Pneumatic refuse material separation system

Claim 2

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; declumping means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges adjacently below said discharge end and in the path of discharging material for breaking up descending adherent masses of material; spreader means for receiving and spreading the descending material laterally below the declumping means and above the lower end of the chamber and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting separating air-flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said declumping means and said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; and means for receiving heavier constituents from the lower portion of the chamber spaced below said spreader means.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, including a supporting rod extending down through said inlet and supporting said declumping means longitudinally therealong.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2, wherein said declumping means comprise a set of radially extending circumferentially spaced generally triangular vanes carried by said rod and providing said edges.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3, wherein said spreader comprises a member supported by said rod at the lower end of said set of declumping vanes.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1, wherein said declumping means comprises a set of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes extending to a diameter about one-half that of the diameter of said inlet, said spreader means comprises a member which is about the same diameter as said inlet, and means supporting said declumping means and said spreader means concentrically relative to said inlet and to said chamber.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1, wherein said wall-defining means comprise a vertical casing having a top closure through which said inlet extends concentrically with respect to said chamber, said means for separating air flow including an exhaust outlet in said casing adjacent to said closure and leading off laterally from the casing in the form of a throat extending from a wide angle exit opening in the upper end of the casing, the throat having side walls which extend tangentially from the casing and converge toward an exhaust duct.

Claim 8

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: delivering material to be separated to the upper end of a tubular inlet which projects down to a limited extent into the upper portion of a separating chamber; dropping the material from the lower end of said inlet onto a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges of and past a declumper located a substantial distance below said inlet and thereby breaking up descending adherent masses of material; dropping the material beyond the declumper onto a spreader and thereby directing the descending material into a venturi throat defined between the spreader and a casing wall about the separating chamber; forcing separating air at substantial velocity upwardly through the chamber including said venturi throat and through the descending material and lifting separated ligher constituents of the material upwardly past the declumper and inlet and out of an exhaust opening in the upper portion of the chamber; and collecting heavier constituents of the material from the lower portion of the chamber below the spreader.

Claim 9

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: delivering material to be separated to the upper end of a tubular inlet which projects down to a limited extent into the upper portion of a separating chamber; dropping the material from the lower end of said inlet onto a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges of and past a declumper located a substantial distance below said inlet and thereby breaking up descending adherent masses of material; dropping the material beyond the declumper onto a spreader and thereby directing the descending material into a venturi throat defined between the spreader and a casing wall about the separating chamber; forcing separating air at substantial velocity upwardly through the chamber including said venturi throat and through the descending material and lifting separated ligher constituents of the material upwardly past the declumper and inlet and out of an exhaust opening in the upper portion of the chamber; and collecting heavier constituents of the material from the lower portion of the chamber below the spreader.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 7, including subjecting the descending material to substantial pressure drop in a space between the spreader and the inlet and in the vicinity of the declumper.

Claim 11

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a cylindrical vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; a supporting rod suspended at its upper end above the point at which material is introduced into said inlet and extending concentrically downwardly through the inlet with the lower end of the rod extending substantially below the lower end of the inlet; a spreader member suspended from the lower end of said rod a substantial distance below and concentric with the lower end of said inlet and above the lower end of said chamber and being of substantially the same diameter as said inlet and of smaller diameter than said chamber wall and having convergently related conical upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface providing a spreader surface and the lower surface providing an air deflecting surface; said surfaces meeting in annularly spaced relation to said chamber wall and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening downwardly therefrom; means for effecting material separating air flow upwardly through said chamber, through the venturi throat and past said spreader and then past said inlet, to separate lighter constituents from said material; and means for receiving heavier constituents which drop from said outlet.

Claim 12

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a cylindrical vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; a supporting rod suspended at its upper end above the point at which material is introduced into said inlet and extending concentrically downwardly through the inlet with the lower end of the rod extending substantially below the lower end of the inlet; a spreader member suspended from the lower end of said rod a substantial distance below and concentric with the lower end of said inlet and above the lower end of said chamber and being of substantially the same diameter as said inlet and of smaller diameter than said chamber wall and having convergently related conical upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface providing a spreader surface and the lower surface providing an air deflecting surface; said surfaces meeting in annularly spaced relation to said chamber wall and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening downwardly therefrom; means for effecting material separating air flow upwardly through said chamber, through the venturi throat and past said spreader and then past said inlet, to separate lighter constituents from said material; and means for receiving heavier constituents which drop from said outlet.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 9, wherein said wall-defining means comprise a vertical casing having a top closure through which said inlet extends concentrically with respect to said chamber, said means for separating air flow including an exhaust outlet in said casing adjacent to said closure and leading off laterally from the casing in the form of a throat extending from a wide angle exit opening in the upper end of the casing, the throat having opposite side walls which extend generally tangentially from opposite sides of the casing and converge toward an exhaust duct.

