# US 10,118,197 B2 · Automatic folding and deploying deflectors for conveyor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,197 B2 - Document ID: US10118197B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/429,347 - Filed: 2017-02-10 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-12 - Assignees: Vermeer Manufacturing Company - Applicants: Vermeer Manufacturing Company - Inventors: Aaron Boese - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118197B2 ## CPC - B07B 1/005: {Transportable screening plants} - B07B 1/22: Revolving drums - B07B 13/16: Feed or discharge arrangements - B65G 15/00: Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) - B65G 41/002: {Pivotably mounted} - B07B 1/18: Drum screens - E01C 19/05: Crushing, pulverising or disintegrating apparatus ({preparing and placing involving breaking E01C19/466} ; in general B02C); Aggregate screening, cleaning, {drying} or heating apparatus; {Dust-collecting arrangements specially adapted therefor} - B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H) ## Abstract A deflector for a mobile material separating machine includes a deflector body hingedly attached to a trommel screen frame and a conveyor movable with respect to the trommel screen frame. The conveyor has a stowed position and an operating position. The deflector system also includes an automatic linkage pivotably attached to the deflector body and to the conveyor. The linkage moves and guides the deflector body when the conveyor moves between the stowed position and the operating position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A deflecting system for a trommel screen comprising: a rotary trommel screen frame; a rotary trommel screen having an inlet end and an outlet end and being rotatably attached to the rotary trommel screen frame; a pair of deflectors hingedly attached to the rotary trommel screen frame and positioned at the outlet end of the rotary trommel screen; a conveyor pivotally attached to the rotary trommel screen frame and positioned adjacent the outlet end of the rotary trommel screen, the conveyor having a stowed position and an operating position; and a pair of automatic linkages each pivotably attached to both one deflector and the conveyor, wherein the linkages move the deflectors when the conveyor moves between the stowed position and the operating position, wherein the deflectors are configured to direct material exiting the outlet of the rotary trommel screen toward the conveyor when the conveyor is in the operating position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the operating position of the conveyor is an operating position that is substantially horizontal with a ground surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the operating position of the conveyor is an angled operating position between an operating position that is substantially horizontal with a ground surface and the stowed position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the automatic linkages have a fixed length. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the automatic linkages are each extendable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The deflecting system of claim 5, wherein the length of the extendable linkages first decreases and then increases when the conveyor moves from the stowed position to the operating position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the pair of automatic linkages have a stowed position and a deployed position corresponding with the stowed position and the operating position of the conveyor respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The deflecting system of claim 1, wherein the automatic linkages are each pivotally connected to both one deflector and the conveyor using multi-planar pivots. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The deflecting system of claim 8, wherein the multi-planar pivots are spherical bushings. ### Claim 10 A deflector system for a trommel screen comprising: a deflector body hingedly attached to a trommel screen frame; a conveyor movable with respect to the trommel screen frame, the conveyor having a stowed position and an operating position; and an automatic linkage pivotably attached to the deflector body and to the conveyor, wherein the linkage moves the deflector body when the conveyor moves between the stowed position and the operating position, wherein the deflector is configured to direct material exiting the outlet of the trommel screen toward the conveyor when the conveyor is in the operating position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The deflector system of claim 10, wherein the automatic linkages have a fixed length. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The deflector system of claim 10, wherein the automatic linkages are each extendable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The deflector system of claim 12, wherein the length of the extendable linkage first decreases and then increases when the conveyor moves from the stowed position to the operating position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The deflector system of claim 10, wherein the conveyor has an angled operating position between the operating position and the stowed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The deflector system of claim 14, wherein, when the conveyor is in the angled position, the extendable linkage is at its shortest length. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The deflector system of claim 10, wherein the automatic linkages are each pivotally connected to both the deflector and the conveyor using multi-planar pivots. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The deflector system of claim 16, wherein the multi-planar pivots are spherical bushings. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The deflector system of claim 10, wherein, when the conveyor is in the stowed position, the deflector body is in a folded, stowed position between the conveyor and trommel screen frame. ### Claim 19 A deflector system comprising; a mobile material separator machine having a frame, the frame having a first frame member; a deflector body movably attached to the first frame member, the deflector body having a deployed position and a stowed position; a second frame member movable with respect to the first frame member, the second frame member having at least a stowed position, a first operating position, and a second operating position, wherein the deflector body is in stowed position when the second frame member is in the stowed position, and the deflector body is in the deployed position when the second frame member is in the first operating or second operating positions; wherein the deflector body is configured to deflect material in a direction toward the second frame member when in the deployed position; and an automatic extendable linkage pivotably attached to the deflector body and to the second frame member, wherein the extendable linkage has a first length when the second frame member is in the first operating position, and a second length when the second frame member is in the second operating position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The deflector of claim 19, wherein the deflector system body includes a first side and a second side, wherein the extendable linkage is attached at the second side, and wherein a deflector lip extends away from the first side. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The deflector of claim 19, wherein the deflector system body is attached to the first frame member via a hinge. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The deflector of claim 19, wherein the deflector system body includes an angled side. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The deflector system of claim 19, wherein the extendable linkage includes a first spherical bushing at a first end and a second spherical bushing at a second end. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The deflector system of claim 19, wherein the extendable linkage includes a cylinder member and a piston member, and wherein the piston member is movable within the cylinder member.