Abstract: A disc screen apparatus is disclosed for separating mixed recyclable materials of varying sizes and shapes. The disc screen apparatus has an enclosure or frame with an input, a container discharge location and a paper discharge location. A first plurality of shafts and second plurality of shafts are rotatably supported by the frame. The first plurality of shafts form a first disc screen disposed in a first plane and the second plurality of shafts form a second disc screen at least a portion of which is disposed in a second plane. The second plane is disposed beneath and angled with respect to the first plane such that the planes at least partially overlap. One or more motors rotate the first and second plurality of shafts. Each shaft has a plurality of discs positioned along it. The discs are offset between adjacent shafts such that discs on each shaft interleave with discs on an adjacent shaft but do not touch the adjacent shaft. The discs are substantially square in shape with radiused corners.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a novel roller for use on agricultural produce grading, sorting, cleaning and conveying equipment. The roller comprises a cylindrical hub having protruding fingers thereon which extend outward from the hub in a direction perpendicular to the hub axis and inclined away from the direction of rotation of the hub. The roller further comprises lateral support shoulders which allow the fingers to flex properly in the direction of rotation while providing increased rigidity in a lateral direction to improve grading opening uniformity and consistency. A concave shape on the outer surface of these lateral support shoulders also defines an improved grading opening shape which serves to increase grading uniformity as well. A smooth surface to the grading opening surfaces also prevent accumulation of mud and dirt in the critical grading opening area.

Abstract: An agricultural separating device has a starshaft (7) comprising a row of resilient starwheels (2) mounted on a rotatable shaft. Rings (5) formed of a rigid material (e.g. nylon or polypropylenes), and having an outer diameter such that they extend radially along 40-80% of the radial length of the fingers (4) of the starwheels (2), are mounted between adjacent starwheels (2) so as to close off the radially inner space between the fingers (4) without reducing the length and therefore flexibility of the fingers (4).

Abstract: Device incorporating rollers to separate particles of different gradings a plurality of adjacent rollers (11) forming a selection bed where each roller (11) has a surface conformation defining a plurality of circumferential peaks (12) alternating with circumferential grooves (13), the rollers (11) including at least a working position where the grooves (13) of one roller are facing and at least partly penetrated by the peaks (12) of the adjacent roller (11), the discharge gap (18) between the two adjacent rollers (11) having a substantially zig-zag development, in at least some rollers (11) the connection surface (26) between the peaks (12) and grooves (13), and/or the peaks (12) and/or the grooves (13) themselves being at least partly worked with protuberances, protrusions, hollows and/or facets (23, 24, 25).

Abstract: A compound disc is used to eliminate a secondary slot normally formed between adjacent shafts of a material separation screen. The compound disc includes a primary disc joined to an associated secondary disc. The primary disc and the secondary disc each have the same shape but the secondary disc has a smaller outside perimeter and is wider. The primary disc and associated secondary disc are formed from a unitary piece of rubber. The compound discs are interleaved with oppositely aligned compound discs on adjacent shafts. In other words, the large disc is positioned on a shaft to align with a smaller disc on an adjacent shaft. The oppositely aligned and alternating arrangement between the large discs and small discs reduce problems that exist in screens that use in-line multi-sided discs.

Abstract: A harvester (10) includes a separator (22) to help separate unwanted plant material from a crop. Separator (22) includes a series of paddles (46) which are rotated in unison by a drive system (50). The crop, which will often comprise a vine or tree crop, and which will ideally comprise raisins (14), falls between rotating paddles (46). Plant materials, such as cane (60), is transported by the tops of the rotating paddles from over cane separator (22).

Abstract: A compound disc is used to eliminate a secondary slot normally formed between adjacent shafts of a material separation screen. The compound disc comprises a primary disc joined to an associated secondary disc. The primary disc and the secondary disc each have the same shape but the secondary disc has a smaller outside perimeter and is wider. The primary disc and associated secondary disc are formed from a unitary piece of rubber. The compound discs are interleaved with oppositely aligned compound discs on adjacent shafts. In other words, the large disc is positioned on a shaft to align with a smaller disc on an adjacent shaft. The oppositely aligned and alternating arrangement between the large discs and small discs reduces problems that exist in screens that use in-line multi-sided discs.

Abstract: In a method for the continuous production of a running mat (6) of stocked particles (2) of different dimensions by the use of a conveyor spreading method, for the production of wood material boards or similar boards by subsequent pressing of the mat, for the solution of the problem of having a well-defined supporting plane for the spread material independently of the rotary speed of the spreading rolls, it is proposed that, during the conveyor spreading action (11), at first holdouts be formed deliberately and continuously over the entire spreading width and the entire spreading length of the conveyor spreading mechanism, out of which individual spreading is done for the continuous formation of the advancing mat (6); at the same time an apparatus is proposed for the practice of the method for the performance of the already-named tasks.

