Diversion assembly

A diversion assembly for use with a feed material transported by a soil transport mechanism, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first shaftless screw conveyor;
• a second shaftless screw conveyor;
• and
• a subassembly comprising a plurality of movable flow diverters arranged side-by-side within an array, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a first position to cause an undiverted portion of a flow of the feed material to travel off an end of the soil transport mechanism and onto the first shaftless screw conveyor, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a second position to cause a diverted portion of the flow of the feed material to be diverted onto the second shaftless screw conveyor.

A system for use with a feed material, the system comprising:

• a detector system comprising a plurality of radiation detectors;
• a control system connected to the detector system;
• a diversion system connected to the control system, the diversion system comprising a plurality of movable flow diverters, a plurality of actuators, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor, each of the plurality of radiation detectors corresponding to a different one of the plurality of movable flow diverters, the plurality of actuators each to selectively position a corresponding one of the plurality of movable flow diverters in a unengaged position or a engaged position, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be engaged with a flow of the feed material when in the engaged position and unengaged with the flow of the feed material when in the unengaged position, the first conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the unengaged position, a first portion of the feed material to a first area, the second conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the engaged position, a second portion of the feed material to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• a plurality of drive controllers each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of actuators, each of the plurality of drive controllers to store movement instructions that are executable by the corresponding actuator, each of the plurality of drive controllers to cause the corresponding actuator to move the corresponding movable flow diverter to the engaged position or the unengaged position by sending one or more of the movement instructions to the corresponding actuator;
• and
• a material transport mechanism to transport the feed material past the detector system and to the diversion system, each of the plurality of radiation detectors to be operable to detect, for the corresponding movable flow diverter, a level of a contaminant in a corresponding portion of the feed material transported past the radiation detector by the material transport mechanism, the detector system to be operable to transmit a plurality of signals to the control system, the plurality of signals comprising a signal for each of the plurality of movable flow diverters indicating the level of the contaminant detected for the movable flow diverter,
• the control system to be operable, for each of the plurality of signals, to instruct the diversion system to cause one of the plurality of actuators to move the corresponding movable flow diverter to the engaged position or the unengaged position based at least in part on whether the level indicated by the signal transmitted for the corresponding movable flow diverter exceeds predefined release criteria.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, and a control system to receive a detection signal from the at least one detector and formulate one or more instructions based thereupon, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising an actuator and a flow diverter, the actuator to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with a flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first conveyor or to move out of engagement with the flow to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector;
• and
• at least one drive controller connected to the at least one flow diverter assembly, the at least one drive controller to receive the one or more instructions formulated by the control system, the at least one drive controller to send one or more movement instructions based at least in part on the one or more instructions to the actuator of each of the at least one flow diverter assembly, which performs the one or more movement instructions, the one or more movement instructions to comprise one or more time curves that define high-frequency vibration that helps keep the at least one flow diverter assembly clear of debris.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first shaftless screw conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second shaftless screw conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising an actuator and a flow diverter, the actuator to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with a flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first shaftless screw conveyor or to move out of engagement with the flow to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second shaftless screw conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising an actuator and a flow diverter, the actuator to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with a flow of feed material to cause a contaminated portion of the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first conveyor, or to move out of engagement with the flow of feed material to cause an uncontaminated portion of the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector, the first conveyor to transport the contaminated portion of the flow of feed material, the second conveyor to transport the uncontaminated portion of the flow of feed material.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising a flow diverter, and a linear motor comprising an electromagnetic direct drive in tubular form, the linear motor to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with a flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first conveyor, or to move out of engagement with the flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising a flow diverter and an actuator comprising a bridge guide that moves forward and backward along a linear travel path and carries the flow diverter therewith, the actuator to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with a flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first conveyor, or to move out of engagement with the flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector.

A diversion assembly for use with at least one detector, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first conveyor to travel to a first area;
• a second conveyor to travel to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• at least one flow diverter assembly each comprising an actuator and a flow diverter that (a) defines a through-channel, (b) has an open top portion, and (c) has at least one fin positioned along the open top portion, the at least one fin to help guide a portion of a flow of feed material into the through-channel when the flow diverter is engaged with the flow of feed material, the actuator to cause the flow diverter to move into engagement with the flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the first conveyor, or to move out of engagement with the flow of feed material to cause the flow of feed material to be deposited on the second conveyor based at least in part upon information obtained by the at least one detector.

