Patent ID: 6863181

Claim:
A separator comprising: an input compartment having an input opening and an output ledge, a manure slurry being pumped into the input compartment through the input opening, and flowing out over the output ledge; a sloped screen connected to the output ledge of the input compartment, the sloped screen having a plurality of screen openings and a width, the manure slurry flowing out over the output ledge onto the sloped screen when the manure slurry is pumped into the input compartment; a collection compartment connected to the sloped screen, the collection compartment having an air flow opening and a slurry exit opening, and receiving a screened slurry that falls through the sloped screen when the manure slurry is pumped into the input compartment, the screened slurry flowing out through the slurry exit opening; air flow controller connected to the collection compartment, wherein: the air flow controller controls a first volume of air that flows through the sloped screen as a result of the screened slurry flowing through the slurry exit opening, and the air flow controller variably controls a second volume of air that can flow into the air flow opening to thereby vary the first volume of air that is pulled through the sloped screen; a water pipe connected to the collection compartment that extends across the sloped screen; and a plurality of spray heads connected to the water pipe, the spray heads outputting a liquid at a rate, the rate ranging from equal to or greater than 70 liters per hour (about 18.49 gallons per hour) to equal to or less than 1362 liters per hour (about 359.80 gallons per hour) per approximately 0.31 meters (about 0.339 yards) of the width.