AU2004202132B2

AU2004202132B2 - Apparatus for Screening Material

Info

Publication number: AU2004202132B2
Application number: AU2004202132A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Yasmin Delibasic
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-05-23
Filing date: 2004-05-20
Publication date: 2009-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2024-05-20
Also published as: AU2004202132A1

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application No: YASMIN DELIBASIC YASMIN DELIBASIC

INTELLEPRO

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 7 102 Adelaide Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) "Apparatus for Screening Materials" Australian Patent Application No 2003902543 filed 23.05.03.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 APPARATUS FOR SCREENING MATERIALS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to an apparatus for screening materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Materials obtained from an earth work at a site such as a mine, a construction or building location, or an agricultural field, are generally particles of different sizes. A screening apparatus is used to separate the materials according to particle sizes.

The prior art apparatus for screening materials known to the applicant has a bottom of a mesh-like panel with spaced holes. When the apparatus is filled with materials for screening, the particles under the size of these holes to pass through the holes under gravity, and'the bigger particles are retained in the apparatus. The holes become progressively clogged or blocked by the particles caught therein.

Accordingly, the prior art apparatus must be regularly maintained by clearing the holes. The costs of operating the prior art are thus high.

As the prior art apparatus cannot be used for screening while it is being maintained, the productivity of such apparatus is low.

OBIECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to alleviate or to reduce to a certain level one or more of the prior art disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore the present invention resides in an apparatus for screening materials having particles of different sizes. The apparatus includes a 3 hollow body having wall means surrounding an interior, an entry opening for the materials to be placed in the interior, and an exit opening. Rows of screening elements are arranged in the exit opening for screening particles above a preset size, and the screening elements in each row are fixed spacedly along an axle which is rotatably supported. The axles being positioned so that the screening elements in adjacent rows are in an interdigital relationship when they are in the same plane. Drive means arranged to controllably drive the axles so that the screening elements oscillate relative to the plane.

It is preferred that the screening elements have opposed ends, and in each row the screening elements are fixed to the axle at a position intermediate to the opposed ends so that the opposed ends oscillate in opposite directions. The screening elements are desirably in the form of finger blades.

It is further preferred that the driving means includes a link arrangement for linking the axles and a crank arrangement configured to move the link arrangement so the axles oscillate in unison.

The link arrangement may have a link plate fixedly connected to each axle, and the link plates are arranged to be moved by a link arm which is coupled to the crank arrangement.

The crank arrangement may have a crank arm having one end thereof connected to said link arm and the other end thereof being driven by said drive means to revolve along a planetary plane. In preference, said drive means having a rotatable plate and said other end is connected to an off centre part of the rotatable plate so that said other end revolves along a planetary plane when the 4 rotatable plate rotates. It is further preferred that the rotatable plate has a number of off centre connection positions for selective connection to the said other end of the crank arm, whereby providing a selection of oscillation ranges for the screening elements.

Preferably said drive means has a driving arrangement for driving said crank arrangement to move the link arrangement. The drive arrangement may have a powered driving member arranged to controllably rotate said rotatable plate.

Suitably, the rotatable plate is fixed to a driven shaft which is coupled directly or through a transmission arrangement to said driving member. The transmission arrangement may have a first rotatable transmission member fixed to the driven shaft, a second rotatable transmission member arranged to be driven by the driving member to rotate, and a motion transfer member linking said first and second transmission members. The first and second transmission members can be rollers or gears, and the motion transfer member may be a belt or chain.

Advantageously, the driving member isa hydraulic or pneumatic motor. Said motor may have control means for controlling its rotation speed and thereby controlling oscillation rate of the screening elements.

The body may have coupling means for coupling to a vehicle. Preferably, the vehicle is an earth working machine such as a digger. As such, the drive means may have a controller located in the cab of the vehicle, and the controller is used to control speed and/or torque of the drive means. The apparatus being coupled to an earth working machine, it can be lifted, tilted and moved like a bucket or a digging tool normally associated with such a machine.

The apparatus of the present invention substantially minimises the clogging problem associated with the prior art, as the oscillating screening elements assist particles in the materials for screening to move to and through gaps between the screening elements. The oscillating screening elements also agitate the materials to loosen particles that may be clung together to break up softer particles among the materials. Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention not only minimises clogging but also improves on screening efficiency in terms of being faster and screening more materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be readily understood and put into practical effect the description will hereinafter refer to the accompanying drawings which illustrate non limiting embodiments of the present invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the screening apparatus according to the present invention being coupled to an earth working machine; Figure 2 is a schematic bottom view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the oscillatory movement of the screen elements in the apparatus shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a partial cross-section view along X-X shown in Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1 there is shown a screening apparatus 10 coupled to the boom 102 of an earth working machine 100 which is a digger in this case. The machine 100 lifts the apparatus 10 above the ground so 6 that materials 104 having particles of different sizes can be screened by the apparatus 10. As shown, the particles below a certain size pass through the apparatus and are deposited beneath.

