Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
This inventlon relates to aPparatus for cleaniny
or classifying granular material or wood chips and the like~
~lachines for cleaning grain or separating wood
chips are well known and conventional devices in this art
normally have at least one deck for transporting the material
to be cleaned or classified and some form of mechanism for
vibrating the deck, usually eccentric apparatus adapted to
shake the screens vertically or in a back and forth motion.
Conventional devices are not entirely satisfactory for
various reasons. As an example, there is normally a
mechanical connection between the drive mechanism and the
decks for moving the decks up and down. This provides
numerous areas of wear and many rotating ~arts. Due to
vertical movement, there are vertical reactions at the areas
where the decks are supported, often causing fatigue and
breakage of these parts. My Canadian patent No. 1,130,761
of August 31st, 1982 discloses improvements over the above-
mentioned, conventional devices. In that patent, an inner
frame having a centrally located, between-the-decks drive
means, g~rates the inner frame and the decks within the
outer frame from which it is suspended.
Summarv of the Invention
,
r The apparatus o the present invention provides
substantial improvements over both the conventional devices
and the disclosure of my abovementioned Canadian Patent
1,130,761~ In this invention there is again a first or
fixed fram'e suspending a secondary frame from it through
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universal joints. The secondary frame in turn has
attached to it a plurality of decks stacked one above the
other with an integrated driving mechanism which is also
attached to the secondary frame above and below the decks
The resul~ of this novel arrangement is that the driving
mechanism and decks are all secured together to form a
single uni~, all being rotated together when the driving
mechanism is actuated. The secondary frame and decks are
carried on or suspended by four hangers from the fixed
frame. The present apparatus provides reduced stress forces
as the impelling forces are at the top and bottom of the
secondary frame. With the eccentric drives located above
and below the decks, the decks can be nested between the
drives to reduce thé width and héight of a given machine.
The drives can be located outside and clear of the part
to be agitated and the frame of the machine can be structurally
less as the drive box forces are applied at several places.
In one embodiment, the drives are built into the upper
and lower secondary frame members, eliminating the need for
a separate drive bo~ in the middle of the assembly.
According to a broad aspect, the present invéntion
relates to apparatus for classifying or cleaning granular
matérial, wood chips or the like and comprising a fixed
main frame and a movable, secondary frame suspended there- -
from. A plurality of cleaning or classifying decks aresupported in the secondary frame for movement therewith
and means are provided for applying a gyratory movement
to the secondary frame and decks consisting of at least
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a pair of eccentric weights, one located above and one below
the decks and secured to the secondary frame for applying
said gyratory motion to the secondary frame and the decks
supported therein.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in
accompanying drawings in which: .
Figure 1 is an elevation view partly in section, of
one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is another elevation view, partly in section,
10 Of a further embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus in Figure 2;
Figures 4 and 5 are end and side elevation views,
schematically illustrating a still further embodiment of
the invention;
Figure 6 is a sectional view showing one form of
a drive means for the apparatus:
Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing a
further form of the drive means: and
Figures 8 and 9 are side and sectional views
20 respectively of a still further embodiment of the invention.
Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus 10 includes an
~uter, main frame 12 and an inner, secondary frame 14
suspended from the main frame by universal joints, not shown,
in the manner illustrated in my previously mentioned Canadian
25 Patent 1,130,761 of August 31, 1982. The secondary frame
14 supports a plurality of cleaning decks 16 which are fed
with granular material or the like from a manifold 18.
A pair of rotors 20 and 22 are secured to the upper
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and lower sections 24, 26 respectively of the secondary
frame 14. The upper rotor 20 includes an eccentric weight
28 and a pulley 30 which is connected by a suitable drive
belt or the like 32 to a drive pulley 34 on an electric
motor 36 mounted to the secondary frame as illustrated.
Similarly, the lower rotor assembly 22 has an eccentric
weight 38 and the two rotor assemblies are connected by a
vertical sha~t 40 extending downwardly through the center
of the decks 16. The rotary motion applied to the upper
rotor assembly 20 by ~he motor 36 is transmitted via the
shaft 40 to a lower rotor assembly 22.
Compared to an arrangement of having the classifying
decks located over and under a central drive box as in
Patent 1,130,761, the arrangement shown in Figure 1 is
substantially less in height for a given number of decks.
Moreover, the stress forces are substantially less in
accordance with this arrangement as the eccentric weights
are located at the top and bottom of the secondary drive
frame. This frame acts like a simple beam instead of a
double cantilever. ~oreover, as the eccentric drives are
located at the top and bottom of the decks, the latter can
be nested between the drives and close in to the shaft. This
reduces the width and height of the machine.
