GRAVITY SEPARATOR

• US 20130037460A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oliver Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,827,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/479
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 4/02 using swinging or shaking tables
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/113 shaking tables for wet separating B03B5/04; tables with water impulse B03B5/70; pneumatic tables B03B4/02; moving screens B07B1/28

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and system are provided for separating material. In some embodiments the separator may include a deck. The deck may accept the material to be separated at a feed end and may provide separated output material at a discharge end. The flow of the material along the deck from the feed end to the discharge end may define a feed direction. The deck may be subject to a vibration or conveyance aligned with the feed direction. The deck may include riffles or corrugations. The riffles may be oriented at an angle relative to a direction of the vibration or conveyance, or at an angle relative to the feed direction. The deck may be subjected to an end-to-end elevation or slope. The end-to-end slope may be positive/downhill, negative/uphill, or zero.

Claims

1. A separator comprising:

a deck having a feed end and a discharge end, the deck being configured to receive material at the feed end and discharge the material at the discharge end, and the deck including a flow direction being defined from the feed end to the discharge end;

a vibration mechanism configured to vibrate the deck, the vibrations including a vertical component and a horizontal component, such that a downstream horizontal component coincides with the flow direction and an upper portion of the vertical component is applied with the downstream horizontal component.

2. The separator of claim 1, wherein the deck comprises riffles aligned at an angle relative to the flow direction.

3. The separator of claim 1, wherein the separator is configured to tilt the deck so that a first side of the deck is elevated relative to a second side of the deck.

4. The separator of claim 1, further comprising:

a discharging system configured to divide the material provided at the discharge end of the deck.

5. The separator of claim 4, wherein the discharging system is configured to divide the material into at least three fractions, and wherein the separator further comprises:

at least three hoppers configured to receive corresponding fractions of the at least three fractions.

6. A separator comprising:

a deck having a feed end and a discharge end, the deck being configured to receive material at the feed end and discharge the material at the discharge end, the deck including a flow direction being defined from the feed end to the discharge end, and the deck including riffles aligned at an angle relative to a conveyance direction associated with an applied vibration.

7. The separator of claim 6, wherein the applied vibration is supplied from at least one of a rotary device using a cam and push rod assembly, an electronic vibrator using magnetic pulses to create vibrating action, and an inertial vibrator using rotating weights to produce a thrust.

8. The separator of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the separator to;

receive a set of operational parameters for the separator.

9. The separator of claim 6, further comprising:

a manual mechanism configured to provide a set of operational parameters for the separator, wherein the manual mechanism comprises at least one a screw device turned by one or more hand cranks, a lever with a mechanical linkage, and a slide gate operated by pushing or pulling by hand.

10. The separator of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the separator to:

receive a second set of operational parameters for the separator,

wherein the second set of operational parameters includes at least one value for a parameter that is different from a value for a corresponding parameter in the set of operational parameters.

11. A separator comprising:

a deck;

a support mechanism configured to receive material at a feed end, separate the material in response to an applied vibration, and provide the material at a discharge end,

wherein the deck is oriented such that the discharge end is at a higher elevation relative to the feed end.

12. The separator of claim 11, wherein a conveyance direction associated with the applied vibration is aligned with a flow direction of the material from the feed end to the discharge end.

13. The separator of claim 12, wherein the deck comprises riffles aligned at an angle relative to the conveyance direction.

14. The separator of claim 11, wherein the deck comprises riffles aligned at an angle relative to a conveyance direction associated with the applied vibration.

15. The separator of claim 11, further comprising:

a feed device configured to provide a uniform rate at which the material is received on the deck.

16. The separator of claim 11, further comprising:

an air delivery system configured to provide air upward through the deck,

wherein the deck comprises a porous surface to enable the provided air to reach the material on the deck.

17. The separator of claim 16, further comprising:

a pressure system configured to compress the air provided upward through the deck.

18. The separator of claim 17, further comprising:

a vacuum configured to provide a suction of the air upward through the deck.

19. The separator of claim 11, further comprising:

a dust hood configured to collect dust and fine material separated from the material.

20. The separator of claim 19, wherein the dust hood is a partial dust hood with respect to the deck.

21. The separator of claim 19, further comprising:

a recycled air system configured to clean air comprising the dust and fine material collected by the dust hood and return the cleaned air to an air delivery system.

22. A method comprising:

providing material to a deck of a separator at a feed end of the deck;

applying a vibration to the deck; and

collecting the material at a discharge end of the deck,

wherein the deck is oriented such that the discharge end is at a higher elevation relative to the feed end, and

wherein a conveyance direction associated with the applied vibration is aligned with a flow direction of the material from the feed end to the discharge end, and

wherein the deck comprises riffles aligned at an angle relative to the conveyance direction.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

supplying a value for an operational parameter associated with the separator;

determining that the material at the discharge end of the deck is outside of a quality threshold; and

modifying the value responsive to determining that the material at the discharge end of the deck is outside of the quality threshold.