US1080072A - Screening-machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. & A. W. MOLD.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

awuemkozs J. F. & A. W. MOLE SCREENING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1911.

Pafienied 2, 1

Luisa-ma a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS F. MOLD AND ALBERT W. MOLD, OF SUNRISE, MINNESOTA.

SCREENING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Application filed September 28, 1911. Serial No. 651,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ULlUS F. Mom) and Anni-112T \V. MOLD, citizens of the United States. residing at Sunrise, in the county of Chisago and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screening-h'lachines; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the FlllllQ- This invention relates to screening machines, and more especially it is adapted for sorting and separating potatoes and like articles so that they may be graded according to their size, and for meanwhile screening or separating the dirt, sprouts, and like material therefrom.

The object of the invention is to produce certain detailed improvements in such machines, to which end it conslsts of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as Wlll be more fully described and claimed In the accompanying drawings: Flgnre 1 is a side view of our improved potato sorting machine; Fig. 2 is a top lan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the machine; Fig. 4 1s a vertical cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the directlon of the arrow; Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in the opposite direction.

In the embodiment of'the invention we provide a frame 1 comprising lower longitudinally disposed bars or sills 2 to the rear portions of which are secured the lower ends of a series of uprights or standards 3 and 3 connected together near their upper ends by longitudinal side bars 4. The rear ends of the side bars 4 are connected together by a cross bar 5 and the upper ends of the standards 3 and 3 project above the side bars 4 and cross bar 5 as shown.

Arranged above the side bars and cross bar of the frame is a screen supporting frame comprising side boards 6 between which is arranged an upper coarse screen 7 which extends from one end of the frame to the other. Below the inner portion of the screen 7 and referably extendin a little more than half the length thereo is a lower finer screen 8 which is 8 need a suitable distance from the screen and is secured to the lower edges of the boards H as shown. The screen frame is engaged with and removably supported at its outer end on the adjacent ends of the side bars 4 and across the bar 5 and at its inner end said frame is supported by short links 9 pivotally secured thereto at one end and at their opposite ends pivotnlly connected to the adjacent portions of the side bars 4 as shown. When thus supported the screen frame is held at a slight angle or inclination toward the outer or discharge end thereof and has its outer or discharge end slidably engaged between the projecting upper ends of the standards 3.

Arranged between the standards 3 and 3 of the frame and below the screen frame are wide and narrow chutes 10 and 11 having their bottoms 12 pivotally connected midway between their side edges to a shaft 13 arranged in the end boards or walls and artition 14 of the chutes. By thus arrangmg and supporting the bottoms 12 of the chutes, said bot-toms may be tilted or inclined in either direction as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, to discharge the contents of the chutes at either side of the machine. The lower end or hottoms 12 of the chutes are on aged with longitudinal chute supportin bars 15 secured at their ends to the stan ards 8 and 3 as shown.

On the sides and lower edges of the side boards 6 of the screen frame are arranged wear plates 16 which are ada )tcd to slidably enga e the ends of the si e bars 4 and the cross at 5 and the adjacent upper ends of the standards 3 when the screen frame is reeiprocated, thus relieving the engaging parts of the frame from being worn. in the outer end of the screen frame at the. end of the screen 7 is arranged a tapered dis charge chute 17 by means of which the potatoes in passing from the screen frame are discharged into the bag which is preferably supported by a suitable holder on a weighing scale which is adapted to be arranged at the discharge end of the machine. The chute 17 is pivotally secured in the end of the screen frame and is adapted to be swung upwardly at right angles and across the. mouth of the frame as shown in dotted lines in Fl 3 0f the drawings in which position said 0 ate forms a sto to prevent the lis charge of the potatoes mm the upper screen after a bag has been filled and while the filled bag is being removed and replaced by I an empty bag. The chute 17 is held in an cated to agitate the screens therein by means of a reciprocating mechanism comprising a crank shaft v18 revolubly mounted in suitable bearings on' the standards 3 and having engaged therewith a pitman rod l9.the free end ofwhich is connected by a spring a 20 to a cross bar 21 secured at its ends to the lower edges of the side boards 6 of the screenframe as shown. By means of the spring 20 a flexible connection isv rovided between the. endof the pitman rod 19 and the screen frame which will prevent the crank shaft and pitman rod from lifting the screen frame during the reciprocating movement imparted thereto by these parts. The