Abstract: A disc screen classifies material by size. The disc screen includes a frame, a plurality of shafts mounted on the frame parallel with one another and a first stage including discs mounted on the shafts in a substantially coplanar row. Each of the discs has a perimeter shaped to maintain the space between discs substantially constant during rotation. A second stage includes discs mounted on the shafts in a substantially coplanar row. Each of the discs has a perimeter shaped to maintain the space between discs substantially constant during rotation. A receiving section agitates debris while the debris moves at an angle up to a given elevation. A roll over section drops the materials down to a discharge position for feeding onto a discharge section. The materials are dropped from the roll over so that the debris either falls vertically or flips over further promoting separation. The discharge section again agitates the debris while moves up a second incline until the larger debris discharges out a rear end.

Abstract: An apparatus for length screening of elongated particles such as wood chips, having a roll set (2) formed by at least two essentially horizontal rolls, mounted parallel to each other and adapted to rotate with a gap (5) adjusted between each pair of rolls, and on which roll set the material to be screened is fed essentially orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the rolls at the intake end of the roll set, whereafter a portion of the material to be screened falls down through the gaps (5) and a remaining portion is removed from the exit end of the apparatus.

Abstract: A screening machine comprising a plurality of rotors adapted such that in a frame the axes of the rotors are arranged parallel to one another from a supply side where objects to be screened including mixed substances different at least in size are supplied from above by a conveyor to a discharge side where the remainders after screening are discharged, and such that the rotors are rotated in the same direction by a rotating drive, each rotor further comprises at least two kinds of components, namely, a plurality of large diameter sections and a plurality of small diameter sections alternately disposed in the axial direction of each rotor and arranged in a staggered relation in the feeding direction to define screening gaps having desired dimensions between the large and small diameter sections.

Abstract: A screening machine including a plurality of rotors adapted such that in a frame the axes of the rotors are arranged parallel to one another from a supply side where objects to be screened including mixed substances different at least in size are supplied from above by a conveyor to discharge side where the remainders after screening are discharged, and such that the rotors are rotated in the same direction by a rotating drive, each rotor further comprises at least two kinds of components, namely, a plurality of large diameter sections and a plurality of small diameter sections alternately disposed in the axial direction of each rotor and arranged in a staggered relation in the feeding direction to define screening gaps having desired dimensions between the large and small diameter sections.

Abstract: A screening machine comprising a plurality of rotors adapted such that in a frame the axes of the rotors are arranged parallel to one another from a supply side where objects to be screened including mixed substances different at least in size are supplied from above by a conveyor to a discharge side where the remainders after screening are discharged, and such that the rotors are rotated in the same direction by a rotating drive each rotor further comprises at least two kinds of components, namely, a plurality of large diameter sections and a plurality of small diameter sections alternately disposed in the axial direction of each rotor and arranged in a staggered relation in the feeding direction to define screening gaps having desired dimensions between the large and small diameter sections.

Abstract: A screening machine comprising a plurality of rotors adapted such that in a frame the axes of the rotors are arranged parallel to one another from a supply side where objects to be screened including mixed substances different at least in size are supplied from above by a conveyor to a discharge side where the remainders after screening are discharged, and such that the rotors are rotated in the same direction by a rotating drive, each rotor further comprises at least two kinds of components, namely, a plurality of large diameter sections and a plurality of small diameter sections alternately disposed in the axial direction of each rotor and arranged in a staggered relation in the feeding direction to define screening gaps having desired dimensions between the large and small diameter sections.

Abstract: A screening machine comprising a plurality of rotors adapted such that in a frame the axes of the rotors are arranged parallel to one another from a supply side where objects to be screened including mixed substances different at least in size are supplied from above by a conveyor to a discharge side where the remainders after screening are discharged, and such that the rotors are rotated in the same direction by a rotating drive, each rotor further comprises at least two kinds of components, namely, a plurality of large diameter sections and a plurality of small diameter sections alternately disposed in the axial direction of each rotor and arranged in a staggered relation in the feeding direction to define screening gaps having desired dimensions between the large and small diameter sections.

Abstract: A stone separation table (30,70) selectively separates and drops stones, clods, and dirt (27) between selected rollers while conveying potatoes (33) or other root crops from one side of the table to the other. The stone separation table incorporates sets of rollers (32,72) including separating (36,76) and spacing (40,80) rollers of substantially the same diameter. The sets of rollers are coplanar forming a planar conveying level (45,75) with all rollers driven in the same direction of rotation. The separating roller (36,76) is constructed with projecting elements, either projecting fingers (38) of a star roller (36) or bristles (78) of a brush roller (76) for receiving stones, clods, and dirt (27) for rotation downward and dropping in the separating passageway (42,82) between the separating roller (36,76) and spacer roller (40,80).

