AU644293B2 - Screening panel - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 2815191 Regulation 3.2(2) -kLJ 1 I ~ALIA 6 44' 2 V Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT nber: PK 6510 dged: 5 June 1991.

Application Nun Invention Title: "SCREENING PANEL" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to SCREEN ELEMENTS This invention relates to screening parels and screening decks as used for the separation and grading of materials for example in the mining and quarrying industries.

Screen decks are subject to abrasion and wear which is often concentrated in particular zones of the screendeck so that replacement of the total deck may not be needed.

Australian Patent 482212 provided a screen panel with peripheral dependent protrusions having a shoulder so that adjacent panels had aligned shouldered protrusions which had an interference fit into holes in the supporting frame of the screen deck. The shoulders on the protrusions abutted the undersurface of the edges of the holes in the 1 0 frame to retain the protrusions and consequently the screen elements. The screen elements according to patent 482212 were intended to be inserted by force e.g.

hammering and to be removed by leverage. Removal is difficult because it is difficult to insert a suitable tool between the panels and lever up the panel without damaging the frame.

S 1 5 In practice the time taken and the effort required to install and remove the screen panels according to Patent 482212 can be excessive. One attempt to provide a less strenuous and less time consuming means of installation is taught in Australian Patent 517319. This patent modifies the screen panels of 482212 by eliminating the shoulder on the protrusions and providing grooves in the protrusions and pins which when inserted 20 in the grooved protrusions distend them to retain the panels in the frame. This pin expanded fastening method is generally quicker and less strenuous than 'he installation of panels according to patent 482212 but has the disadvantage of requirir,,g more parts in :i the inventory and the possibility of losing the pins as well as rendering the system more costly. Removal of the panels was still difficult as each individual pin has to be removed before removal of the panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple solution to the problem associated with removing the panels of the type described in patent 482212 or 517319.

To this end the present invention provides a screening panel for mounting on a supporting frame formed of apertured bars in abutment with adjacent screening panels said screening panel comprising a screening surface and a periphery having dependent protrusions for insertion into said apertures in said bars of the supporting frame to form with the protrusions of adjacent screening panels composite protrusions, said screen panel having on at least one side face which abuts against a side face of an adjacent panel, recess extending from the screening surface toward the ba,,e of the panel which rests on said base said recess being spaced laterally from any protrusions on said side face.

1 0 The provision of a recess on the side face away from the protrusions provides a visual indication on the screening surface of where to insert a lever or removal tool. In the past such tools were. often inserted precisely where the protrusions were located making leverage impossible. The recess also facilitates insertion of the tool to provide sufficient purche- to be achieved to lift the protrusions sufficiently to enable easy Oiler: removal of the pane,,.

Preferably the recess is in two parts. One part lies on the side face of the panel :and the other is on the base of the panel adjacent the side face recess to provide a clearance for the end of the removal tool between the support bar and the panel.

Preferably a sealing flange is provided between these two recesses to prevent 20 fines from the material being screened from falling onto the frame.

It is preferred that the recesses be provided on at least 2 side faces. With square or rectangular panels recesses located near two diagonally opposite corners are preferred although it is most preferred that the recesses be located on each side face adjacent the righthand corner.

It is also preferred that the panels are designed so that for each pair of abutting side faces the recesses are at opposite ends of the side face.

A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of 3 adjacent panels and figure 2 is a detailed cross section of a corner of a panel.

The panel shown is that disclosed in patent 482212 modified according to this invention.

Each screen panel 1 comprises a screening surface 2, side faces 3 and protrusions 4.

The side face recesses 5 are located on the right hand end of each side face 3 and this ensures that a plain portion of each side face 3 abuts each side face recess The base recess 6 extends over the full base corner section of each corner of 1 0 the panels 1.

The outer edge of the base recess 6 is chamfered to provide for improved ~:.:'leverage for the removal tool. The sealing flange 7 to engage in the base recess 6 replaces each side face recess 5 from its associated base recess 6 to prevent material fines falling onto the support frame.

S 1 5 To remove a panel from a screen deck a removal tool which may be a screw driver is inserted into a recess 5 so that the end passes over the flange 7 and is then levered back to lift the corner of the panel to loosen the corner from the frame. When the same operation is carried out on a diagonally opposite corner of the panel, the whole panel is loosened and can be removed.

20 From the above it can be seen that this invention provides a unique means to remove a panel with minimum effort and time.

Claims (4)

1. A screening panel for mounting on a supporting frame formed of apertured bars in abutment with adjacent screening panels, -1od screening panel comprising: i) a screening surface; ii) a periphery formed of side faces having dependent protrusions for insertion into said apertures in said bars to form with the protrusions of adjacent screening panels composite protrusions; and iii) at least one said side face which abuts against a side face of an adjacent panel having a recess extending from the screening surface toward the portion of said side I or-e- ro\ face which abits a bar of the supporting frame said recess being spaced-liteall from any said protrusions on said side face. I

2. A screening panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recess is provided on at least two side faces.

3. A screening panel as claimed in claim 2 wherein the recesses are provided adjacent diagonally opposite corners of said panel.

4. A screening panel as claimed in any one of claims one to three wherein a second recess is located on the bottom edge of said side face to enable an extraction tool to engage with the panel to lower the panel off the support frame. A screening panel as claimed in claim 4 wherein a sealing flange separates said recess in said side face from the second recess located on the bottom edge of said side face. DATED the 27th day of April 1992. RICHARDSON PACIFIC LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS THE ATRIUM 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN, VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA oBMCH (0oC.14) Au0oOPK6S1o.wPc ABSTRACT A screening panel 3 is provided with a recess 5 in its side face to enable insertion of a tool to lever the panel out of a supporting frame to which it is secured by virtue of the protrusions 4 engaging in apertures in the bars of a supporting frame. The recess 6 is provided so that the end of the tool can engage in recess 6 to lever off the panel. The sealing flange 7 is provided to prevent fines from the screening operation from falling onto the frame. o.. 4* s *S *S*S