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US 5,222,605 AGranted
Automatic particle size analyzer using stacked sieves
AssigneeRotex, Inc.
InventorGlenn J. Pogue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The size ranges of particles separated on a stack of sieves of different mesh sizes is measured automatically. The stack is clamped together and shaken as a unit to separate the respective fractions, following which the sieves are sequentially separated from the stack and inverted one at a time to dump the fraction retained on each, onto a scale. Each fraction is weighed separately and their relative proportions can be calculated automatically. In a preferred embodiment the sieves are individually cantilevered from a vertical conveyor. The sieves are inverted one by one to dump their contents by advancing them around a horizontal roll at a lower end of the conveyor.
Claims49
A particle size analyzer comprising,
- a conveyor having a substantially vertical run, said conveyor being movable around a horizontal roll at the bottom of said vertical run,
- a set-of sieves of graduated mesh sizes,
- means individually mounting said sieves in mesh size order for movement with said conveyor around said roll,
- means for shaking said set of sieves to cause particles of different sizes, deposited on a topmost sieve of said set, to fall downwardly and be retained on the respective sieves according to particle size,
- drive means for moving said conveyor to advance said sieves around said roll,
- each sieve being inverted as it passes around said roll, thereby dumping particles on that sieve, and
- weighing means for receiving and weighing particles dumped from the respective sieves as said sieves are inverted by movement around said roll.
4 more elements
An automatic particle size analyzer comprising,
- a series of sieves of graduated sizes,
- mounting means connecting said sieves together as a stack in size sequence, said mounting means permitting movement of the sieves relative to one another while maintaining said sequence,
- means for shaking said sieves as a substantially vertical stack, to sort particles thereon according to size range,
- weighing means for weighing particles placed thereon,
- moving means for separating a sieve from said stack while leaving the other sieves in substantially vertical position so that the sorted particles remain on the respective other sieves, tipping such separated sieve to dump particles from it onto said weighing means, and returning the sieve to said stack after emptying.
2 more elements
An automatic particle size analyzer comprising,
- a series of sieves of graduated sizes,
- mounting means connecting said sieves together as a stack in size sequence, said mounting means permitting movement of the sieves relative to one another while maintaining said sequence,
- said mounting means comprising a vertical conveyor onto which said sieves are mounted and an end roll around which said conveyor moves downwardly,
- means for shaking said sieves as a stack, to sort particles thereon according to size range,
- weighing means for weighing particles placed thereon,
- moving means for separating a sieve from said stack, tipping such sieve to dump particles from it onto said weighing means, and returning the sieve to said stack after emptying, said moving means comprising a conveyor drive, movement of said conveyor around said end roll sequentially separating each sieve from the stack and inverting it to empty the particles on each respective sieve onto said weighing means, and returning the sieve to the stack in inverted order.
3 more elements
Apparatus comprising a sieve conveyor having a vertical run and movable around an end roll at a lower end of said vertical run,
- a series of sieves extending outwardly from said conveyor but sagging downwardly under gravity when on said vertical run of said conveyor, and
- leveling means for bringing the respective sieves into substantially horizontal attitudes when at predetermined positions on said vertical run, said leveling means comprising,
- each sieve having a pin extending laterally from it, and
- stop means arresting upward travel of the respective pins as the sieves approach the said predetermined positions, continued upward movement of the conveyor after the pins have been arrested, tipping the pins and thereby tipping the sieves into said substantially horizontal attitudes at said predetermined positions.
1 more element
Apparatus comprising, a sieve conveyor having a vertical run, said conveyor being movable around a horizontal roll at a lower end of said vertical run,
- a series of graduated stackable sieves extending outwardly from said conveyor, and
- means for aligning and clamping said sieves together on said vertical run as a stack, comprising,
- at least one laterally movable clamp movable toward said sieves on said vertical run, and engageable with them to cam them into vertical alignment, and
- at least one vertically movable clamp engageable with a lowermost sieve of said set to clamp said set upwardly against a stop.
1 more element
Apparatus comprising,
- a series of graduated sieves,
- a sieve conveyor having a vertical run,
- said conveyor movable around a horizontal roll at a lower end of said vertical run,
- said series of sieves individually mounted to said conveyor for movement with it around said roll,
- movement of the conveyor inverting each sieve as it passes around said roll and dumping particles on that sieve,
- sieve cleaning means for dislodging any particles remaining on the respective sieve after such inversion, said sieve cleaning means engaging the respective sieve while so inverted, and
- cleaner moving means for moving said sieve cleaning means between an inactive position, in which the cleaning means is removed from the sieves as they travel around said roll, and a cleaning position in which the cleaning means engages a bottom surface of the respective sieve while that sieve is inverted.
4 more elements
Apparatus comprising,
- a set of stackable, graduated sieves,
- a sieve conveyor having a vertical run,
- said sieves mounted to and projecting angularly outwardly from said conveyor,
- said sieves arranged in order of progressively finer mesh size in the downward direction on said vertical run, interfitting as a stack on said vertical run, and
- means for moving said conveyor around an end roll, thereby to invert the lines in sequence.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.