Earth mover and attached vibratory screen

An earth mover provided with a continuous bucket-type loader which lifts earth onto a screen on the earth mover which vibrates in order to separate soil from rocks and other debris with the soil being collected in the earth mover as the earth mover moves along and the rocks and other debris being discharged from the rear of the earth mover on ground over which the earth mover has just moved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Earth movers of the type comprising a tractor pulling an earth carrier 
which is provided with a scoop therebelow which can scoop up earth into 
the carrier or alternatively scoop up earth which is dumped into the 
carrier by means of an endless belt are well known and made by a number of 
different manufacturers. The earth thus scooped up often times can have a 
significant amount of rock and other debris therein. In order to separate 
this from the soil in the earth, the present state of the art involves 
collecting the earth in the soil carrier, going to a stationary screen and 
dumping the earth containing the rocks therein. Then a track hoe is used 
to load the earth thus collected onto the screen and an end loader is used 
to stockpile the screened soil which is separated from the rocks and other 
debris in the earth. Thus, four pieces of equipment and four operators are 
used to collect the earth and separate the rocks and other debris from the 
soil. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Applicant has devised a device which includes the addition of a screen to a 
conventional earth mover's earth carrying portion, preferably vibratory, 
which is sloped, so that as the earth is dumped into the earth carrier 
attached to the tractor by the endless belt, it is dumped onto the screen. 
The pieces of soil go through the screen and the rocks and other debris 
fall behind the earth mover. 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a combination earth 
mover and screening device for separating rocks and other debris from soil 
being placed in said earth mover. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide such 1 device which 
will eliminate a number of pieces of equipment and their operators in 
collecting, separating, and moving earth from one place to another. 
These, together with other objects and advantages of the invention, will 
become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following 
detailed(d description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, an earth mover is shown comprising a tractor 10 
and an earth carrier 11. Earth carrier 11 is provided with a scoop 12 
shown in extended position in order to scoop up the earth from the ground. 
The earth thus loosened is collected and moved by the endless belt 13 and 
discharged into the body 14 of the earth carrier 11. First, however, the 
earth is dumped on the screen 15, which preferably is vibrating, so that 
the soil will pass into the body 14 and the rocks and other debris will be 
discharged down the chute 16 onto the ground. 
Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the screen 15 is shown and it is 
supported on spring 17 spaced around the periphery of the screen and the 
screen is vibrated by means of a hydraulic motor 18 which is provided with 
hydraulic power from the unit 19. The rocks and other debris separated 
from the soil by the screen 15 will be discharged down the chute 16. 
FIG. 3 is a detailed drawing showing the screen 15, the springs 17 and the 
hydraulic line 20 connected to the vibratory motor 18. Obviously, other 
mechanisms can be used to vibrate the screen or, if desired in some 
situations, the vibratory mechanism may be omitted and the movement of the 
earth mover will be sufficient to cause separation of the soil from the 
rocks and other debris. 
While this invention has been shown and described with respect to a 
detailed embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the 
art that various changes in from and detail thereof may be made without 
departing from the scope and spirit of the claims of the invention.