GB2165166A - Powered sieve device - Google Patents

Abstract

A powered sieve device comprises a sieve and an eccentric rotatable device such as an orbital sander mounted on the sieve. When the sander is driven vibrations are imparted to the sieve.

Description

SPECIFICATION Powered sieve device The present invention relates to a powered sieve device and in particular to a device for automatically vibrating a coarse-meshed sieve of the type used, for example to separate stone from soil or the like. Such sieves are generally referred as riddles.

Riddles are widely used, particularly in domestic applications to enable unwanted material, such as stones or debris to be separated from a wanted material such as soil. Generally, they comprise a cylindrical side wall, one end of the cylinder being covered by a coarse mesh. The other end of the cylindrical body is open. In use, the riddle is placed on the ground and material to be sieved is loaded onto the mesh. The sieve is then picked up and shaken back and forth so that the material resting on the mesh is agitated and those particles in the material which are small enough pass through the mesh. Particles of different sizes are thereby separated.

Manual sieving of material such as soil in this way is a very laborious process and in practice it is only really possible to sieve relatively small volumes of material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sieve device which is capable of handling relatively large volumes of material.

According to the present invention, there is provided a powered sieve device comprising a sieve, an eccentric rotatable device mounted on the sieve, and means for driving the rotatable device so as to impart vibrations to the sieve.

Preferably, the rotatable device is in the form of a conventional orbital sander which incorporates an eccentric weight. The orbital sander may be a unit designed solely for that purpose, or an accessory for fitting to a conventional electric drill.

The orbital sander may be damped on a plate from which the sieve is suspended on two or more arms.

A stand may be provided to support the device so that the sieve is suspended above a surface on which the stand rests. The stand may comprise legs bolted to the orbital sander or the plate.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The illustrated embodiment comprises a conventional electric drill 1 on which is mounted a conventional sander unit 2. Such units are widely available and enable the user to convert an electric drill into an electric sander. Such units comprise an eccentric weight which is rotated on the end of the output shaft of the electric drill, thereby causing the electric drill in the frame of the sander unit to vibrate vigorously.

The sander unit comprises a base plate 3 which is secured by screws (not shown) to a plate 4 through which the screws extend. It will however, be appreciated that alternative methods for securing the sander unit to the plate 4 could be provided. A simple over-centre catch arrangement would be appropriate.

The plate 4 is secured by bolts and wing nuts to suspension arms 5 which in turn are secured by bolts and wing nuts to the cylindrical body 6 of riddle, The riddle also comprises a mesh 7 secured to the cylindrical body 6. Three support legs 8 are secured by bolts and wing nuts to the sander unit 2 and the riddle is thus suspended above the surface on which the legs rest.

In use, soil or whatever material isto be sieved is deposited on the mesh 7 and the drill 1 is turned on.

The riddle vibrates vigorously and those particles of soil which are small enough fall through the mesh 7.

Further material to be sieved can be added until the mesh 7 becomes clogged with larger particles. The entire unit can then be carried away and inverted over a dump 4 the larger particles. Thus the physically damanding task of shaking the riddle to and fro is completely dispensed with.

It will be appreciated that many alternative forms of the invention are possible. For example, the legs 8 could be secured directly to the plate 4 or the plates 5. The electric drill and sander unit or any other vibration inducing device could be mounted in a simple bracket on the plate 4 and secured therein by an up and over catch or strap or the like. Furthermore, the vibrating unit could be incorporated in the body of the riddle itself, thereby obviating the need for a structure extending over the top of the riddle. The vibrating unit could be powered by an alternative arrangement to an electric motor, for example, an internal combustion engine.

Larger embodiments of the invention could comprise for example, a wire sieve basket mounted on wheels and connected to a vibrating unit.

1. A powered sieve device comprising a sieve, an eccentric rotatable device mounted on the sieve, and means for driving the rotatable device so as to impart vibrations to the sieve.

2. A powered sieve device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable device is in the form of an orbital sander.

3. A powered sieve device according to claim 2, wherein the orbital sander is clamped on a plate from which the sieve is suspended on two or more arms.

