Sifters

Claim 1

A HIGH SPEED SEPARATING OR AGITATING DEVICE FOR IMPARTING TRUE CIRCULAR MOTION IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE TO A BODILY RIGID MATERIAL CARRYING SUPPORT MEMBER SUCH AS A PLATFORM OR THE LIKE, SAID DEVICE PROVIDING TRUE CIRCULAR MOTION TO THE CARRIED MATERIAL IRRESPECTIVE OF THE LOAD DISTRIBUTION ON THE BODILY RIGID MATERIAL CARRYING SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING: A BASE, A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL SHAFT ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED ON THE BASE FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, EACH OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING A RIGID SHAFT HAVING A CRANK ARM, EACH OF SAID SHAFTS BEING IN AXIAL PARALLELISM WITH OTHER LIKE SHAFTS IN A CONDITION OF NO LOAD, THE RIGIDITY OF THE SHAFTS CONDITIONS, INCLUDING IRREGULAR WOBBLE UNDER LOAD CONDITIONS, INCLUDING IRREGULAR LOADING, A BODILY RIGID MATERIAL CARRYING SUPPORT MEMBER, STRUCTURE FOR CONNECTING THE SUPPORT MEMBER TO EACH OF THE SHAFT ASSEMBLIES FOR FLOATING MOVEMENT THEREON, SAID STRUCTURE INCLUDING FIRSTLY, A SUPPORT MEMBER SUPPORTING PIN CARRIED BY EACH CRANK ARM AND SECONDLY, SELF-ALIGNING BEARING MEANS FOR ROTALY CONNECTING EACH PIN TO THE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH FROM BENEATH TO THEREBY ENABLE THE SUPPORT MEMBER TO FLOAT ON THE PINS, SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLIES THEREBY PERFORMING THE DUAL FUNCTION OF SUPPORTING AND DRIVING THE SUPPORT MEMBER WITHOUT WOBBLE FROM LOCATIONS ENTIRELY BENEATH THE UPPER ENDS OF THE PINS, DRIVE MEANS FOR IMPARTING TIRE CIRCULAR MOTION TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A DIRECT DRIVE POWER SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DIRECT DRIVE POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS EXTENDING FROM A COMMON POWER POINT TO EACH OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER SUPPORTING AND DRIVING SAHFT ASSEMBLIES, THE LENGTH OF THE PATH DEFINED BY EACH DIRECT DRIVE POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS FROM THE COMMON POWER POINT TO ITS ASSOCIATED POINT OF APPLICATION TO THE BODILY RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER BEING EQUAL, AND A SUPPORT MEMBER COUNTERWEIGHT CARRIED BY EACH SHAFT ASSEMBLY, THE TOTAL COUNTERWEIGHTING EFFECT OF THE COUNTERWEIGHTS TENDING TO COUNTERBALANCE THE SUPPORT MEMBER MASS ECCENTRIC TO THE AXES OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLIES.