APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND/OR COUNTING INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF A PLURALITY

• US 3,715,057 A
• Filed: 12/09/1971
• Issued: 02/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reinhard Becker
• Original Assignee: Reinhard Becker
• Inventors: Becker, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kocovsky, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US05/206,282
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 111/77 221/185,210,211,160,266,278 222/345
• US Class Current: 221/211
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/044 Pneumatic seed wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/4881 rotating about a substantially horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/927 Parallelogram mounting

Abstract

Apparatus for separating and/or counting individual ones of a plurality of substantially similarly shaped particles, elements, grains, or the like, such as grains of seed, pills, etc., and including a hollow rotating drum, constructed to have plural, inwardly tapering indentations, terminating in a bore open to the interior of the drum and having at the bottom of the indentation dimensions smaller than the particles so that the particles cannot traverse the bore, the indentations being wider than the particles at the surface of the drum, the indentation dimensioned to hold at least one particle each. A nozzle directs an air jet towards the drum at direction and position so that the air strikes along the leading wall portion of the closest indentation as the drum rotates. Particles are fed towards the drum, so that at least one particle is in each indentation as it passes the jet.

Claims

1. Apparatus for separating and counting individual ones of a plurality of substantially similar shaped particles, elements, grains, or the like, such as grains of seed, pills, etc., and including a rotating drum, feeder means for the particles and a housing for the drum, the improvement comprising:

the drum being hollow and constructed to have plural inwardly tapering indentations, terminating in a bore open to the interior of the drum and having at the bottom of the indentation dimensions smaller than the particles so that the particles cannot traverse the bore, the indentations being wider than the particles at the surface of the drum, the indentation dimensioned to hold at least one particle each;

means including a nozzle for directing an air jet towards the drum at direction and position so that the air jet is directed towards and into an indentation striking along the leading wall portion thereof as the drum rotates; and

the feeder means constructed to feed particles towards the drum, so that at least one particle is in each indentation as it passes the jet.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, the indentations having conical configuration, the apex angle being between 40* and 90*.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2, the bore merging in the conical indentation being cylindrical.

4. Apparatus as in claim 2, the apex angle being 45* to 60*.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, the drum disposed in a cylindrical housing covering the drum for most of its circumference, the feeder means opening the housing along the remaining part of the circumference, the nozzle arranged at the one end of the opening where, in direction of rotation, the drum surface enters cover by the housing.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, the opening providing to expose about three indentations to the feeder means.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5, the feeder means being arranged in the upper portion along the ascending path of the rotating drum, the housing having an outlet at the bottom.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1, the nozzle having menixcus-like cross section.