Method and apparatus for separating metallic particles

Claim 1

A METHOD OF RECOVERING METALLIC PARTICLES FROM WASTE SLAG COMPOSED OF A MIXTURE OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC PARTICLES, COMPRISING SUBJECTING THE SLAG TO A CRUSHING OPERATION OS AS TO FRAGMENTIZE THE SLAG, PASSING THE FRAGMENTS THUS PRODUCED OVER A FIRST SCREEN, SAID FIRST SCREEN HAVING OPENINGS OF SUBSTANTIALLY ONE-HALF INCH TO SEPARATE THE FRAGMENTS INTO A FIRST GROUP OF OVERSIZE AND UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS, RETURNING THE OVERSIZE FRAGMENTS TO THE CRUSHING OPERATION, PASSING THE UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS OVER A SECOND SCREEN, SAID SECOND SCREEN BEING SUBSTANTIALLY 20 MESH SO AS TO SEPARATE THE FRAGMENTS INTO A SECOND GROUP OF OVERSIZE AND UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS, SUBJECTING THE OVERSIZE FRAGMENTS OF THE SECOND GROUP TO A MAGNETIC SEPARATING OPERATION, WHEREBY SOME OF THE FRAGMENTS ARE MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTED TO THE SEPARATOR, RECOVERING THE FRAGMENTS MAGNETICALLY ATTACHED TO THE MAGNETIC SEPARATOR, RETURNING THE REMAINING FRAGMENTS FROM SAID MAGNETIC SEPARATOR TO THE CRUSHING OPERATION, PASSING THE SECOND GROUP OF UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS OVER A THIRD SCREEN, SAID THIRD SCREEN BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY 80 MESH, AND OPERATING TO PROVIDE A THIRD GROUP OF OVERSIZE AND UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS, REMOVING THE OVERSIZE FRAGMENTS OF THE THIRD GROUP FOR SUBSEQUENT PROCESSING, SUBJECTING THE UNDERSIZE FRAGMENTS OF THE THIRD