US1460176A - Sorting machine - Google Patents

Description

June 26, 1923.

In V6I1 tor: Cf/lor/e 5 F 4706 ar 0 I1 Mk, I m4; Atty June 26, 1923' c. F. RICHARDSON SORTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1. 1

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 yen tor: C/mr/es 1f F A, Atty Junze, 1923- C, F. RICHARDSON SORTING MACHINE 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v w 3% Q E Atty June 26, 1923.

c. F. RICHARDSON SORTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 70/;

Char/25 A /f/ 6/70/2150 Patented June 26, 1923.

unirsn srarss PATENT OFFICE.

o'HAnLEs r. tsIoHARnsoN; or woonsocnn'r, nnonn IsLAnn; AssIGnoR 'roIKARPELEs COMPAN or rnovrnnncn, nnonn ISLAND, A oonrona'rron or :sHoDE ISLAND.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, CHARLns F. Brennan soN, acitizen of the United States, residing at WVoonsoclret, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting Machines, of which the following is i a specification. i I,

This invention relates to machines for sort- 1 ing granular-material according to the size of the grainsand has particular reference to devicesof this type wherein the unassorted material is fed from a common source through a series of sorting stations at each of which grains of a givensize are retained, the progress of the material being such that as, the latter passesithrough the machinethe chargesfrom stationtostation become progressively smaller in size as to grains. The cl1arges retained at the several stations may be collected .inseparate containers and removed from the machine.

The presentinvention is designed more particularly for assorting such commodities as artificial pearls, nuts or fruits forexample; and the apparatus embodies certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts adapted to carryout the M0 a. essary sequence of operations to produce the desired result w i l p y In machines of this general type as now constructed, i't is usually necessaryto make substantial alterationsin the various parts of the machine if it is desired to change one set of sorting or sizing members for another set having different sized sorting openings. By my invention I provide asimple and efficient mechanismto accomplishthis purpose without changing any of the operative parts of the machine and I can by. a very simple-operation, adapt the machine to separate practically any number ofthe various sizes of material, andone object of the invention is to provide means. whereby this purpose is attained. i

A further object of my invention is to provide a feeding mechanism adapted to deliver charges from a general hopper at predetermined intervals according to thepositions of the sorting stations into which the charge is conducted. l An illustra jive embodiment of the invention incorporated in a machine specially designed to sort batches of artificial pearls is nism sonrlne MACHINE.

Applicationfiled October 1,1921; Serial No. 504,679.

shown in the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a frontyelev'ational view of a machine embodying the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper'or receiving portion of the machine, certain parts appearing partlyin section and others in elevation; I y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the lower or driveportion of the machine, parts being broken away to clearly show internal mecha- Fig. 4 is a side elevational view looking in the direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 2, showing the automatically controlled clutch mechanism for controllingtheoperation of the .conveyor;

Fig. 5 is a perspective, view of sup porting, tilting and driving mechanism for a screen or trommel;

Fig. 6' is a perspective View of one of the receiving receptacles showingth'e pro ecting chute and cam surfaces for opening a trap door carried by the trommel for the purpose of releasing the contents during the tilting operation; i

Fig. 7 is a substantially transverse sec- .tion'al view through one of the sorting units illustrating the means used to release any body which may have become engaged in the perforations in the screens. p

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotesthe machine framecomprising a pair of vertical side walls 11 secured at their lower ends to a base or platform 12 and spaced apart at their upper ends and secured, to the opposite edges of an overhead piece 13." The thereon, the operating mechanism of the device. -Theplatform 12 supports a motor 15 having its drive shaft 16 provided with a rear of the frame 10 is formed by a wall or plate 14 which supports, at various polnts worm 17 This motor 15 is preferably located in the lower left hand corner of the frame10, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and

is secured thereto by suitable brackets 18. Power is transmitted from the worm 17 to a worm wheel 19, meshing with the screw and mounted on one end of a' counter shaft 20 adapted'to rotate in suitable bearings 21 secured to the back wall 14. With this construction the speed of the counter shaft 20 is substantially decreased relatively to the speed of the motor shaft 16. A bevel gear 22 is carried by the opposite end of the counter shaft and is in mesh with a similar bevel gear 23 mounted on one end of a drive shaft 24 which is supported in bearings 25 secured to the back wall 14 and which extends substantially parallel to the wall itself. As the shaft 24 revolves the sorting, tilting and feeding mechanisms are caused to operate in a mannerhereafter described.

