Pneumatic classifier for refuse material with adjustable air intake

• US 4,010,096 A
• Filed: 10/09/1975
• Issued: 03/01/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allis-Chalmers Energy Incorporated (Archer Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Allis-Chalmers Energy Incorporated (Archer Ltd.)
• Inventors: Murray, Donald L., Lees, John N. Jr., Toman, Frank W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lutter, Frank W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hill, Ralph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/621,225
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 209/136-139 R, 209/140, 209/141, 209/149, 209/154, 209/26-29, 209/34-37
• US Class Current: 209/139.1
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/02 while the mixtures fall

Abstract

An apparatus and operation is disclosed in which light solid material such as shredded paper passes from an upper end of a column and heavier material such as glass and metal particles drop from a lower end of the column. The column includes an air locked feed chute having a downwardly inclined material feeding surface, that opens intermediate the column ends into a stream of air moving upwardly in the column, for admitting mixed light and heavy solid particles of refuse material to the air stream. The column beneath the discharge end of the chute has vertical walls defining a rectangular air intake zone. The vertical wall opposite to and facing the chute is pivotally hung from an inclined member which is in turn pivotally supported by the column so this pivotally hung wall can move toward and away from the chute while remaining vertical. Adjustable support means are connected to the movable wall and position the wall and inclined member so the inner surface of the inclined member faces both downwardly and toward the chute. Movement of the movable wall toward or away from the chute therefore adjusts the angle of the inclined member and the angle at which upwardly moving air is turned toward the chute. The movable wall comprises an upper and a lower section that in part overlap and with the lower section having a lower horizontal edge defining a lip of an entrance to the air intake zone. Means are provided to clamp the two sections of the movable wall together with the lip in a selected vertically disposed position relative to the other vertical walls that cooperate with the movable wall to define the air intake zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus for classifying particles of refuse material and the like to separate relatively light and heavy solid particles and having a column, means connected to the upper end of the column for drawing a stream of air into the lower end of the column and upwardly through the column, a chute that opens into the column intermediate the column ends for admitting mixed light and heavy solid particles, the column beneath the discharge end of the chute having vertical walls defining an air intake zone rectangular in horizontal cross-section and with at least the vertical wall of the air intake zone opposite the chute being movable and pivotally connected along a horizontal upper edge to a lower edge of an incline member which is in turn pivotally supported by the column along an upper horizontal edge so that the movable wall can move toward and away from the opposite wall of the air intake zone with the movable wall remaining vertical, and including an improvement which comprises:

a. the chute having an air lock feeder and a downwardly inclined material feeding chute from the feeder to a midportion of the column where the chute opens into the column and cooperates with the column to define a zone of expanded volume having a horizontal cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the column above and below the expanded zone, the vertical walls which define the air intake zone are arranged with one of such vertical walls opposite the movable wall intersecting with the material feeding surface of the chute along a horizontal axis of intersection, and with such one wall being in vertical alignment with a vertical center line through a portion of the column above the expanded zone, to thereby define for upwardly ascending air and particles a tortuous path with a turn toward the material feeding surface of the chute; and

b. adjustable support means connected to the movable wall and adapted to position the movable wall to in turn position the inclined member with its inner surface facing both downwardly and toward the chute, whereby a movement of the movable wall toward or away from the chute adjusts the angle of the inclined member beneath which air and particles moving upwardly are turned toward the chute in the course of following said tortuous path.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which:

a. the movable wall has upper and lower sections at least partly overlapping each other and with the lower section having a lower horizontal edge defining a lip of an entrance to the air intake zone; and

b. a guiding and holding means connected to one of the sections of the movable wall and arranged to engage and hold the other of the movable wall sections to position the lip of the lower section in selected vertically disposed positions relative to the other vertical walls that cooperate with the movable wall to define the air intake zone.