Dust collector with actuator-controlled inlet deflectors for product flow regulation and inlet deflector arrangement

Abstract

Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) for particulate material for removing unwanted contaminants from the particulate material, comprising: a housing (11,111); a central inlet opening (13, 113) directing a flow of contaminated particulate material into the housing (11, 111); a pair of primary wash decks (20, 120) joined at an apex and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to opposite discharge edges; a clean air inlet port (16, 116) through which air is passed through the wash decks (20, 120) for cleaning the particulate material; Inlet baffles (40, 122) corresponding to each of the primary wash decks (20, 120), each inlet baffle (40, 122) being movable toward and away from the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to vary the distance between the inlet baffle (40, 122) and the corresponding primary wash deck (20, 120) from a maximum spaced to a minimum spaced position, the minimum spaced position including disposing the inlet baffle (40, 122) adjacent the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to prevent passage of contaminated material along the inlet baffle (40, 122), each inlet baffle (40) extending between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) to form a to allow accumulation of the contaminated particulate material in front of the inlet baffles (40, 122) and above the primary wash decks (20, 120); wherein each inlet baffle comprises: a fixed member (42) extending between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) and mounted on the upper portion of the cabinet, the fixed member (42) terminating in a spaced relationship with the corresponding primary wash deck (20); and a movable element (45) which is displaceably movable along the fixed element (42) and is connected to a corresponding actuator (50) to drive the movement of the movable element (45) relative to the fixed element (42), wherein the movable element (45) is positionable between the maximum spaced and the minimum spaced position at which passage of contaminated particulate material past the movable element (45) is not permitted, wherein each of the actuators (50) is oriented generally parallel to the corresponding inlet baffle (40) to drive movement of the inlet baffle (40) between the maximum spaced and minimum spaced positions; wherein the housing (11, 111) further comprises: a product outlet port (14, 114) for removing the cleaned particulate material from the housing, and a dirt outlet port (19, 119) for discharging an air flow containing dust and impurities removed from the product particles.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention disclosed in this application is generally directed to apparatus for cleaning and treating particulate materials, such as plastic pellets, seeds, glass, or the like, and more particularly to a dust collector having actuator-controlled inlet baffles for closing the flow of particulate material across opposing wash decks. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is well known, particularly in the field of transport and application of particulate materials, commonly powders, granules, pellets, or the like, that it is important to keep the particulate products as free as possible from contamination. Particles are typically transported within a facility where they are mixed, packaged, or used by means of a pressurized piping system, which in reality produces a material stream that behaves somewhat like a fluid. As these materials move through pipes, considerable friction is generated not only between the particles themselves, but also between the pipe walls and the particles in the stream. Accordingly, this friction leads to the development of particulate dust, damaged particles, lint, and so-calledStreamers or streamers (ribbon-like elements that can "grow" into extremely long and tangled structures), glass fibers in glass-filled products, where these materials can impede material flow. The characteristics of these transport systems are well known, especially with regard to the importance and value of keeping product particles as free as possible from contamination.

[0003] The term "contamination," as used herein, is intended to encompass a broad range of foreign materials and includes both foreign materials and damaged particles or streamers of the transported product. Such contamination, also referred to as dust, including micro-dust, can be generated from a wide variety of sources, including, by way of example only, the formation of dust particles during a process involving plastic pellets, in which larger particles are separated for re-grinding; organic matter in foodstuffs, grains, such as shells and hulls; the generation of dust during the formation of iron ore pellets; and, as mentioned above, by the mere transport of pellets in pipes and other mechanical transport and handling systems. In the case of plastics, for example, such foreign material can have an adverse effect on the finished products.In particular, foreign material with a different composition than the primary material, such as dust, and non-uniform primary product material, such as streamers, may not necessarily have the same melting temperatures as the primary product, which can lead to product defects when the plastic material is melted and injection molded. Furthermore, streamers can affect the weighing range and clog dosing screws in packing stations.

[0004] Regarding product quality, with a focus on injection-molded plastics as a primary example, foreign material that differs in composition from the primary material—for example, dust, material that is not uniform compared to the primary product, lint, or streamers—may not necessarily have the same melting temperatures as the primary product and thus cause product defects when the material is melted and injection-molded. Such product defects may include color-inconsistent products, products with bubbles, or products with spots or blemishes that are therefore unsaleable.It is important to note that since these non-uniform materials often do not melt at the same temperatures as the primary product, these unmelted contaminants can cause friction and premature wear on the injection molding machines, which can result in downtime, lost production, reduced productivity, increased maintenance, and therefore increased overall production costs.

[0005] Since dust and other contaminants are primarily generated by the transport system, it is of primary importance not only to provide equipment for thorough cleaning of the particles, but also to locate them as close as possible to the point of use of the particles to avoid the generation of additional contamination such as during transport. Accordingly, compact dust collectors have been used for many years to clean materials in this application. These are suitable for handling smaller product volumes while still allowing for thorough cleaning of the product.The compact dust collectors allow for installation immediately before the final use of the product; for example, they can be installed directly on injection molding machines or extruders, or on top of silos or even underneath silos before packaging and packing, rather than at an earlier stage where recontamination can occur before the products are used. Of course, the dust collectors can also be installed as a freestanding unit.

[0006] Dust collectors for cleaning particulate materials of contaminants are known from U.S. Patent 5,035,331, issued to Jerome I. Paulson on July 30, 1991. Air is forced upward through wash decks over which a flow of contaminated particulate material passes, so that the air flow upward through the wash decks removes the contaminants from the material flow. Furthermore, a magnetic field is provided by the dust collector, so that the flow of particulate material passes through the magnetic field to neutralize static charges on the particles and facilitate the removal of contaminants from the material. The flow of contaminant-laden air is discharged from the dust collector, and the cleaned particulate material is fed back into the manufacturing process.

[0007] A compact dust collector is disclosed in U.S. Patent 6,595,369, issued to Jerome I. Paulson on July 22, 2003. As with the larger dust collector described in U.S. Patent 5,035,331, the sequence of particulate matter is cleaned of contamination by neutralizing the static charge that attracts contamination to the particles. The cleaning process utilizes an airflow passing through a stream of particulate matter flowing over wash decks. The contaminant-laden air is exhausted at the top of the dust collector, while the cleaned particulate matter is exhausted at the bottom of the dust collector.

[0008] According to U.S. Patent 7,380,670, issued June 3, 2008 to Jerome I. Paulson et al. and U.S. Patent 8,016,116, issued September 13, 2011 to Heinz Schneider, a dust collector includes a pair of opposing wash decks that receive contaminated particulate material from a common feed port. The feed mechanism splits the material flow between the two opposing wash decks and directs the particulate material via an airflow that passes through the primary wash decks, then through laterally spaced venturis, and onto inwardly directed secondary wash decks that discharge the cleaned particulate material into a central exhaust port. Airflow through the primary and secondary wash decks is directed by a rearwardly disposed air plenum having a central primary port and laterally spaced lower ports below the secondary wash decks.