The sizing or sorting mechanism, which will now be described, is shown in detail in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5. Mounted on the drive shaft 24 intermediate its ends is a bevel gear 26 in mesh with a similar bevel gear 27 carried by a counter shaft 28 which in turn carries a sprocket wheel 29 and which is loosely supported in a bearing provided in the back wall 14. Passing over the sprocket wheel 29 is a continuous chain 30 which travels in the direction indicated by the arrows at in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Extending upwardly from the sprocket wheel 29, the chain 30 engages alternate sides of a series of sprocket wheels 31 arranged one above the other and in parallel vertical alignment with theupright side walls 11. These sprockets are equidistantly s aced apart and aremounted on stud sha' ts 32 bearing in suitable openings provided in the back wall 14. The chain 30 extends from next to the uppermost sprocket wheel 31- towards the left side of the frame 10 closely adjacent the side wall 11 and engages about a sprocket wheel 33 which drives the feeding mechanism. The chain 30 then extends to the uppermost sprocket wheel 31 and passes to an idler sprocket wheel 34 loosely mounted on a stud shaft fixed in the back wall 14. This idler sprocket wheel 34, which constitutes the uppermost support for the chain, is directly above and in line with the sprocket wheel 29 so that the chain 30 extends in a vertical plane from the one sprocket to the other.

As shown in Figure 5, each stud shaft 32 pro ects substantially beyond its sprocket wheel and carries intermediately thereof a rocking sleeve 35 having a'laterally proectlngarm 36 adapted to support one end of a trommel or substantially cylindrical of the right hand series screen A, the other end of which is removably secured to the flanged end portion of a evel gear .37 meshing with a similar bevel gearo38 carried on'the outer end of the stud shaft 32' beyond the sleeve 35. It will be noted that all ofthe sorting devices are constructed and mountedin exactly the same way, except that the cylinders, of which there are two series, oneqat the right hand slde and the other at the left hand side of the frame10,are arranged so that the members are ona substant ally higher horizontal plane than the corresponding members of the left hand series. This staggered relation of a the cylinders causes the material tobesorted to travel by gravity from the uppermost members to the lowermost members in a zigzag line. It will also be noted that the perforations or mesh in the. revolving cylinders A will be largest in the uppermost member and gradually diminish in size in each successive cylinder so that the smallest openings will be in the lowermost. member.

Referring again to Figure 5 the projecting arm 36 comprises a substantially straight rigid bar carrying, at a point adjacent the sleeve 35, a bracket 39 to support the bevel gear 37 in abearing collar 40 through which the flanged port-ion 41 of the gear itself projects. The flanged portion 41 consists of an annular inner portion 42, the face of which is secured to the rear face of the bevel gear 37 bymachine screws projecting through the gear proper and received in threaded openings in the'ring 42, and an integral marginal flange 43 projecting outwardly from the periphery of the ring 42. This flange 43 is substantlally a narrow gauge web designed to provide a shoulder, at the side thereof opposite to the ring portion 42, and against which the end of the cylinder screen A may rest, as shown in the sectional view of one of these cylinders in Figure 2; the annular portion 44 which projects beyond the flange 43, and which is substantially of the same size as the diameter of the inner periphery of the cylinder screen A, is used as a centering device for one end of the cylinder A. In

order to compel the cylinder screen A to revolve with the bevel gear 37 and flanged portion 41 I provide the shoulder of'the web 43 with .a pair of diametrically opposite pins 45 projecting outwardly over the surface of the centeringring 44. These pins 45 register with correspondingly located openings 46 in. the end of the cylinder A. Extending axially through the bevel gear 37 and flange 41 is a receiving or intake opening 47 having its inner annular wall flared outwardly from a pointmidway ofthe width of the flanged portion 41 to the face of the annular cent-ering ring 44.

