Allis-chalmers Corporation

Frank W Toman, Jr

Donald L Murray

John N Lees, Jr

An apparatus and operation is disclosed in which light solid material such as shredded paper passes from an upper end of a column and heavier material such as glass and metal particles drop from a lower end of the column. The column includes an air locked feed chute having a downwardly inclined material feeding surface, that opens intermediate the column ends into a stream of air moving upwardly in the column, for admitting mixed light and heavy solid particles of refuse material to the air stream. The column beneath the discharge end of the chute has vertical walls defining a rectangular air intake zone. The vertical wall opposite to and facing the chute is pivotally hung from an inclined member which is in turn pivotally supported by the column so this pivotally hung wall can move toward and away from the chute while remaining vertical. Adjustable support means are connected to the movable wall and position the wall and inclined member so the inner surface of the inclined member faces both downwardly and toward the chute. Movement of the movable wall toward or away from the chute therefore adjusts the angle of the inclined member and the angle at which upwardly moving air is turned toward the chute. The movable wall comprises an upper and a lower section that in part overlap and with the lower section having a lower horizontal edge defining a lip of an entrance to the air intake zone. Means are provided to clamp the two sections of the movable wall together with the lip in a selected vertically disposed position relative to the other vertical walls that cooperate with the movable wall to define the air intake zone.

Pneumatic classifier for refuse material with adjustable air intake

An apparatus and operation is disclosed in which light solids material such as shredded paper passes from an upper end of a column and heavier material such as glass and metal particles drop from a lower end of the column. The column includes an air locked feed chute having a downwardly inclined material feeding surface, that opens intermediate the column ends into a stream of air moving upwardly in the column, for admitting mixed light and heavy particles of refuse material to the air stream. A zone of expanded volume is provided at the level where the column and the chute come together and this zone extends upwardly from the material feeding surface and terminates at a level below the upper end of the column where column cross section area is less than beneath the expanded zone. Air drawn upwardly through the column from the lower end and reaching the expanded zone, turns toward the material feeding chute and forms a recirculation zone, herein called a first vortex, within the zone about an axis parallel to and above the intersection of the material feeding surface of the chute with wall structure of the column, before resuming upward flow. A baffle is pivotally journalled in the lower end of the column to pivot about an axis beneath and parallel to the horizontal intersection of the chute with a flat wall structure of the column. The baffle is supported to be pivotable within a range of angularly disposed positions transverse to both a horizontal and a vertical plane through the pivotal axis. Within such range of positions air passing upwardly and over the baffle will be turned to form a second recirculation zone, herein called a second vortex, about and parallel to and beneath the first vortex and pivoting the baffle provides a control of the air flow characteristics created and the separation characteristics of material introduced through the chute.

Growing community of inventors

Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Frank W Toman, Jr