Patent · US Expired

Method and device for separating a flow of crops

US6932697B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
11References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 19, 2004
Grant dateAug 23, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA01F12/448
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A flow of crops, which contains useful material and waste material, is separated in a crop machine into a useful material flow and a waste material flow, in which, respectively, the useful material or the waste material is concentrated. A first step separates the flow of crops with a first selectivity into a pre-cleaned flow, which contains a substantial portion of the useful material and a remaining portion of the waste material, and a first waste material flow, which contains a substantial portion of the waste material and a remaining portion of the useful material. A second step separates the pre-cleaned flow with a selectivity dependent on its flow rate into the useful material flow and a second waste material flow, which contains a substantial portion of waste material and a remaining portion of the useful material. A quantity combined from the amount of the useful material into the waste material flow is detected continuously, and the first selectivity is regulated based on this quantity, independently from the flow rate of the flow of crops (S3, S4).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.