The mechanism just described is thesupporting and operating means for the cylinder' screens A at one'end thereof the opposite end being capped by a cup shaped member 48 having a pair of discharge openings 49 and a centrally disposed conical bearing 50 adapted to receive an adjustable cone bearing pin 51 carried adjacent the outer end of a pivoted arm 52. This arm 52 is substantially L-shaped, the longer branch carrying a U-piece 53 having one of its edges held parallel to the axis of the cylinder screen A and the other edge projecting at substantially right angles to the first named edge. A pivot screw 54 extends "the receiving end of the latter. The cam this cam revolves towards the right the roller 77 is shown as descending the left side ofthe cam. This arrangement calls for a slight advance in thesetting of each succeeding cam starting from theuppermost and then alternately from right to left and left to right across the frame 10- so that by the time the lowermost cylinder A hasbeen tilted rearwardly to discharge its contents the uppermost'cylin'der will have returned to its initial or receiving position.

The feeding mechanism, shown in Figure 2, comprises a hopper 80 mounted adjacent the left hand edge of the machine and resting over a suitable opening in the over head piece 13. The'mouth of the hopper is a restrictedJopeningSl at the lower end of an inclined portion of the hopper itself and is provided with an undercut portion 82 adapt-- ed to receivetheintake end of a conveyor casing 89, The conveyor comprises a cast head 84 provided with the intake tubular portion, referred to above, which is substantially upright and leads to an opening; 85 adjacent the bottom of the casting and at right angles to the axis of the upright portion. The portion ofthe wall which is opposite the opening 85 is provided with a bearing opening" 86 to support one, end of a shaft 87, the opposite end of which carries a screw conveyor 88. Secured at one'endto the casting 83 and projecting axially of the shaft 87 is a cylindrical casing 89 enclosing 4 the screw conveyor 88,the other end of said casingbeing provided with a cap 90 having a bearing openlng therein to receive the end ofthe shaft 87 beyond the screw conveyor, Pivoted to opposite sides of this cap 90' and projecting outwardly therefrom'is a chute 91 leading from a discharge opening 93 in the end of the cap. The forward end of the chute is yieldably supported in the forked :piece 64 of the uppermost cylinder screen A.

The casting 84 is provided with an integral bracket 9 1. shown in Figure 4:, which The hollow shaft 99 extends rearwardly of the machine and is provided with-a key 100 in its outer periphery and adjacent the end thereof to receive a keyway 101 of the movable member of a toothed clutch 102 adapted to slide axially of the hollow shaft 99. Looselymounted in the bore of this hollow shaft 99 and projecting to a point closely adjacent the back wall 14 is a constantly rotating shaft 103 supported at a point short of the rear end thereof in a bearing 10 1 carried'by the back wall 1 1.- Pinned to theshaft 103 adjacent the rearward end of the hollow shaft 99 is the second member of the clutch 102. Power is applied to the shaft 103 through a spur gear 105 pinned to the rearward end of shaft itself beyond the bearing 104, and meshing with a sub-"' stantially larger spur gear 106 carried by shaft 107 on the opposite end of which is keyed the sprocket wheel 33. I l

The mechanism just described provides a means for constantly rotating the shaft 103- and one member of the clutch 102, and in order to synchronize the tilting operation of the uppermost cylinder A with the rotation of the screw conveyor 88 the members of the clutch 102 must befbrought into engagement carried by a portion of the bracket 94:. The

other arm of the lever 110 pivotally supports one end of a link 112 the opposite end of which projects downwardly below the plane of the rockerarm 36 andis pivoted toone end of a straight lever 113 the latter being pivoted midway ofits length to the back wall 14. The opposite end of the lever 113- is normally pulled downwardly by a spring 113 and carries a cam roller 114 adapted to rest on a rotary cam 115, which is mounted on the stud shaft 74 andwhich, as shown inFigure 5, forms an integral part ofsthe uppermost cam 76 or the left" hand series. This cam '115is virtually a 1 seggn'ient of a perfect round disk and is pro vided with. a quick rise and fall to and from the. high portion of the cam. InfFigure 2, the relative positions of the cams 76 and .115 are shown, whereby the rise to the cam 115 effecting; the operation of the clutch 102 to throw the latter into engagement is operating substantially simultaneously with the continued raising moven'ient of the roller 77 after the latter has been lifted over the first rise in the cam 76 of the uppermost right hand cylinder screen Aito return the latter to the receiving position] The length of the operatingcam surface of the cam 115 corresponds to the length of the second rise 76 of the cam 7 6.

