Magnetic separator for solid waste

A magnetic separator for extracting magnetic material from a mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material comprising:

• a non-magnetic material discharge zone;
• a magnetic material discharge zone spaced from said non-magnetic discharge zone;
• a plurality of magnets generating a series of longitudinally adjacent rows of magnetic fields, each row in said series being generated by at least one magnet, each of said magnets having a core towards which said magnetic material is attracted;
• means for supplying said mixture at a position within the first row of magnetic fields in said series whereby said magnetic material within said mixture is attracted by the magnetic fields of said first row;
• a portion of said magnets having cores disposed along a longitudinal axis spanning substantially between said supply means and said magnetic material discharge zone, the remainder of said magnets having cores spaced laterally of said longitudinal axis, each of said cores defining a path of equal width thereto extending longitudinally through said series of magnetic fields, none of the paths generated by at least one row of magnets in said series passing through a core in each row of said series;
• and
• means extending between longitudinally adjacent rows of magnetic fields for transporting said magnetic material from one row of magnetic fields in said series to the next row of magnetic fields in said series, said transporting means being comprised of a series of drums, each of said drums having a rotating surface and having interior portions adapted to receive at least one of said magnets, the first drum in said series having at least one associated magnet generating a magnetic field acting on a portion of said supply means, each of the remaining drums in said series having at least one associated magnet generating a magnetic field acting on a portion of the surface of the preceding drum in said series, each of said magnets thereby causing magnetic material to be drawn to and held against the surface of its associated drum, said drums also transporting said magnetic material from the last magnetic field in said series to said magnetic material discharge zone, said magnetic fields being of such strength and said drums being so disposed relative to said magnetic fields whereby said magnetic material is agitatedly transported longitudinally and laterally from said first row of magnetic fields to said magnetic discharge zone so that said non-magnetic material entrapped in said magnetic material is discarded in said non-magnetic material discharge zone and said magnetic material is released in said magnetic material discharge zone free of non-magnetic material.

A magnetic separator for extracting magnetic material from a mixture of magnetic and non-magnetic material comprising:

• a non-magnetic material discharge zone;
• a magnetic material discharge zone spaced from said non-magnetic material discharge zone;
• a plurality of magnets, each magnet having a core towards which said magnetic material is attracted;
• a series of drums, each of said drums having a rotating surface and having an interior portion receiving at least one of said magnets, each of said magnets generating an associated magnetic field extending beyond the surface of said drum, said magnetic fields generally defining a longitudinal series of magnetic fields, each core defining a path of equal width thereto extending longitudinally through said series of magnetic fields, none of the paths generated by at least one row of magnets in said series passing through a core in each element of said series;
• means for supplying said mixture at a position within a magnetic field associated with the first drum in said series so that said magnetic material and some entrapped non-magnetic material within said mixture is attracted to and held against the surface of said first drum, the non-entrapped non-magnetic material thereafter being transported to said non-magnetic material discharge zone;
• and
• each of the succeeding drums in said series situated so that its associated magnetic field acts on a portion of the surface of the preceding drum, the rotation of each of the preceding drums in said series causing magnetic material held against its surface to be transported into the magnetic field of the succeeding drum in said series so that said magnetic material is attracted to and held against the surface of the succeeding drum in said series, the rotation of the last drum in said series transporting said magnetic material to said magnetic material discharge zone, whereby magnetic material is agitatedly transported longitudinally and laterally from said supplying means to said magnetic material discharge zone.