Patent ID: 8151993

Claim:
A vehicle for separating a mixed debris stream, comprising: an elongate vehicle frame; a separating structure mounted on the vehicle frame and configured to contact the mixed debris stream with a fluid stream to separate the mixed debris stream into at least a first debris stream and a second debris stream, wherein the second debris stream includes at least some material of a higher density than material from the first debris stream; a first conveyor having a feed end portion positioned to receive the first debris stream from the separating structure, and a discharge end portion spaced from the feed end portion of the first conveyor; a second conveyor having a feed end portion positioned to receive the second debris stream from the separating structure, and a discharge end portion spaced from the feed end portion of the second conveyor; a fluid collection structure configured to receive fluid from at least one of the separating structure, the first conveyor, and the second conveyor, the fluid collection structure including an internal wall defining an upper tank and a lower tank and having a bottom end, and one or more conduits fluidly connecting the upper and lower tanks, wherein the one or more conduits include at least one passage extending through the internal wall between the upper tank and the lower tank, and wherein the one or more conduits do not include a valve configured to regulate flow from the upper tank toward the lower tank; and a flow directing assembly configured to direct fluid from the upper tank toward the at least one passage, wherein the flow directing assembly includes a bubbler on the bottom end of the internal wall adjacent the at least one passage.