Importance

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Abstract

A separator includes a housing, a basket rotatably mounted in the housing and a movable weir member. The basket has an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion and an intermediate tubular portion that includes or forms a screen deck. The weir member is movable between a first position where a portion of the weir member extends radially inward relative to the inner surface of the downstream open end portion and a second position spaced from the first position. In this manner, the weir member forms a movable dam adjacent the downstream end portion of the basket. In operation, feed material is fed into the basket as the basket is rotated. The heavy fractions of the material pass transversely through the basket (i.e., the tubular portion that forms a screen deck) and report to a first outlet from which the heavy fractions are collected. The weir member position is adjusted so that the intermediate weight fractions are intermittently or continuously channeled from the downstream portion of the basket to a second outlet, while the light fractions flow over the weir gate and through a third outlet. The intermediate layer advantageously forms a barrier that impedes the transverse flow of the lighter fractions through the basket with the heavy fractions. When separating solid materials, the basket preferably is vibrated to enhance stratification of the feed.

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First Claim