The receiving stations at the'discharge ends of the cylinder screens A are best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6, and consist of rectangular boxes 116 supported in suitablebox'like brackets 117 secured to the inner face of the side walls 11. Each of these receptacles 116 is provided with a cut out portion 118 extending from the upper open edge of the front wall to a point about one half the height of the latter and midway the length of the wall. Projecting outwardly from the edges of the cut out portion 118 and inclined upwardly is a chute 119 the upper free end of which is flared outwardly to a width substantiallyequalfto the diameter of the cylinder screen A from which the sorted charge escapes and falls upon the chute. Whn in operativeposition the lip of the trap door 58 is directly over the ycentral portion of the of any suitable material such as wire mesh or perforated metal plates infthe form of tubes, the latterbeing of any length and 25 diameter consistent 'with the type of material to be sorted, but "forillustrative purposes I have shown a series of perforated shells 121 of substantially identical construction except that the perforations in the uppermost shell are thelargest and' graduategin size in each succeedingshell until the smallest openings are in thelowermost shell. v

In Figure 3, the-final receiving station or receptacle is, shown and comprises a box 122 removably supported on suitable brackets 123 secured tothe'back wall 14:. 'Intothis receptacle all of the material too small to be retained in the lowermostcylinder is collected. As, hereinafter explained this unsorted-material maybe sized in another set of cylinders hai 'ing'still smaller openings than those of the machinethrough which the material passed.

To prevent pieces ofthe material being sorted from remaining wedged between the edges ofthe perforations of the cylindrical casing 121 I provide a wiper'12-1, shownin Figure'i, which consists of a slightly flexible piece of material of a length equal to that of the cylinder itself and which is adapted tobe rigidl held along one of its edges by two clamping members 125 carried on. the inner-edge ofthe rocking arm 86. The opposite edge of this member 124 projects out 55 i wardly toward the peripheryof the cylinder where it contacts with and follows-the contour of the latter. lVith this construction it will be seen thatshould a particle of the material be of a size which will very closely fit the diameter of the perforations and become wedged therein thewvipei" 124 will push the particle backwards into cylindrical shell 121.

The following is a sequence of steps which constitute .onecycle' of'the operation of the machine... Assuming the; hopper :80 .to have been filled with thematerial to be sorted,

pearls for example; the cylinder screens A in their respective positions according to the cams 76, shown in Figure 1, andthe superposed receiving receptacles 116in proper po sitions, and assuming further that the power is turned on, the driving shaft24 will rotate causing the chains 30, and 71 to travel the directions of the arrows a and bjto .im-

part a continuous rotary and an intermittent oscillatory movement to each cylinder and to feed predetermined quantities of such ma; terial from the hopper at certain inter vals and into the interior of the uppermost cylinder screen'for separation. v

The operation of the feeding mechanism is'as follows z Takingthe position of the cam 1 15 shown in 'Figure 2, which isr o tated in clockwise direction, the drop in the cam 115 is vlowering the roller 114 of the arm 113 under the tensionof the. spring 113 The link 112 is moving upwardly rocking the bell crank 109 and releasing ,the clutch .members from engagement with eaclrother. The roller 11 i:hav ng.reachedthe low portion of the cam 115. will have completely re base of the hopper to the discharge opening 93 in the endof the .conveyor casing .89,

leased the clutch 102 and the conveyor. screw From the discharge opening 93 the material n falls upon theinclined chute 91 and descends into the interior ofthecylinder shell 121... It will :be understood that the cylinderfA of. each series are constantly rotating so that immediately acharge of materialis received theseparating operation is effected andthe' particlesmaller than the perforations, in the I cylinder in which they, are conducted fall to the underlying chute .62and so on untilthe very smallest particles are collected inlt he ilowermost receptacle.

