# US 11,110,490 B2 · Multilevel sieve system and method of use

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- Number: US 11,110,490 B2
- Document ID: US11110490B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/281,139
- Filed: 2019-02-21
- Published: 2019-08-22
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-21
- Applicants: Lloyd Harvey Koerner
- Inventors: Lloyd Harvey Koerner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110490B2

## CPC

- B07B 1/02: Hand screens
- B07B 2201/04: Multiple deck screening devices comprising one or more superimposed screens
- 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)

## Abstract

A system and method sort, separate, organize and store particles of different material, shape, and size utilizing a multi-level system of containers with sieves at different heights. The system employs a combination of gravitational downward forces on the individual pieces and omnidirectional manual forces applied by the user on the system to automatically sort and organize particles of different shape and size into the respective containers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for sieving different sized particulates, comprising:
a plurality of containers, configured to hold a quantity of a particulate, each sorting container comprising sidewalls projecting upwardly and outwardly from a base, a mesh connected to the base of the container, the mesh defining a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of containers having a recessed surface lower than a top surface of the base wherein the mesh rests on the recessed surface such that the mesh is parallel with the top surface of the base;
an opening on top of the system provided to allow for particulates to be introduced into the system; and
a bottom container comprising a bottom, the bottom devoid of openings so as to collect particulates that pass through the openings in the plurality of sorting containers above the bottom container;
wherein each container configured for sifting the particulates by moving the container in a reciprocating motion thereby allowing the particulates therein to pass through the mesh onto the base of the container below while the higher container retains particulates being larger than the openings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the containers are nested on top of another to form a vertically stacked array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the containers are made of a transparent material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the transparent material is polymer-plastic that may be injection or compression molded.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a perimeter flange flared laterally outward from said sidewalls to facilitate gripping, the perimeter flange configured to connect with one or more handles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where in the holes are uniformly spaced over the mesh.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the holes are arranged symmetrically in each container with respect to the openings in other containers when the containers are in a vertically stacked array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the holes are circular forming a grid uniformly spaced over the base.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls include a slight draft angle of at least 1 degree.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the mesh is held in the recessed surface by frictional force and is removable, the mesh removable by applying an upward force greater than the frictional force.

### Claim 11

A system for sieving different sized particulates, comprising:
a plurality of containers, configured to hold a quantity of a particulate, each container comprising sidewalls projecting upwardly and outwardly from a base, a mesh, the mesh defining a plurality of holes, the base having a recess, the recess sized to receive the mesh, an outer area of the mesh equal to or slightly smaller to an inner area of the recess;
an opening at a top of the system provided to allow for particulates to be introduced into the system;
and a bottom container comprising a bottom, the bottom configured to be devoid of openings so as to collect particulates that pass through the openings in the plurality of sorting containers above the bottom container, the bottom container having a doorway allowing access to the interior space of the bottom container;
each container configured for sifting the particulates by moving the container in a reciprocating motion thereby allowing the particulates therein to pass through the holes, onto the base of the container below, while the higher container retains particulates being larger than the openings;
wherein the mesh and the recess are in frictional contact with one another, forming a seal to prevent the particulates from escaping unless through the plurality of openings down into the container below.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the mesh of each container is configured to be removed from the recess of each container by the application of an upwards directional force.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the containers are nested on top of another to form a vertically stacked array.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the containers are made of a transparent material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the transparent material is polymer-plastic that may be injection or compression molded.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a perimeter flange flared laterally outward from the sidewalls to facilitate gripping, the perimeter flange configured to connect with one or more handles.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising a drawer slidably supported inside the bottom container.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the containers are made of metal.

### Claim 19

A system for sieving different sized particulates, comprising:
a plurality of containers, configured to hold a quantity of a particulate, each container comprising sidewalls projecting upwardly and outwardly from a base, a mesh, the mesh defining a plurality of holes, the base having a recess, the recess sized to receive the mesh, an outer area of the mesh equal to or slightly smaller to an inner area of the recess;
an opening at a top of the system provided to allow for particulates to be introduced into the system; and
a bottom container comprising a bottom, the bottom configured to be devoid of openings so as to collect particulates that pass through the openings in the plurality of sorting containers above the bottom container, wherein a drawer is slidably supported inside the bottom container;
each container configured for sifting the particulates by moving the container in a reciprocating motion thereby allowing the particulates therein to pass through the holes, onto the base of the container below, while the higher container retains particulates being larger than the openings;
wherein the mesh and the recess are in frictional contact with one another, forming a seal to prevent the particulates from escaping unless through the plurality of openings down into the container below.