Method and apparatus for separating intermixed divided materials

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING INTERMIXED DIVIDED MATERIALS VARYING IN SIZE WHICH COMPRISES MAINTANING A BED OF SAD MATERIALS ON AN AIR PERVIOUS SURFACE, MOVING THE BED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIDIRECTIONALLY ALONG SAD SURFACE FROM A FEED LOCUS TO A DISCHARGE LOCUS, VIBRATING THE BED, PASSING AIR UNDER PRESSURE UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED THROUGHOUT ITS TRAVEL TO FLUIDIZE THE BED AND EFFECT STRATIFICATION OF FINE AND LIGHT PARTICLES PROGRESSIVELY INTO FLOTANT STRATA AND PERMIT SINKING OF COARSER AND HEAVIER PARTICLES, DISCHARGING SETTLED HEAVY PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACE, AND REMOVING FLOTANT LIGHT FINE PARTICLES AS THEY ARRIVE AT THE TOP OF THE BED BY INTRODUCING A SEPARATE STREAM OF AIR FROM ABOVE THE TOP OF THE BED ADJACENT THE FEED LOCUS THEREOF, CONFINING AND PASSING SAID SEPARATE AIR STREAM ALONG AND OVER THE TOP OF THE BED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS PLANAR FLOW SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE TOP OF THE BED AND TO SAID UNIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE BED TO ENTRAIN AND WITHRAW SAID LIGHT PARTICLES, AND SEPARATELY DELIVERING AND COLLCTING SAID ENTRAINED PATICLES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING INTERMIXED DIVIDED MATERIALS VARYING IN SIZE WHICH COMPRISES MAINTANING A BED OF SAD MATERIALS ON AN AIR PERVIOUS SURFACE, MOVING THE BED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIDIRECTIONALLY ALONG SAD SURFACE FROM A FEED LOCUS TO A DISCHARGE LOCUS, VIBRATING THE BED, PASSING AIR UNDER PRESSURE UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED THROUGHOUT ITS TRAVEL TO FLUIDIZE THE BED AND EFFECT STRATIFICATION OF FINE AND LIGHT PARTICLES PROGRESSIVELY INTO FLOTANT STRATA AND PERMIT SINKING OF COARSER AND HEAVIER PARTICLES, DISCHARGING SETTLED HEAVY PARTICLES FROM THE SURFACE, AND REMOVING FLOTANT LIGHT FINE PARTICLES AS THEY ARRIVE AT THE TOP OF THE BED BY INTRODUCING A SEPARATE STREAM OF AIR FROM ABOVE THE TOP OF THE BED ADJACENT THE FEED LOCUS THEREOF, CONFINING AND PASSING SAID SEPARATE AIR STREAM ALONG AND OVER THE TOP OF THE BED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS PLANAR FLOW SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE TOP OF THE BED AND TO SAID UNIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE BED TO ENTRAIN AND WITHRAW SAID LIGHT PARTICLES, AND SEPARATELY DELIVERING AND COLLCTING SAID ENTRAINED PATICLES.