Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Electrostatic – Attracting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2001-12-11
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Electrostatic
Attracting
C209S127100, C209S131000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329623
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of electrostatic separation of particles; and more particularly, it relates to novel electrodes for use in electrostatic separation methods.
2. Related Art
The art related to this invention describes different sizes, shapes, and arrangements of electrostatic electrodes used for the separation of particles having any of a variety of different electrostatic charges. None of the prior art teaches such an electrode having a thin, rectangular box-shape such as that taught by the present invention.
The closest related art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,762, which was issued Oct. 12, 1993 to J. B. Taylor and A. H. Jackson and assigned to the assignee of the present invention; and U.S. Ser. No. 09/096,863, filed by A. H. Jackson on Jun. 12, 1998, entitled “ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF PARTICLES”, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Both disclose and claim separation apparatus employing tubular electrodes and tubular brushes for cleaning the electrodes in machines designed to separate a mixture of types of particles into their component parts so as to recover particles of one type separated from particles of a second type.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention describes and claims a novel electrostatic electrode in the shape of a thin rectangular hollow box having a frame, two large rectangular parallel panels joined to the frame and two slender side panels, and leaving a hollow interior space open at the top and at the bottom of the box. One or more of the box-electrodes of this invention are placed on opposite sides of a central vertical feed zone facing each other. The large panel of each electrode facing the feed zones is constructed of a perforated plate material that will allow the charged particles to pass through the perforations. The frame, back and front plates of the box-electrode are electrically conductive and are charged by a high voltage. The bottom side of the box-electrode is open, as described above to allow particles to pass from the bottom of the electrodes.
The separation apparatus and method of this invention includes two or more box-electrodes, described above, aligned on opposite sides of a feed chute that directs feed particles into the space between electrodes where the particles are subjected to an electrostatic charge as the particles fall through the charging zone. The charged particles are diverted toward the appropriate box-electrode, which is suspended on vibration isolators to allow the electrodes to be vibrated without vibrating the rest of the separator apparatus to shake any clinging particles from the electrodes. The particles eventually fall through a splitter zone which separates the particles diverted by the electrostatic charge from the particles that were unaffected by the charge.
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Grey Thomas J.
Niitti Timo U.
Yan Eric S.
Outokumpu Oyj
Schlak Daniel K
Walsh Donald P.
Yeager Arthur G.
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