Patent ID: 6986732

Claim:
An apparatus for separating a slurry containing intermixed particulate materials of different specific gravity comprising: a centrifuge bowl having a bottom, a peripheral wall and an open mouth and mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis so as to rotate the bottom and the peripheral wall around the axis; a stationary feed duct for feeding the materials to the bowl, the duct extending through the open mouth of the bowl generally along the axis to a bottom feed mouth of the duct adjacent a bottom of the bowl; the duct and the bowl being arranged so that the materials pass from the bottom of the bowl over the peripheral wall; the peripheral wall having at least one annular collection recess area thereon with a lower side wall and an upper side wall extending outwardly away from the axis to a base to cause a heavier portion of the materials to collect in the at least one annular recess on the peripheral wall while a lighter portion of the materials in the slurry escapes over the open mouth; a plurality of fluid injection ports arranged at spaced positions around the at least one annular recess for fluidizing the heavier portion of the material collecting in the at least one annular recess; and an accelerator at the bottom of the bowl for rotation with the bowl and accelerating the materials from the feed duct; the accelerator being attached to the bottom of the bowl for common rotation therewith; the accelerator comprising: a top plate having a central hole arranged to receive the materials from the bottom feed mouth of the duct so that the materials pass through the central hole to a position underneath the top plate; and a plurality of vanes underneath the top plate at angularly spaced positions around the axis of the bowl with each vane extending generally outwardly from an inner end underneath the hole to an outer end adjacent the peripheral wall; such that the materials passing through the hole are confined underneath the top plate and are guided outwardly and accelerated angularly by the rotation of the vanes of the accelerator with the bowl.