the last-mentioned openings. The drum is rotated by a motor about its own axis to cause the pieces of the particular size to be discharged through the openings of the one dimension out of the drum. The sorting device also has a separator for separating superimposed sorted-out pieces from each other. Magnetic or optical information recorded on sorted-out pieces is read by a magnetic or optical reader.

Abstract: A sifter for removing dough balls from breading, the sifter comprising a basket having foranamous side and bottom walls, the bottom wall being of conical configuration tapering downwardly to a centrally disposed discharge opening surrounded by a pair of spaced apart concentric annular walls projecting upwardly from the bottom wall and closed by a cover, spaced apart openings extending upwardly from the bottom edges of the annular walls of a size to pass dough balls therethrough, the openings in one of the annular walls being offset circumferentially with respect to the openings in the other annular wall, the annular walls serving as barriers to the passage of breading toward the discharge opening but permitting dough balls to pass inwardly for discharge as the basket is oscillated.

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.

Abstract: An improvement is presented in an apparatus for processing soil for planting wherein a separator are provided for initially separating rocks and other large objects from soil prior to crushing thereof, the separator comprising a plurality of respectively upwardly and downwardly directed pins which cooperate in the removal of said rocks and other large objects from the soil. Also provided is a vertical rotatable power driven shaft centrally located in said apparatus wherein a plurality of radially extending arms are fixed thereto and are rotatable with the shaft. Some of said separating pins are fixed to the arms and some cooperating separating pins are fixed to a disc plate also mounted about said power driven shaft. A rotating plurality of discs crush said soil to reduce large particles and destroy weed seeds, insects, and larvae.

Abstract: Apparatus for sorting items according to size wherein the items are dropped between a pair of opposed sorting discs having facing sides with the spacing between the sides varying radially of the discs, with withdrawing elements being interposed at various radial locations between the facing sides of the discs for separately receiving the items in accordance with the size thereof.

Abstract: Small live insects are separated from green coffee beans or similar sized agricultural commodities by vibrating a screen on which the beans are placed at a frequency of at least 60 cycles per second. The insects are inactivated by the vibrations and fall through a multiplicity of apertures in the screen sized smaller than the beans but larger than the insects. The vibrating screen is usually capable of removing substantially all of the small live insects from the beans. The insects separated from the beans can then be suitable disposed of.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting textile bobbins into groups of empty bobbins and bobbins with residual yarn thereon, utilizing an inclined upwardly moving conveyor belt covered with card clothing for conveying upwardly and discharging therefrom bobbins having residual yarn thereon by engagement of the yarn by the card clothing and for downward sliding discharge therefrom of empty bobbins, and utilizing another inclined conveyor belt to transport and feed bobbins onto the card conveyor. By utilizing a wall extending between the two conveyor belts and providing an opening therein of a predetermined size and shape at the location at which bobbins are fed onto the card belt such that only empty bobbins or bobbins having less than a predetermined amount of yarn thereon can pass therethrough onto the card belt, bobbins can be additionally sorted according to the amount of yarn thereon.

Abstract: In order to sort a quantity of hard gelatin capsules of the type having at least a top and bottom and being filled with powdery contents, and to remove therefrom defective capsules which do not have a top or which may be cut or deformed in some way, the apparatus includes a first member with apertures for the capsules and a second member with similar apertures which are aligned with the first apertures in a first relative position of the two members. By applying suction to the top of the second member, intact capsules are urged into the second member while defective or deformed capsules are retained in the calibrated bore of the lower member. The two members undergo a relative displacement subsequent to which a discharge device moves rods into the individual orifice causing the discharge of intact capsules and defective capsules into different receiver chutes.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for sorting out pharmaceutical capsule components from assembled capsules and comprises a pair of spaced plates containing a plurality of holes which allow unassembled pharmaceutical caps and bodies to fall through the holes and yet retain assembled capsules.