# US 5,346,071 A · Trommel screening apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,346,071 A - Document ID: US5346071A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/148,635 - Filed: 1993-11-05 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1993-11-05 - Assignees: Norkot Manufacturing Co., Inc. - Inventors: James H. Page; Robert J. Page - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346071A ## CPC - B07B 1/005: {Transportable screening plants} - B07B 1/24: with fixed or moving interior agitators - B07B 13/16: Feed or discharge arrangements - 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 The present invention is a vehicle-mounted trommel screening apparatus. A rotating trommel screen cage having an open front and a closed back is mounted on the vehicle so that the open front of the trommel screen cage is at a side of the vehicle and is adjustably tiltable about the vehicle side while the cage rotates. A conveyor is mounted below the trommel screen cage to convey material rearwardly off the end of the trailer. A push plate folds down below the trommel to assist in loading material that has been discharged from the front. Axially extending gussets within the cage provide additional lifting and tumbling action. Material is dumped into the trommel screen cage with the cage tilted back from the open end. The rotation of the cage causes a tumbling action which simultaneously breaks up larger pieces of material and screens smaller material to the conveyor below the screen. Material retained in the trommel screen may be dumped by tilting the trommel screen cage forward toward the open end. Alternatively, as sufficient material is received in the cage larger pieces of the material will automatically fall out of the open front. The tilt angle and rotation speed may be instantaneously and variably adjusted for optimal operational. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A trommel screening apparatus for screening material comprising: a) a support frame; b) a trommel screen cage for receiving material to be screened, the screen cage having an open front, a closed back, and outer peripheral framework and a screen panel attached to the peripheral framework; c) a carriage, the screen cage rotatably mounted to the carriage, the carriage tiltably mounted to the support frame whereby the screen cage with the open front is positionable to receive and screen material and to dump unscreened material out of the apparatus; d) a variably tilting means for tilting the carriage and screen cage; and e) a drive means engaged with the trommel screen cage for rotating the screen cage whereby the material in the screen cage is tumbled and the screened material falls downwardly through and below the screen panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support frame has wheels to transport the apparatus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a conveyor attached to the support frame extending under the screen cage for receiving screened material from the screen cage and conveying the material out from under the screen cage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of trunnions mounted on the carriage and wherein the outer peripheral framework of the screen cage includes a circular rail engaged with the trunnions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the drive means comprises a drive trunnion engaged with the rail and a hydraulic motor connected to the drive wheel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tilting means comprises a hinge pivotally connecting the carriage to the support frame and a hydraulic expandable cylinder opposing the hinge connecting the carriage to the support frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a push plate hinged to the support frame below the open front. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trommel screen cage further comprises a plurality of triangular gussets extending radially inward from the closed back to the peripheral framework. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a feed hopper attached to the carriage whereby material dumped into the feed hopper is directed into the trommel screen cage. ### Claim 10 A trommel screening apparatus for screening material comprising: a) a vehicle support frame: b) a trommel screen cage for receiving material to be screened, the screen cage having an open front, an outer peripheral framework, and a screen panel attached to the peripheral framework; c) a carriage tiltably mounted to the vehicle support frame with the trommel screen cage rotatably mounted within the carriage whereby the screen cage with the open front is positionable to receive and screen material and to dump unscreened material out of the apparatus; d) a hydraulic cylinder mounted between the carriage and the support frame to variably tilt the carriage and the trommel screen cage with respect to the vehicle frame; e) a drive means attached to the carriage and engaged with the trommel screen cage for rotating the screen cage whereby the material in the screen cage is tumbled and the screened material falls downwardly through and below the screen cage; and f) a plurality of plates extending radially inward from the peripheral framework whereby the plates assist in the tumbling of the material in the trommel screen cage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a conveyor attached to the support frame extending under the screen cage for receiving screened material from the screen cage and conveying the material out from under the screen cage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the trommel screen cage has a closed back and wherein the plates are also attached to the closed back. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of trunnions mounted on the carriage, wherein the outer peripheral framework of the screen cage includes a circular rail, and wherein the circular rail is engaged with the trunnions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the drive means comprises a drive trunnion engaged with the rail and a hydraulic motor connected to the drive trunnion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a hinge pivotally connecting the carriage to the support frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a push plate hinged to the vehicle support frame below the open front. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a feed hopper attached to the carriage whereby material dumped into the feed hopper is directed into the screen cage. ### Claim 18 A trommel screening apparatus for screening material comprising: a) a support frame; b) a trommel screen cage for receiving material to be screened, the screen cage having an open front, a closed back, and outer peripheral framework, including a rail and a screen panel attached to the peripheral framework; c) a carriage hinged to the support frame and supporting the screen cage whereby the open front of the trommel screen cage is movable up and down with respect to the support frame; d) a plurality of trunnions rotatably mounted to the carriage, the trommel screen cage further being positioned within the carriage with the rail engaging the trunnions whereby the trommel screen cage is rotatable; e) a drive means attached to the carriage and engaged with the trommel screen cage for rotating the screen cage whereby the material in the screen cage is tumbled and screened material falls downwardly through and below the screen cage; and f) a hydraulic cylinder mounted between the carriage and the support frame to variably tilt the carriage and the trommel screen cage with respect to the support frame. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the support frame has wheels to transport the apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a conveyor mounted on the support frame extending under the screen cage and rearwardly of the support frame for receiving screened material from the screen cage and conveying the material out from under and away from the support frame. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising remote control means to control the variable tilting of the carriage and trommel screen cage, and the rotation of the trommel screen cage remotely from the apparatus.