Self-cleaning coal bypass and debris separation grid assembly with rotary clearing mechanism

An apparatus for segregating particulate material by size comprising:

• an input chute having a vertical path portion for particulate material;
• a first grid connected to receive material from the input chute and to pass material of less than a predetermined size to a first chute and to divert material of at least the predetermined size to a second chute;
• a first clearing comb;
• the grid comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced, essentially blunt, parallel bars, the first clearing comb comprising a plurality of fingers interposed between the parallel bars and at least one axle shaft whose axis passes essentially through the parallel bars, the fingers attached to the axle shaft for rotation therewith;
• means for essentially continuously slowly rotating the clearing comb so as to continuously clear said first grid;
• and a second grid between the first grid and the second chute at an angle to the first grid, the second rid comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel bars, the spacing of which is at least great enough to pass material of the predetermined size to the second chute.

A size-segregation and debris-separating device for sorting and routing a stream of particulate material, comprising:

• a sizing/segregating grid at a first angle to the stream of particulate material to pass material less than a predetermined size and deflect material greater than the predetermined size;
• a debris-separating grid at a second angle in the path of the material deflected by the sizing/segregating grid to pass material less than a second predetermined size and to trap material greater than the second predetermined size;
• and
• means associated with the debris-separating grid for tangentially clearing away material trapped on the grid.

An apparatus for sizing/segregating particulate material and for separating debris from particulate material such as coal, comprising:

• an inlet structure disposed to accept an essentially vertical flow of particulate material, a first outlet chute and a second outlet chute;
• a grid assembly angularly positioned between the inlet structure and the first and second outlet chutes comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced apart to pass material less than a predetermined size between the bars;
• wherein the grid assembly comprises a sizing/ segregating portion positioned between the inlet structure and the first outlet chute at a first angle, the sizing/ segregating portion of the grid comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced a first predetermined distance apart such that particulate material having a size less than the first predetermined distance between the parallel bars shall pass between the parallel bars of the sizing/ segregating portion into the first outlet chute and particulate material having a size greater than the first predetermined distance between the parallel bars shall be deflected toward the second chute, the grid assembly further comprising a debris-separating portion positioned between the sizing/segregating portion and the second outlet chute at a second angle, the debris-separating portion of the grid assembly comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced a second greater predetermined distance apart such that the particulate material deflected by the sizing/segregating portion of the grid assembly passes through the bars of the debris-separating portion into the second outlet chute and debris having a size greater than the second predetermined distance between the parallel bars of the debris-separating portion shall be deflected away from the second outlet chute.

A rotary comb for clearing particulate material and debris resting on and wedged between the bars of a material sizing/segregating or debris-separating grid comprising:

• an axle shaft;
• a plurality of radial grid-clearing/sweeping fingers spaced along and yieldingly connected to the shaft, the fingers radially removable from the shaft;
• means for rotating the axle shaft;
• wherein, the comb is positioned proximate the grid such that the fingers pass between the bars of the grid periodically during rotation.

In a material segregating apparatus for particulate material such as coal:

• an inlet structure disposed to accept particulate material, a first outlet and a second outlet;
• a segregating grid interposed between the inlet structure and the first and second outlets comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced apart to pass material less than a predetermined size between the bars and toward the first outlet and to divert material greater than the predetermined size toward the second outlet;
• first grid-clearing means for the segregating grid;
• a debris-separating grid interposed between the segregating grid and the second outlet comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced apart to pass the particulate material diverted by the segregating grid and to divert debris greater than the size of the particulate material away from the second outlet;
• and
• a debris-clearing comb comprising a plurality of parallel fingers mounted radially on an axle shaft and disposed between the bars, and means for continuously rotating the debris-clearing comb about an axis below the bars of the debris-separating grid such that the fingers of the debris-clearing comb pass between and through the bars as they rotate to sweep debris from the surface, wherein the fingers are radially removable from the shaft.

An apparatus for sizing/segregating particulate material and for separating debris from particulate material such as coal, comprising:

• an inlet structure disposed to accept an essentially vertical flow of particulate material, a first outlet chute and a second outlet chute;
• a grid assembly angularly positioned between the inlet structure and the first and second outlet chutes comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced apart to pass material less than a predetermined size between the bars;
• wherein the grid assembly comprises a sizing/ segregating portion positioned between the inlet structure and the first outlet chute at a first angle, the sizing/ segregating portion of the grid comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced a first predetermined distance apart such that particulate material having a size less than the first predetermined distance between the parallel bars shall pass between the parallel bars of the sizing/ segregating portion into the first outlet chute and particulate material having a size greater than the first predetermined distance between the parallel bars shall be deflected toward the second chute, the grid assembly further comprising a debris-separating portion positioned between the sizing/segregating portion and the second outlet chute at a second angle, the debris-separating portion of the grid assembly comprising a plurality of parallel bars spaced a second greater predetermined distance apart such that the particulate material deflected by the sizing/segregating portion of the grid assembly passes through the bars of the debris-separating portion into the second outlet chute and debris having a size greater than the second predetermined distance between the parallel bars of the debris-separating portion shall be deflected away from the second outlet chute, further including a first grid-clearing device for the sizing/segregating portion of the grid assembly, and a second grid-clearing device for the debris-separating portion of the grid assembly, the second grid-clearing device comprising a plurality of fingers spaced apart and disposed along an axle shaft, the second grid-clearing device positioned proximate to the debris-separating portion of the grid assembly, and means for continuously rotating the axle shaft of the second grid-clearing device such that the fingers project between the parallel bars of the debris-separating portion of the grid assembly periodically during the rotation, wherein the fingers of the second grid-clearing device are arcuate, wherein each of the fingers of the second grid-clearing device is mounted to the axle shaft by a radially removable hub.