Flow apparatus for separating granular particles

Claim 1

A FLOW APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING DIFFERENTLY SIZED GRANULAR PARTICLES, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE SEPARATOR WHEEL HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY RESPECTIVELY FROM RECTED SEPARATING CHANNELS EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY FROM THE OUTERMOST PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL TOWARD THE CENTER THEREOF, EACH OF SAID SEPARATING CHANNELS BEING OF ENCLOSED SUBSTANTIALLY ZIG-ZAG CONFIGURATION MEANS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL TO BE SEPARATED ONTO AN IMPERFORATE ROTARY BOUNDARY WALL OF SAID WHEEL AT A POSITION ADJACENT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SEPARATOR WHEEL, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL AND BOUNDARY WALL THEREBY TO CENTRIFUGE SAID MATERIAL AWAY FROM SAID AXIS OF ROTATION OVER SAID BOUNDARY WALL TO A POSITION ADJACENT THE OUTERMOST PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTATING WHEEL, MEANS SUPPLYING A FLOW MEDIUM AT A LIKE POSITION ADJACENT THE OUTERMOST PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTATING SEPARATOR WHEEL, SAID ROTATING WHEEL BEING OPERATIVE TO EFFECT A FLOW OF SAID MEDIUM AND OF PORTIONS OF SAID MATERIAL VIA SAID CHANNELS FROM THE PERIPHERY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID SEPARATOR WHEEL, AND OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SEPARATING CHANNELS ADJACENT THE CENTER OF SAID WHEEL FOR DISCHARGING SAID PORTIONS OF SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID WHEEL.