Subsequently to the releasing movement the clutch members 102 by the cam 1 15 the rotary movement of the cam operating the uppermost right hand cylinder has brought the fallin the last. named cam'just in advance of the roller 7? so that as the -1 cam 76 continuesfurther rotation the roller and the'rocker arm 86'will havemoved arcuatelyand in a downwardly direction about the stud shaft 32 to discharge the separated material in thecylinder; As tliedischarg e end of thecylinder approaches its extreme lowermost position the lip60 onthe trap door 58 contacts with the cam surfaces and tends to swing the former outwardly away fromthe openings 49. In this tilted position all of theretained material within the cylinder A escapes throng-l the discharge opening 19 onto the chute-119 vandinto the receptacle or 1303 116. This operation takes place in each of the staggered sorting stations of. the machine and at subsequent pei "cording to size, the combination with a feedriods, because as the remaining portion of a charge travels from one station to the next lower station several rotations of each c linder are necessary to properly separate tie smaller sizes from the size unable to escape. through the perforations. And in order to follow up with a subsequent charge simultaneously with the discharge of the preceding charge from the lowermost cylinder the cams 76 are adjusted so that each lags slightly behind the preceding one; or in other words, the rise in the uppermost cam 76 of the one series moves against the roller 77 slightly in advance of the uppermost cam 76 of the other series and so on down from side to side until the fall in the lowermost cam is about to discharge the contents of its cylinder while the rise in the cam of the uppermost cylinder islifting the latter to its initial position toreceive a new charge.

In order to explain the operation necessary to make a rapid change of one set of cylinders for another set having driferent .s1ze perforations, particular attention is called to Figure 5. The operations necessary are as follOws-z-In removing a cylinder screen A the L-shap'ed arm 52 is swung about its pivot screw 54 until the fiat side of the U .piece 53 extending substantially parallel to the long arm of the member 52 is parallel with the spring 55. The arm 52 will then remain in this position until the cylinder has been moved axially and away from the flange 44 and pins 45 of the bevel gear 37. A new cylinder is then substituted forthe other by inserting its open end over the flange 44 and bringing the openings 46 into register with the pins 45 and then seating the end of the cylindrical casing 121 against the web or shoulder 43. The arm 52 is then returned to its initial position and the pin 51 centered in the bearing 50 of the discharge end or cap 48 of the caslng 121.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat rality of cylindrical sorting stations, means for'operating said stations, and oscillating means for collecting unsorted material from the stations and delivering same for subsequent separation to succeeding stations.

, 2. In a machine for sorting material according to' size, the combination of a plurality of cylindrical sorting stations, said stationsbeing disposed one above the other and at opposite sides of the machine, means ,for operating said stat ons, and oscillating means for collecting the unsorted material from the stations'and delivering same for subsequent separation to the succeeding lower stations at the opposite sides of the machine.

3. Ina machine for sorting material acing mechanism, of'a plurality, of cylindrical sorting stations, said stations being disposed one above the other at alternate sides of the machine, means for operating said feeding mechanism and said stations, and oscillating means for collecting unsorted material from v the stations and delivering same to the suc ceeding stations at the opposite sides of the machine.

4. In a machine for sorting material according to size, the combination with a feeding mechanism for feeding charges of said material to. be separated, of a plurality of sorting stations comprising cylindrical screening devices arranged in series at opposite sides of the machine, the screening devices of one series being disposed at a different plane from the corresponding screening devices of the other series, means for continuously rotating and intermittently oscillating saidscreening devices and operating said feeding mechanism, and .oscillat ing means for collecting the unsorted mate; rial for subsequent separation from each,

screening deviceand delivering same to the interior of the succeeding lower screening device of the opposite series.