[0009] Such compact dust collectors feature single, offset, and double (back-to-back) wash decks and are used in conjunction with a vertically oriented duct through which the particulate material is fed to a manufacturing apparatus that utilizes the particulate material. Accordingly, the product inlet at the top of the dust collector is in vertical alignment with the outlet for the cleaned product. The cleaned particulate material is introduced into the inlet and metered onto a diagonally oriented primary wash deck, through which air is blown from an air supply inlet to remove dust and contaminants from the particulate material flowing over the wash deck.In these dust collectors, the particulate material is discharged at the bottom of the wash deck and falls through a venturi zone, where the air moves upwards to forcefully clean the particulate material. The material falling through the venturi zone is received by a secondary wash deck, oriented inversely to the primary wash deck, to direct the material back to a centrally located outlet for the cleaned product.

[0010] A conventional dust collector with a single inlet and a single outlet is operationally limited to serving only a single recipient of the cleaned particles passing through the collector. As mentioned above, the outlet of dust collectors is typically used to load freight cars or trucks, or the cleaned particles may be collected in a collection bag. With a single outlet of the dust collector, the recipient can only be one of these conventional devices.

[0011] Dust collectors with a dual outlet have been used to fill freight cars with particulate material, such as plastic pellets, for bulk transport to processing plants. Uniform distribution of the particulate material to be cleaned across the wash decks is required, so that the discharge volumes through opposing outlet ports are essentially the same to balance the freight car load. With circular inlet ports, uniform distribution of the particulate material to be cleaned has proven difficult to achieve, as the particulate material is not always fed into the inlet port in a balanced distribution. Furthermore, locating the air inlet inside the dust collector would create a unit with fewer structures to support the dust collector's setup.

[0012] As the capacity of the dust collector increases, it would be advantageous to achieve a fully balanced distribution of the incoming particulate matter to be cleaned between the opposing wash decks of the dust collector or, in the case of a shifted dust collector, a uniform flow across the entire width of the wash deck. In conventional dust collectors, the flow of particulate matter onto the wash decks typically passes through a rotary valve and then flows through a circular inlet onto rectangular wash decks. Accordingly, flow across the entire width of the wash decks is not usually achieved.

[0013] It would be advantageous to provide a dust collector configuration that allows for a uniform distribution of the particulate matter to be cleaned across the full width of the wash decks. It would also be advantageous to be able to selectively terminate the flow of particulate matter across the wash decks. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a dust collector configuration that allows for the elimination of the rotary valve from the overall combination of components, with the particulate matter entering through a circular inlet opening. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an apparatus for removing dust or contaminants from particulate material, having inlet structures that enable a balanced flow of particulate material across opposing wash decks for cleaning the particulate material. Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust removal apparatus that achieves uniform distribution of the material across the full width of the wash decks while utilizing a circular inlet port.

[0015] The aforementioned objects are achieved by means of a dust extraction apparatus having the features of patent claim 1, by means of an inlet deflector plate arrangement having the features of patent claim 8 and by means of a dust extraction apparatus having the features of patent claim 15. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are explained in the dependent patent claims.

[0016] A feature of the present invention is that the dust collector provides a fully loaded inlet structure to provide a balanced distribution of the particulate material across the opposing wash decks.

[0017] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a rectangular inlet port with a transition to a circular inlet port is used to enable the particulate material to be cleaned to be fed across the washing decks in a balanced, evenly distributed manner.

[0018] According to a further feature of the present invention, the use of actuator-controlled deflectors allows the distribution of the particulate material across the entire width of the wash decks.

[0019] According to a further feature of the invention, by using the actuator-controlled inlet baffles, the flow of particulate material over the wash decks can be shut off to allow accumulation of the material above the inlet baffles in a rectangular inlet configuration, thereby achieving a uniform flow over the wash decks.

[0020] An advantage of the present invention is that the inlet baffles can be individually positioned to allow a preselected flow of particulate material across the opposing wash decks in a balanced, evenly distributed manner, or across a single wash deck for a shifting dust collector.

[0021] Another feature of the present invention is that the inlet baffles are controlled by actuators that can be coupled to a computer for automatically positioning the inlet baffles relative to the surface of the wash decks to control the flow of material over the surface of the wash decks.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to enable independent control of the material flow over each of the two opposing wash decks in the dust collector or to control the flow over a single wash deck.

[0023] Another feature of the present invention is that the inlet baffles are individually adjustable to allow regulation of the flow of particulate material over the upper surface of the respective wash deck.

[0024] A further advantage of the present invention is that the individually adjustable, actuator-controlled inlet deflectors can be controlled to adjust the operation of one or both wash decks.

[0025] Another advantage of the present invention is that the control provided by the individually adjustable inlet baffles eliminates the need for a rotary valve associated with feeding the particulate material into a dust collector.

[0026] Another feature of the invention is that the inlet baffles are formed with a solid member extending downwardly from the upper surface of the dust collector housing and terminating in a spaced manner from the corresponding wash deck.

[0027] Another feature of the present invention is that the inlet baffles are further formed with a movable member that rests on the fixed member and that is movable with respect to the fixed member and the corresponding wash deck.

[0028] Another advantage of the present invention is that the movable element of the inlet baffle is movable by operation of the actuator.

[0029] Another feature of the present invention is that the movable elements of the inlet baffles can be positioned adjacent to the surface of the wash decks to terminate the flow of particulate material over the surface of the wash deck.

[0030] Another advantage of the present invention is that the termination of the flow of particulate material over the surface of the wash decks allows the particulate material to collect above the inlet baffles to fill the dust collector housing above the wash decks and between the opposing inlet baffles.

[0031] A further advantage of the present invention is that the accumulated particulate matter after passing through the inlet baffles is fully stored for distribution across the entire width of the wash decks, wherein the inlet baffles provide a required flow rate of the particulate matter across the wash decks.

[0032] Another advantage of the present invention is that the flow of particulate material is evenly distributed over the upper surface of the wash decks, regardless of the shape of the inlet port for the material.

[0033] Another object of the present invention is to provide actuator-controlled inlet plates for a dust collector that is durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, inexpensive to maintain, easy to assemble, and simple and effective to use.

