Screen conveyor with ground engaging scoop

Claim 1

A MOBILE SIFTING MACHINE COMPRISING: A VEHICLE FRAME; A SIFTING DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND INCLUDING A POWER DRIVEN WIRE SCREEN CONVEYOR PRESENTING AN UPPER RUN OPERABLE TO MOVE MATERIAL IN A GENERALLY REARWARD DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME; MEANS FOR FEEDING GROUND SURFACE MATERIAL TO SAID CONVEYOR, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A GROUND ENGAGING SCOOP MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FORWARDLY OF SAID CONVEYOR AND PRESENTING A TRANSVERSE CUTTING EDGE ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND AND PRESENTING A WALL MEMBER EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM SAID CUTTING EDGE; A FEEDER DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ABOVE THE NORMAL GROUND SURFACE IN COOPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID SCOOP FOR MOVING THE UPPER PORTION OF RAISED GROUND MATERIAL FROM THE LATTER REARWARDLY TOWARD SAID CONVEYOR, A COMMON DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID FEEDER DRUM AND SAID CONVEYOR AND BEING OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID FEEDER DRUM AT A PERIPHERAL SPEED SUFFICIENTLY HIGH SO THAT MATERIAL CONTACTED THEREBY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO A THROWING ACTION WHICH CAUSES IT TO BE DISTRIBUTED OVER AN EXTENDED PORTION OF SAID UPPER RUN OF SAID CONVEYOR; AND FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AGITATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IN COOPERATIVE RELATION TO THE UPPER RUN OF SAID CONVEYOR; WHEREIN SAID FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AGITATING MEANS INCLUDES AN ELONGATED BACK MEMBER AND A BRUSH ASSEMBLY PROJECTING FROM ONE OF THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDES THEREOF; MOUNTING ARMS SECURED TO AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BACK MEMBER AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF; MEANS CONNECTING SAID MOUNTING ARMS WITH SAID VEHICLE FRAME SO AS TO POSITION SAID BACK MEMBER IN TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING OVERLYING RELATION TO SAID CONVEYOR AND SO AS TO PRESENT SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLY IN COOPERATIVE RELATION TO THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID UPPER CONVEYOR RUN; WHEREIN A PLURALITY OF SAID ELONGATED BACK MEMBERS AND BRUSH ASSEMBLIES ARE PROVIDED IN SAID FRAME IN OVERLYING RELATION TO SAID UPPER CONVEYOR RUN, AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLIES BEING IN COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID UPPER CONVEYOR RUN; WHEREIN SAID MOUNTING ARMS ARE CONNECTED WITH SAID VEHICLE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CONVEYOR; SAID MOUNTING ARMS COMPRISING INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS FOR SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLIES, PIVOT MEANS SWINGABLY MOUNTING SAID SUPPORTS ON SAID VEHICLE FRAME SO AS TO PERMIT SELECTIVE ADJUSTMENT OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLIES TO OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONVEYOR; AND STOP MEANS ON SAID FRAME COOPERABLE WITH SAID SUPPORTS TO DETERMINE SAID PIVOTALLY ADJUSTED INOPERATIVE POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID BRUSH ASSEMBLIES.