4. A powered sieve device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a stand is provided to support the device so that the sieve is suspended above a surface on which the stand rests.

5. A powered sieve device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Powered sieve device The present invention relates to a powered sieve device and in particular to a device for automatically vibrating a coarse-meshed sieve of the type used, for example to separate stone from soil or the like. Such sieves are generally referred as riddles. Riddles are widely used, particularly in domestic applications to enable unwanted material, such as stones or debris to be separated from a wanted material such as soil. Generally, they comprise a cylindrical side wall, one end of the cylinder being covered by a coarse mesh. The other end of the cylindrical body is open. In use, the riddle is placed on the ground and material to be sieved is loaded onto the mesh. The sieve is then picked up and shaken back and forth so that the material resting on the mesh is agitated and those particles in the material which are small enough pass through the mesh. Particles of different sizes are thereby separated. Manual sieving of material such as soil in this way is a very laborious process and in practice it is only really possible to sieve relatively small volumes of material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sieve device which is capable of handling relatively large volumes of material. According to the present invention, there is provided a powered sieve device comprising a sieve, an eccentric rotatable device mounted on the sieve, and means for driving the rotatable device so as to impart vibrations to the sieve. Preferably, the rotatable device is in the form of a conventional orbital sander which incorporates an eccentric weight. The orbital sander may be a unit designed solely for that purpose, or an accessory for fitting to a conventional electric drill. The orbital sander may be damped on a plate from which the sieve is suspended on two or more arms. A stand may be provided to support the device so that the sieve is suspended above a surface on which the stand rests. The stand may comprise legs bolted to the orbital sander or the plate. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing. The illustrated embodiment comprises a conventional electric drill 1 on which is mounted a conventional sander unit 2. Such units are widely available and enable the user to convert an electric drill into an electric sander. Such units comprise an eccentric weight which is rotated on the end of the output shaft of the electric drill, thereby causing the electric drill in the frame of the sander unit to vibrate vigorously. The sander unit comprises a base plate 3 which is secured by screws (not shown) to a plate 4 through which the screws extend. It will however, be appreciated that alternative methods for securing the sander unit to the plate 4 could be provided. A simple over-centre catch arrangement would be appropriate. The plate 4 is secured by bolts and wing nuts to suspension arms 5 which in turn are secured by bolts and wing nuts to the cylindrical body 6 of riddle, The riddle also comprises a mesh 7 secured to the cylindrical body 6. Three support legs 8 are secured by bolts and wing nuts to the sander unit 2 and the riddle is thus suspended above the surface on which the legs rest. In use, soil or whatever material isto be sieved is deposited on the mesh 7 and the drill 1 is turned on. The riddle vibrates vigorously and those particles of soil which are small enough fall through the mesh 7. Further material to be sieved can be added until the mesh 7 becomes clogged with larger particles. The entire unit can then be carried away and inverted over a dump 4 the larger particles. Thus the physically damanding task of shaking the riddle to and fro is completely dispensed with. It will be appreciated that many alternative forms of the invention are possible. For example, the legs 8 could be secured directly to the plate 4 or the plates 5. The electric drill and sander unit or any other vibration inducing device could be mounted in a simple bracket on the plate 4 and secured therein by an up and over catch or strap or the like. Furthermore, the vibrating unit could be incorporated in the body of the riddle itself, thereby obviating the need for a structure extending over the top of the riddle. The vibrating unit could be powered by an alternative arrangement to an electric motor, for example, an internal combustion engine. Larger embodiments of the invention could comprise for example, a wire sieve basket mounted on wheels and connected to a vibrating unit. CLAIMS

1. A powered sieve device comprising a sieve, an eccentric rotatable device mounted on the sieve, and means for driving the rotatable device so as to impart vibrations to the sieve.

2. A powered sieve device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable device is in the form of an orbital sander.

3. A powered sieve device according to claim 2, wherein the orbital sander is clamped on a plate from which the sieve is suspended on two or more arms.

4. A powered sieve device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a stand is provided to support the device so that the sieve is suspended above a surface on which the stand rests.

5. A powered sieve device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.