Claim 14

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; a supporting rod suspended at its upper end above the point at which material is introduced into said inlet and with the lower end of the rod extending substantIally below the lower end of the inlet; a spreader member suspended from the lower end of said rod below the lower end of said inlet and above the lower end of said chamber and being of as large diameter as said inlet but of smaller diameter than said chamber wall and having convergently related conical upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface providing a spreader surface and the lower surface providing an air deflecting surface; said surface meeting in annularly spaced relation to said chamber wall and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting material separating air flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said spreader and said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; means for receiving heavier constituents from the lower portion of said chamber spaced below said spreader; and declumping means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges carried by said rod adjacently below said discharge end of said inlet and above said spreader for breaking up adherent masses of material descending from said discharge end.

Claim 15

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; a supporting rod suspended at its upper end above the point at which material is introduced into said inlet and with the lower end of the rod extending substantIally below the lower end of the inlet; a spreader member suspended from the lower end of said rod below the lower end of said inlet and above the lower end of said chamber and being of as large diameter as said inlet but of smaller diameter than said chamber wall and having convergently related conical upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface providing a spreader surface and the lower surface providing an air deflecting surface; said surface meeting in annularly spaced relation to said chamber wall and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting material separating air flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said spreader and said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; means for receiving heavier constituents from the lower portion of said chamber spaced below said spreader; and declumping means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges carried by said rod adjacently below said discharge end of said inlet and above said spreader for breaking up adherent masses of material descending from said discharge end.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 11, wherein said edges are provided by a set of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes projecting to a diameter about one half that of the diameter of said inlet, and said spreader at the meeting of said surfaces at the venturi throat being of a diameter about the same as the diameter of said inlet.

Claim 17

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; spreader means for receiving and spreading the descending material laterally below said discharge end and above the lower end of the chamber and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting separating air-flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening therefrom; means spaced below said outlet for receiving heavier constituents which drop through the upwardly flowing air past said spreader; and declumping means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges located adjacently below said discharge end of said inlet and above said spreader for breaking up adherent masses of material descending from said discharge end.

Claim 18

In a pneumatic refuse material separation system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; spreader means for receiving and spreading the descending material laterally below said discharge end and above the lower end of the chamber and defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting separating air-flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening therefrom; means spaced below said outlet for receiving heavier constituents which drop through the upwardly flowing air past said spreader; and declumping means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced edges located adjacently below said discharge end of said inlet and above said spreader for breaking up adherent masses of material descending from said discharge end.

Claim 19

A system according to claim 13, wherein said edges are provided by a set of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes projecting to a diameter about one half that of the diameter of said inlet, and said spreader at the meeting of said surfaces at the venturi throat being of a diameter about the same as the diameter of said inlet.

Claim 20

In a pneumatic refuse material separating system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; spreader means for receiving and spreading the descending material laterally below said discharge end and above the lower end of the chamber aNd defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting separating air-flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening therefrom; means spaced below said outlet for receiving heavier constituents which drop through the upwardly flowing air past said spreader; said wall-defining means comprising a vertical casing having a top closure through which said inlet extends concentrically with respect to said chamber; said means for separating air-flow including an exhaust outlet in said casing adjacent to said closure and leading off laterally from the casing in the form of a throat extending from a wide angle exit opening in the upper end of the casing; and said throat having opposite side walls which extend from the full width of said opening and generally tangentially from opposite sides of the casing and converge toward an exhaust duct.

Claim 21

In a pneumatic refuse material separating system: means defining a wall about a vertical separation chamber; a tubular inlet through which material to be separated is received and which is of smaller diameter than the chamber and extends to a limited extent downwardly within the upper portion of the chamber, with a discharge end of the inlet opening freely downwardly within the chamber; means for supplying material to be separated into said inlet to drop therefrom through said discharge end downwardly into the chamber; spreader means for receiving and spreading the descending material laterally below said discharge end and above the lower end of the chamber aNd defining an annular venturi throat with said wall; means for effecting separating air-flow upwardly through said chamber and the venturi throat and past said inlet to separate lighter constituents from said material; said separation chamber wall providing an air-flow passage which is unobstructed except for said spreader and is unconstricted entirely down to the lower end of the chamber which has a free outlet opening therefrom; means spaced below said outlet for receiving heavier constituents which drop through the upwardly flowing air past said spreader; said wall-defining means comprising a vertical casing having a top closure through which said inlet extends concentrically with respect to said chamber; said means for separating air-flow including an exhaust outlet in said casing adjacent to said closure and leading off laterally from the casing in the form of a throat extending from a wide angle exit opening in the upper end of the casing; and said throat having opposite side walls which extend from the full width of said opening and generally tangentially from opposite sides of the casing and converge toward an exhaust duct.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 15, including at least one more exhaust outlet in said casing adjacent to said closure and to said first mentioned exhaust outlet and leading off laterally from the casing in the form of a throat extending from a wide angle exit opening in the upper end of the casing and having opposite side walls which extend generally tangentially from opposite sides of the casing and converge toward an exhaust duct.