5. In a machine for sorting material ac,- cording to size, the combination with a feeding mechanism for feeding charges of said material, of a plurality of cylindrical revolving and intermittently oscillating sorting stations for receiving said charges for subsequent separation, means for operating said stations, oscillating. means for conveying the remaining portion of said charge from one station to another station, and means for receiving the retained portion of said charge at each station. 1 j

6. In a machine for sorting material according to size, the 'con'ibination of a plurality of sorting stations comprising cylindrical screening members provided with inlet and outlet openings at opposite ends thereof, pivotal supporting members for said screening members, means for continuously rotating said screens, and'means for operating said supporting members to in cline the axis of saidscreening members first in an upwardly direction toward the outlet ends and then in a downwardly direction toward the same ends.

7. In a machine for sorting material according to size, the combination of a plurality of sorting stations comprising perforated cylindrical members, a supporting. apparatus for each cylindrical member, including means whereby a portion of said apparatus may be adjusted to remove said cylindrical member, and means for imparting continuous rotary movement to said cylindrical members and intermittent oscillatory movement-to said supporting apparatus.

8. In a machinfeot the character described,

the combination of a plurality of sorting stations, eachwof said stations being provided With a perforated cylinder having inlet and outlet openings at opposite ends thereof, a pivoted supportingarin adapted to support opposite ends of said cylinder, a

cam for oscillating the :free end of said armh relative to its pivot, and means for contin uously rotating said cyl nderand said cam;

9.-In a machine of the character 1de-,

scribed, the combination of a plurality oi sorting stations arranged in series at oppositel sides of the machine, the members cot one series being located one plane above the plane of the-members of the other series, a plurality o'f supporting members for said sorting stationsincludingipivoted arms pro vided with fixed bearings at one end and adjustable bearings at the opposite end thereof, operatingmeansfl including continue ously rotating adjustable camsv adapted'to move said supporting arms arcuately about their.;pivots, means reniovably mounted in the bearings of said, arms for receiving retaining and separatingithe material to be] sorted, and operating means actuated by the 'arcuate movement of said supporting arms whereby the retained contents of Sftl'll means carried by said arms 'mayibe d1s-:

charged adjacent sorting stations. I

10. an a machine of the character described, 'thecombination 'ot a plurality of sorting stations having continuously rotating perforated cylinders, pivoted support ing means for each cylinder including a fixed bearing adjacent the pivoted end thereof, an adjustable arm at the opposite, endof saidsupporting means and having a bearing portion adjacent its 1 free end, a spring actuated member carried'by said adjustable arm and adapted to enclose one end of said "cylinder; "a receptacle for each cylinder, and means carried :by said. receptacle for operating said' enclosing member substantially simultaneously with the move ment of said pivotedsupporting means in one direction and to release the contents of said cylinder to escape into the receptacle.

11. In a machine ofthe character described, the combination of a'plurality ol pivotally supported :sorting stations comprisingcylindrical screensarranged in se ries at opposite sides of the inachineathe stations of onc series being disposed above the corresponding stations of the other series, a series of driving means mounted axiall-y ojf the pivotal supports ot s'aid sort} ng stations, means for rotating alternate members of said driving series in opposite directions, and means carried by said sorting stations adapted to engage said driving means whereby the former may be rotated at any inclination and 1n the same direction.

12. In a machineof the character described, the combination of oppositely disposed staggered continuouslyrotating and intermittently oscillating perforated cylin 13. In a machine'ot the character described, the combinationof oppositely disposed staggered continuously rotating and intermittently oscillating perforated c'ylin drical sieves,said sieves being arranged in two series so that alternate sieves are super-' posedone above theother, operating means for said sieves including vertically super-- posed bevel gears mounted intermediate said' opposed cylindrical. sieves, and means for rotating said bevel gears in opposite direce tions whereby the rotation of each of said sieves will be in thesame direction.

