A piezoelectric valve, having superior responsiveness during valve opening and capability to stabilize gas supply at an early stage, includes a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas and an exhaust path discharging the compressed gas from the gas pressure chamber; a valve disc placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the exhaust path; a piezoelectric element generating a driving force for operation of the valve disc, as a displacement; a displacement magnifying mechanism magnifying the displacement of the piezoelectric element and applying the magnified displacement to the valve disc; and driving means including a signal generator generating a signal including a first prepulse, a second prepulse, and a main pulse, applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element using the signal generated by the signal generator, as an input signal to a drive circuit, and drives and opens the valve disc by expanding the piezoelectric element.

A separation device includes a first ejection unit that ejects a material containing a fiber together with gas and supplies the material onto a first surface of the mesh, a first suction unit that sucks a part of the material supplied onto the first surface, a second ejection unit that ejects gas toward a second surface, and a second suction unit that sucks and collects, the material that does not pass through the mesh by the first suction unit and remains on the first surface. Q1<Q2 and Q3<Q4, where a flow rate of gas ejected from the first ejection unit is Q1, a flow rate of gas sucked by the first suction unit is Q2, a flow rate of gas ejected from the second ejection unit is Q3, and a flow rate of gas sucked by the second suction unit is Q4.

A half round dedusting apparatus for removes dust and debris from particulate material passing through the dedusting apparatus. The configuration of the dedusting apparatus includes a half round cylindrical housing in which is mounted a partial cone wash deck having a reverse partial cone deflector that is vertically moveable to vary the flow rate of particulate material passing over the wash deck. The product inlet port is preferably circular and directs contaminant-laden particulate material inside the deflector to pass over the surface of the wash deck. The housing has a greater diameter than the maximum diameter of the wash deck to establish a Venturi zone around the circumference of the wash deck. The wash deck and deflector are detachably mounted within the housing to allow removal thereof for ease of cleaning the wash deck and also the interior of the housing.

A half round dedusting apparatus for removes dust and debris from particulate material passing through the dedusting apparatus. The configuration of the dedusting apparatus includes a half round cylindrical housing in which is mounted a partial cone wash deck having a reverse partial cone deflector that is vertically moveable to vary the flow rate of particulate material passing over the wash deck. The product inlet port is preferably circular and directs contaminant-laden particulate material inside the deflector to pass over the surface of the wash deck. The housing has a greater diameter than the maximum diameter of the wash deck to establish a Venturi zone around the circumference of the wash deck. The wash deck and deflector are detachably mounted within the housing to allow removal thereof for ease of cleaning the wash deck and also the interior of the housing.

Separation of mixed materials is accomplished by causing a stream of the materials to fall on an inclined separation ramp, while directing a stream of air onto the ramp. Lower-density materials having higher aerodynamic drag, such as paper scraps, are blown up and over the ramp into a first collection zone, while more dense materials having less aerodynamic drag, such as glass fragments, will tend to descend the ramp and fall into a separate collection zone.

In order to provide an airflow sorting device having high accuracy and easy adjustment properties with a simple configuration, there are provided a conduit which has a central shaft line and which lets an object to be sorted to fall due to gravity on the inside of the conduit along the central shaft line; an air supply port which is provided at a lower part of the conduit and configured to blow air upward along the central shaft line; a suction port which is provided above the air supply port of the conduit and is an opening oriented downward of a suction pipe provided parallel to the central shaft line; and an input port provided above the suction port of the conduit through which the object to be sorted is input into the periphery of the suction pipe which is in the conduit. Sorting is performed in the sorting device according to whether or not the object to be sorted is being suctioned by the suction port together with a part or the entirety of an airflow generated in the conduit by the air blown from the air supply port, and an airflow adjusting body which is provided below the suction port in the conduit and blocks a falling path of the object to be sorted which falls due to gravity, is provided, and the airflow adjusting body includes: a vertex on the central shaft line; and an inclined surface having a sectional shape, sectional areas of which are similar to each other and increase in size downward, and a drag force which acts on the object to be sorted which falls due to gravity increases downward from the suction port.

In order to provide an airflow sorting device having high accuracy and easy adjustment properties with a simple configuration, there are provided a conduit which has a central shaft line and which lets an object to be sorted to fall due to gravity on the inside of the conduit along the central shaft line; an air supply port which is provided at a lower part of the conduit and configured to blow air upward along the central shaft line; a suction port which is provided above the air supply port of the conduit and is an opening oriented downward of a suction pipe provided parallel to the central shaft line; and an input port provided above the suction port of the conduit through which the object to be sorted is input into the periphery of the suction pipe which is in the conduit. Sorting is performed in the sorting device according to whether or not the object to be sorted is being suctioned by the suction port together with a part or the entirety of an airflow generated in the conduit by the air blown from the air supply port, and an airflow adjusting body which is provided below the suction port in the conduit and blocks a falling path of the object to be sorted which falls due to gravity, is provided, and the airflow adjusting body includes: a vertex on the central shaft line; and an inclined surface having a sectional shape, sectional areas of which are similar to each other and increase in size downward, and a drag force which acts on the object to be sorted which falls due to gravity increases downward from the suction port.

A compact dedusting apparatus induces air flow through the housing by a vacuum generator mounted within the housing. The discharge of dust and debris can be passed through a conduit to a remote location without losing air flow velocity to facilitate the use of the compact dedusting apparatus within a clean room. The metering apparatus is formed as a fixed shape device that closes against the floor of the infeed hopper to prevent the flow of particulate material into the dedusting apparatus. The fixed shape device is connected to a pneumatic cylinder mounted externally of the infeed hopper to provide selective vertical movement to the metering apparatus. Vertical movement of the metering apparatus is limited by slots formed in a mounting plate. The fixed shape member passes through the mounting plate for engagement with the pneumatic cylinder.

A compact dedusting apparatus induces air flow through the housing by a vacuum generator mounted within the housing. The discharge of dust and debris can be passed through a conduit to a remote location without losing air flow velocity to facilitate the use of the compact dedusting apparatus within a clean room. The metering apparatus is formed as a fixed shape device that closes against the floor of the infeed hopper to prevent the flow of particulate material into the dedusting apparatus. The fixed shape device is connected to a pneumatic cylinder mounted externally of the infeed hopper to provide selective vertical movement to the metering apparatus. Vertical movement of the metering apparatus is limited by slots formed in a mounting plate. The fixed shape member passes through the mounting plate for engagement with the pneumatic cylinder.

A device for classifying a material mixture of multiple materials has a first transport unit into which the material mixture to be classified is deposited by a supply device. A second transport unit is arranged downstream. A first chute is provided between the first and second transport, via which a first material with a first fluid resistance can be separated from the material mixture. At least one third transport unit is arranged downstream of the second transport unit, such that a transit route for the materials is formed between the second and third transport units. A second chute is provided between the second and third transport units, via which at least the second material with a second fluid resistance can be separated from the material mixture. The third transport unit is designed so that material can pass through and/or a fluid flow can pass through.