Apparatus for pneumatically separating fractions of a particulate material
AssigneeRader Companies, Inc.
InventorWilliam C. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pneumatic material separator having adjacent generally vertical sorting ducts and a generally vertical discharge duct communicating with the tops of the sorting ducts is disclosed. Particulate material introduced into a first sorting duct is separated by an upwardly moving column of gas into an upwardly moving lighter fraction and a downwardly moving heavy fraction. The lighter fraction is carried to a position over a second sorting duct where the gas velocity is reduced. The heaviest particles of the lighter fraction fall into the second sorting duct while the remainder of the lighter fraction is discharged through the discharge duct.
Claims4
Apparatus for penumatically separating fractions of a heterogeneous mixture of particulate material according to relative densities and/or aerodynamic properties comprising:
- an unobstructed, substantially straight primary duct which is not inclined from vertical by more than about 10.degree. and which narrows near the top to define a region of accelerating airflow;
- airlock feed means for feeding all material to be separated into said primary duct at a location upstream of said region of accelerating airflow and without admitting a substantial amount of air into said primary duct;
- a discharge duct communicating with the top of said primary duct and extending upwardly therefrom;
- means for producing an upwardly moving column of air in said primary and discharge ducts having a velocity operable to raise a light fraction of said material while a heavy fraction falls to the bottom of said primary duct;
- a secondary duct which is displaced horizontally from said primary duct and which communicates only with said discharge duct and the surrounding atmosphere so that said secondary duct provides an inlet for admitting a column of air directly, entirely from the surrounding atmosphere into the interior of said discharge duct at a location shortly downstream of said region of accelerating airflow, to increase the volume of air in said upwardly moving column of air in said discharge duct, and
- adjustable damper means operable to adjustably constrict said secondary duct for regulating the velocity of air moving through said discharge duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.