Continuous belt for belt-type separator devices
AssigneeST Equipment & Technology LLC
InventorsJose L. Rivera-Ortiz, Lewis Baker, Thomas Newman, David Schaefer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved continuous belts for use in belt separator systems for separating components of a material are disclosed. Related belt separator systems and methods of separating components of a material are also disclosed.
Claims47
A continuous belt for use in a belt separator system for separating components of a material, the belt comprising:
- longitudinal edge strands of a predefined width;
- and
- an array of non-rectangular openings interior to the longitudinal edge strands of the belt, the non-rectangular openings configured to be permeable to the components of the material.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein an angle of a first and second side of the openings is an acute angle.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, further comprising periodic notches formed in the longitudinal edges of the continuous belt at periodic locations in the edges of the continuous belt, the periodic notches being configured for conveying the components of the difficult-to-fluidize material in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the continuous belt so that the components are moved away from edges of the belt separation system.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings have dimensions selected to maximize a throughput of a belt separator system for the feed material.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings have dimensions selected to minimize frictional heating of the belt.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings have dimensions selected to maximize an operating lifetime of the belt for the feed material.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings have a leading deflective edge.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings define an open area of the continuous belt in the range of about 35% to about 55%.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings have a dimension of about 0.5 inch to about 1.75 inch in a direction parallel and/or perpendicular to a belt travel direction.
The continuous belt of claim any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings are configured to be permeable to the components of the material along the longitudinal direction of the belt and across a width of the belt to create multiple particle concentration zones.
The continuous belt of any of the preceding claims, wherein the non-rectangular openings interior to the longitudinal edge strands of the continuous belt are configured to be permeable to the components of the feed material, the non-rectangular openings further being configured for conveying components of the feed material along the longitudinal direction of the continuous belt and across a width of the belt to create multiple particle concentration zones.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.