# US 11,440,162 B2 · Apparatus and method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media

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- Number: US 11,440,162 B2
- Document ID: US11440162B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/592,752
- Filed: 2019-10-03
- Published: 2020-04-09
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-03
- Assignees: Blastec, Inc.
- Applicants: Blast Guru LLC
- Inventors: Stan Griffin; Joe Craig
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440162B2

## CPC

- B24C 9/006: {Treatment of used abrasive material}
- B07B 1/28: Moving screens not otherwise provided for, e.g. swinging, reciprocating, rocking, tilting or wobbling screens
- B07B 1/42: Drive mechanisms, regulating or controlling devices, or balancing devices, specially adapted for screens
- B07B 1/46: Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
- B07B 13/05: using material mover cooperating with retainer, deflector or discharger (B07B13/065 - B07B13/075 take precedence)
- B07B 13/16: Feed or discharge arrangements
- B24C 1/10: for compacting surfaces, e.g. shot-peening (for deforming sheet metal, tubes or profiles B21D31/06; as a metallurgical treatment C21D7/00, C22F1/00)
- B24C: ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
- B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein are an apparatus and system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media. The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media having a housing defining an enclosure and being configured for further separating previously sorted and discarded abrasive media, the shot peening efficiency system operating via the housing comprising: a symmetrically bisected housing having a left housing component and a right housing component having an angled opening configured to receive an abrasive media inlet valve wherein the left housing component and the right housing component are connected via one or more fasteners; wherein the symmetrically bisected housing is deep set at the left housing component and the right housing component in a manner configured to accept a separator assembly comprising at least one wire mesh screen, at least one vibratory motor, and one or more mounting hardware components. Also disclosed are methods of using apparatus and system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shot peening efficiency system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media having a housing defining an enclosure and being configured for further separating previously sorted and discarded abrasive media, the shot peening efficiency system operating via the housing comprising:
a symmetrically bisected housing having a left housing component and a right housing component having an angled opening configured to receive an abrasive media inlet valve wherein the left housing component and the right housing component are connected via one or more fasteners;
wherein the symmetrically bisected housing is deep set at the left housing component and the right housing component in a manner configured to accept a separator assembly comprising at least one wire mesh screen, at least one vibratory motor, and one or more mounting hardware components;
wherein the symmetrically bisected housing is further separated into a main channel having a first channel for reusable abrasive media and a second channel for non-reusable abrasive media;
wherein the separator assembly is further configured to separate reusable abrasive media from non-reusable abrasive media by passing the separated reusable abrasive media via the first channel and by passing the separated non-reusable abrasive media via the second channel;
wherein the first channel terminates at a reusable abrasive media outlet valve further comprising at least one first hose, at least one first adapter; and at least one first abrasive media hopper; and
wherein the second channel terminates at a discards abrasive media outlet valve further comprising at least one second hose, at least one second adapter; and at least one second abrasive media hopper.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
wherein the at least one mesh screen further comprises at least one of: stainless steel, aluminum, iron, tungsten, silicon carbide, and a wire sieve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one flow meter; and
at least one fastener wherein the at least one fastener comprises at least one of: a hose clamp, a screw, a clasp, a binding, an adhesive, a C-clamp, a bolt, a heavy-duty bolt, and a screw anchor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one magnetic screen pad; and
at least one magnetic deflector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one motor mounting pad; and
a pair of screen guide rails.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one rubber grommet configured for use with at least one fastener.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 1 further comprising:
wherein the at least one mesh screen further comprises a nominal sieve opening.

### Claim 8

A method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media comprising:
separating previously sorted and discarded abrasive media via a symmetrically bisected housing having a left housing component and a right housing component having an angled opening configured to receive an abrasive media inlet valve wherein the left housing component and the right housing component are connected via one or more fasteners;
vibrating a separator assembly configured to rest deep set in the symmetrically bisected housing the separator assembly comprising at least one wire mesh screen, at least one vibratory motor, and one or more mounting hardware components;
separating a main channel into having a first channel for reusable abrasive media and a second channel for non-reusable abrasive media;
wherein the separator assembly is further configured to separate reusable abrasive media from non-reusable abrasive media by passing the separated reusable abrasive media via the first channel and by passing the separated non-reusable abrasive media via the second channel;
wherein the first channel terminates at a reusable abrasive media outlet valve further comprising at least one first hose, at least one first adapter; and at least one first abrasive media hopper; and
wherein the second channel terminates at a discards abrasive media outlet valve further comprising at least one second hose, at least one second adapter; and at least one second abrasive media hopper.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 8 further comprising: wherein classifying abrasive media particle size further comprises classifying abrasive into classes including at least one of: aluminum cut wire, aerospace material specification (AMS), brown aluminum oxide (ALOX), cast steel, coal slag, copper slag, crushed glass, carbon steel cut wire, garnet, green diamond, plastic media, stainless steel grit, stainless steel cut wire, stainless steel, syn olivine, white aluminum oxide (ALOX), and zinc cut wire.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 8 further comprising: wherein classifying abrasive media particle size further comprises classifying abrasive into classes including at least one of: carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar®, silicon carbide, sapphire, glass, alumina, graphite, Astroquartz®, aluminum oxide, white fused aluminum oxide, aluminum oxide with chrome, brown fused aluminum oxide (ALOX), low titanium dioxide brown fused aluminum oxide (ALOX), zirconia-alumina, hydrated alumina, ceramic aluminum oxide (ALOX), green silicon carbide, black silicon carbide, boron carbide, cubic boron nitride, and diamond.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 8 further comprising: wherein classifying abrasive media particle size further comprises classifying abrasive into classes including at least one of: blocky shape high bulk density, blocky shape medium bulk density, sharp shape low bulk density, platelet shaped, and extreme irregular shapes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 8 further comprising: wherein classifying abrasive media particle size further comprises classifying abrasive into classes including natural abrasives including but not limited to at least one of: garnet, cerium oxide, flint, emery, corundum (aluminum oxide), and naturally occurring diamond.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method for separating reusable abrasive media from non-reusable media of claim 8 further comprising: wherein classifying abrasive media particle size further comprises classifying abrasive into classes including manufactured abrasives including but not limited to at least one of: aluminum oxide, white fused aluminum oxide, aluminum oxide with chrome, brown fused aluminum oxide (ALOX), low titanium dioxide brown fused aluminum oxide (ALOX), zirconia-alumina, hydrated alumina, ceramic aluminum oxide (ALOX), green silicon carbide, black silicon carbide, boron carbide, cubic boron nitride, and lab created diamond.