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Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SNIPPED BEANS FROM UNSNIPPED BEANS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN OPEN ENDED CYLINDER, SAID CYLINDER HAVING AN INCLINED AXIS OF ROTATION WITH AN INLET FOR SNIPPED AND UNSNIPPED BEANS AT ITS UPPER END AND AN OUTLET FOR PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS AT ITS LOWER END: (B) A MULTIPLICITY OF FIXED FINS IN SAID CYLINDER WALL, (1) SAID FIXED FINS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, BEING EVENLY SPACED, EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CYLINDER AND DEFINING SLOTS BETWEEN SAID FINS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN WIDTH TO THE SPACING OF THE FINS, SEPARATED SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY BY THE THICKNESS OF THE FINS, AND BEING NARROWER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BEANS BEING SEPARATED, (2) THE MARGINS OF THE MATERIAL WHEN THE FINS ARE FORMED DEFINING EDGES PRESENTED TO THE MATERIAL BEING SEPARATED; (C) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CYLINDER TO ENABLE THE PROTRUSIONS ON THE UNSNIPPED BEANS TO CATCH ON THE SAID EDGES, AND BE CARRIED TOWARDS THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER WHILE PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS WITHOUT PROTRUSIONS GRAVITATE ALONG THE LOWER INCLINED SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDER TOWARDS SAID OUTLET; (D) MEANS, SUPPORTED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID CYLINDER IN THE UPPER HALF THEREOF, FOR ENGAGING UNSNIPPED BEANS HANGING FROM, AND BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID EDGES TO DISLODGE THEM FROM SAID EDGES; AND (E) MEANS FOR CATCHING SAID DISLODGED UNSNIPPED BEANS AND DISCHARGING THEM FROM SAID CYLINDER SEPARATELY FROM THE PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SNIPPED BEANS FROM UNSNIPPED BEANS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN OPEN ENDED CYLINDER, SAID CYLINDER HAVING AN INCLINED AXIS OF ROTATION WITH AN INLET FOR SNIPPED AND UNSNIPPED BEANS AT ITS UPPER END AND AN OUTLET FOR PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS AT ITS LOWER END: (B) A MULTIPLICITY OF FIXED FINS IN SAID CYLINDER WALL, (1) SAID FIXED FINS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, BEING EVENLY SPACED, EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CYLINDER AND DEFINING SLOTS BETWEEN SAID FINS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN WIDTH TO THE SPACING OF THE FINS, SEPARATED SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY BY THE THICKNESS OF THE FINS, AND BEING NARROWER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BEANS BEING SEPARATED, (2) THE MARGINS OF THE MATERIAL WHEN THE FINS ARE FORMED DEFINING EDGES PRESENTED TO THE MATERIAL BEING SEPARATED; (C) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CYLINDER TO ENABLE THE PROTRUSIONS ON THE UNSNIPPED BEANS TO CATCH ON THE SAID EDGES, AND BE CARRIED TOWARDS THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER WHILE PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS WITHOUT PROTRUSIONS GRAVITATE ALONG THE LOWER INCLINED SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDER TOWARDS SAID OUTLET; (D) MEANS, SUPPORTED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID CYLINDER IN THE UPPER HALF THEREOF, FOR ENGAGING UNSNIPPED BEANS HANGING FROM, AND BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID EDGES TO DISLODGE THEM FROM SAID EDGES; AND (E) MEANS FOR CATCHING SAID DISLODGED UNSNIPPED BEANS AND DISCHARGING THEM FROM SAID CYLINDER SEPARATELY FROM THE PROPERLY SNIPPED BEANS.