US 5,236,092 AGranted

Method of an apparatus for X-radiation sorting of raw materials

OwnerMikhail I. Krotkov, Vladimir I. Revnivtsev +3inventors

InventorsMikhail I. Krotkov, Vladimir I. Revnivtsev, Irik S. Sataev, Nikolai F. Vasiliev, Vladimir S. Ponomarev

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In a method of X-radiation sorting of raw materials, after the stock lumps have been spread in monolayer on the transporting surface and stabilized, they are brought into the mode of unsupported movement along the stabilized paths without rotation. The exposure of the lumps to X-radiation, the measurement of the secondary radiation from the lumps, and the selection thereof are all carried out during this unsupported movement of the lumps. An apparatus for X-radiation sorting of raw materials comprises a steeply inclined vibrating feeder (4) conjugate to a preceding slightly inclined vibrating feeder (3) with a stabilizer (5) located thereabove for stabilizing the lumps of the stock. Over a section (14) of joining the conjugate vibrating feeders (3,4), there is disposed a second stabilizer (6) compensating for the lump torques produced at the point where the lumps pass onto the vibrating feeder (4). A coordinate system (7), X-radiation sources (8), X-radiation detectors (9), and actuators (10) for selection of standard lumps are all arranged after the vibrating feeder (4), looking downstream.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method of X-ray sorting of feedstock, consisting essentially of the steps of:

spreading lumps of the feed stock to be sorted on a small gradient conveying surface in a single layer across a width of the conveyor surface;
placing said lumps in said layer in a stable position;
transferring said lumps from the small gradient conveying surface to a high gradient conveying surface;
preventing rotation of said lumps during the transfer of said lumps to the high gradient conveying surface;
advancing said lumps by gravity acceleration in a single layer along the high gradient conveying surface as the high gradient conveying surface is vibrated to eliminate further rotation of the lumps;
discharging said lumps from a horizontal discharge line at a lower end of said high gradient conveyor;
further advancing said lumps in a single layer in an unsupported free fall state;
determining the dimensions of said freely falling lumps and their position over the width of the single layer;
irradiating said freely falling lumps with primary X-ray radiation for interacting with the lumps to produce a characteristic secondary X-ray radiation;
measuring the secondary X-ray radiation of each freely falling lump with a group of detectors;
determining the quality of each lump dependent on the measurements of the secondary X-ray radiation;
and
sorting said freely falling lumps dependent on the determination of quality.

10 more elements

An apparatus for X-ray sorting of feed stock, consisting essentially of:

a feed hopper for containing lumps of feed stock to be sorted;
a small gradient conveyor arranged under the feed hopper and provided with a vibrator, means for spreading the lumps in a single layer across a width of the conveyor, and means arranged over the conveyor to adjust the lumps into a stable position;
a high gradient conveyor mounted downstream of said small gradient conveyor along the path of movement of the lumps said high gradient conveyor having a vibrator and a horizontal discharge line to provide a single layer of stable unsupported lumps in a free fall state;
means to prevent rotation of the lumps, arranged at a joint between the small gradient and high gradient conveyors;
a coordinate system to determine the dimensions of the lumps and their position over the width of the single layer of free falling lumps, having electric outputs and provided in the immediate vicinity of said discharge line of said high gradient conveyor;
sources of primary X-ray radiation arranged in the immediate vicinity of said coordinate system along the path of movement of said freely falling single layer for directing X-ray radiation toward the lumps in said layer which interacts with the lumps for producing characteristic secondary X-ray radiation of the lumps;
a plurality of secondary X-ray radiation detectors, each of which has an electric output and which are positioned in the immediate vicinity of said plurality of primary X-ray radiation sources along the path of movement of said single layer of freely falling lumps for detecting said characteristic secondary X-ray radiation of the lumps;
a computing device having a plurality of inputs connected to the respective said outputs of the coordinate system and to the outputs of the secondary X-ray radiation detectors, and having a plurality of outputs;
and
a plurality of actuating means having control inputs connected to said outputs of said computer device for sorting the freely falling lumps of feed stock dependent on said outputs of said computing device.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/908,577Filed 24 Jun 1992 · continuation
Priority: 3 Dec 1990
Granted: 17 Aug 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B07C 5/366
Using a single separation means: during free fall of the articles
B07C 5/02
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
B07C 5/346
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to radioactive properties
Y10S 209/92
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids: vibratory feed conveyor