Three-plane balance gyro sifter

Abstract

A sifting and screening mechanism dynamically balanced in all three planes including a base, a screen assembly with an inclined screened frame having a screening surface with an inlet end and an outlet end, a linear bearing, a resilient mount assembly supporting the outlet end of the screened frame on the linear bearing to permit a generally reciprocating motion of the outlet end of the screen frame, a rotating eccentric drive attached to the screen assembly beneath the center of gravity of the assembly to impart a circular motion in a generally horizontal plane to the screen assembly at the center of gravity which, in combination with the linear motion of the outlet end of the screen, creates generally elliptical motion of the screen, a balancing shaft rotatably mounted on the base and spaced apart from the eccentric drive, a belt drive between the eccentric drive and the balancing shaft for maintaining the rate of rotation of the balancing shaft at the same speed as the eccentric drive, and two balance weights rigidly attached in exposed relation to the balancing shaft, apart and separated by a specific vertical distance to provide counterbalancing of all of the forces and reactions created by the screen assembly motion thereby providing a sifting mechanism of any screen slope which is completely balanced and produces increased screen motion at the inlet end to present more screen openings to particles traversing the length of the screen.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.