GB1495883A - Materials separating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1495883 Magnetic separation RAYTHEON CO 23 Feb 1976 [17 March 1975] 07057/76 Heading B2J Apparatus for separating conductive metals from mixed non-ferromagnetic materials, e.g. derived from municiple waste, comprises a first sorting stage 20 in which the materials are fed past a first magnetic means which act inductively on conductive metals to displace them transversely, thereby separating the materials into a first, undeflected portion 94 of non - conductive materials, a second deflected portion 92, 92a of conductive metals, and a third, intermediately deflected portion 96, 96a of intermediate conductivity materials, and a second sorting stage 22 in which the separated third portion 96, 96a is fed past a second magnetic means similar to the first, thereby to separate from the third portion any deflected conductive metals which may have been retained in the third portion. As shown, the mixed non-ferromagnetic materials are fed from a distributor 64 to two inclined divergent stacks 60, 62 each comprising five spaced, superimposed ramps 61, 63. Each ramp comprises a herring bone pattern of alternating oppositely polarized magnets, Fig. 4 (not shown) the ramps being at such an inclination that the materials slide down them under the force of gravity and separate into the five streams shown that are discharged into respective compartments 102, 104 and 106 of collectors 98, 100. The third portion 96, 96a of the separated materials collected in compartments 106, 106a are then fed by chutes 126, 128, 136 and 138 onto respective ramps 114, 114a, 112 and 112a of the second sorting stacks 108, 110 which separate the conductive metals into outer compartments 120, 124 of collector 118, 116. The collected conductive metals from compartments 120, 124 are removed by conveyors 144, 148 together with the conductive metals from the compartments 104, 104a which are fed to the conveyors by chutes 132, 134 and 140. The undeflected material from compartment 102 in the first sorting stage is fed by chutes 130, 142 onto the centre conveyor 146, together with that from compartment 122 in the second stage. Before entering the first sorting stage ferromagnetic material is removed from the material supplied from vibratory feeder 28 by a magnetic drum separator 28. Provision may be made for manually or automatically djusting the inclination of the ramps of each sorting stage, Figs. 3 and 11 (not shown).