Apparatus for handling micron size range particulate material

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR ELECTROSTATIC ACCELERATION OF PARTICLES: FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITELY BIASED CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS SPACED APART IN A MANNER TO DEFINE A PARTICLE MANIPULATION CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN; PARTICLE INJECTION MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PLURALITY OF PARTICLES OF A COMMINUTED MATERIAL INTO SAID CHAMBER; SAID FIRST CONDUCTIVE MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FIRST SURFACE PORTION ADJACENT SAID CHAMBER; SAID SECOND CONDUCTIVE MEMBER HAVING A CONCAVE SECOND SURFACE PORTION DISPOSED OPPOSITE TO AND FACING SAID FIRST SURFACE PORTION AND HAVING A PARTICLE EXIT APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CONCAVE PORTION FOR EXPULSION OF PARTICLES FROM SAID CHAMBER; SAID PARTICLE EXIT APERTURE BEING LOCATED APPROXIMATELY AT THE POINT OF MINIMUM ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SURFACE PORTIONS AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH A PARTICLE PROJECTION PATHWAY WHICH EXTENDS NORMAL TO SAID FIRST SURFACE PORTION AND OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID SECOND MEMBER; AND MEANS FOR APPLYING A SUFFICIENT DIFFERENTIAL BIAS POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTIVE MEMBERS TO INDUCE ELECTROSTATIC PROPULSION OF PARTICLES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SURFACE PORTIONS ALONG TRAJECTORIES WHICH BECOME MORE NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID PARTICLE PROJECTION PATHWAY AS THE PARTICLES MOVE TOWARD THE REGION OF MINIMUM FIELD INTENSITY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER.