Electro-separator for separation of dry comminuted material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE PARTICLES OF A COMMINUTED MATERIAL HAVING GANGUE PARTICLES RESPONSIVE TO ELECTROSTATIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCES AND CONCENTRATE PARTICLES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY INERT TO SUCH FORCES, AND COMPRISING AN COMBINATION: (A) MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY STEADY FLOW OF MATERIAL; (B) AN INCLINED TABLE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE PARTICLE FLOW AT ITS UPPER END AND TO DISCHARGE THE SAME FROM ITS LOWER END; (C) A COIL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TABLE, INCLUDING A COIL EXTENDED ABOVE THE TABLE ADAPTED TO GENERATE AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD TRANSVERSING THE PATH OF PARTICLE FLOW ACROSS THE TABLE; (D) A PLATE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TABLE, INCLUDING A FLAT CONDUCTIVE PLATE UNDERNEATH THE TABLE ADAPTED TO GENERATE AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD TRAVERSING THE PATH OF PARTICLE FLOW ACROSS THE TABLE; (E) MEANS, INCLUDING A PAIR OF LEADS, WITH ONE LEAD BEING CONNECTED TO SAID COIL AND THE OTHER LEAD BEING CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE, FOR IMPOSING AN ALTERNATING HIGH VOLTAGE POTENTIAL UPON THE COIL MEANS AND THE PLATE MEANS OF SUFFICIENT INTENSITY TO AGITATE THE GANGUE PARTICLES AND SEPARATE THEM FROM THE CONCENTRATE PARTICLES; AND (F) A LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED GROOVE MEANS AT THE CENTER PORTION OF THE TABLE, INCLUDING A CENTRAL GROOVE AND LATERALLY EXTENDED SLOT MEANS CONVERGING TO THE GROOVE, WHEREBY TO GATHER AND MOVE THE CONCENTRATES TOWARD THE GROOVE.