While Figure 1 shows that the materials 104 are transferred to the apparatus 10 by means of a conveyor system 106, they can be transferred by other means such as a front end loader or a bucket.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the apparatus 10 has walls 12 surrounding an interior 14, an open top 16, and a screening arrangement 20 at its bottom 18. The materials 104 for screening are transferred into the interior 14 through the open top 16 and screened by the arrangement In this embodiment, the screening arrangement 20 has three rows screening .elements 22. The elements 22 -in each row are spacedly fixed along an axle 24 which is rotatably supported by the opposite walls 12. The axles 24 are positioned so that the elements 22 is adjacent rows are in an interdigital relationship (see Figure 3).

The axles 24 are fixed to respective link plates 26 which are also connected to a link arm 27. A pin 30 connects the link arm 27 to one end of a crank arm 28.

The other end of the crank arm 28 is connected by a pin 32 to an off centre part of a rotatable plate 34. Thus, when the plate 34 rotates the end of the crank arm 28 connected to it is driven to revolve along a planetary path about the centre of the plate 34. The crank arm 28 in turn moves the link arm 27 and thereby the screening elements 22 to oscillate as shown more clearly in Figure 4.

7 While not shown, it is understood that the plate 34 may have a number of connection points at different distances from the centre of the plate 34 for receiving the pin 32 so that a user may choose a particular off centre connection point which will provide a suitable oscillation range for the screening elements 22.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, arranged in the interior 14 is a partition 36 positioned close to the screening arrangement 20. The partition 36 has an angled section above the screening arrangement 20 for guiding the material 104 onto the screening elements 22. It also has a vertical section close to the arrangement 20 so that particles above said size cannot pass through the gap.

Opposite to the partition 36 is another shaped partition 38. Partition 38 provides a space between the wall means 12 and the partition 38. The partition 38 supports a drive motor 40 in said space. As can be seen in Figure 5, the motor has a mounting plate 41 which is secured to the partition 38. The motor 40 in this embodiment is a hydraulic motor, and is connected by hoses 110 and 112 to a controller (not shown) located in the cab of the vehicle 100. The motor 40 has a driving gear 42 mounted on its shaft. The driving gear 42 is linked to a driven gear 44 by means of a chain 46. A shaft 48 mounted in a bearing assembly interconnects the gear 44 and the rotatable plate 34. When the motor 38 is controlled to rotate, the rotating gear 42, through the chain 46, drives the driven gear 44 and accordingly the plate 34. The crank arm 28, in turn, moves and transfers its movement to provide oscillating motion to the axles 24 and thereby to the screening elements.

8 Whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of the present invention, many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as herein set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for screening materials having particles of different sizes, the apparatus including a hollow body having wall means surrounding an interior, an entry opening for the materials to be placed in the interior, and an exit opening, rows of screening elements being arranged in the exit opening for screening particles above a preset size, and the screening elements in each row being fixed spacedly along an axle which is rotatably supported, the axles being positioned so that the screening elements in adjacent rows are in an interdigital relationship when they are in the same plane, and drive means arranged to controllably drive the axles so that the screening elements oscillate relative to the plane.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the screening elements having opposed ends, and in each row the screening elements are fixed to the axle at a position intermediate to the opposed ends so that the opposed ends oscillate in opposite directions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the screening elements are in the form of finger blades.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the driving means includes a link arrangement for linking the axles and a crank arrangement configured to move the link arrangement so the axles oscillate in unison.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the link arrangement having a link plate fixedly connected to each axle, and the link plates are arranged to be moved by a link arm which is coupled to the crank arrangement.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the crank arrangement including a crank arm having one end thereof connected to said link arm and the other end thereof being driven by said drive means to revolve along a planetary plane.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said drive means having a rotatable plate and said other end is connected to an off centre part of the rotatable plate so that said other end revolves along a planetary plane when the rotatable plate rotates.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the rotatable plate having a number of off centre connection positions for selective connection to the said other end of the crank arm, whereby providing a selection of oscillation ranges for the screening elements.

The apparatus accordingito any one of claims 4 to -8 wherein said drive means having a driving arrangement for driving said crankarrangement to move the link arrangement.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said drive arrangement having a powered driving member arranged to controllably rotate said rotatable plate.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the rotatable plate is fixed to a driven shaft which is coupled directly or through a transmission arrangement to said driving member.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the transmission arrangement having a first rotatable transmission member fixed to the driven shaft, a second rotatable transmission member arranged to be driven by the driving member to rotate, and a motion transfer member linking said first and second transmission members.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said first and second transmission members are rollers or gears, and the motion transfer member is a belt or chain.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13 wherein the driving member is a hydraulic or pneumatic motor.

The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said motor having control means for controlling its rotation speed and thereby controlling oscillation rate of the screening elements.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said body having coupling means for coupling to a vehicle.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the vehicle is an earth working machine including a digger.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the earth working machine having a cab, the drive means having a controller located in the cab, and the controller is configured to control speed and/or torque of the drive means.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 or 18 wherein the earth working machine is arranged to lift, tilt and moved the apparatus in manner like a bucket or a digging tool normally associated with such a machine.

The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein the oscillating screening elements being arranged to assist particles in the materials for screening to move to and through gaps between the screening elements. 12

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the oscillating screening elements being arranged to agitate the materials to loosen particles that are in clung to thereby breaking up softer particles among the materials. DATED this 20th day of May 2004 YASMIN DELIBASIC By his Patent Attorneys INTELLEPRO