Multiple density separator

Claim 2

A multiple density separator comprising: wall structure forming an outer chamber, wall structure forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, said inner and outer chambers being fixedly connected together, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber therebetween, an inlet formed through said wall structure of said outer chamber at one end of said separating chamber for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber while said chambers are rotating, inward flow means formed through said wall structure of said inner chamber for flowing material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber inward into said inner chamber, discharge means for discharging out of said separator, the materials flowing inward into said inner chamber, and separate flow means including flow conduit means formed through said wall structure of said outer chamber downstream of said inward flow means for flowing material downstream of said inward flow means out of said separating chamber.

Claim 3

The separator of claim 1, comprising: means for separating the material flowing inward into said inner chamber into materials of at least two different densities, said discharge means including means for discharaging in separate flow paths said materials separated into said two different densities.

Claim 4

The separator of claim 1 wherein: said separate flow means separates material downstream of said inward flow means into materials of a plurality of densities.

Claim 5

The separator of claim 3, comprising: means for separating the material flowing inward into said inner chamber into materials of at least two different densities, said discharge means including means for discharging in separate flow paths said materials separated into said two different densities.

Claim 6

A separator comprising: structure including a cylindrical member forming an outer chamber, structure including a cylindrical mEmber forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, said cylindrical members of said inner and outer chambers being fixedly connected together, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet formed through said structure of said outer chamber at one end of said separating chamber and at a first end of said separator, for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber, while said chambers are rotating, inward flow means formed through said cylindrical member of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward into said inner chamber, separate flow means including flow conduit means formed through said cylindrical member of said outer chamber downstream of said inward flow means for flowing material downstream of said inward flow means out of said separating chamber, a discharge chamber located in said inner chamber and having one end located near said first end of said separator and a discharge end extending through the other end of said separator, said discharge chamber being rotatable with said inner and outer chambers, inner passage means for allowing said material flowing inward into said inner chamber to flow into said discharge chamber, means for adjusting the size of said inner passage means to vary the flow rate of material flowing through said inner passage means into said discharge chamber, and discharge means coupled to said discharage end of said discharge chamber for discharging material from said discharge chamber.

Claim 7

A separator comprising: structure including a cylindrical member forming an outer chamber, structure including a cylindrical mEmber forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, said cylindrical members of said inner and outer chambers being fixedly connected together, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet formed through said structure of said outer chamber at one end of said separating chamber and at a first end of said separator, for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber, while said chambers are rotating, inward flow means formed through said cylindrical member of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward into said inner chamber, separate flow means including flow conduit means formed through said cylindrical member of said outer chamber downstream of said inward flow means for flowing material downstream of said inward flow means out of said separating chamber, a discharge chamber located in said inner chamber and having one end located near said first end of said separator and a discharge end extending through the other end of said separator, said discharge chamber being rotatable with said inner and outer chambers, inner passage means for allowing said material flowing inward into said inner chamber to flow into said discharge chamber, means for adjusting the size of said inner passage means to vary the flow rate of material flowing through said inner passage means into said discharge chamber, and discharge means coupled to said discharage end of said discharge chamber for discharging material from said discharge chamber.

Claim 8

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer chamber, structure forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, separate flow means located downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages out of said separating chamber, a discharge chamber located in said inner chamber and having one end located near said first end of said separator and a discharge end extending through the other end of said separator, wall means located between said inner chamber and said discharge chamber for providing at least two different paths extending from said axially spaced passages toward said first end of said separator, a first of said two different flow paths extending from a group of upstream passages, the second of said two different flow paths extending from a group of downstream passages, first inner passages formed in said discharge chamber at said one end thereof in communication with said first of said two different flow paths, second inner passages formed in said discharge chamber at said one end thereof in communication with said second of said two different flow paths, means for adjusting the size of said first and second inner passages to selectively vary the flow rate of material flowing through said two different flow paths, and discharge means coupled to said discharge end of said discharge chamber for discharging material from said discharge chamber.

Claim 9

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer chamber, structure forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, separate flow means located downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages out of said separating chamber, a discharge chamber located in said inner chamber and having one end located near said first end of said separator and a discharge end extending through the other end of said separator, wall means located between said inner chamber and said discharge chamber for providing at least two different paths extending from said axially spaced passages toward said first end of said separator, a first of said two different flow paths extending from a group of upstream passages, the second of said two different flow paths extending from a group of downstream passages, first inner passages formed in said discharge chamber at said one end thereof in communication with said first of said two different flow paths, second inner passages formed in said discharge chamber at said one end thereof in communication with said second of said two different flow paths, means for adjusting the size of said first and second inner passages to selectively vary the flow rate of material flowing through said two different flow paths, and discharge means coupled to said discharge end of said discharge chamber for discharging material from said discharge chamber.

