Impact scrubber

Claim 2

An impact scrubber for removing coating materials from the surfaces of particulate matter such as foundry sand and the like comprises at least one lift tube unit having a lift tube with an inlet end and an opposite end for containing a high velocity fluidized stream of said matter, fluid injector means spaced adjacent said inlet end for carrying said particulate matter into said inlet end and forming a fluidized stream of said matter in said lift tube, fluid stream deflector means adjacent and in communication with said opposite end of said lift tube, means mounting said deflector means for rotation around a longitudinal axis of said lift tube, said deflector means including a discharge tube for directing said fluidized matter in a single stream angularly outward with respect to said longitudinal axis of said lift tube at different rotative positions, and means for rotating said deflector means for directing said discharge tube in a selected one of a plurality of relative rotative positions.

Claim 3

The scrubber of claim 1 including means for supporting said lift tube in a selected one of a plurality of different axial positions relative to said injector means wherein said spacing between said inlet end and said injector means may be selectively adjusted.

Claim 4

The scrubber of claim 1 including a plurality of said lift tube units, a common housing for said units having a central axis spaced between said units, said means for rotating said deflector means operable to position a discharge tube for each lift tube in a selected direction facing toward said central axis or away from said axis, and separator means including enclosures spaced on opposite sides of said housing for receiving fluidized streams of material discharged from said deflector means when positioned to discharge away from said central axis, said separator means further including means for separating said particulate matter and said coating materials removed from the surfaces of said particulate matter.

Claim 5

The scrubber of claim 3 wherein said supporting means includes means for supporting each of said lift tubes in selectively adjustable axial positions relative to their respective injector means wherein said spacing between said inlet end and said injector means of each unit may be varied.

Claim 6

The scrubber of claim 3 wherein said deflector means of each unit includes a lift tube extension having a closed upper end and a discharge tube angularly extended outwardly from said lifT tube extension and in communication therewith at a level below said closed end.

Claim 7

The scrubber of claim 5 wherein each unit includes removable coupling means for interconnecting a lower end of said lift tube extension and said opposite end of said lift tube.

Claim 8

The scrubber of claim 5 wherein said housing includes discharge openings formed on opposite sides in communication between said discharge tubes and said separator enclosures when said deflector means are rotated to discharge in opposite directions away from said central axis.

Claim 9

In an impact scrubber for removing coating materials from the surfaces of particulate matter such as foundry sand and the like, an enclosure, flexible target means in said enclosure, inlet means adjacent an upper level of said enclosure for directing a flow of said matter and material against said target means, said target means including a piece of flexible material supported from an upper end portion to hang generally vertically in said enclosure with a freely deflectable lower end portion spaced in front of said inlet meaans, baffle means in said enclosure below said inlet means for forming a curtain of downwardly flowing matter and material and draft means for moving a flow of air through said curtain for carrying at least a portion of said coating materials upwardly away from said particulate matter.

Claim 10

In an impact scrubber for removing coating materials from the surfaces of particulate matter such as foundry sand and the like, an enclosure, flexible target means in said enclosure, inlet means adjacent an upper level of said enclosure for directing a flow of said matter and material against said target means, said target means including a piece of flexible material supported from an upper end portion to hang generally vertically in said enclosure with a freely deflectable lower end portion spaced in front of said inlet meaans, baffle means in said enclosure below said inlet means for forming a curtain of downwardly flowing matter and material and draft means for moving a flow of air through said curtain for carrying at least a portion of said coating materials upwardly away from said particulate matter.

Claim 11

The appartus of claim 8 wherein said draft means includes an air inlet opening in said enclosure spaced below said baffle means and suction means in communication with said enclosure above said baffle means for inducing air pass into said air inlet opening and through said curtain of material flowing downwardly of said baffle means.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said baffle means includes at least one sloped baffle and means for adjustably selecting the angle of slope thereof.

Claim 13

An impact scrubber for removing coating materials from the surfaces of particulate matter such as foundry sand and the like comprises at least one lift tube unit having a lift tube with an inlet end and an opposite end for containing a high velocity fluidized stream of said matter, fluid injector means spaced adjacent said inlet end for carrying said particulate matter into said inlet end and forming a fluidized stream of said matter in said left tube, deflector means adjacent and in communication with said opposite end for directing said fluidized stream angularly outward with respect to a longitudinal axis of said lift tube for discharge therefrom, support means for rotatively supporting said deflector means for directing said discharge therefrom in a selected one of a plurality of relative rotative positions, and means for separating said coating materials and particulate matter including an enclosure for receiving said fluidized stream from said deflector means, flexible target means in said enclosure, inlet means adjacent an upper level of said enclosure for directing a flow of said matter and material against said target means, baffle means in said enclosure below said inlet means for forming a curtain of downwardly flowing matter and material and draft means for moving a flow of air through said curtain for carrying at least a portion of said coating materials upwardly away from said particulate matter.

Claim 14

An impact scrubber for removing coating materials from the surfaces of particulate matter such as foundry sand and the like comprises at least one lift tube unit having a lift tube with an inlet end and an opposite end for containing a high velocity fluidized stream of said matter, fluid injector means spaced adjacent said inlet end for carrying said particulate matter into said inlet end and forming a fluidized stream of said matter in said left tube, deflector means adjacent and in communication with said opposite end for directing said fluidized stream angularly outward with respect to a longitudinal axis of said lift tube for discharge therefrom, support means for rotatively supporting said deflector means for directing said discharge therefrom in a selected one of a plurality of relative rotative positions, and means for separating said coating materials and particulate matter including an enclosure for receiving said fluidized stream from said deflector means, flexible target means in said enclosure, inlet means adjacent an upper level of said enclosure for directing a flow of said matter and material against said target means, baffle means in said enclosure below said inlet means for forming a curtain of downwardly flowing matter and material and draft means for moving a flow of air through said curtain for carrying at least a portion of said coating materials upwardly away from said particulate matter.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said enclosure includes a side wall, said inlet means adapted to direct a horizontal flow of material through said side wall, and said target means comprises a piece of flexible material supported from an upper end portion to hang generally vertically in said enclosure with a freely deflectable lower end portion spaced in front of said inlet means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said draft means includes an air inlet opening in said enclosure spaced below said baffle means and suction means in communication with said enclosure above said baffle means for inducing air pass into said air inlet opening and through said curtain of material flowing downwardly of sAid baffle means.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said baffle means includes at least one sloped baffle and means for adjustably selecting the angle of slope thereof.