Bedding material separator

A separator device for sifting soiled animal bedding to separate animal bedding material from clumped animal manure, the separator device comprising:

• a separator frame including handles attached to the separator frame and located at a back of the separator frame;
• at least one wheel rotationally attached to the separator frame;
• a stand attached to the separator frame and configured to:
• engage with a floor when the separator frame is in a stationary position, such that the separator frame is positioned in an upright position when at rest;
• disengage with the floor when the separator frame is moved from the stationary position to an ambulatory position by applying a lifting force to the handles acting in a direction perpendicular to the floor, such that the separator device is movably supported by the at least one wheel;
• a flexible member attached to the separator frame;
• a screen attached to the flexible member and configured to support the soiled animal bedding;
• a sidewall attached to the separator frame to at least partially define a hopper volume above the screen to contain a quantity of the soiled animal bedding and the clumped animal manure;
• an actuator mechanically attached to the screen, the actuator including an eccentric weight attached to a rotating shaft of the actuator configured to apply an oscillatory force to the screen;
• a battery attached to the separator frame and in electrical communication with the actuator to provide electrical power to the actuator;
• a speed control device in electrical communication with the actuator to selectively control a rotational rate of the actuator to control an oscillation speed of the screen, wherein:
• the screen is mechanically supported by the flexible member, such that:
• the screen lies along a plane extending from the back of the separator frame towards a front of the separator frame;
• the oscillatory force applied to the screen by the motor causes the screen to oscillate relative to the separator frame;
• the oscillation of the screen sifts the supported soiled animal bedding, such that:
• the supported animal bedding is moved along a direction from the back of the separator frame towards the front of the separator frame;
• and
• during the movement of the supported animal bedding, the animal bedding material falls through the screen while the clumped animal manure moves towards the front of the separator frame until the clumped animal manure falls off a front edge of the screen;
• and a container supportable by a container support of the separator frame, such that the clumped animal manure falling off of the front edge of the screen is collected by the container when the container is supported by the container support;
• wherein the separator frame additionally includes the container support and the container support is configured to mechanically support the container.

A method of operating a separator device for sifting soiled animal bedding to separate animal bedding material from clumped animal manure comprising:

• placing a quantity of the soiled animal bedding onto a screen of a separator device, the separator device comprising:
• a separator frame including handles attached to the separator frame and located at a back of the separator frame;
• at least one wheel rotationally attached to the separator frame;
• a stand attached to the separator frame;
• a flexible member attached to the separator frame;
• a screen attached to the flexible member and configured to support the soiled animal bedding;
• an actuator mechanically attached to the screen and configured to apply an oscillatory force to the screen;
• and
• a container supportable by a container support of the separator frame, such that the clumped animal manure falling off of a front edge of the screen is collected by the container when the container is supported by the container support;
• and
• operating the actuator to urge the screen to oscillate to sift the animal bedding material through the screen while moving clumped animal manure in a direction toward the front of the separator frame to separate the animal bedding material from the clumped animal manure.