AU2009213024A1 - Screen panel - Google Patents

Description

Australian Patents Act 1990 - Regulation 3.2 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title Screen panel The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: P/00/011 2 SCREEN PANEL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The invention relates to a screen panel suitable for use in vibratory or rotary screening machines, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a novel aperture configuration of the screen. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 10 Vibratory screening machines are well known in industry, and are frequently used for screening of particulate materials such as mineral ores encountered in the mining industry. In use, the particulate material is conveyed along a vibrating or over a rotating screen deck comprising a plurality of screen panels 15 located adjacent one another on a supporting frame. The screen panels typically have screening apertures provided therethrough, which are suitably sized for allowing particles below a predetermined size to fall through the screen panel, whilst larger particles continue to travel on top of the screen panel. The size of the screening apertures thus define a cut point at which the 20 particulate feed material is divided into oversize and undersize particles. The feed material is not always of discretely defined particulate nature, and is often in a semi-coalesced state due to the presence of moisture, fines and mud. These large coalesced particles are typically of substantially larger size 25 than the screening apertures, resulting in the coalesced particles passing 3 across the screen deck without being effectively screened. The coalesced material in addition can result in clogging of the screening apertures, thus further adversely affecting the screening effectiveness. 5 Longer particles may lodge in the apertures thus decreasing the effectiveness of the screen. It has been proposed to manufacture the aperture section of the screen of a resiliently deformable material so that such stuck larger particles will be worked through the apertures due to the deformability and pressure of other particles thereon. 10 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a screen panel of the type described above. 15 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a screen panel, suitable for use in a vibratory or rotary screening machine, comprising: 20 a body having a plurality of elongate curved apertures provided therethrough. There is provided for the body to be planar. Each aperture includes a number of enlarged sections, connected via channel 25 sections.

4 There is provided for an enlarged section to be located at each end of each aperture. 5 There is further provided for a mid-way enlarged section to be located substantially mid-way in the curved aperture. The enlarged section may be hexagonal in plane view. 10 A yet further feature of the invention provides for the channel sections to be formed in the walls defining adjacent enlarged sections, to form the elongate curved aperture. The mid-way enlarged section has two channel sections extending into its 15 walls at an angle to each other. The screen panel includes a frame moulded therein, for additional strength. The frame has side braces and a number of cross-bars. 20 The braces or cross-bars are made of a plastics material, metal and/or fibreglass. These and other features of the invention are described in more detail below. 25 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS One embodiment of the invention is described by way of a non-limiting example, and with reference to the enclosed drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screen panel; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the screen panel of figure 1, showing hidden detail; 10 Figure 3 is a perspective view of a frame embedded in the screen panel of figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the screen panel of figure 1 and 2; and 15 Figure 5 is an underside view of the screen panel of figures 1, 2 and 4. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 20 With reference to the drawings, in which like numeral indicate like features, a modular screen panel is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The screen panel 10 has a planar body 12 and an aperture section 14. Planer body 12 has a circumferential frame section as well as a centrally located elongate solid section 22 bordering the aperture section 14. 25 6 Securing formation 24 is located on two opposite sides of the frame for securing the panel to adjacent panels. The frame has an embedded support frame 16 consisting of end braces 18 having complimentary shaped formations to accommodate the securing formations 24. Cross bars 20 5 extend at right angles between the end braces 18. The end braces 18 and cross bars 20 are made of a plastics material, metal or of fibreglass. The aperture section includes elongate apertures 32 made up of enlarged sections 26 and 28 and interconnecting channel sections 30. 10 The enlarged sections 26 and 28 are connected through the channel sections 30. The enlarged sections 26 and 28 and the channel sections 30 extend through 15 a plastics material sheet that forms part of the screen and of the apertures section 14. An enlarged section 26 is located at each end of the elongate curved aperture. A further enlarged section 28 is located mid-way the elongate 20 curved aperture. The channel sections 30 extend through the walls of the mid-way enlarged section 28 at an angle to each other and open at their opposite ends in the enlarged sections at the opposite ends of the elongate aperture.

P:\WPDOCS\KMH\2009\Speifications\20585563_Ist amendmentsdoc-7/09/2009 -7 Each enlarged section is hexagonal in plan view with the channel sections extending through the walls of adjacent enlarged sections to form the elongate curved aperture. 5 In use, the screen panels are connected to each other to form a screen deck for a vibratory or rotary screening machine. Particulate material is fed into the screening machine so that it moves over the panels. Particulate material of a size smaller than the enlarged sections will fall through the screen panel. Any larger particles getting stuck in the apertures will eventually be forced through the 10 aperture as a result of the resilient deformability of the material used to construct the panel or the aperture part of the panel as well as a result of pressure exerted thereon by particulate material on top of the stuck material forcing such larger particles through the deformable material defining the apertures. 15 The invention is not limited to the precise details as described herein and many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as, an 20 acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context 25 requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims (14)

1. A screen panel, suitable for use in a vibratory or rotary screening 5 machine, comprising: a body having a plurality of elongate curved apertures provide therethrough.

2. A screen panel as claimed in claim 1 in which the body is planar. 10

3. A screen panel as claimed in any of the receding claims in which each aperture includes a number of enlarged sections, connected via channel sections. 15

4. A screen panel as claimed in claim 3 in which an enlarged section is located at each end of each aperture.

5. A screen panel as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which a mid-way enlarged section is located substantially mid-way in the curved aperture. 20

6. A screen panel as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 in which the enlarged section may be hexagonal in plan view.

7. A screen panel as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 in which the 25 channel sections are formed in the walls defining adjacent enlarged sections, to form the elongate curved aperture. 9

8. A screen panel as claimed in any one of claim 5 to 7 in which the mid way enlarged section has two channel sections extending into its walls at an angle to each other. 5

9. A screen panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the screen panel includes a frame moulded therein, for additional strength.

10 10. A screen panel as claimed in claim 9 in which the frame has side braces and a number of cross-bars.

11. A screen panel as claimed in claim 10 in which the braces or cross bars are made of a plastics material. 15

12. A screen panel as claimed in claim 10 in which the braces or cross bars are made of metal.

13. A screen panel as claimed in claim 10 in which the braces or cross 20 bars are made of fibreglass.

14. A screen panel substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.