Separating chamber for magnetic separator

Claim 1

A magnetic separation apparatus comprising: (a) a magnet for establishing a magnetic field in a predetermined zone; (b) a separating chamber having: (i) a rigid elongate canister having an inlet and an outlet for a fluid which carries magnetisable particles sought to be separated by said apparatus; (ii) two fluid-permeable partitions disposed within the canister so as to divide the space within the canister into several compartments, each of which extends substantially the full length of the canister; (iii) a fluid-permeable matrix of magnetisable packing material disposed within the compartment between the two partitions; and (iv) fluid-impermeable plates disposed within the compartment between the two partitions transverse to the axis of the canister and spaced apart so as to divide this compartment into a plurality of subcompartments; and (c) means for moving the separating chamber axially into and out of the predetermined zone, said plates being transverse to the direction in which said packing material is displaced into and out of said predetermined zone during said axial movement of said separating chamber, whereby said plates act to limit permanent deformation of said magnetisable packing material as a result of magnetic forces generated by said magnetic field acting on the magnetisable material.