Abstract: A device for separating long-size materials included in the scraps of a crushed car, etc., has an inner cylinder which is installed with a slope and around which a plurality of short pipes are radially installed as they open to the inside of the inner cylinder, and receiving plates which are installed around the outside of said short pipes with a predetermined spacing therefrom. The inner cylinder is rotated at a low speed with the receiving plate, and the scraps charged from the upper stream of said inner cylinder are separated to the short-size materials which have passed through the short pipes and the long-size materials which have flowed down through said inner cylinder.

Abstract: A machine for sorting refuse comprises a rotatable drum (1) having several succeeding processing stations (5, 6, 7) located between an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) and each including one or more rotatable shafts (8) the circumferential surfaces of which are equipped with goods-processing projections and which are mounted at openings in the wall of the drum, the processing projections being adapted to cooperate with the edge portions of the drum wall defining the openings, so as to bring about a processing action on goods fed from the inlet towards the outlet. The processing projections of the shafts (8) in a first station (5) most adjacent the inlet (3) are smaller than the corresponding processing projections in the following station (6) in order, in said first station, to separate fine goods, while allowing coarser goods, during the feed of the goods from the inlet towards the outlet along the bottom of the drum, to pass on for separation in a succeeding station or stations.

Abstract: The apparatus makes use of a pair of rotating combs (11-14), the discs of the second comb being interposed between the discs of the first comb and positioned at the top between fixed guide plates (17). The discs of the first comb intercept the streams of closed capsules, from which any covers not provided with shells have already been removed. The capsules are inserted by their shells between the discs of the first comb and remain suspended on said discs by their covers (C1). Only capsule shells and any crushed capsules fall through the discs of the first comb. The capsules conveyed by the first rotating comb arrive on the discs of the second comb, generally with their covers at the front.

Abstract: A disc screen with spacers of limited compressibility is disclosed which has an elongated metal shaft member with a plurality of screen discs mounted co-rotatively on the shaft member. The screen discs have central shaft receiving openings through which the shaft extends coaxially. The screen discs are separated and spaced on the metallic shaft member by a plurality of metallic nonresilient and nonmetallic resilient spacers located between and coaxial with adjacent screen discs. The preferred embodiment of this invention has two metallic spacers with one nonmetallic resilient spacer between them, with the group of three spacers being located between each pair of screen discs which are spaced along the shaft member. The nonmetallic resilient spacers, which are preferably polyurethane, function to allow limited tilting of the screen discs out of the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A disc screen or like rotatable shaft assembly is disclosed having a non-metallic, substantially-cylindrical resilient spacer. The spacer has a non-circular shaft receiving opening. A plurality of screen discs are embedded in the spacer to accommodate limited tilting of the discs. Annular metallic surrounds may be provided to cover exposed non-metallic surfaces of the spacer.

Abstract: Wood chips having an acceptable thickness pass between the rollers of a roller screen for collection and over-thick chips discharge from one end of the roller screen for recycling. The rollers have chip agitating protuberances, preferably of pyramidal shape or in the form of spiral ridges. A second roller screen with pyramidal protuberances on its rollers and with its rollers closer together is used to screen out fines, preferably after the fines and acceptable chips pass through the first roller screen. Some of the fines pass through the second roller screen by occupying the valleys between the pyramidal protuberances.

Abstract: A disc screen having rows of rotatable discs separated by sleeve-like spacers. Discs of adjacent rows are offset and extended to a near touching relationship with the spacers of adjacent disc rows. A supporting and rotatably driven shaft extended through each row of disc and spacers. The spacers are independently mounted to the shaft with internal strengthening gussets having keyway-type openings slidably fitted to the shaft's non-circular cross section. End discs on each shaft are mounted for close proximity to the side rails of the disc screen housing and, as aligned along the side rails, are reduced in diameter to prevent interference. The proximity of the end discs to the side rails prevent materials from being jammed against the side rails.

Abstract: A disk screen or like shaft structure is disclosed in which screen disks, surround disks, and spacers are connected together in modular relation. The surround disks have metallic flanges which shield the plastic spacers which are located on either side of the surround disks between the screen dists. The spacers are formed of resilient plastic to allow the disks to deflect from their radial plane and the flanges of the surround disks are sufficiently smaller than the spacers to avoid contact with the screen disks in their deflectred positions. The assembly is placed under a predertermined endwise compression and the module if mounted on a rectangular shaft which is suitably supported for rotation. The assembly is particularly suited for screening a wood chips in the paper making industry where exposed plastic parts is undersirable.

Abstract: A disk screen or like shaft structure is disclosed in which screen disks and spacer rings are connected together in modular relation. The spacer rings consist of resilient plastic annular rings spaced around the periphery of a shaft and intermediate between screen disks so as to accommodate limited tilting of the disks relative to the axis of the shaft with deflection of the spacer rings. The flexible spacer rings allow foreign objects to work their way out of the disk screens and not become lodged between neighboring screen disks. Metallic surround may be provided to protect the plastic spacer rings from scratching and gouging.

Abstract: A disc screen wood chip sorter of the type having a series of corotating shafts, each of which is provided with an axially spaced series of concentric discs. The peripheries of the discs carried by one shaft interdigitate with those of the next adjacent shafts. The discs on any one shaft are maintained in parallelism by spacer elements in the general form of short cylindrical washers. The specific improvement of this invention relates to a novel configuration of these spacing elements. Each spacer end is provided with a flange to thereby define a central, annular groove or recess between the flanges, each annular receiving recess receiving a portion of the periphery of an adjacent disc, i.e., a disc mounted on a neighboring shaft. By virtue of this novel form of disc spacer, the disc screen sorter severely inhibits the passage of wood chips of a thickness greater than intended, i.e., chips of a thickness greater than the spacing between interdigitated discs.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for separating material by length into first and second fractions containing, respectively, material longer than a specified length and material shorter than a specified length. The apparatus includes a plurality of generally parallel shafts having disks attached thereto. The disks are spaced on the shafts a distance approximately equal to one-half the specified length. Shaft diameters and shaft spacings are selected to cause material in the first fraction to remain supported by the shafts and to flow along the shaft surfaces from one shaft to the next adjacent downstream shaft, while material in the second fraction tilts and falls downwardly between adjacent shafts.

Abstract: A rotary disc screen apparatus consisting of a material screening frame having a series of corotating parallel shafts in spaced relation, screen discs mounted on supports on the shafts so the screen discs interleave between adjacent shafts, the screen discs being detachable from the supports for interchangeability with other screen discs of a selected different dimension, and drive assemblies connected to alternate one of the shafts for being able to apply the drive assemblies on adjacent jammed shafts when needed.

Abstract: A shrimp grading machine sorts progressively smaller sized shrimp as they fall through the mechanism. Plural pairs of parallel grading rollers are inclined from an upstream inlet end to a downstream outlet end. Graded shrimp are rejected by and will not pass through the gap between horizontally adjacent rollers and thus pass off the end of the grader. A mechanism allows all of the gaps between the horizontally spaced rollers to be simultaneously adjusted.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively sorting pulp wood chips in accordance with a predetermined maximum thickness includes a plurality of disk members disposed in a plurality of separately rotatable rows, with each row having a plurality of the members disposed in spaced parallel vertical planes, and with members in adjacent rows intermeshing with equal spaces therebetween. Each disk member has a radially contoured outer periphery with the depth of the contour being sufficiently shallow to prevent chips of thickness greater than the predetermined maximum from passing between its outer peripheral edge and an opposing spacer mounted between disk members on an adjacent row. All the rows of disk members are driven in the same direction, but adjacent disks are preferably driven at different peripheral speeds.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for separating articles is disclosed. Apparatus (10) includes a frame (16) having upper and lower portions (24, 26) yieldably separated by compression springs (28). Belts (90) extend between drive rollers (30) supported by upper frame portion (24) and driven rollers (42) supported by lower frame portion (26). A plurality of longitudinal members (88) are attached to each shaft (86) of driven rollers (42). Mud which might otherwise plug an eliminator is removed from belts (90) as they variably flex in passing about driven rollers (42).

Abstract: An apparatus for removing foreign matter from cotton includes an elongated frame having a plurality of rollers rotatably supported in closely spaced side-by-side relation therealong for conveying cotton over the rollers from one end of the frame to the other in response to rotation of the rollers in unison. The rollers have a plurality of protrusions so that the cotton is vertically shaken as it is conveyed over the rollers with the result that foreign matter falls between the rollers away from the cotton. The protrusions may be the transversely extended corners of polygonal shaped rollers, the corners being adapted to strike the cotton in response to rotation of the rollers for a more vigorous shaking action. A plate may be supported in vertically spaced relation above the rollers for rebounding cotton which is thrown up by the rollers back toward the rollers. A conveyor belt below the rollers collects the foreign matter which drops therethrough.

Abstract: A chip thickness classifier comprising a drum mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and having its periphery formed by a plurality of discrete longitudinally extending bars of elongated cross-section. The bars are arranged in substantially shingled relationship with one side of each bar spaced closer to the axis of rotation of the drum than the other side of the bar thereby to form outlet passages between adjacent bars. The outlet passages are substantially axially extending slots having their major width dimension measured substantially radially of the axis of rotation of the drum. Each of said bars is mounted for rotation about a longitudinally extending axis of the bar and the bars are interconnected by an adjustment mechanism that applies simultaneous incremental movement to stepwise rotate said bars and change said width dimension of the outlet passage. The drum is rotated in the direction wherein the side of each said bar closest the axis of rotation of the drum leads.