Claim 10

The separator of claim 6 wherein said adjusting means comprises: axially movable rod means extending into saiD discharge chamber through said discharge end, and valve means connected to said rod means for opening and closing said first and second inner passages when said rod means is moved to different axial positions.

Claim 11

The separator of claim 6, comprising: flow turner means for positioning the fluid flowing through said passages at different radial positions dependent upon the density of the material.

Claim 12

The separator of claim 8 wherein said flow turner means comprises: axially spaced conduit means extending radially inward into said inner chamber from said downstream passages, said conduit means extending inward to different radial positions, the downstream conduit means having lengths less than the upstream conduit means.

Claim 13

The separator of claim 9, wherein: said wall means has an end of large cross-section and an end of smaller cross-section, said end of large cross-section being connected to the inside wall of said inner chamber at a position between said downstream and upstream passages, said end of smaller cross-section extending around said one end of said discharge chamber, conduit means extending from said discharge chamber through said wall means into said first flow path, and conduit means within said wall means and extending from said second flow path to the interior of said discharge chamber.

Claim 14

The separator of claim 10 wherein said flow turner means comprises: axially spaced inner conduit means extending radially inward from the wall of said discharge chamber, said axially spaced inner conduit means extending inward to different radial positions, the downstream conduit means extending into said discharge chamber having lengths less than the upstream conduit means extending into said discharge chamber.

Claim 15

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer cylindrical chamber, structure forming an inner cylindrical chamber located within said outer cylindrical chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from the inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming an annular material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said annular material separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber, while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, discharge means in communication with said passages for discharging out of said separator, material flowing through said passages, separate flow means in fluid communication with said annular material separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said annular material separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages, out of said annular material separating chamber, said separate flow means comprising a plurality of annular passages rotatable with said inner and outer cylindrical chambers and having openings in communication with said annular material separating chamber at different radial positions, flow conduit means extending from each annular passage out of said rotatable cylinders, said flow conduit means associated with each annular passage having discharge nozzle means located at different radial positions outside of said outer cylindrical chamber to discharge the flow from each annular passage at a different radial position, and means for separately receiving the material discharged from each annular passage through its associated flow conduit means.

Claim 16

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer cylindrical chamber, structure forming an inner cylindrical chamber located within said outer cylindrical chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from the inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming an annular material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said annular material separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber, while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, discharge means in communication with said passages for discharging out of said separator, material flowing through said passages, separate flow means in fluid communication with said annular material separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said annular material separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages, out of said annular material separating chamber, said separate flow means comprising a plurality of annular passages rotatable with said inner and outer cylindrical chambers and having openings in communication with said annular material separating chamber at different radial positions, flow conduit means extending from each annular passage out of said rotatable cylinders, said flow conduit means associated with each annular passage having discharge nozzle means located at different radial positions outside of said outer cylindrical chamber to discharge the flow from each annular passage at a different radial position, and means for separately receiving the material discharged from each annular passage through its associated flow conduit means.

Claim 17

The separator of claim 12 wherein said nozzle means extends generally tangent to the circles formed upon rotation thereof and in directions opposite to the direction of rotation.

Claim 18

The separator of claim 12 whErein said flow conduit means comprise: at least one flow conduit extending from each annular passage radially out of said rotatable cylinders, each flow conduit having an aperture formed therethrough within the radius of its associated annular passage, a rotatable sleeve surrounding each flow conduit and having an aperture formed therethrough at about the radius of the aperture of its associated flow conduit, and adapted to be aligned therewith for providing an inlet from the annular passage into the flow conduit, and means for rotating each sleeve about its axis to vary the size of the fluid inlet into the flow conduits.

Claim 19

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer chamber, structure forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, discharge means in communication with said passages for discharging out of said separator, material flowing through said passages, separate flow means located downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages, out of said separating chamber, vibratory means located between the outside wall surface of said inner chamber and the inside wall surface of said outer chamber, and means for vibrating said vibratory means while said chambers are rotating.

Claim 20

A separator comprising: structure forming an outer chamber, structure forming an inner chamber located within said outer chamber, means for rotating said chambers, said inner chamber having outside wall surface spaced from inside wall surface of said outer chamber forming a material separating chamber, therebetween, an inlet in fluid communication with one end of said separating chamber at a first end of said separator for allowing the flow of material from said inlet toward the other end of said separating chamber while said chambers are rotating, a plurality of axially spaced passages extending through the wall of said inner chamber to allow material next to the outside wall of said inner chamber to flow inward, discharge means in communication with said passages for discharging out of said separator, material flowing through said passages, separate flow means located downstream of said axially spaced passages for flowing material in said separating chamber downstream of said axially spaced passages, out of said separating chamber, vibratory means located between the outside wall surface of said inner chamber and the inside wall surface of said outer chamber, and means for vibrating said vibratory means while said chambers are rotating.

Claim 21

The separator of claim 5, comprising: filter means located next to the inside wall of said inner chamber behind said inward flow means.