Pneumatic classifier for refuse material with adjustable air intake

Abstract

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.