Method of and apparatus for assorting particles according to the physical characteristics thereof

An apparatus for continuously assorting particles by the physical characteristics thereof, said apparatus comprising a surface for supporting a stream of particles;

• a wall connected to one side of said surface and projecting upwardly therefrom to support one side of the particle stream;
• means for vibrating said surface to impart impulses to the particles thereon for driving said particles toward the wall;
• said surface having a width that decreases proportionally with the length of the wall to gradually reduce the transverse section of the particle stream;
• a plurality of collecting compartments aligned transversely of the particle stream and in alignment with the edge of said surface opposite from that defined by said wall whereby said compartments receive particles from the surface in an order of classification with particles having similar physical characteristics being collected in the same compartment;
• an acceleration ramp positioned below said surface on the opposite side thereof from said wall, said ramp being downwardly inclined from said surface for a distance sufficient to enable particles gravitating down the ramp to accelerate to their maximum terminal velocity in a direction having a desired horizontal component;
• and said plurality of collecting compartments aligned transversely of the particle stream further including a plurality of collecting compartments aligned in the direction of particle flow from the acceleration ramp whereby particles are further separated in accordance with their size and density by their trajectories of fall from the acceleration ramp to the collecting compartments.