[0034] These and other features and advantages of the present invention are achieved according to the present invention by providing a dust collector having movable inlet baffles whose position is controlled by actuators to control the flow rate of particulate material across the wash decks. The inlet baffles are formed with a fixed member extending between the front and rear walls of the dust collector and extending downwardly from the top wall in a spaced-apart manner to the surface of the wash decks. A movable member is operatively coupled to an actuator to overlie the fixed member and to be movable adjacent the surface of the wash deck to terminate the flow of material behind the baffles.Particulate matter can collect above the wash decks and between the deflectors to fill the volume of the inlet opening and allow full flow loading across the entire width of the wash decks when the deflectors are raised by the actuators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a dust collector according to the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 a schematic front elevation view of the dust collector according to Fig. 1, in which the inlet deflectors are in a raised position allowing material flow over the wash decks; Fig. 3 a top view of the dust collector according to Fig. 1 represents; Fig. 4 a perspective view of the dust collector according to Fig. 1 represents; Fig. 5 an enlarged perspective front view of the dust collector according to Fig. 1, with the front door removed for clarity; Fig. Figure 6 is an enlarged front view or plan view showing the inlet baffles positioned above the upper surface of the wash decks; Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective front view of the inlet baffles similar to that of Fig. 6 represents; Fig. 8 is a schematic front perspective view of another embodiment of a dust collector according to the principles of the present invention; Fig. 9 a schematic front elevation view of the dust collector according to Fig. 8 represents; Fig. 10 is an end elevation view of the dust collector according to Fig. 8 represents; Fig. 11 a rear elevation view of the dust collector according to Fig. 8 represents; Fig. 12 a plan view from the rear of the dust collector according to Fig. 8 represents; Fig. 13 a perspective cross-sectional view of the dust collector along the lines 13 - 13 according to Fig. 10 represents; Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the housing along lines 14 - 14 according to Fig. 10 to show the clean air collector; Fig. 15 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a dust collector according to the principles of the present invention, including a rectangular product inlet structure allowing full loading of the opposing wash decks; Fig. 16 a plan view of the dust collector according to Fig. 15 from above; Fig. 17 a view from below of the dust collector according to Fig. 15; Fig. 18 a rear elevation view of the dust collector according to Fig. 15 configured for mounting on fixed supports; Fig. 19 a side elevation view of a dust collector according to Fig. 15; and Fig. Figure 20 is a schematic diagram describing the process for cleaning and loading particulate material into railway freight cars. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] A dust collector is known in the art. A general description of the structure and operation of a conventional dust collector and a conventional compact dust collector can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,035,331 and 6,595,369, both issued to Jerome I. Paulson, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Typical particulate material to be cleaned by a dust collector 10 is plastic pellets to be passed on to an injection molding machine for forming plastic components. Examples of such plastic materials that can be cleaned of contamination by the dust collector 10 include polyester, acrylic, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, nylon, polycarbonate, styrene, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE).Furthermore, any type of granular dry material in bulk, such as minerals, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, etc., can be cleaned in the dust collector 10.

[0037] With reference to the Fig. 1 to 4, a dust collector embodying the principles of the present invention includes a central product inlet port 13, typically connected to a vertical portion of a flowing material handling system (not shown) such that particulate material is supplied to the product inlet port 13 located at the transverse center of the top of the generally airtight enclosure 11. The enclosure 11 supports a pair of opposing wash decks 20 that receive particulate material to be cleaned from the inlet port 13, as will be described in more detail below. The enclosure further defines an air inlet passageway having an air inlet port 16 in the rear wall 12 of the enclosure 11. As will be described in more detail below, the supply of an air stream to the air inlet port 16 causes air to be forced through the wash decks 20 to clean the particulate material.

[0038] The product inlet port 13 directs product particles to the wash decks 20 for cleaning. A solenoid coil 13a generates a magnetic flux field and is mounted at the inlet port 13 so that the flow of particulate material to be cleaned into the housing 11 is exposed to the magnetic flux field to neutralize static charge on the particulate pellets, making the separation of microparticle contamination from the pellets more achievable. Air is supplied to the housing 11 through the rear wall 12 through the clean air inlet port 16 to direct a flow of clean air into the housing 11, as will be described in more detail below. A portion of the clean air through the inlet port 16 is directed upward through the wash decks 20, and the remaining portion of clean air into the housing 11 is distributed to venturi zones 30, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0039] The wash decks are supported by the housing 11 between its front or central wall 17 and the rear wall 12 to present a downwardly inclined surface in opposite directions from the product inlet port 13 to the discharge ends of the wash decks 20, over which the product to be cleaned, in the form of particles, moves by gravity. The particulate material falls through the venturi zones 30 and lands on secondary wash decks 22, where an additional cleaning air flow is imposed on the particles before they pass through a product outlet port 14.

[0040] A pair of inlet baffles 40 are attached to the housing in a manner described in more detail below. The inlet baffles 40 control the flow of material over the surface of the upper wash decks 20. The larger the gap between the inlet baffle 40 and the wash deck, the higher the flow rate. An inlet baffle 40 has a rear leg 46 oriented generally parallel with the slope of the wash deck 20, thereby forcing the product particles, after passing through the inlet baffle 40, into a laminar flow downward over the surface of the wash deck onto the venturi zone 30.

[0041] The wash deck 20 is formed by means of inclined plates with an upper surface 24 in which generally horizontal slots 25 and circular openings are formed. The horizontal slots 25 are shaped in coordination with an upwardly extending deflector plate that provides a ramp for the product particles to move downwardly across the upper surface of the wash deck 20. The slot 25 is formed as a horizontal opening across the upper surface 24 between the deflector plate and the upper surface 24 such that the air passing through the slot 25 is directed through the deflector plate into the product in a generally horizontal direction that is slightly upward with respect to the incline of the upper surface 24 of the wash deck 20. The air moving through the circular openings is directed generally perpendicular to the slotted upper surface 24 of the wash deck 20.

[0042] As an operational result, the product particles are subjected to downward acceleration along the surface of the wash deck and turbulence caused by the movement of the particles over the deflectors and by the substantially vertical air streams escaping from the circular openings and the horizontal slots 25. Accordingly, contaminating dust and impurities are released from the product particles and carried by the air flow into a dirty air outlet port 19 at the top of the housing 11.

[0043] The product particles falling from the lower discharge ends of the respective wash decks 20 fall generally vertically onto the corresponding secondary wash decks 22 through a venturi zone 30, through which air is blown upwards, subjecting the falling particles to a powerful final cleaning. The air supplied to the venturi zone 30 is supplied below the wash deck 20 through ventilation grilles 29 and by the air flowing through the secondary wash decks 22. Clean air can also be supplied to the venturi zones through bypass ducts 35.

[0044] The bypass ducts 35 direct airflow forward around the housing 11 and back into the housing 11 in front of the rear wall 12 to direct it behind and under pivoting elements 36 into the venturi zones 30. The amount of air through the bypass ducts 35 is controlled by the pivoting dampers 36 pivotally mounted in the bypass ducts 35. The size of the venturi zones 30 and the amount of airflow directed into the venturi zones 30 is controlled by a pivoting element 36 operatively connected to a position adjustment lever 37 protruding from the housing 11.

