Vertical classifier

Claim 1

A vertical classifier for particulate solid material entrained in a fluid carrier, comprising a vessel defining a horizontally oriented separating chamber having a bottom discharge opening for the discharge of separated solid material, said vessel having a pair of side walls, a front wall providing an inlet opening communicating with a lower portion of the chamber, a rear wall, and a top wall providing an outlet opening communicating with an upper portion of the chamber and positioned adjacent to the front wall, inlet passage means communicating with said inlet opening, outlet passage means communicating with said outlet opening, said inlet passage means providing an upwardly inclined duct for directing inflowing fluid in an upwardly inclined direction towards the rear wall, and said rear wall having a rearwardly inclined portion extending from the discharge opening approximately in said upwardly inclined direction, said inlet and outlet passage means defining an upwardly curved flow path for effecting centrigual separation of solid material from the fluid stream within the chamber, baffle means located in the chamber at a position to intercept the flow of inflowing fluid and deflect a portion of the entrained material inwardly of said curved flow path, and means defining a deflector surface ppsitioned to induce a downward flow of a portion of said fluid stream thereby to create a horizontal vortex within the chamber, said means defining a deflector surface being constituted by a downwardly and rearwardly inclined portion of said front wall terminating adjacent to said inlet opening.

Claim 7

A method of classifying particulate solid material entrained in a fluid stream which comprises directing the fluid stream along an upwardly curved path, causing said fluid stream to impinge upon a baffle surface positioned to intercept solid material entrained in the stream and deflect such material inwardly of said curved flow path, deflecting a portion of the fluid stream after impinging on the baffle surface in a downward direction, the downwardly deflected portion of the fluid stream impinging upon upstream fluid thereby to follow a horizontal vortex pattern wherein larger particles are entrained by the downward leg of the vortex and fines are refluxed therefrom by said upstream fluid.

Claim 8

A method of classifying particulate solid material entrained in a fluid stream which comprises directing the fluid stream along an upwardly curved path, causing said fluid stream to impinge upon a baffle surface positioned to intercept solid material entrained in the stream and deflect such material inwardly of said curved flow path, deflecting a portion of the fluid stream after impinging on the baffle surface in a downward direction, the downwardly deflected portion of the fluid stream impinging upon upstream fluid thereby to follow a horizontal vortex pattern wherein larger particles are entrained by the downward leg of the vortex and fines are refluxed therefrom by said upstream fluid.