Self-cleaning magnetic separator for powdered plastic and metal materials and method

A self cleaning magnetic separator for a mixture of powdered plastic and metal materials comprising of a housing having an inlet to receive said materials, an apertured base plate, side plates and end plates;

• said side plates having a plurality of opposed vertically spaced rows of longitudinally spaced circular tube apertures therein;
• a plurality of correspnding vertically spaced rows of laterally spaced pilot tubes snugly extending through said apertures, spanning said side plates and secured thereto;
• the tubes in one row being laterally displaced with respect to the tubes of an adjacent row of tubes to define a circuitous falling path within said housing for said materials;
• an upright tube clearance plate within said housing intermediate said side plates having a corresponding series of apertures oversized with respect to said tubes defining a corresponding series of clearance apertures surrounding said tubes;
• said clearance plate defining on one side thereof an upright plastic feed chamber communicating with said inlet and having a throated outlet extending through said base plate;
• an upright wiper plate within said housing intermediate said clearance plate and one side plate having a corresponding series of apertures snugly receiving said tubes respectively, defining with said clearance plate an upright metal feed chamber for metal materials separated from said plastic materials and having a throated outlet extending through said base plate;
• an elongated magnet assembly slidably mounted upon and intermittently reciprocal within each tube;
• each magnetic assembly being of a length substantially corresponding to the length of said tubes within said plastic feed chamber;
• and normally positioned within said plastic feed chamber;
• and a pusher plate upon the exterior of said housing connected to said magnetic assemblies for effecting intermittent reciprocal movement thereof;
• falling particles of plastic material cascading down and over said tubes within said plastic feed chamber for delivery through its outlet;
• falling particles of metal within said plastic feed chamber adhering to said tubes;
• retraction of said pusher plate and connected magnetic assemblies through and outwardly of said metal feed chamber sliding the accumulated metal material along the respective pilot tubes through said clearance plate and into and through said metal feed chamber;
• said wiper plate stripping said metal materials from said tubes, said metal material falling by gravity within said metal feed chamber and through its outlet.