[0045] The air flow into the venturi zone 30 from below the pivoting member 36 and through the vent grilles 29 provides a substantial cleaning action for the product particles falling through the venturi zone, but not so forcefully that the product particles are lifted up to the dirty air outlet port 19. If too much air is flowing through the venturi zone 30, the dampers 36 should be retracted to both increase the effective dimensions of the venturi zone 30 and to reduce the amount of air moving into the venturi zone 30. If the front wall of the enclosure 11 is made of a transparent or semi-transparent polycarbonate, as indicated in the drawings, the operation of the wash deck assembly 20 can be physically observed by looking through the front wall 17 to see if product particles are being carried away through the dirty air outlet port 19.

[0046] The airflow, entrained with dust and contaminants, is exhausted from the enclosure 11 through the dirty air exhaust port 19, located at the top of the enclosure 11 above the venturi zone 30 and on opposite sides of the product inlet port 13. The transparent front wall 17 of the enclosure 11 may be configured as a hinged door with a handle 17a to facilitate movement of the front door 17 when removing it from the frame 11a. Alternatively, the front wall 17 may not be hinged and may be removed by releasing corresponding fasteners connecting the front wall 17 to the frame 11a of the enclosure. The front wall may be removed from the enclosure 11 by loosening fasteners 17b from the frame brackets 43 connecting the frame 42 of the front wall 17 to the enclosure 11.With the removal of the front wall 17, the internal components, including the wash deck 20, the inlet baffle 40 and the pivoting elements, can be removed from the housing to facilitate cleaning of the interior of the housing 11 and the removed components.

[0047] How best to use the Fig. 5 to 7, the inlet baffles 40 are formed with a fixed member 42 secured to the top of the housing 11 and extending between the rear wall 12 and the central wall 17 to prevent the passage of particulate material between the frame 42 and the walls of the housing 11. A movable member 45 is mounted on the fixed frame 42, which also extends flush between the rear wall 12 and the central wall 17, but is connected to an actuator 50 for movement across the surface of the fixed member 42. The movable member 45 is positionable between a maximum raised position, as indicated in the drawings, and a lowered position sufficiently close to the upper surface of the wash decks 20 to allow particulate material to pass past the inlet baffles 40.In this lowered position, the inlet baffles 40 effectively seal the wash decks 20 so that the particulate material will accumulate and fill the volume of the housing bounded by the upper part of the wash decks 20, the laterally opposed inlet baffles, and the product inlet port 13.

[0048] In this accumulated configuration, the particulate material fully loads the wash deck between the front wall 17 and the rear wall 12, so that when the inlet baffles 40 are raised to allow the particulate material to pass through, the flow is uniform across the entire width of the wash decks 20. Given the continuous inflow of particulate material through the product inlet port 13, the wash decks 20 remain fully loaded, thereby improving the effectiveness of the dust collector 10. Each inlet baffle 40 has a rear leg 46 formed as part of the movable member 45 and is oriented parallel to the upper surface of the wash decks 20 to force the product material into a laminar flow along the wash decks 20. A linear strip 48 is attached to the movable element 45, which extends downwards from the rear leg 46 and serves as a flow limiting element.When the inlet deflectors 40 are in the lowered position, the linear strips 48 are positioned closely adjacent to the surface of the wash deck 20, with the rear leg 46 spaced above the wash deck 20.

[0049] The actuators 50 can be hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically actuated to cause a piston rod 51 extending therefrom to extend and connect to the movable member 45. The piston rods 51 of the actuators and the movable members 45 are arranged to move linearly along the fixed member 42 toward or away from the wash decks 20, respectively. The piston rods 51 of the actuators can be removed from the movable members 45, and the actuators 50 can be detached from the housing 11 and removed from the dust collector 10 to facilitate maintenance or repair.

[0050] In operation, the dust collector 10 is installed at a suitable location, taking into account the desired use of the product outlet ports 14, and connected to a supply of particulate material via the product inlet port 13. The product particles pass through the product inlet port 13 and are retained from passing the inlet baffles 40 when the linear strips 48 are in a lowered position, so that the particulate material accumulates and fills the enclosure volume above the wash decks 20 and between the inlet baffles 40. Once filled, the inlet baffles 40 can be raised to the required height to allow the desired material flow rate to move along the inlet baffles 40 and down onto the wash decks 20.Behind the linear strips 48, the rear legs 46 force the material into a laminar flow over the wash decks 20 which are oriented obliquely to one another.

[0051] Clean air is received through the clean air inlet opening 16 and directed into the enclosure 11 below the wash decks, and a flow passing through the ventilation grilles 29 and through the secondary wash decks 22 flows into the venturi zones 30. The air flow into the enclosure below the wash decks 20 flows through slots 25 and openings provided in the wash decks 20. The air flowing through the slots 25 and openings in the wash decks 20 creates turbulence in the product particles moving across the upper surface 24 of the respective wash decks 20. The turbulence is increased by the upwardly extending deflector vanes as well as by the orientation of the horizontal slots 25, which accelerate the flow of product particles across the wash decks 20 and also create turbulence.This air movement through the wash decks 20 and through the flowing product particles removes dust and impurity contamination from the product particles, with static attraction forces neutralized by a magnetic flux field generated at the product inlet port 13 by a magnetic flux generator 13a.

[0052] With reference to the Fig. 8 to 14, an alternative configuration of a dust collector 110 embodying the principles of the present invention can be best understood. The dust collector 110 defines a central inlet port 113, typically connected to the vertical portion of a fluid material handling system (not shown), such that the particulate material is fed to a product inlet port 113 located at the transverse center of the top of the generally airtight enclosure 111. The enclosure 111 supports a pair of opposed wash decks 120 that receive particulate material to be cleaned from the inlet port 113, as will be explained in more detail below. The enclosure further defines an air inlet passage 115, with an air inlet port 116 in the rear wall 112 of the enclosure 111.As will be described in more detail below, the inlet of an air stream through the air inlet port 116 causes air to flow through the wash decks to clean the particulate material.

[0053] The product inlet port 113 directs product particles to the wash decks 120 for cleaning. A solenoid coil 113a generates a magnetic flux field and is attached to the inlet port 113 so that the flow of particulate material to be cleaned into the housing 111 is exposed to the magnetic flux field to neutralize static charges on the particle pellets, facilitating the separation of contaminants, particularly microparticles, from the pellets. Air is supplied to the housing 111 through the clean air inlet port 116 through the rear wall 112 to direct a flow of clean air into the housing 111, as will be described in more detail below. A portion of the clean air flowing in through the inlet opening 116 is directed upwards through the wash decks 21, whereas the remaining portion of the clean air flowing into the housing 111 is distributed to the venturi zones 130, as will be described in more detail below.Those skilled in the art will recognize that baffles (not shown) may be provided to achieve the desired distribution of the clean air flow between the wash decks 120 and the venturi zones 130.

