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US 9,849,410 B1Granted
Skimming apparatus
AssigneeISM&M, Inc.
InventorJonathan Allen Jensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A skimming apparatus with a pivot arm and a drive follower on the pivot arm that guides a belting to facilitate precise placement of the belting for efficient skimming.
Claims12
An apparatus, comprising:
- a skimming apparatus, comprising:
- a housing including a belt ingress and a belt egress and a drive apparatus in operative alignment with the belt ingress and the belt egress;
- a pivot arm having first and second ends defining a longitudinal axis, the first end pivotally connected to the housing by a pivot connection and operable to pivot about a pivot axis of the pivot connection;
- a drive follower in a tensioned slidable engagement with the second end the pivot arm so that the drive follower is in slidable disposition along the longitudinal axis of the pivot arm, the tensioned slidable engagement having an outward bias that causes the drive follower to dispose outwardly from the second end of the pivot arm;
- an endless round belting in driving engagement with the driver follower and the drive apparatus through the belt ingress and the belt egress, the endless round belting having a round cross section of a first diameter and having a lengthwise circumference that causes the endless round belting to apply an opposite tension to the drive follower that acts against the outward bias of the tensioned slidable engagement of the drive follower;
- and
- a scraper connected to the housing and having an engagement surface offset from the pivot axis and the belt ingress, the offset such that the engagement surface engages the endless round belting and directs the endless round belting into the belt ingress for substantially an entire operable pivot range of the pivot arm about the pivot axis;
- a receiving vessel having a top opening to receive the skimming apparatus above the top opening and receive skimmed material skimmed by the skimming apparatus;
- a receiving vessel return drop pipe having a first opening substantially near a bottom surface of an interior of the receiving vessel and having a second opening in communication with a side opening in a side wall of the receiving vessel, the side opening being below the top opening of the receiving vessel;
- and
- a gravity return hose connected to the side opening on an exterior of the receiving vessel.
8 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having a drive aperture having a first diameter;
- a drive wheel having a second diameter and disposed within a drive aperture, wherein the second diameter is less than the first diameter;
- an round belting in driving engagement with the drive wheel through a belt ingress, the round belting having a round cross section of a third diameter and wherein the difference of the first diameter and the second diameter is such that the round belting engages both an outer surface of the drive wheel and an inner surface of the drive aperture;
- and
- a tension matched scraper forming a substantially circular interior aperture through which the round belting penetrates into the belt ingress and that engages the outer surface of the endless round belting, wherein the tensioned matched scraper has an adjustable fourth diameter and includes a tensioned adjuster that adjusts the adjustable fourth diameter, wherein the adjustable fourth diameter is adjustable to a diameter that is tensioned matched to third diameter of the round belting and during actuation of the drive wheel the tensioned adjuster allows for the adjustable fourth diameter to adjust to match variations of the third diameter of the endless round belting.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.