Daniel W O'Neill

US Patent:

D590397, Apr 14, 2009

Filed:

Feb 20, 2008

Appl. No.:

29/303936

Inventors:

Daniel G. O'Neill - Seattle WA, US
Anthony Reed - Seattle WA, US
Monique Chatterjee - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

1402

US Classification:

D14398

US Patent:

40894223, May 16, 1978

Filed:

Oct 14, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/621926

Inventors:

Charles Raymond Harmke - Seattle WA
Daniel Edward O'Neill - Edmonds WA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Seattle WA

International Classification:

B07B 402

US Classification:

209137

Abstract:

An air classifier for separating a heterogeneous mixture of particles into heavier and lighter fractions includes an air passageway through which a horizontal primary air stream is flowing, a pair of air deck sections extending along the bottom of the passageway through which deck air is flowing upwardly within and downstream of the passageway, air nozzles located between the air deck sections through which a primary vertical air stream is flowing, the latter also preferably flowing with a horizontal component moving downstream of the passageway, a heavy particle deflector and remover downstream of the second air deck section, and a light particle trapping and removal arrangement downstream of the heavy particle deflector. The particle mixture is introduced into the passageway over the first air deck section just upstream of the primary vertical air nozzle, whereupon the particles are immediately stratified in horizontal layers of heavy and light fractions by the upward air currents and transported to the end of the passageway by the horizontal air currents, where the fractions are separated from the air flows and removed from the passageway.