[0054] The wash decks 120 are supported by the housing 111, thus providing a downwardly inclined surface in opposite directions from the product inlet port 113 to the transversely spaced product outlet ports 114, over which the product to be cleaned, in the form of particles, moves by gravity. An inlet baffle 122 is mounted to the housing 111 in a slidable manner along the upper surface of the housing 111 to direct the product particles onto the wash deck 120. The inlet baffle 122 has a rear leg 123 oriented generally parallel to the slope of the wash deck 120 to force the product particles into a laminar flow downward over the surface of the wash deck 120 toward the outlet port 140.The sliding movement of the inlet baffle 122 may be effected by the operation of a linear actuator 155 oriented for movement parallel to the top of the housing 111 to allow adjustment of the depth of the laminar flow by moving the inlet baffle 122 to the desired position.

[0055] The wash deck 120 is formed by inclined plates with an upper surface 124 having generally horizontal slots 125 and circular openings formed therein. The horizontal slots 125 are shaped in alignment with an upwardly extending deflector plate that forms a ramp for the product particles moving downward over the upper surface 124 of the wash deck 120. The slots 125 are shaped as a horizontal opening across the upper surface 124 between the deflector plate and the upper surface 124, such that air flowing through the slots 125 is directed through the deflector plate into the product in a generally horizontal direction that is slightly upward with respect to the incline of the upper surface 124 of the wash deck 120. The air flowing through the circular openings is generally perpendicular to the inclined surface 124 of the wash deck 120.The operational result is that the product particles are subjected to downward acceleration along the surface of the wash deck and turbulence generated by the movement of the particles over the deflector vanes and by the substantially vertical airflows emanating from the circular openings and horizontal slots 125. Accordingly, dust and contaminants are removed from the product particles and conveyed by the airflow to the dirty air outlet port 119 at the top of the housing 111.

[0056] The product particles falling from the lower end 121 of each wash deck 120 fall generally vertically toward the corresponding cleaned product exit port 114 into a venturi zone 130, through which air is blown upwards through the falling product particles to achieve a powerful final cleaning. The air is injected into the venturi zone 130 below the wash deck 120 through vent grilles 129 into a support leg 128, as best seen in FIG. Fig. 13. Furthermore, clean air can be fed into the venturi zones 130 through bypass channels 145. As best seen from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 14, the housing 111 is provided with a transverse, vertically central wall 117 to which the wash decks 120 are mounted. The clean air plenum 118 between the rear wall 112 and the central wall 117 is in flow communication with a clean air inlet opening 116a in the central wall 117 to direct an air flow into the wash decks 120.

[0057] The clean air plenum 118 is also in fluid communication with the bypass channels 145, which direct airflow forward around the housing 111 in front of the central wall 117, which is then directed behind and under pivoting elements 135 into the venturi zone 130. The amount of air through the bypass channels 145 is controlled by dampers 146 pivotally mounted in the bypass channels 145. The size of the venturi zones 130 and the amount of airflow into the venturi zones 130 is controlled by a pivoting element 135 operatively connected to a position adjustment lever 136 projecting externally from the housing 111.

[0058] The air flow into the venturi zone 130 from below the pivoting element 135 and through the vent grilles 129 provides substantial cleaning action on the product particles falling through the venturi zones 130, but is not so forceful that the product particles are carried all the way to the dirty air outlet port 119. If too much air is being moved through the venturi zone 130, the pivoting element 135 should be retracted to both increase the effective dimensions of the venturi zone 130 and reduce the amount of air flowing into the venturi zone 130. If the front wall 140 of the housing 111 is constructed of a transparent or semi-transparent polycarbonate, as indicated in the drawings, the operation of the wash deck assembly can be physically monitored by looking through the front wall 140 to see if product particles are being carried over to the dirty air outlet port 119.

[0059] The support leg or support member 128 extends downwardly from the lower discharge end 121 of the wash deck 120 and is curved inwardly, as best seen in Fig. 9, from the discharge end 121 of the wash deck to engagement with the housing 111. The angled configuration of the support member 128 directs the air from the louvers 129 outward into the venturi zone 130, through which the particulate material falls from the discharge end 121 of the wash deck 120. In this way, the air flow direction from the louvers 129 passes at an angle to the vertical movement of the particulate material falling from the wash decks 120, thus achieving an improved cleaning action of the venturi zones 130, which have their narrowest horizontal dimension at the discharge end 121.

[0060] The air flow, entrained with dust and contaminants, is discharged from the housing 111 through the dirty air outlet port 119, which is located on the top of the housing 111 above the venturi zone 130 and on the opposite sides relative to the product inlet port 113. Sliding plates 133 are disposed on the dirty air outlet channel 119a, and their position is adjustable by sliding corresponding plates 133 into or out of the dirty air outlet channel 119a, thereby defining a throttle opening for the dirty air outlet channel 119a.

[0061] The transparent front wall 114 of the enclosure 111 can be removed from the enclosure 111 by removing fasteners 141 from the frame holder 143 that supports the frame 142 of the front wall 114 to the enclosure 111. Alternatively, the front wall 114 can be configured as a door with hinges and a handle 144 to facilitate movement of the front door 140 when removed from the frame 142. With the removal of the front wall 140, the internal components, including the wash deck 120, the inlet baffle 122, and the pivoting member 135, are removable from the enclosure to facilitate cleaning of the interior of the enclosure 111 and the removed components 120, 122, 135.

[0062] The slope of the wash deck 120 is optimized to optimize product flow and air wash of the product particles passing over the upper surface 124 of the wash deck 120. The transversely spaced dual product outlet ports 114 are aligned with the ends of corresponding wash decks 120 so that the cleaned particulate material can be packaged in two different ways. For example, separate collection bags (not shown) can be connected to each of the product outlet ports 114, or two different production lines can be supplied. The oppositely positioned product outlet ports 114 allow for significant flexibility of use.

[0063] In operation, the dust collector is arranged at a suitable location in accordance with the desired use of the product outlet ports 114 and is connected to a supply of particulate material through the product inlet port 113. The product particles pass through the product inlet port 113 and are brought in a laminar flow over the reversely oriented inclined wash decks 120 by the inlet baffles 122, which are adjustable in position relative to the wash deck 120 to define a desired product flux density across the wash decks 120.

[0064] Clean air is directed through clean air inlet opening 116a into the housing 111 below the wash decks 120 and directed as an airflow through ventilation grilles 129 into the support legs 128 for the wash decks 120 to the venturi zones 130. The air flowing in the housing 111 below the wash decks 120 flows through slots 125 and openings into the wash decks 120. The air flowing through slots 125 and openings into the wash decks 120 creates turbulence in the product particles moving along the upper surface 124 of the respective wash deck 120. The turbulence is enhanced by upwardly extending deflector vanes and the orientation of the horizontal slots 125, which accelerate the flow of particles across the wash deck 120 and create further turbulence.This movement of air through the wash decks 120 and through the flowing product particles removes dust and impurity contamination from the product particles, with static attraction forces having been neutralized by a magnetic flux field generated by a magnetic flux generator 113a in the region of the product inlet port 113.