Turning now to Figure 2, a further embodLment of the
invention is illustrated, the main frame being omitted for
clarity and the secondary frame being shown schematically~
In accordance with Figures 2 and 3, the secondary frame 42
includes upper and lower enclosures 44 and 46 which
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enclose rotary assemblies 48 and 50 respectively. The
classifying decks 52, seen here schematically, extend
lengthwise of the secondary frame, the latter supporting a
vertically oriented jack shaft 54 secured adjace~t the sides
of the decks 52, the upper and lower ends of the shaft 54
having pulleys 56 and 58 drivingly connected to pulleys 60
and 62 on the upper and lower rotary assemblies 48 and 50
res ectively.;Upper assembly 48 has an eccentric weight 64
and the lower assembly 50 has an eccentric weight 66. ~s
shown in Figure 3, a motor 68 drives the jack shaft 54
thereby rotating the upper and lower eccentrics 64 and
66 in unison to provide the desired gyratory motion.
The embo~iment of Figures 2 and 3, utilizing the
outside, high speed shaft, eliminates the slower speed shaft
lS running down the center of the screen as in Figure 1. The
desirability of two or more rotor assemblies is that it
spreads the driving force from the rotors and reduces the
high fatigue stresses in the secondary frame structure.
The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4
through 7 inclusive illustrate hydraulic drives for flat
rotary screens. Referring firstly to Figures 4 and 5, the
secondary framework 70 is of substantial height and is
suspended from a suitable stxuctural support 72 such as
a building beam or separate main frame, The suspension is
carried out through support hangers 74 having universal
joints or the like at either end in accordance with the
disclosure of Canadian Patent 1,130,761. The frame 70
has at least a pair of drive boxes 76 above and below each
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group of decks 78. Each drive box 76 is removable as a
unit from the frame and each box 76 is an independent unit
which can be removed and replaced quickly. As shown in
Figure 6, the hydraulic drive may include a shaft mounted
motor 80 provided with an eccentric 82, the motor 80 being
connected by flexible hoses 84 and 86 to fixed headers 88
which in turn are connected to a suitable speed control 90
on an hydraulic power pack 92 as shown in Figure 4.
The hydraulic drive in Figure 7 consists of an eccentric
94 mounted for rotation on a dead shaft 96 by suitable
bearing means 98, the eccentric being rotated by a remotely
located hydraulic motor 100 having a primary gear 102 secured
thereto and meshing with a driven gear 10~ mounted on the
eccentric rotary.
The hydraulic motors used in this embodiment would be
positive displacement motors and would be driven from a
positive displacement pump so as to keep all the rotors in the
same rotary relationship. There are several advantages to
utilizing an hydraulic drive one of which is the elimination
of either a vertical center shaft or outside jack shaft of
Figures 1 or 2 and it would also eliminate the gear belts
and V-belts relating to the mechanically driven embodiments.
It will be appreciated ~rom Figures 4 through 7 that each
drive box can be easily replaced without disturbing the screen
decks associated ~herewith. Additionally, the hydraulic
drive, which has a separate power unit, is ideal for precise
speed control and the like. Elimination of vertical shafts
also does away with bearing alignments, belt tension,
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lubrication and maintenance of bearings, etc~ Hydraulic drives
also make possible a multidrive screen such as a four box
multidrive arrangement which would allow a scre~n height of
about 20 feet with 5 feet or more ~etween each box vertically
and about 6 decks between each box or moreO
The embodiments shown in Figures 8 and 9 illustrate
a wide and long screen arrangement having a multiple drive
arrangement ~ provide a flat rotary action as well as a
~ertical vibration to one of the screen decks. Such screens
are used in the mining industry including the classification
of coal. ~s shown in Figure 8, one palr o~ drive unlts 106
and 108 are mounted on one side of the machine, another pair
at 110 being mounted on the other side. Each pair of drive
units includes its own eccentric weight rotor 112 as shown
in Figure 9, one rotor being mounted above and below the
deck area. The upper and lower eccentrics 112 are inter-
connected by means of a vertical shaft 114 and are rotated
by hydraulic motors 116. These are connected by flexible
lines 118 to a manifold header 120 for delivery of pressurized
oil.
As shown in Figure 8, there is sufficient room between
the upper deck 122 and lower deck 124 to mount a horizontally
located vibratory shaft 126 driven by its associated motor
128.
There are numerous alternatives to the embodiment of
Figures 8 and 9 such as a bottom deck ~24 being identical
to that of the top deck but without the vibratory shaft 126.
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It Will be appreciated that the spaced apart rotors
will have to be weighted to balance the machine weight at the
rotor locations. For example:
Top WT. x 1l1 Throw = Rotor Wt. x Radius
4000 x 1 = Rotor Wt. x 10"
Rotor Wt. - 4000 = 400#
Bottom WB x 1" = Rotor Wt. x Radius
2000 x 1" = Rotor Wt. x 10"
Rotor Wt. = 2000 = 200~
While the invention has been described in connection
with specific embodiments thereof and in specific uses,
various modifications will occur to those s~illed in the art
without departin~ from the spirit and scope of the invention
as set forth in the appended claims.
The terms and expressions which have been employed
in the specification are used as terms of description and
not of limitation. ~here is no intention in the use of
such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents
of the features shown and described or portions thereof.
It is also recognized that various modifications are
possible within the scope of the invention claimed.
