Method and apparatus for separating crops and impurities

An apparatus for separating crops from impurities, the separation taking place in a separating liquid flow, said apparatus comprising:

• a liquid tank for containing a volume of separating liquid,
• a pumping device disposed in communication with the volume of separating liquid for producing a separating flow of liquid directed upward within the volume of separating liquid toward a liquid surface,
• said apparatus being adapted to follow directly behind a pick-up loader and to receive an assemblage of the crops and the impurities passing to be separated into the liquid tank via a charging apparatus positioned in a manner to drop the assemblage of the crops and the impurities to be separated directly into the liquid surface in a direction contrary to the upward direction of the separating liquid flow,
• the apparatus further comprising:
• means for adjusting the velocity of the separating liquid flow in a manner to cause the impurities of said second, relatively greater specific gravity to drop through the separating liquid in the separating liquid flow in a direction contrary to the upward direction of separating liquid flow within the volume of separating liquid and to cause the crop of said first specific gravity to be maintained, by the separating liquid flow, in a region at least close to the liquid surface,
• a removing conveyor band for conveying the crops out of the liquid tank from the region at least close to the liquid surface, and
• a discharge apparatus for conveying the impurities out of the liquid tank from a region spaced from the region at least close to the liquid surface.