A separator as described herein separates granular input material into component materials. Each component material has a hardness. The separator includes a rebound surface, a propulsion system, and a plurality of sorting zones. The propulsion system propels granular input material toward the rebound surface. The component materials that are rebounded off of the rebound surface and land in sorting zones based on the hardness of the component materials. A method for using the separator is also described.

A method for generating a highly distinctive signature of a certain diamond, the method may include generating, based on one or more images of the certain diamond, a certain diamond signature of the certain diamond; finding, out of a group of reference diamonds, other diamonds having other diamond signatures; wherein the finding comprises calculating similarities between the certain diamond signature and reference diamond signatures of the reference diamonds of the group; and generating a new certain diamond signature that significantly differs from signatures of the other diamonds.

Methods and apparatus for treating a mixture of fiber and granules are provided. The method includes passing the mixture through a friction zone comprising a conveyor belt that moves mixture and a friction device comprising a stationary surface in contact with a surface of the mixture. The method includes applying pressure to the mixture with the friction device to generate friction such that at least 5% of the fiber in the mixture is rotated. The method includes forming an agglomerate that is larger than the granules in the mixture.

Example embodiments include a system for removing string from shredded tobacco, including an arrangement configured to dispense shredded tobacco from a first location to a second location along a path of communication, a string filter operative at a location along the path of communication comprising a first roller comprising pins, whereby string may be contacted by at least some of the pins and retained at the string filter as the shredded tobacco passes through the filter.

A device for sorting spherical objects, the device comprising: a feeder for feeding the spherical objects; and a sorting plate comprising a receiving region for receiving the spherical objects and a sorting region comprising a good objects transferring region for transferring good spherical objects and a defective objects transferring region for transferring defective spherical objects.

An apparatus for removing lightweight debris from a debris-contaminated stream of heavier material. The apparatus includes an enclosed chamber having a material inlet, a chute having a free portion through which the stream can freely fall due to gravity, and a material outlet positioned below the chute. A material stream flows into the chamber via the inlet and then a portion of the stream falls through the free portion and exits the chamber via the outlet. An airflow pathway guides airflows into the chamber via an airflow inlet and out of the chamber via an airflow outlet. An airflow flowing through the airflow pathway that separates a first portion of the debris-contaminated stream from a heavier portion of the debris-contaminated stream. The airflow then carries the first portion out of the chamber via the airflow outlet.

A novel ballistic separator for separating material is disclosed that includes a separator bed adapted to contact the material. The bed has a first agitator with a top surface, with the top surface comprising a conveyor connected to the first agitator. A crankshaft imparts an oscillating motion to the first agitator and conveyor, which move fixed together relative to the oscillating motion. The conveyor is constructed to move laterally across to the top surface.

A sorting device for tablets for separating out multiple tablets has a plurality of stations including a feed station, a sorting station and an ejection station, and a tablet transporter which moves to the individual stations in a direction of rotation. The tablet transporter includes a row of tablet receivers for single tablets and a doublet receiver for multiple tablets which have been separated out. The doublet receiver is laterally next to the tablet receivers. An individual tablet receiver is laterally separated from the doublet receiver via a side wall. In the sorting station is a sorting tine which can be moved to and fro over a travel range in a lateral direction extending transversely to the direction of rotation such that the sorting tine passes over the region of a tablet receiver, the adjacent doublet receiver and the side wall located between them.

The invention relates to a cleaning device (2) for cleaning crops comprising a roller bed (4) comprising several rollers (3) rotatable about a rotational axis (3a), whereby gaps (10) are or can be provided between said rollers (3) in such a manner that impurities present together with the crop on an upper side (4a) of the roller bed (4) can be discharged through the gaps (10) while, at the same time, the crop can be kept on the upper side (4a), whereby the rollers (3) of the roller bed (4) can be driven in such a way that the impurities can be discharged through the gaps (10).

According to the invention, tappets (6) movable in the direction of conveyance (F) are arranged above the upper side (4a) of the roller bed (4) in such a way that crop present on the upper side (4a) of the roller bed (4) can be carried along by these tappets (6) in the direction of conveyance (F), whereby, to that end, said tappets (6) extend between at least two driver means (8; 12), whereby at least the tappets (6) arranged above said upper side (4a) of said roller bed can be moved by the at least two driver means (8; 12) in the direction of conveyance (F).

A system classifies materials utilizing a vision system that implements a machine learning system, such as a neural network, in order to identify or classify each of the materials as either a monetary coin or not a monetary coin, which may then be sorted into separate groups based on such an identification or classification. Such a system can sort monetary coins from other forms of scrap, which may have been produced from a shredding of end of life vehicles.