The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 14, 2000
Heiko Niehues, Hamburg, DE;
Torsten Koch, Hamburg, DE;
Renke Schlarmann, Wentorf, DE;
Harry Drewes, Hamburg, DE;
Hans Dierken, Amelinghausen, DE;
Hauni Maschinenbau AG, Hamburg, DE;
Abstract
There is provided an apparatus which can simplify, expedite and enhance the segregation of undesirable particles from desirable particles in a multiple-layer flow wherein the desirable and undesirable particles are randomly intermixed with each other. This is accomplished by a stepwise reduction of the thickness of the flow to thus locate all or nearly all undesirable particles at or close to the exposed sides of the resulting relatively thin flow so that the undesirable particles can be readily detected and segregated from the thin flow. The stepwise reduction of thickness of the original flow is effected by a cascade of successive accelerating conveyors including a first conveyor which receives successive increments of the original flow from a vibratory trough, and a faster second conveyor which receives successive increments of the accelerated flow from the first conveyor and cooperates with an overhead conveyor to define a channel for advancement of the repeatedly accelerated original flow into the range of instrumentalities for detection and segregation of undesirable particles.