US 5,400,908 AGranted

Method and apparatus for separating materials of different weights

OwnerJames R. Prestwoodinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An apparatus for separating constituents of a mixture of dry organic material having different weights or densities, such as pine straw and lawn debris, includes a cylindrical housing that is positioned horizontally with respect to a working surface. The housing has a hopper on its top side, an inlet end and an outlet end, and a fan is mounted at the inlet end. The fan pulls air into the housing and generates a stream of air flow inside the housing from the inlet end to the outlet end thereof. An air baffle structure is located immediately downstream of the fan to produce substantial turbulence in the air flow stream. The mixture of material to be separated is introduced into the housing through the hopper and is then carried from the housing and separated into constituent parts by the stream of air flow. Higher density constituents are deposited at shorter distances from the housing outlet end while lower density constituents are deposited at a greater distance from the housing outlet.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating constituents of a mixture of dry organic material having different weights, said separating apparatus comprising:

(a) a substantially cylindrical hollow tubular housing having a substantially central longitudinal axis and including an interior and exterior, opposite top and bottom sides, and opposite inlet and outlet ends, said housing also having a top opening in said top side spaced from said inlet and outlet ends and communicating said exterior with said interior of said housing;
(b) an air transfer mechanism mounted to said housing in alignment with the opposite inlet and outlet ends thereof and adjacent to said inlet end of said housing and being operable to generate a stream of air flow through said housing in a direction along said longitudinal axis from said inlet end toward said outlet end, said air transfer mechanism including drive means mounted to said housing and disposed in said interior thereof spaced inwardly from said inlet end of said cylindrical housing, a shaft mounted to said drive means and rotatably driven by said drive means about said longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing and a fan disposed within said cylindrical housing between said inlet end thereof and said drive means and mounted to said shaft and driven by said drive means to rotate about said longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing;
and
(c) a hopper mounted on said exterior and said top side of said housing over said top opening therein and above said stream of air flow generated through said housing and along said longitudinal axis thereof by operation of said air transfer mechanism, said hopper being adapted to receive a mixture of dry organic material having constituents of different weights and introduce the mixture into said stream of air flow such that the constituents of the mixture are carried by said stream of air flow from said outlet end of said housing through distances corresponding to their different weights and thereby deposited onto a working surface at different distances from said outlet end of said housing.

1 more element

A method for separating constituents of a mixture of dry organic material having different weights, said separating method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a substantially cylindrical hollow tubular housing having a substantially central longitudinal axis extending between opposite inlet and outlet ends of said housing;
(b) generating a stream of air flow in a substantially horizontal direction along the central longitudinal axis of the housing from the inlet end through the outlet end thereof above a working surface by rotating about the longitudinal axis of the housing a fan disposed in the housing in alignment with the inlet and outlet ends of the housing and adjacent to the inlet end thereof;
and
(c) introducing a mixture of dry organic material having constituents of different weights into said stream of air flow at a predetermined location through a top opening in the housing such that the constituents of the mixture are carried out of said housing by said stream of air flow from said location through distances which correspond to their different weights and thereby are deposited onto the working surface away from the housing at different distances from said location.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/097,123Filed 26 Jul 1993
Granted: 28 Mar 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B07B 9/00
Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from
B07B 4/02
Separating solids from solids by subjecting their mixture to gas currents: while the mixtures fall
B07B 4/08
Separating solids from solids by subjecting their mixture to gas currents: while the mixtures are supported by sieves, screens, or like mechanical…
B07B 9/02
Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g.…:…