Screen assembly and dewatering technique

A nonadjustable self-cleaning dewatering screen panel assembly for vibratory dewatering of fine granular material passing across the assembly in a first direction, said assembly being comprised of a rigid frame member and a substantially planar screen panel mounted on and rigidly secured to the frame for nonadjustable retention within the plane of the frame during vibration of the assembly, said panel being a unitary one piece member composed of elastomeric material throughout its depth and consisting essentially of a plurality of pulsator columns and integral stabilizer portions bordering the pulsator columns, said pulsator columns and stabilizer portions extending substantially parallel to said first direction, said stabilizer portions being secured to the frame to prevent relative movement therebetween, said pulsator columns being comprised of a multitude of substantially identical diaphragm elements arranged in intimate aligned confronting relationship so as to present a smooth top screening and dewatering surface, said elements extending through the full depth of the panel and defining a column of spaced parallel slits between individual abutting elements to permit limited and random pulsating motion of the diaphram elements within the plane of the screen assembly in response to vibratory motion of the assembly, said elements extending transversely to said first direction, said panel being uniformly tensioned within its plane in both said first direction and transversely of said first direction to effect a taut condition and uniformity of slit opening within the panel while maintaining the rigidity required to support the load passing thereacross, said panel being mounted within said rigid frame in its taut bidirectionally tensioned condition and being fixedly and positively secured to the frame about its entire periphery in its taut condition to prevent movement of the panel out of the plane of the frame during vibratory motion of the assembly.