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US 8,708,157 B2Granted
Material sorter
OwnerTravis Gibsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A material sorter using guide rails of various configurations on an inclined panel to assist in sorting mixed density materials into higher density and lower density piles. In some embodiments, the guide rails may be repositioned via actuators or manually to adapt to requirements for different types of mixed-density materials to be sorted. The guide rails may be fixed in various discrete positions. Combinations of diverging and converging guide rails are used in some embodiments. Arrangements of multiple material sorters, each configured for different types of mixed-density materials, are disclosed.
Claims20
A material sorter comprising:
- a. a rigid inclined panel having a top surface, a top portion of said top surface, and an inclined centerline;
- b. at least one guide rail abutting said top surface and coupled to said rigid inclined panel at an angle to said center line that is not parallel to said center line;
- c. wherein a load of mixed-density material dumped on said top portion of said inclined plane will move downward to at least partially impact said at least one guide rail, thereby changing a first downward path of lower density material of such mixed-density material differently than a second downward path of higher-density material of such mixed-density material, to assist in sorting such load of mixed-density material;
- and
- d. wherein said at least one guide rail comprises at least one rotationally coupled guide rail, operable to rotate slidingly on said top surface of said rigid inclined panel.
2 more elements
A material sorter comprising:
- a. a rigid inclined panel having, a top surface, a top portion of said top surface, and an inclined centerline;
- b. at least one first guide rail abutting said top surface and coupled to said rigid inclined panel at a first angle to said center line that is not parallel to said center line;
- c. at least one second guide rail abutting said top surface and coupled to said rigid inclined panel at a second angle to said center line that is not parallel to said center line;
- and
- d. wherein a load of at least one mixed-density material dumped on said top portion of said inclined plane will move downward to at least partially impact said at least one guide rail, thereby changing a first downward path of lower density material of such at least one mixed-density material differently than a second downward path of higher-density material of such at least one mixed-density material, to assist in sorting such load of at least one mixed-density material;
- and
- e. wherein at least one of said at least one first guide rail and said at least one second guide rail comprises a rotational coupling to said rigid inclined plane.
4 more elements
A material sorter comprising:
- a. a rigid inclined panel having, a top surface, a top portion of said top surface, and an inclined centerline;
- b. at least one first guide rail abutting said top surface and coupled to said rigid inclined panel at a first angle to said center line that is not parallel to said center line;
- c. at least one second guide rail abutting said top surface and coupled to said rigid inclined panel at a second angle to said center line that is not parallel to said center line;
- d. at least one actuator coupled to said rigid incline panel and to at least one of said at least one first guide rail and said at least one second guide rail;
- and
- e. wherein a load of at least one mixed-density material dumped on said top portion of said inclined plane will move downward to at least partially impact said at least one guide rail, thereby changing a first downward path of lower density material of such at least one mixed-density material differently than a second downward path of higher-density material of such at least one mixed-density material, to assist in sorting such load of at least one mixed-density material.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.