Self cleaning, perforated plate for oscillating sieve

Claim 1

A screen panel for use in a vibrating screening machine comprising a one piece element which includes a boundary member defining the outer periphery of said panel, a first plurality of spaced crosspiece members disposed in parallel relation to one another and extending between portions of said boundary member, a second plurality of spaced crosspiece members disposed in parallel relation to one another and to said first plurality of spaced crosspiece members between portions of said boundary member, the crosspiece members in said first and second pluralities being disposed in alternating relation to one another whereby a crosspiece member in said first plurality is disposed between a pair of crosspiece members in said second plurality and vice versa, a third plurality of spaced crosspiece members disposed in parallel relation to one another and extending transversely to said first and second pluralities of spaced crosspiece members between other portions of said boundary member, said boundary member and said first, second and third pluralities of crosspiece members being integral with one another and being fabricated of the same material respectively in said one piece element, said boundary member and said transversely disposed crosspiece members defining therebetween a plurality of screen openings, said boundary member being constructed to exhibit a bending resistance that is different from the bending resistances of said first, second and third pluralities of crosspiece members, said first plurality of crosspiece members being constructed to exhibit bending resistances that differ from the bending resistances of said second plurality of crosspiece members whereby two opposite sides of each of said screen openings in said screen panel are defined respectively by a pair of members whose bending resistances differ from one another, and a plurality of tongues integral with and extending outwardly from said boundary member and from said first and second pluralities of crosspiece members, said tongues being spaced from and extending in directions parallel to said third plurality of spaced crosspiece members, at least two of said tongues being located in each of said screen openings and extending respectively toward one another from said boundary members and said first and second crosspiece members, the said two tongues in each of said screen openings having free ends which are spaced from one another to define a slot therebetween.