US3713537A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Screening conveyor
Assignee: FMC Corp
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Filing: 1970-08-24
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Granted: 1973-01-30
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Expires: 1990-08-24
Abstract
Abstract A screening conveyor for sifting out undersized fruit and breaking up and sifting out clods of dirt or similar materials includes longitudinally spaced drive and idler pulley shafts with each shaft mounting a row of different diameter pulleys on one shaft aligned with matched pulleys on the other shaft to form matched pairs of pulleys. V-belts are trained around the matched pairs of pulleys to form a series of troughs of a uniform depth. The drive shaft causes adjacent belts to run at different speeds for churning, sifting and sorting materials supported and advanced by the belt members. U-shaped cleats are spaced along the belt members for assisting in the action and for working on the sides of clods of dirt or the like, carried along in the troughs.
Inventors
- 👤 W Walker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:45
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07B; B07B1/00; B07B1/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
230 words
A screening conveyor for separating dirt and small objects from a mass of fruit or the like said conveyor being of the type comprising longitudinally spaced horizontal pulley shafts, each shaft mounting a row of pulleys of varying diameters, the pulleys of a given diameter on one shaft being aligned with those of the corresponding diameter on the other shaft to form pairs of matched diameter pulleys, belt members trained around each matched pair of pulleys with the upper reaches of said belt members being parallel and substantially horizontal, and means for driving all pulleys at the same rotational speed; the improvement wherein said belt members are rubberized V-belts and the pulleys on each shaft are arranged in a plurality of groups, each group comprising three pulleys, namely, a central small diameter pulley, a large diameter pulley on one side of the small pulley, and an intermediate diameter pulley on the other side of said small pulley so that said group of pulleys provide differential speeds to adjacent belts; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced cleats mounted over and to said belts, said cleats projecting laterally past both sides of their respective belts to provide differential speed, material churning side edges, particles of dirt or the like and small objects dropping out between the upper regions of said belts whereas larger objects are retained on and discharged from the belt.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
230 words
A screening conveyor for separating dirt and small objects from a mass of fruit or the like said conveyor being of the type comprising longitudinally spaced horizontal pulley shafts, each shaft mounting a row of pulleys of varying diameters, the pulleys of a given diameter on one shaft being aligned with those of the corresponding diameter on the other shaft to form pairs of matched diameter pulleys, belt members trained around each matched pair of pulleys with the upper reaches of said belt members being parallel and substantially horizontal, and means for driving all pulleys at the same rotational speed; the improvement wherein said belt members are rubberized V-belts and the pulleys on each shaft are arranged in a plurality of groups, each group comprising three pulleys, namely, a central small diameter pulley, a large diameter pulley on one side of the small pulley, and an intermediate diameter pulley on the other side of said small pulley so that said group of pulleys provide differential speeds to adjacent belts; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced cleats mounted over and to said belts, said cleats projecting laterally past both sides of their respective belts to provide differential speed, material churning side edges, particles of dirt or the like and small objects dropping out between the upper regions of said belts whereas larger objects are retained on and discharged from the belt.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
230 words
A screening conveyor for separating dirt and small objects from a mass of fruit or the like said conveyor being of the type comprising longitudinally spaced horizontal pulley shafts, each shaft mounting a row of pulleys of varying diameters, the pulleys of a given diameter on one shaft being aligned with those of the corresponding diameter on the other shaft to form pairs of matched diameter pulleys, belt members trained around each matched pair of pulleys with the upper reaches of said belt members being parallel and substantially horizontal, and means for driving all pulleys at the same rotational speed; the improvement wherein said belt members are rubberized V-belts and the pulleys on each shaft are arranged in a plurality of groups, each group comprising three pulleys, namely, a central small diameter pulley, a large diameter pulley on one side of the small pulley, and an intermediate diameter pulley on the other side of said small pulley so that said group of pulleys provide differential speeds to adjacent belts; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced cleats mounted over and to said belts, said cleats projecting laterally past both sides of their respective belts to provide differential speed, material churning side edges, particles of dirt or the like and small objects dropping out between the upper regions of said belts whereas larger objects are retained on and discharged from the belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
230 words
A screening conveyor for separating dirt and small objects from a mass of fruit or the like said conveyor being of the type comprising longitudinally spaced horizontal pulley shafts, each shaft mounting a row of pulleys of varying diameters, the pulleys of a given diameter on one shaft being aligned with those of the corresponding diameter on the other shaft to form pairs of matched diameter pulleys, belt members trained around each matched pair of pulleys with the upper reaches of said belt members being parallel and substantially horizontal, and means for driving all pulleys at the same rotational speed; the improvement wherein said belt members are rubberized V-belts and the pulleys on each shaft are arranged in a plurality of groups, each group comprising three pulleys, namely, a central small diameter pulley, a large diameter pulley on one side of the small pulley, and an intermediate diameter pulley on the other side of said small pulley so that said group of pulleys provide differential speeds to adjacent belts; and a plurality of longitudinally spaced cleats mounted over and to said belts, said cleats projecting laterally past both sides of their respective belts to provide differential speed, material churning side edges, particles of dirt or the like and small objects dropping out between the upper regions of said belts whereas larger objects are retained on and discharged from the belt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The screening conveyor of claim 1, wherein said cleats are U-shaped with their side edges being substantially at least as long as the adjacent sides of the belts on which they are mounted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The screening conveyor of claim 2 wherein the side edges of said cleats on adjacent belts run substantially in a common vertical plane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-30 | 1976-07-31 | 1977-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-30 | 1980-07-31 | 1981-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-30 | 1984-07-31 | 1985-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |