Portable powered sifter

• US 9,358,583 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard B. Kahn
• Original Assignee: Richard B. Kahn
• Inventors: Kahn, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US14/586,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20160184865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/005 Transportable screening plants
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/28 Moving screens not otherwise provided for, e.g. swinging, reciprocating, rocking, tilting or wobbling screens
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/282 their jigging movement being a closed or open curvilinear path in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the screen and parrallel or transverse to the direction of conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/284 with unbalanced weights
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/42 Drive mechanisms, regulating or controlling devices, or balancing devices, specially adapted for screens
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/46 Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens

Abstract

A portable, powered sifter is sized and constructed to be portable by a single individual. The sifter includes a plurality of side members each having end portions and a middle portion between the end portions, the plurality of side members being connected together at the end portions to define a sifter frame enclosing a frame opening. A wire mesh extends across the frame opening. A support leg is attached to and extending from the middle portion of at least three of the plurality of side members. A means for driveshaft rotation is attached to the sifter frame and a driveshaft extending along a longitudinal axis is coupled to the means for driveshaft rotation. An offset weight is connected to the driveshaft, where operating the means for driveshaft rotation rotates the driveshaft about the longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the offset weight and causing the sifter frame to vibrate.

Claims

1. A portable, powered sifter comprising:

a sifter frame having a plurality of side members each having end portions and a middle portion between the end portions, the plurality of side members being connected together at the end portions to enclose a frame opening;

a removable mesh frame attached to and supporting a wire mesh sized to extend across the frame opening, wherein the removable mesh frame is removably supported by the sifter frame;

a support leg attached to and extending from the middle portion of at least three of the plurality of side members;

a means for driveshaft rotation attached to the sifter frame;

a driveshaft extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the means for driveshaft rotation; and

an offset weight connected to the driveshaft;

wherein operating the means for driveshaft rotation rotates the driveshaft about the longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the offset weight and causing the sifter frame to vibrate; and

wherein the portable, powered sifter is sized and constructed to be portable by a single individual capable of lifting 75 pounds.

2. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, wherein each support leg is adjustable between a first position in which the support leg extends substantially perpendicular to the wire mesh and a second position in which the support leg extends substantially parallel to the wire mesh.

3. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of side members has an outside face and an inside face, wherein one or more of the outside face and the inside face of each of the plurality of side members is inclined to the vertical.

4. The portable, powered sifter of claim 3, wherein each support leg is adjustable to extend along a leg axis that is substantially parallel to the outside face.

5. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, wherein when the portable, powered sifter is positioned atop a wheelbarrow having a wheelbarrow tray, the support leg of at least two of the plurality of side members extends outside and downward along the wheelbarrow tray, wherein engagement between the support leg of the at least two of the plurality of side members and the wheelbarrow tray prevents the portable, powered sifter from sliding off of the wheelbarrow tray.

6. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, wherein the removable mesh frame nests with the sifter frame.

7. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, wherein the removable mesh frame aligns with and is mountable to a top surface of the sifter frame.

8. The portable, powered sifter of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional removable mesh frame including a second wire mesh having a mesh size different from a mesh size of the wire mesh of the removable mesh frame.

9. A portable, powered sifter comprising:

a sifter frame defining a frame opening and comprising;

a first U-shaped sub-frame; and

a second U-shaped sub-frame, the second U-shaped sub-frame slidably engaging the first U-shaped sub-frame for adjusting a size of the frame opening;

wherein the first U-shaped sub-frame and the second U-shaped sub-frame define a plurality of side members each having end portions and a middle portion between the end portions, the plurality of side members being connected together at the end portions to define a sifter frame enclosing the frame opening;

a wire mesh extending across the frame opening;

a support leg attached to and extending from the middle portion of at least three of the plurality of side members;

a means for driveshaft rotation attached to the sifter frame;

a driveshaft extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the means for driveshaft rotation; and

an offset weight connected to the driveshaft;

wherein operating the means for driveshaft rotation rotates the driveshaft about the longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the offset weight and causing the sifter frame to vibrate; and

wherein the portable, powered sifter is sized and constructed to be portable by a single individual capable of lifting 75 pounds.

10. The portable, powered sifter of claim 9, wherein the wire mesh comprises a first wire mesh attached to the first U-shaped sub-frame and a second wire mesh overlapping the first wire mesh and attached to the second U-shaped sub-frame.

11. In combination, a wheelbarrow and a portable, powered sifter comprising:

a wheelbarrow comprising;

a wheelbarrow frame including a first handle and a second handle and at least two leg supports;

a wheelbarrow tray mounted on the wheelbarrow frame and having a bottom, a perimeter rim, a first side wall portion, a second side wall portion opposite the first side wall portion, a rear side wall portion, and a front wall portion opposite the rear side wall portion; and

one or more wheels connected to the wheelbarrow frame;

wherein the wheelbarrow is configured to be supported on the ground by the at least two leg supports and the one or more wheels; and

a portable, powered sifter sized to be removably supported by the wheelbarrow tray and comprising;

a plurality of side members each having end portions and a middle portion between the end portions, the plurality of side members being connected together at the end portions to define a sifter frame enclosing a frame opening;

a wire mesh extending across the frame opening;

a support leg attached to and extending from the middle portion of at least three of the plurality of side members;

a means for driveshaft rotation attached to the sifter frame;

a driveshaft extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the means for driveshaft rotation; and

an offset weight connected to the driveshaft;

wherein operating the means for driveshaft rotation rotates the driveshaft about the longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the offset weight and causing the sifter frame to vibrate; and

wherein the portable, powered sifter is sized and constructed to be portable by a single individual.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein each support leg is adjustable between a first position in which the support leg extends substantially perpendicular to the wire mesh and a second position in which the support leg extends substantially parallel to the wire mesh.

13. The combination of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of side members has an outside face and an inside face, wherein one or more of the outside face and the inside face of each of the plurality of side members is inclined to the vertical.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein each support leg is adjustable to extend along a leg axis that is substantially parallel to the outside face.

15. The combination of claim 11, wherein when the portable, powered sifter is positioned atop the wheelbarrow, wherein the support leg of at least two of the plurality of side members extends outside and downward along the wheelbarrow tray, and wherein engagement between the support leg of the at least two of the plurality of side members and the wheelbarrow tray prevents the portable, powered sifter from sliding off of the wheelbarrow tray.

16. The combination of claim 11, further comprising a removable mesh frame attached to and supporting the wire mesh, wherein the removable mesh frame is removably supported by the sifter frame.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the removable mesh frame nests with the sifter frame.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein the removable mesh frame aligns with and is mountable to a top surface of the sifter frame.

19. The combination of claim 16, further comprising at least one additional removable mesh frame including a second wire mesh having a mesh size different from a mesh size of the wire mesh of the removable mesh frame.