US 6,149,083 AGranted

Machine and method for separating composite materials

OwnerA. Rae McFarlandinventor

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Abstract

A combination of screening structure for a composite usually food material made up, for example, of a relatively soft flesh component to be recovered and of relatively hard components usually disposed of as waste, and of dual material conveying and discharging screws having overlapped and intermeshed helical flights as discharge structure for the relatively hard components which provide a running series of compartments for receiving, carrying, and discharging such relatively hard components as well as providing useful back pressure on the composite material travelling along and against the entry face of the screening structure. Termination of the overlapping relationship of the helical flights of the material conveying screws within a discharge area for the relatively hard material carried by such compartments facilitates discharge of such relatively hard material. The screening structure may be a flat screen usually of disc configuration, or a tubular screen within which a material conveying auger screw rotates.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A machine for separating different components of a composite material, comprising screen structure whose screen has entry and discharge faces;

means for placing the composite material at the entry face of the screen;
means for passing and pressing said composite material along and against said entry face of the screen for passage of a component thereof through said screen;
elongate, rotary discharge structure having an entry end portion located at or near said entry face of the screen for receiving material that does not pass through the screen and having an elongate material discharging section for material that does not pass through the screen but that is part of said rotary discharge structure;
said rotary discharge structure comprising dual, elongate, helical conveying screws having respective longitudinal helical flights that overlap and whose pitch is such as to provide a series of travelling compartments for accommodating said material that does not pass through the screen and for carrying it to said discharging section of said rotary discharge structure, said elongate material discharging section having dual conveying screws that substantially do not overlap.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.