shaft 18'.has fixedly mounted on one end a driving pulley 22 which is'preferably connected by a belt 23 to a driving pulley 24 on the shaft 25 of a small motor 26 arranged on asuitable platform 27 in the lower portion of the frame 1 as shown. The motor 26 may be 'of any suitable construction but is preferably in the form of a gasolene motor. Arranged in the frame above the motor is an inclined motor protecting board or chute 28 whereby the motor is protected from any objects which' might fall thereon from above. Arranged in the front end of the frame. 1 is'an inclined elevating mechanism comprising a chute 29 the lower end ofwhichis secured to the front ends of the sills 2, while the upper end thereof is secured to the upper ends of the standards 3 and to the forwardly projecting ends of the side bars 4 as shown. On the lower end of the chute 29 is arranged a hopper 30 into which the po tat'oes are shoveled' or dumped and from which the. same are carried up the chute and discharged into the screen frame by means of an endless conveyor comprising endless sprocket chains 31 which are engaged with sprocket gears 32 mounted on a shaft33 in the lower ehd of the chute and with sprocke gears34 fixed on a'drive shaft 35 revolubly mounted'in the upper end of the chute as shown. The chains 31 are connected by a series .of slats 36; which are carried around by the chains over the bottom of the chute, thereby conveying the potatoes from the hopper up the chute and discharging the potatocs'at the upperend thereof onto the a shaft '35 which has fixedly mounted. on one" fchains screen frame in which they are separated by the screens as herembefore described. The conveyer chains are operated by the drive end a sprocket gear 37 connected by sprocket 38 :to a sprocket gear 39 fixed on the the machine the proper direction for conveying the potatoes from the hopper to screens.

As clearly shown the conveyor frame 29 of the elevatin mechanism is arranged at an incline, an the receiving end of the screen frame is likewise formed or beveled, whereby when the machine is in operation the said screen frame will be reciprocated to and from the conveyer frame 29, during the movement of the endless conveyerfor depositing'the potatoes within the screen frame when the' receiving end ofthe same is adjacentto the conveyor frame, the gearing being properly proportioned and arranged for carrying out the movement of the parts referred to. By this construction and arrangement of parts it is impossible I the separating for any of the potatoes to pass between the receiving end'bf the reciprocating screen frame and the conveyor frame during the.

operation of the machine.

In order place to another we provide small supporting wheels 40 which are revolubly mounted on stub axles 41 secured in the lower ends of levers 42 pivotally mounted on the outer sides of the sills 2 substantially midway between the ends of the machine whereby when said levers are swung upwardly and downwardly the wheels 40 will be brought into and out of operative position to provide a. wheeled support for whereby the latter may be readily pushed from place to place. When the longer ends of the levers 4.2 are swung upwardly the-wheels 40 on theshorter ends thereof will be brought into engagement with the floor or surface on whichthe machine is resting thus elevatin the machine a slight distance above the oorand permittin the same to be placed on the wheels and t us pushed to t e desired position. After the machine has thus been brought to the desired position the longer ends of the levers 42 are swung downwardly thereby lifting the wheels 40 and permitting the machine to again lower into engagement with the floor, as will be readily understood.

In the operation of the machine the latter may be arranged in the 'door of a warehouse and the potatoes shoveled from a car or wagon directly into the hopper 30 from whence they are elevated by the conveyor mechanism and discharged onto the upper screen in the screen frame. The reciprocating movement of the screen frame will mo:ve

to facilitate the moving of the 7 machine from one the larger potatoes across the screen to the I will pass into the bag pro ings,

tatoes, sprouts and any foreign matter and dirt will pass through the larger screen and the smallest or unsalable potatoes, dirt and the like will pass through the lower screen and into the larger discharge chute from whence they are conducted to a basket or other receptacle. The smaller potatoes which were too large to pass through the lower. screen will be discharged from the rear end thereof into the smaller chute and will be conducted thereby to a suitable receptacle provided to receive the same. It

will be noted that in the operation of the screen'frame a direct reciprocating or back and forth movement is imparted thereto-by the driving mechanism thereof and that the Various changes in the form, proportion" and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing'from the principl'e or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention,

what we claim is:

A screening machine comprising a main frame, a screen frame whose delivery end is in sliding engagement with the forward end of said main frame, links p'ivotally connectint the opposite end of the screen frame with said main frame, a rotary crank shaft, a pitman rod connected with its crank, and

- a leaf spring secured at one. end to said rod and at its other end to across bar in' the screen frame and having a tendency to hold the forward end of such frame in frictional contact with the main frame whereby the screen frame is given an edgewise movement and prevented from changing its vertical position during its reciprocation.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JULIUS'F. MOLD. ALBERT W. MOLD.

-Witnesses:

Manon LUN'IZ, E. Nonncsnn.

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