Electro-static tobacco separator

Claim 1

A continuous electro-static separator for (a particulate material) separating lighter and heavier particulate material such as tobacco fines and sand comprising, in combination, a vibrating conveyor for receiving the particulate material at one end thereof, and for conveying particles material by vibratory motion, said conveyor forming a lower charged electrode; a vibrating open mesh grid such as hardware cloth operatively connected to said vibrating conveyor, said vibrating grid forming an upper oppositely charged electrode which is spaced from and electrically isolated from said vibrating conveyor; a trough of insulating material disposed adjacent the underside of said vibrating grid, said trough having a width substantially less than that of said vibrating grid, and said trough being operatively connected to said lower vibrating conveyor to convey by vibratory motion any particulate material located in said trough; means for applying a voltage between said vibrating conveyor and said vibrating grid to provide a field for electro-static separation; such that as said vibrating conveyor receives and conveys the particulate material, the particulate material picks up the charge of said vibrating conveyor causing the lighter particles of the particulate material to be attracted to said oppositely charged vibrating grid where the charge of the lighter particles is lost and whereby some of the lighter particles then fall back towards said vibrating conveyor and are collected in said trough and conveyed away while those lighter particles reaching said vibrating conveyor are again subject to being raised and ultimately collected in said trough.