[0065] The cleaned product particles are discharged at the lower end 121 into corresponding venturi zones 130, which receive an upward airflow originating from the vent grilles 129 in the wash deck support leg 128 and from the bypass ducts 145 extending rearward and then below the venturi deflectors 135. This upward airflow creates a powerful cleaning action on the product particles falling through the venturi zones 130, the airflow therefrom combining with the airflow through the wash decks 120 toward the dirty air outlet port 119 at the upper end of the housing 111. The cleaned product particles can fall through the respective product outlet ports 114 for packaging or forwarding to a manufacturing facility.The transparent front wall 140 of the housing 111 allows for visual inspection of the operation of the dust collector 110 to determine whether adjustment of the inlet deflectors 122 or the venturi deflectors 135 is necessary by manipulating the control lever 136 to move the pivoting venturi deflectors 135. Furthermore, the removable front wall 140 allows convenient access to the interior of the housing 111 to facilitate cleaning of the housing 111 and all removable components contained therein.

[0066] With reference to the Fig. 15 to 20, another alternative embodiment of the dust collector for improving operating efficiency can be best understood. A dust collector 110 having a pair of opposed wash decks 125 operates more efficiently when the flow of particulate material through the product inlet port 113 is divided substantially equally between the two wash decks 120. This balanced flow of particulate material across the two wash decks 120 applies whether the housing is equipped with dual offset product outlet ports 114 or a single product outlet port 114.While the provision of adjustable inlet baffles 122 and the central location of the apex between the two opposing wash decks 120 opposite the inlet port 113 can result in a balancing of the product flow distribution, the use of a circular inlet opening 113 through which the material flow flows fluctuatingly can mean that a continuously balanced flow over the entire upper surface of the wash decks 120 is more difficult to achieve without the use of actuator-controlled inlet baffles to implement a rectangular configuration by means of full loading.

[0067] To improve the balancing of the product flow across the wash decks 120, the rectangular inlet structure 150 defines an inlet box 151 extending from the upper portion of the wash decks 120. The depth of the inlet box 151 substantially corresponds to the width of the wash decks 120, so that the inlet box is defined between the front wall 140 and the rear wall 112 of the housing 111 and the inlet baffles 122. This inlet box 150 extends vertically from the upper parts of the wash decks 120 into a rectangular inlet port 152 and into a transition element 143 which connects the rectangular inlet port 152 via a rectangular flange 154 and terminates in a circular flange 113 which is connectable to a conventional inlet line through which particulate material is fed to the dust collector 110 from a source, for example a silo (not shown).Since the disclosed shape of the inlet port 152 is rectangular, a balanced flow can be achieved across the entire width of the wash decks 120, as the centrally located tip of the wash decks 120 allows for equal distribution between the two opposing wash decks 120, and the use of the actuator-controlled inlet deflectors 122 ensures complete load distribution across the entire width of the wash decks 120.

[0068] The enclosure 111 can be simplified by removing the clean air plenum 118 and relocating the clean air inlet port 116 from the rear wall 112 of the enclosure to a central portion of the floor 148 of the enclosure 111. Generally, clean air is supplied to the dust collector 111 through a horizontal duct (not shown), so the dust collector 111 requires a 90° transition element 157 coupled to the clean air inlet port 116. In this manner, clean air is supplied into the enclosure 111 through the floor 148 below the wash decks 120. The clean air is forced through the slots 125, as detailed above, to remove dirt and contaminants from the flow of particulate materials flowing over the top surface 124 of the wash deck 120.As also described above, clean air is additionally directed through the ventilation grilles 129 in the supports 128 for the wash decks 120 to create a venturi zone 130 between the discharge end of the wash decks 120 and the corresponding side wall of the housing 111.

[0069] To supplement the clean air flow into the venturi zones 130, the housing 111 includes additional air ducts 158 that communicate with the interior of the housing 111 through additional air inlet openings 159 in the rear wall 112. The additional air ducts 158 wrap around the housing 111 and terminate in the venturi zones 130 to provide an additional source of air into the venturi zones 130 on the opposite side of the vent grilles 129. As described above, the venturi zone 130 includes a pivotable member 135 and a position adjustment lever 136 to selectively control the flow of additional air into the venturi zone 130 from the duct 158.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the positioning of the inlet deflectors 40, 122 regulates the flow of particulate material across the wash decks 20, 120. The movement of the inlet deflectors 40, 122 is preferably controlled by manipulating the actuators 50, 155 connected to the inlet deflectors 40, 122. These actuators 50, 155 may be powered electrically, by compressed air, or by hydraulic fluid, and as such may be remotely controlled by operation of an integrated electronic control system 156, which may be located at a remote location. In this manner, the deflector mechanism 40, 122 may be remotely controlled by operation of an integrated electronic control system 156.The inlet baffles 40, 122 can be controlled independently of one another and can be used to selectively shut off one side of the dust collector 10, 110 by closing off the flow of particulate material to a selected wash deck 20, 120, or alternatively, can be used to shut off the flow of particulate material to both wash decks 20, 120 simultaneously. Due to this ability to control the inlet baffles 40, 122, no other shutoff valve, such as a rotary valve, is required above the dust collector 10, 110.

[0071] In operation, the inlet baffles 40, 122 are brought into contact with the upper portions of the respective wash decks 20, 120 by manipulating the displacement actuators 50, 150 to shut off the flow of material from the inlet box 155 onto the wash decks 20, 120. The continuous supply of particulate material through the inlet 13, 113 will then accumulate until the inlet box 155 is filled with the particulate material and the particulate material extends vertically into the rectangular inlet port 52. Then, the actuators 50, 155 are again activated to cause movement of the inlet baffles 40, 122 in a manner that causes separation between the lower end of the inlet baffles 40, 122 and the adjacent wash deck 20, 120 to cause a flow of particulate material along the inlet baffles 40, 122 and down onto the upper surface 24, 124 of the wash decks 20, 120 for cleaning, as described in more detail above.

[0072] The movement of the inlet deflectors 40 is generally perpendicular to the upper surface of the wash decks 20, 120, whereas the movement of the inlet deflectors 122 is parallel to the top of the housing 111. Movement of the inlet deflectors 40 perpendicular to the wash decks 20, 120 is preferable to the disclosed movement of the inlet deflectors 122 because the inlet box 151, when filled with particulate material, can present a significant obstacle to movement of the inlet deflectors 122 along a path parallel to the upper surface of the housing 111 toward the wash decks 122. When the inlet baffles 122 are positioned against the wash decks 120 prior to filling the inlet box 151, movement of the inlet baffles 122 away from the wash decks 120 to initiate material flow over the upper surface 124 of the wash decks 120 is easily accomplished.When a sufficient flow of particulate material is achieved, the actuators can move the inlet baffles 122 inward against the wash decks 120, but not as efficiently as the movement of the inlet baffles 40. The movement of the inlet baffles 40 perpendicular to the wash decks 20 acts like a knife to open or close the flow of particulate material over the wash decks 20 without forcing a change in the size of the inlet box 151 in which the particulate material is collected for uniform flow over the upper surfaces of the wash decks 20, 120.