, 14L In a machine of the character def scribed, the combination of sorting stations 1 disposed in parallel vertical series at opposite sides of the machine, one station mounted abovethe' other in" staggered relation} operating means forsaid stations including continuously rotating bevel gears, one dimesh with said first named bevel gearsj 15.In a machine of the character de-' scribed, the combination with a plurality of staggered sorting stations arranged one lrectly abovethe other, and complemental bevel gears at said stations and adapted to above the other at opposite sides of the mae,

chine, of intermittently oscillating and;

cal sieves carried by each station and pro- VlClGClWltll graduated periorationsin succeeding cylinders, whereby successive separation of various sizes of material may 'be effected," i i 16. In a f'niachine oi the character de continuously revolving;perforated :cyl-indriscribed,the combination ofa series of sorting stations alternate members of said stations being disposed in opposite directions and toward opposite sides oi? the machinev feeding mechanism for feeding charges of material to one end of said series of sort 1 'ing stations, and oscillatin uiding means I u, I h (I n mounted in said machine whereby said charge of mater alniay be guided after-successive separations from below one sorting statioii to the interior of the succeeding lower station of the .series. i

'17. Ina sorting machine, a plurality of staggered sorting stations comprising oscillating and rotating cylindrical screens, a

series of adjustable cams for operating said stations, an intermittently operated feeding, mechanism for feeding subsequent charges'of material to be sorted to said sorting stations, means for operating said feeding mechanism, and operating means cooperating with said cams to automatically engage and disengage said first named means.

18. In a sorting machine, a plurality of.

from said hopper to the uppermost sorting station, a screw conveyor mounted in said assa e and. ada ated tomove material from said'hopper toward the uppermost sorting station, adjustable means for tilting said stations, and clutch mechanism effecting the operation of said conveyor screw at certain inclinations of said sorting stations.

20. In asorting machine, a plurality of alternately opposed perforated cylinders arranged one above the "other, supporting frames pivotally supported in vertical alignment one above. the other and intermediate the opposing cylinders, rotary driving means,

mounted axially of the pivots of said supporting members, and adapted to operate said cylinders, cams for raising and lowering the free ends of said frames, and receptacles adjacent the free ends of said frames for receiving the contents of said cylinders when the latter are inclined toward the receptacles by. the operation of said cams.

21. In a machine for sortingv material ac cording to size, the combination with a plurality of cylindrical sieves, of supporting means for said sieves including pivoted arms, the outer end of each arm being provided with anarcuately adjustable bearing having a square pivoted end portion, and a spring 'securedatone end to sa1d arm and extending towards said pivoted bearing to yieldably engage the square surface of the pivotedend portion whereby the bearing may be held in open or closed position."

22. In a machine for sorting material according to size, the combination with a plurality of sorting stations, of mechanisms for continuously rotating and intermittently tilting said stations, and driving means for simultaneously and continuously operating said rotating and tilting mechanism whereby alternate members of each mechanism may be rotated in opposite directions.

23. In a sorting device of the character described, the combination of' an upright frame having parallel side walls and back wall, sorting stations mounted 1n zig-zag forma tion on said back wall, means for tilting said stations toward and away from, each other, a chute vpivotally supported below each sorting station and extending axially of the latter into the interior of the succeeding lower station, means for imparting relative arcuate movement to said chute during the tilting movement of said station, and a shield carried by said station closely adjacent the pivoted end' of said chute, whereby the space between the latter and said station may be closed during relative movement of the-two members.

24:. In a sorting device of the character described, the combination of a series of troughs for delivering unsorted material from one side of the device to the other side thereof, said troughs being located'one above the other and extending in oppositedirections, pivoted supports for said troughs, {and means movable relatively to said troughs whereby one end of the latter may be enclosed.

25. In a sorting device of the character described, the combination of a series of sorting stations comprising cylinders provided with perforations therein, meansfor tilting said cylinders to discharge their contents, and receptacles removably supported in said device and located at the rear of said cylinders, said receptacles comprising a box having an inclined receiving lip extending beneath the end of said cylinder and adapted to be enga edbyi the downward movement of said cylinder during tilting movement of the latter, whereby thecontents of said cylinder may be released to, fall onto said lip.

26. In a sorting device of the character described, the combination with a plurality of constantly rotating cylindrical sieves adapted tosuccessively separate various sizes of material, of pivoted supporting appa ratus for said cylinders, and resilient means carried by said apparatus and extending lon itudinally of said cylinders, conforming to tile are of sa1d sieves and in engagement with the outer periphery thereof, wherebymaterial caught in the mesh of said sieves may be returned to the interior of said cyllnders.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES RIC ARDSON.

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