Abstract: A magnetic separating apparatus and magnetic sorting method can precisely and efficiently separate magnetic and non-magnetic material with a simple structure. The apparatus includes a granular mixture supply portion that supplies a granular mixture so as to naturally fall; a rotating drum having a part of an outer surface located on a falling path of the granular mixture, the rotating drum being rotationally driven in an opposite direction relative to the falling direction of the granular mixture; a first magnet that imparts a magnetic attractive force to a certain area defined by rotation in the opposite direction with a sorting area as a starting point; a naturally falling area to which the granular mixture that has come into contact with the rotating drum naturally falls; and a conveyed falling area to which the granular mixture naturally falls after being magnetically attracted to and conveyed by the rotating drum.

Abstract: A separation-apparatus for separating from a particle-stream at least a first fraction with particles of a first group of dimensions, and a second fraction with particles of a second group of dimensions, comprising an infeed-device (2, 10) for the particle-stream, a rotatable drum (5) having at its circumference plates (6, 6), each plate having a radially extending hitting surface for the particles, at least a first receiving area (12) proximal to the drum for receipt therein of particles of the first fraction, and at least a second receiving area (11) distant from the drum for receipt therein of particles of the second fraction, wherein a conveyor (17) in the second receiving area (12) moves during use at a speed of at least 2 m/s.

Abstract: A material sorter using guide rails of various configurations on an inclined panel to assist in sorting mixed density materials into higher density and lower density piles. In some embodiments, the guide rails may be repositioned via actuators or manually to adapt to requirements for different types of mixed-density materials to be sorted. The guide rails may be fixed in various discrete positions. Combinations of diverging and converging guide rails are used in some embodiments. Arrangements of multiple material sorters, each configured for different types of mixed-density materials, are disclosed.

Abstract: A device and a method of screening for individual balls are provided. The device for screening for individual balls has a supply device, a slope, and a recovering part jointed to a gas-tight chamber, and has a pressure reducing device for decompressing and maintaining the pressure of the gas-tight chamber lower than 1000 Pa in the gas-tight chamber. The supply device is used for supplying the balls, the slope is used for enabling the balls to roll down, and the recovering part is used for recovering the balls from the slope. Further, the method for screening for individual balls includes supplying the balls from the supply device to the slope, rolling the balls down the slope, screening for the balls according to the speed is difference and/or the direction difference of the balls, and recovering the balls in the recovering part, in the gas-tight chamber with the pressure below 1000 Pa.

Abstract: A rotationally oscillating separator for separating mixed rice into unhulled rice and unpolished rice after the rice have passed through a rice huller to remove the hulls from rice.

Abstract: A bend detector for detecting a bend in headed rod members such as nails, screws, bolts, rivets and terminals. A guide plate, a base plate and a beam are mounted on a base which is being vibrated. Thus, a nail set in the bend detector is vibrated and rolls on the inclined edge of the guide plate and the base plate, which extends parallel to the edge of the guide plate. An air blower is provided under the head of the nail to lift it up from the edge of the guide plate by blowing air. If the nail is straight, it can roll smoothly on the edge of the guide plate and the base plate without its head disengaging from the edge of the guide plate even though it is lifted up from the edge of the guide plate by the air blower. If the nail is bent, its head will jump up until its shank abuts the beam when the crest of the bent portion faces downward while the nail is rolling. Its head will thus disengage from the edge of the guide plate, so that the nail will drop into the gap between the guide plate and the base plate.

Abstract: A sorting installation for separating a first type of articles from a second type of articles fed mixed to the sorting installation. The articles of the first type are relatively light and substantially two-dimensional, while the articles of the second type are relatively heavy and substantially three-dimensional. There is provided an article-supporting surface which receives the first and second type of articles in a generally mixed state and which has a length dimension and a width dimension perpendicular to the length dimension. The article-supporting surface is inclined to the horizontal in a direction parallel to the width dimension for causing primarily the second type of articles to move by gravity downwardly on the article-supporting surface transversely to the length dimension and laterally off the article-supporting surface.

Abstract: A paper selecting apparatus includes an upstream side transportation passage having an inclined bottom surface(s) held in the inclined state in the transverse direction, a lower stage transportation passage extending in continuation from the downstream end of the upstream side transportation passage, an upper stage transportation passage disposed above the lower one with a predetermined distance kept therebetween and a guide wall disposed between the upstream side transportation passage and the upper stage transportation passage for determining the direction of further movement of paper which has been displaced from the upstream side transportation passage to selectively bring it to either of both the upper and lower stage transportation passages in conformance with the width of paper to be selected.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for an adjustable movable unit for a spiral separator seed cleaning machine. The apparatus may take a variety of forms depending on the particular spiral separator it is to be mounted upon. The movable unit mounts on a rod and is movable about that rod. Attached to this unit are one or more fingers which act as seed dams upon the inner flights of the spiral separator. The number of fingers corresponds to the number of inner flights. A set of these units attached to a rod is fixed to each half of the spiral separator. On the normal double spiral separator in use in most soybean seed cleaning operations, two sets of adjustable units consisting of four units each are required.

Abstract: In an oil shale retorting process, hot heat-carrying spherically-shaped solids are cycled to a retort zone to mix with and retort crushed oil shale, thereby producing gas and oil products and a mixture of irregularly-shaped, laminar spent shale and spherically-shaped solids. The spherically-shaped solids are separated and recovered from the spent shale for recycle through the process. In one stage of the separation procedure, a mixture of spent shale and spherically-shaped solids is fed to a continuously restored inclined surface whereon the spherically-shaped solids roll from the surface while the irregularly-shaped spent shale solids are separately removed from the inclined surface. Continuous restoration of the inclined surface is achieved through movement of the feed and the impingement area of the inclined surface relative to each other. The separation system may be used for separating other types of spherically-shaped solids which will roll from nonspherical, irregularly-shaped solids which do not roll.