Magnetic system for separation of iron from refuse

Claim 1

Apparatus for separating ferromagnetic particles from a mixture of said ferromagnetic particles and non-ferromagnetic particles comprising a first conveyor for transporting the mixture in a first direction; a belt conveyor having a lower run upwardly spaced from said first conveyor and extending in a direction transverse to said first direction with one end of said lower run transversely spaced from said first conveyor; a magnet arranged over said first conveyor spaced from said one end of said lower run and closely adjacent to that face of said lower run of said belt conveyor which faces away from said first conveyor so that the ferromagnetic particles and some of the nonferromagnetic particles clinging thereto will be lifted by said magnet onto said lower run and transported on the latter in said transverse direction out of the influence of the magnetic field of said magnet so that the lifted particles will fall freely along a curved path from said onE end of said lower run; a further belt conveyor having an upwardly moving run spaced from said magnetic field and said curved path; and magnet means located closely adjacent that face of said upwardly moving run which faces away from said curved path so that the ferromagnetic particles will be attracted by said magnet means while falling along said curved path and be deflected out of said curved path against said upwardly moving run to be transported by the latter and separated from the remaining non-ferromagnetic particles which will not be attracted but continue to drop along said curved path.