Rotary sieving apparatus

Claim 1

A ROTARY SORTING AND SIEVING APPARATUS FOR SCRAP IRON COMPRISING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF INCLINED TO THE HORIZONTAL AND HAVING AN INTAKE OPENING AT THE UPPER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY AND A DISCHARGE OPENING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY, ROTATING MEANS ON WHICH SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATING ABOUT SAID INCLINED LONGITUDINAL AXIS, AND A PLURALITY OF FROM 2 TO 8 RAILS ON THE INSIDE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY EXTENDING SPIRALLY ALONG THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY AT A COARSE PITCH FROM SAID INTAKE OPENING AND PROJECTING OUT OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING BEYOND THE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY, SAID RAILS HAVING A CROSS SECTION WITH THE MAXIMUM DIMENSION AT THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BODY AND HAVING A PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING DIMENSION IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL BODY FOR PROVIDING BETWEEN THE SUCCESSIVE RAILS A SPACE DIVERGING INWARDLY TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL BODY, SAID RAILS HAVING A RADIAL DIMENSION OF FROM 150 MM. TO 600 MM. AND THE CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER ON THE ORDER OF TWO METERS, WHEREBY SCRAP IRON IS AUTOMATICALLY SORTED AS IT IS MOVED ALONG THE CYLINDRICAL BODY WITHOUT JAMMING IN THE DIVERGING SPACES BETWEEN THE SUCCESSIVE RAILS AND LARGE PIECES ARE CARRIED BEYOND THE DISCHARGE END OF THE CYLINDRICAL BODY WHILE SMALLER PIECES FALL OUT OF THE END OF THE CYLINDRICAL BODY.