[0073] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the formation of a rectangular inlet box 151 does not necessarily require the use of a rectangular inlet 152 and a corresponding transition element 153 and an associated flange 144, particularly when using inlet deflectors 40 that move perpendicular to the wash decks 20. The formation of an inlet box 151 between the inlet deflectors 40 and above the wash decks 20 up to the circular inlet port 13 forms a rectangular inlet box that distributes the wash decks 20 for a uniform distribution of the particle flux across the entire width of the wash decks 20.

[0074] As long as the inlet box 151 remains filled with particulate material and as long as the distance between the terminal ends of the inlet baffles 40, 122 and the corresponding upper portions 24, 124 of the wash decks 20, 120 remains constant, the flow of particulate material along the inlet baffles 40, 122 downward onto the upper surfaces 24, 124 of the wash decks 20, 120 will remain balanced, and the resulting flow of cleaned material exiting the lower outlet ends of the wash decks 20, 120 will remain substantially constant. For configurations of the dust collector 110 having dual offset outlet ports 114, the flow through the outlet ports 114 will be substantially equal.

[0075] The dust collectors 10 and 110, as shown in the Fig. 1 to 20 are particularly adapted for feeding cleaned particulate material into railway / freight cars 160 or other bulk transport vehicles. As described in Fig. 20 in connection with the dust collector 110, the housing 111 is supported on T-beams 5, the outer two of which may be bolted with mounting brackets to secure the dust collector 110 to the T-beam supports 5 at a location near a railroad car loading station, and a silo 161 includes a supply of particulate material to be cleaned by the dust collector 110, which is then fed to the railroad car 161. In such an environment, an even distribution of the cleaned particulate material within the railroad car 160 or within a truck train (not shown) is of great importance. If one side of the railroad car 160 is loaded with cleaned material faster than the other side, the loading process becomes inefficient because portions of the railroad car 160 will not be fully loaded.

[0076] With reference to Fig. 20, a bulk loading operation for a railroad car 160 is schematically illustrated. The silo 161 provides a continuous supply of particulate material into the inlet port 113 of the dust collector 110. The flow of particulate material is evenly balanced between the wash decks 120, as previously explained, to achieve a uniform discharge of cleaned particulate material through the outlet ports 114. Typically, the cleaned particulate material is first directed into the outer feed lines 162 to partially fill the outer compartments to balance the loading of the railroad car 160. Air outlet sleeves 166 allow air to exit the car compartment as the particulate material fills the compartment. Subsequently, the shutoff valves 165 for the inner lines 164 are opened to achieve supply to all four compartments.

[0077] When all compartments are filled, the corresponding shutoff valve 165 is closed to direct any remaining flow to the adjacent compartments until both compartments are filled. In the event that one end of the freight car 160 is not yet completely filled, the actuator 155 corresponding to the inlet baffle 122 for the corresponding side of the freight car 160 opposite the wash deck 120 can be closed to allow product flow to the unfilled side of the freight car 160 until the freight car 160 is completely filled. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will recognize that equal flow of particulate material through the opposing outlet ports 114 is preferable so that one end of the freight car is not filled before the opposite end.

[0078] However, if one end of the freight car 160 (or other bulk transport vehicle) is not completely filled, the inlet baffle 122 for the opposite wash deck may be brought into contact with the opposite wash deck 120 to terminate the flow of particulate material over the opposite wash deck 120, so that only the wash deck 120 corresponding to the unfilled end of the freight car 160 has product flow over the upper surface thereof to continue filling the unfilled end of the freight car 160. Once the freight car 160 is completely filled, both inlet baffles 122 opposite the corresponding wash decks are closed to allow the inlet box 155 to fill with particulate material while the next freight car 160 is positioned for filling.

[0079] Although the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings shows a pair of actuator-controlled inlet baffles cooperating with corresponding opposing wash decks, the configuration of a single inlet baffle 40, 122 formed as described above in conjunction with a single wash deck 20, 120 can also control the flow of particulate matter over the upper surface of the single wash deck 20, 120. Such a single wash deck 20, 120 can divert to a single secondary wash deck 22, which then directs the flow of cleaned particulate matter to an outlet port 14 aligned vertically opposite the inlet port 13, as shown in Fig.1. Furthermore, such a single wash deck 20, 120 can discharge cleaned particulate material through a venturi zone 30 to a single outlet port that is offset both horizontally and vertically with respect to the inlet port 13, 113. Such a displacement dust collector is illustrated and described in U.S. Patent 8,931,641, issued January 13, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

