Method and apparatus for sorting and separating granular mixture

Claim 1

In apparatus for sorting and separating a minority of grains, having a low suspension velocity, and a majority of grains, having a higher suspension velocity, from mixtures of granular material, under the influence of swinging-throw movements of a plane inclined gas-permeable support and of an air current flowing upwardly through the support, and of the type including a feeding device extending to an inlet on the plane inclined gaspermeable material support, a swingable bearing carrying the material support, a swing drive operatively associated with the material support to produce the swinging-throw movements, means producing an air current flowing upwardly through the support, and outlets, for the minority grains and the majority grains, adjoining the material support: the improvement comprising, in combination, the swinging movement of said support establishing a direction of conveyance, for the discharge of the majority grains, extending from said inlet horizontally and laterally; the outlet for the majority grains being arranged in said horizontal region; means providing a flow region on the material support, located downwardly from said horizontal region, for the floating evacuation of the minority grains on the material support extending between the material fall line on said support extending through the inlet with the steepest inclination and a line on said support having an inclination which is one-half the inclination of the fall line and intersecting the inlet; the outlet for the minority grains being arranged in said lastmentioned flow region; the direction of the swinging-throw movements produced by said swing drive being oriented at an acute angle to and in the direction of conveyance; the bearing carrying said swingable material support being adjustable in height both in the direction of the swinging-throw movements and at a right angle thereto, to vary thE inclination of the material support with respect to a fixed base; the bearing for said material support having three support members provided with swinging elements; said three support members being connected, on one side of said swinging elements, to the swingable part of said apparatus and, on the other side of said swinging elements, to a first rocker; a second rocker; means pivotally mounting said first rocker on said second rocker; a fixed base; means pivotally mounting said second rocker on said fixed base; the axis of said last-named pivotal mounting means extending horizontally and parallel to the direction of the swinging-throw movements, and the axis of said first mentioned pivotal mounting extending at a right angle thereto; and means operatively associated with each rocker and operable to adjust the inclination thereof.