Claims
- 1. Materials separator apparatus comprising:
- material conductor means disposed for directing commingled particles including electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles of various materials and sizes into a stream;
- magnetic means including an alternating series of oppositely polarized magnetic pole pieces disposed in juxtaposed and substantially contiguous relationship for establishing a spatially alternating array of juxtaposed oppositely directed magnetic fields of varying widths and inducing in said electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles successive eddy-currents which cooperate with said magnetic fields for deflecting said electrically conductive particles in a uniform direction out of said stream; and
- control means for producing relative movement of the particles sequentially through the magnetic fields.
- 2. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the magnetic means comprises steady-state magnetic means for establishing a spatially alternating array of static magnetic fields.
- 3. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the steady-state magnetic means comprises an alternating series of juxtaposed oppositely polarized magnets having varying width dimensions.
- 4. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the array is substantially conical and the magnets have respective scythe-like widths disposed in juxtaposed spiralling relationship adjacent the slope of the conical array.
- 5. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the array is substantially conical and the magnets have respective wedge-like widths disposed in juxtaposed longitudinal relationship adjacent the slope of the conical array.
- 6. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the array is substantially planar and the magnets have respective box-like widths which vary with respect to one another and are disposed transversely at an oblique angle with respect to the stream.
- 7. Material separator apparatus comprising:
- material conductor means disposed for directing commingled particles, including electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles, of various materials and sizes into a stream and guiding the stream along a predetermined path having a downwardly inclined portion;
- steady-state magnetic means including an alternating series of oppositely polarized magnetic pole pieces disposed in juxtaposed and substantially contiguous relationship adjacent the inclined portion of the path for establishing therein a spatially alternating array of juxtaposed oppositely directed magnetic fields of varying widths and for inducing in said electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles successive eddy-currents which cooperate with said magnetic fields for deflecting said electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles in a uniform direction out of said stream; and
- control means disposed adjacent the magnetic means for producing relative movement of the particles in the stream through the magnetic fields of the array.
- 8. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the material conductor means includes sloped support means disposed along the inclined portion of the path for supporting the particles in the stream slidably along the inclined portion.
- 9. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein sloped support means comprises a substantially conical support member having a sloped surface disposed in the inclined portion of the path; and the magnetic means comprises a substantially conical series of alternately oppositely polarized magnets disposed adjacent a sloped surface of the support member.
- 10. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the magnets have respective scythe-like widths disposed in spiralling juxtaposed relationship, each of the magnets having a minimum width disposed adjacent the small diameter end of the conical series and a maximum width adjacent the large diameter end of the series.
- 11. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the conical series of magnets is disposed beneath the outer surface of the conical support member and supported in spaced relation with the inner surface thereof.
- 12. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the control means includes rotatable means disposed for producing relative rotational movement of the particles in the stream through the magnetic fields.
- 13. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the magnets have respective wedge-shaped widths disposed longitudinally in juxtaposed relationship, each of the magnets having a minimum width disposed adjacent the small diameter end of the conical series and a maximum width adjacent the larger diameter end of the series.
- 14. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the sloped support means includes at least one inclined plane extended longitudinally along the inclined portion of the path; and the adjacent magnetic means comprises a substantially parallel planar series of alternately oppositely polarized magnets having mutually different width disposed in juxtaposed relationship.
- 15. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of the magnets of the series is bar-like and has a length disposed transversely at an oblique angle to the path of the stream.
- 16. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the magnetic means includes of the series of magnets extended longitudinally along the path of the stream in a herringbone pattern, corresponding magnets of the respective series being disposed in reverse angulated relationship with respect to the stream.
- 17. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein the sloped support means comprises a pyramidal structure having a plurality of sloped surfaces, each comprising a respective one of the inclined planes.
- 18. Materials separator apparatus:
- a material support structure having a sloped surface;
- material conductor means disposed adjacent said structure for directing commingled particles, including electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles, of various materials and sizes into a stream and down said sloped surface;
- steady-state magnetic means including an alternating series of oppositely polarized magnetic pole pieces disposed in juxtaposed and substantially contiguous relationship beneath the sloped surface for establishing above the surface a spatially alternating array of juxtaposed oppositely directed magnetic fields of various widths and inducing in said electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles successive eddy-currents which cooperate with said magnetic fields for deflecting said electrically conductive nonferromagnetic particles in a uniform direction out of said stream; and
- control means disposed adjacent the support structure for causing said stream to pass sequentially through magnetic fields of the array.
- 19. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein the sloped surface is substantially conical.
- 20. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein the magnetic means comprises a substantially conical array of alternately oppositely polarized magnets having respective tapering width poles disposed in juxtaposed relationship adjacent the sloped surface of the structure.
- 21. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein the magnets have scythe-like poles disposed in spiralling relationship and extended transversely at an oblique angle to the slope height of the surface.
- 22. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein the control means includes energy means for producing relative rotational movement of the particles through the magnetic fields.
- 23. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 22 wherein the energy means includes fluid pressure means for spacing the sloped surface of the structure from the array of magnets.
- 24. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 23 wherein the magnets have respective wedge-shaped poles disposed longitudinally parallel with the slope height of the surface.
- 25. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein the magnetic means comprises a substantially planar array of alternately oppositely polarized magnets having mutually different width poles disposed in juxtaposed relationship and substantially parallel with the inclined plane.
- 26. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein the magnets are bar-like and extend transversely at a uniform oblique angle to the stream.
- 27. Materials separator apparatus as set forth in claim 26 wherein the planar array comprises two co-linear series of alternately oppositely polarized, bar-like magnets disposed in a herringbone pattern along the slope of the inclined plane, corresponding magnets of the respective series being disposed in reverse angulated relationship with respect to the stream.
- 28. Material separator apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein the sloped surface comprises an inclined plane.
Cross-Reference to Related Cases
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 71,817, filed Sept. 4, 1979, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2059166 |
Jun 1972 |
DEX |
46-4244 |
Feb 1971 |
JPX |
21276 OF |
Jan 1900 |
GBX |
1317736 |
May 1973 |
GBX |
1324126 |
Jul 1973 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
71817 |
Sep 1979 |
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