[1] A dust removal apparatus (10, 110) for particulate material for removing unwanted contaminants from the particulate material, comprising: a housing (11,111); a central inlet opening (13, 113) directing a flow of contaminated particulate material into the housing (11, 111); a pair of primary wash decks (20, 120) connected at an apex and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to opposite discharge edges; a clean air inlet port (16, 116) through which air is passed through the wash decks (20, 120) for cleaning the particulate material; Inlet baffles (40, 122) corresponding to each of the primary wash decks (20, 120), each inlet baffle (40, 122) being movable toward and away from the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to vary the distance between the inlet baffle (40, 122) and the corresponding primary wash deck (20, 120) from a maximum spaced to a minimum spaced position, the minimum spaced position including disposing the inlet baffle (40, 122) adjacent the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to prevent passage of contaminated material along the inlet baffle (40, 122), each inlet baffle (40) extending between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) to form a to allow accumulation of the contaminated particulate material in front of the inlet baffles (40, 122) and above the primary wash decks (20, 120); wherein each inlet baffle comprises: a fixed member (42) extending between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) and mounted on the upper portion of the cabinet, the fixed member (42) terminating in a spaced relationship with the corresponding primary wash deck (20); and a movable element (45) which is displaceably movable along the fixed element (42) and is connected to a corresponding actuator (50) to drive the movement of the movable element (45) relative to the fixed element (42), wherein the movable element (45) is positionable between the maximum spaced and the minimum spaced position at which passage of contaminated particulate material past the movable element (45) is not permitted, wherein each of the actuators (50) is oriented generally parallel to the corresponding inlet baffle (40) to drive movement of the inlet baffle (40) between the maximum spaced and minimum spaced positions; wherein the housing (11, 111) further comprises: a product outlet port (14, 114) for removing the cleaned particulate material from the housing, and a dirt outlet port (19, 119) for discharging an air flow containing dust and impurities removed from the product particles. [2] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to claim 1, characterized by , that each movable element (45) has a planar portion supported by and oriented parallel to the fixed member (42); a trailing leg (46) extending downwardly from the planar section and oriented generally parallel to the primary wash deck (20), the trailing leg (46) operable to direct particulate material in a laminar flow after the particulate material has passed through the planar section; and a linear strip (48) extending generally parallel to the planar portion from the rear leg (46) to be positionable adjacent the primary wash deck (20) to define a gap relative to the primary wash deck (20) when the movable member (45) is moved relative to the fixed member (42). [3] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to claim 2, characterized by , that each fixed element (42) is oriented diagonally relative to the housing (11) such that the linear strip (48) is movable towards and away from the corresponding wash deck (20) substantially perpendicular to the wash deck. [4] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that each of the actuators (50) is oriented generally parallel to the corresponding inlet baffle (40) and is driven by hydraulics, pneumatics or electricity. [5] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that each of the actuators is removable from the associated movable element (45). [6] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the clean air inlet port (16, 116) is configured to direct a flow of clean air beneath the primary wash decks (20, 120) and air through the wash decks (20, 120) to clean the particulate material passing over the primary wash decks (20), the clean air inlet port (16, 116) being disposed in the rear wall (12) beneath the primary wash decks (20, 120); wherein the dust collector (10, 110) further comprises a venturi zone (30, 130) located outside the respective discharge edges; and wherein the product outlet port for the purified product (14, 115) for leading the purified particulate material out of the housing is carried by the housing (11, 111). [7] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that it has a pair of secondary wash decks (22) carried by the housing (11) and located below the respective discharge edges (22) of the primary wash decks (30). [8] An inlet baffle assembly (40) for a dust collector (10) comprising a housing (11), an inlet opening (13) directing a flow of contaminated particulate material into the housing (11), a wash deck (20) extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a discharge edge (21), the inlet baffle assembly (40) comprising: a fixed member (42) extending between the front wall (17) of the housing (11) and the rear wall (12) of the housing (11) and mounted on the upper portion of the housing (11), the fixed member (42) terminating in a spaced relationship with the wash deck (20); a movable element (45) which is displaceable along the fixed element (42) and between a maximum spaced position and a minimum spaced position at which passage of contaminated particulate material along the movable element (45) is prevented; an actuator (50) connected to the movable member for driving movement of the movable member (45) relative to the fixed member (42). [9] Inlet baffle assembly (40) according to claim 8, characterized by , that the movable element (45) comprises: a planar portion supported by and oriented parallel to the fixed member (42); a trailing leg (46) extending downwardly from the planar section and oriented generally parallel to the wash deck (20), the trailing leg (46) operable to direct particulate material in a laminar flow after the particulate material has passed through the planar section; and a linear strip (48) extending generally parallel to the planar portion from the rear leg (46) to be positionable adjacent the wash deck (20) to define a gap relative to the wash deck (20) when the movable member (45) is moved relative to the fixed member (42). [10] Inlet baffle assembly (40) according to claim 9, characterized by , that the fixed element (42) is oriented diagonally relative to the housing (11) such that the linear strip (48) is movable towards and away from the corresponding wash deck (20) substantially perpendicular to the wash deck. [11] Inlet baffle assembly (40) according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized by , that the actuator (50) is oriented generally parallel to the inlet baffle (40) and is driven by hydraulics, pneumatics or electricity. [12] Inlet baffle assembly (40) according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized by , that the actuator (50) is removable from the associated movable element (45). [13] Inlet baffle assembly (40) according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized by , that the dust collector (10) comprises a pair of wash decks (20) connected together at an apex below the inlet opening (13) and extending downwardly and outwardly from the apex to opposite sides of the apex, the inlet baffle assembly (40) comprising a fixed member (42) and a movable member (45) and an actuator (50) for each wash deck (20). [14] Inlet deflector assembly (40) according to claim 13 characterized by , that the positioning of both movable elements (45) to the minimum spaced position allows accumulation of the contaminated particulate material between the movable elements (45) and above the wash decks (20) to fully load the wash decks (20) along their width dimension when the movable element (45) is moved to a position above the minimum spaced position. [15] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) for particulate material for removing unwanted contaminants from the particulate material, characterized by , that the dust extraction apparatus (10, 110) comprises: a housing (11, 111) having a front wall (17, 117), a rear wall (12, 112) and a top portion; a central inlet opening (13, 113) directing a flow of contaminated particulate material into the housing (11, 111); a pair of primary wash decks (20, 120) connected at an apex and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to opposite discharge edges; Inlet baffles (40, 122) corresponding to each of the primary wash decks (20, 120), each inlet baffle (40, 122) being movable toward and away from the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to vary the distance between the inlet baffle (40, 122) and the corresponding primary wash deck (20, 120) from a maximum spaced to a minimum spaced position, the minimum spaced position including disposing the inlet baffle (40, 122) adjacent the corresponding wash deck (20, 120) to prevent passage of contaminated material along the inlet baffle (40, 122); wherein each inlet baffle comprises: a fixed member (42) extending between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) and mounted on the upper portion of the cabinet, the fixed member (42) terminating in a spaced relationship with the corresponding primary wash deck (20); and a movable element (45) which is displaceably movable along the fixed element (42), each movable element (45) comprising: a planar portion supported by and oriented parallel to the fixed member (42); a rear leg (46) extending downwardly from the planar section and oriented parallel to the primary wash deck (20), the rear leg (46) being operable to direct particulate material in a laminar flow after the particulate material has passed through the planar section; and a linear strip (48) extending generally parallel to the planar portion from the rear leg (46) to be positionable adjacent the primary wash deck (20) to define a gap relative to the primary wash deck (20) when the movable member (45) is moved relative to the fixed member (42), wherein the movable element (45) is positionable between the maximum distance and the minimum distance position at which passage of contaminated particulate material past the movable element (45) is not permitted, an actuator (50) connected to each corresponding inlet baffle to drive movement of the inlet baffle (40) between the maximum spaced and minimum spaced positions; a clean air inlet port (16, 116) for directing a flow of clean air beneath the primary wash decks (20, 120) and for directing air through the wash decks (20, 120) to clean the particulate material passing over the primary wash decks (20), the clean air inlet port (16, 116) being disposed in the rear wall (12) beneath the primary wash decks (20, 120); a venturi zone (30, 130) located outside the respective discharge edges; a dirt outlet port (19, 119) for discharging an air flow containing dust and impurities removed from the product particles; and a product outlet port for the purified product (14, 115) carried by the housing (11, 111) for leading the purified particulate material out of the housing. [16] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to claim 15, characterized by , that each inlet baffle (40) extends between the front wall (17) and the rear wall (12) such that movement of the inlet baffle (40) to the minimum spaced position allows accumulation of the contaminated particulate material in front of the inlet baffles (40, 122) and above the primary wash decks (20, 120). [17] Dust removal apparatus (10, 110) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized by , that each fixed element (42) is oriented diagonally relative to the housing (11), such that the linear strip (48) is movable towards and away from the corresponding wash deck (20) substantially perpendicular to the wash deck, each actuator (50) being removable from the corresponding movable element (45) and being drivable either hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically.

Images