A diversion assembly for use with a feed material transported by a soil transport mechanism, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first feed material transport to travel in a first direction of travel;
• a second feed material transport to travel in a second direction of travel, the second direction of travel to be different from the first direction of travel;
• a trough housing at least a portion of the first feed material transport and at least a portion of the second feed material transport;
• and
• a subassembly comprising a plurality of movable flow diverters arranged side-by-side within an array, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a first position to cause an undiverted portion of a flow of the feed material to travel off an end of the soil transport mechanism and onto the first feed material transport, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a second position to cause a diverted portion of the flow of the feed material to be diverted onto the second feed material transport.

A diversion assembly for use with a feed material transported by a soil transport mechanism, the diversion assembly comprising:

• a first feed material transport;
• a second feed material transport;
• a plurality of movable flow diverters arranged side-by-side within an array, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a first position to cause an undiverted portion of a flow of the feed material to travel off an end of the soil transport mechanism and onto the first feed material transport, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be positionable in a second position to cause a diverted portion of the flow of the feed material to be diverted onto the second feed material transport;
• and
• a plurality of linear motors each to selectively position a corresponding one of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the first position or the second position.

A system for use with a feed material, the system comprising:

• a detector system comprising a plurality of radiation detectors;
• a control system connected to the detector system;
• a diversion system connected to the control system, the diversion system comprising a plurality of movable flow diverters, a plurality of actuators, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor, each of the plurality of radiation detectors corresponding to a different one of the plurality of movable flow diverters, the plurality of actuators each to comprise one or more bridge guides that move forward and backward along a linear travel path and carry a corresponding one of the plurality of movable flow diverters therewith to selectively position the corresponding movable flow diverter in a unengaged position or a engaged position, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be engaged with a flow of the feed material when in the engaged position and unengaged with the flow of the feed material when in the unengaged position, the first conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the unengaged position, a first portion of the feed material to a first area, the second conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the engaged position, a second portion of the feed material to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area;
• and
• a material transport mechanism to transport the feed material past the detector system and to the diversion system, each of the plurality of radiation detectors to be operable to detect, for the corresponding movable flow diverter, a level of a contaminant in a corresponding portion of the feed material transported past the radiation detector by the material transport mechanism, the detector system to be operable to transmit a plurality of signals to the control system, the plurality of signals comprising a signal for each of the plurality of movable flow diverters indicating the level of the contaminant detected for the movable flow diverter,
• the control system to be operable, for each of the plurality of signals, to instruct the diversion system to cause one of the plurality of actuators to move the corresponding movable flow diverter to the engaged position or the unengaged position based at least in part on whether the level indicated by the signal transmitted for the corresponding movable flow diverter exceeds predefined release criteria.

A system for use with a feed material, the system comprising:

• a detector system comprising a plurality of radiation detectors;
• a control system connected to the detector system;
• a diversion system connected to the control system, the diversion system comprising a plurality of movable flow diverters, a plurality of actuators, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor, each of the plurality of radiation detectors corresponding to a different one of the plurality of movable flow diverters, the plurality of actuators each to selectively position a corresponding one of the plurality of movable flow diverters in a unengaged position or a engaged position, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to be engaged with a flow of the feed material when in the engaged position and unengaged with the flow of the feed material when in the unengaged position, the first conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the unengaged position, a first portion of the feed material to a first area, the second conveyor to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable flow diverters in the engaged position, a second portion of the feed material to a second area, the second area to be spaced apart from the first area, each of the plurality of movable flow diverters to (a) define a through-channel, (b) have an open top portion, and (c) have at least one fin positioned along the open top portion, the at least one fin to help guide the corresponding portion of the feed material into the through-channel defined by the movable flow diverter;
• and
• a material transport mechanism to transport the feed material past the detector system and to the diversion system, each of the plurality of radiation detectors to be operable to detect, for the corresponding movable flow diverter, a level of a contaminant in a corresponding portion of the feed material transported past the radiation detector by the material transport mechanism, the detector system to be operable to transmit a plurality of signals to the control system, the plurality of signals comprising a signal for each of the plurality of movable flow diverters indicating the level of the contaminant detected for the movable flow diverter,
• the control system to be operable, for each of the plurality of signals, to instruct the diversion system to cause one of the plurality of actuators to move the corresponding movable flow diverter to the engaged position or the unengaged position based at least in part on whether the level indicated by the signal transmitted for the corresponding movable flow diverter exceeds predefined release criteria.