Abstract:
A vibrating screen device includes a support structure, which supports apertured screening elements. The support structure includes a plurality of support carriers, each having a straight portion and a spacer part fixed to at least one end of the straight portion. The spacer part of each support carrier engages a spacer part of an adjacent support carrier to space the straight portions apart by a predetermined distance.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 and/or §365 to Swedish patent application No. 1050232-6, filed Mar. 15, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure concerns a support carrier of a support structure for supporting screening media in a vibrating screen device invention concerns a support carrier of a support structure for supporting screening media in a vibrating screen device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art. 
     In vibrating screen devices used for fractionation of for example crushed stones and gravel into fractions of stones with different sizes, screening media are used having screening holes for allowing stones smaller than the screening holes to pass through the holes. 
     Vibrating screen devices are known having an adapter system or a supporting structure to be able to use different types of screening media. The screening media normally have the form of a wire mesh, polymer mats, panels or modular screening elements. The supporting structure has the form of a number of elements placed in a grid supporting the screening media. 
     In one previously known embodiment, the support structure is formed of support carriers and transversal carriers. The support carriers are placed in line with each other in several parallel lines of support carriers. Also the transversal carriers are placed in line with each other in several parallel lines of transversal carriers. The support carriers are placed on top of the transversal carriers and perpendicular to the transversal carriers. Loose spacer elements are placed on top of the transversal carriers. The spacer elements are to keep a proper distance between the lines of support carriers. Even though they normally function well, in some cases the spacer elements have not been able to hold a proper distance between the support carriers. 
     It would be desirable to enable the handling of the component parts of the support structure of the vibrating screen device to be facilitated, regarding mounting, storing and transportation of such parts. 
     It would also be desirable to guarantee that the parts of the support structure are placed at proper positions in relation to each other. 
     It would further be desirable to be able to modify the set-up of the vibrating screen device without having to make any major rebuilding thereof. The set-up of the vibrating screen device may need to be modified depending on the type of material to be fractionized, the sizes of the fractions etc. Such modifications include changing the size or type of the screening media used. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed is a support carrier of a supporting structure of a vibrating screen device, wherein the support carrier includes at least one straight portion and at least one spacer part extending transversely from an end of the straight portion. The spacer part is fixed to the at least one straight portion. 
     By fixing the spacer elements to the straight portion of the support carriers, fewer parts need to be handled. Furthermore, the spacing between adjacent support carriers is held more exactly. Preferably, each support carrier has at least one straight portion and at least one spacer part, with the at least one straight portion of each support carrier being fixed to the at least one spacer part. The straight portion and spacer parts of each support carrier are placed perpendicular to each other. 
     Objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be obvious to a person skilled in the art when reading the detailed description below. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The following detailed description can be read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vibrating screen device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one example of a supporting structure for supporting screening media of the vibrating screen device. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a first example of a support carrier of the supporting structure having fixed spacer parts. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of a second example of a support carrier having fixed spacer parts. 
         FIG. 5  is perspective view of a plurality of support carriers according to  FIG. 4 , forming a supporting structure. 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a third example of a support carrier and fixed spacer part. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the support carrier of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of support carriers of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , arranged to form a supporting structure. 
         FIGS. 9-14  depict further examples of support carriers having different upper configurations, wherein  FIGS. 9   a ,  10   a ,  11   a ,  12   a ,  13   a  and  14   a  are end views, and  FIGS. 9   b ,  10   b ,  11   b ,  12   b ,  13   b  and  14   b  are perspective views. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As used in this description the expressions “upper”, “lower” and similar expressions are in view of the drawings referred to and with the normal orientation of a vibrating screen. 
     In  FIG. 1  one example of a vibrating screen device  1  is shown. It has a screening deck receiving materials to be screened, such as crushed stones, gravel etc. The screening deck is furnished with screening media, formed of a number of modular screening elements  2 , e.g., a wire mesh, polymer mats or panels. The screening media are received on a support structure  2 A. 
     The support structure  2 A is formed of support carriers  3  and transversal carriers  4 . The transversal carriers  4  are placed transversal to the direction of motion D of the material to be screened, and the transversal carriers  4  are placed parallel with each other. The transversal carriers  4  are fastened by bolting, welding or other suitable fastening means to cross members (not shown) of the vibrating screen deck. The support carriers  3  are placed parallel to each other on top of the transversal carriers  4  and are oriented perpendicular to the transversal carriers  4 . 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the support carrier  3  is formed of two straight portions  3   a  and two spacer parts  5 , together forming a rectangular frame, as viewed from above. The two straight portions  3   a  are placed on opposite sides of the frame and the two spacer parts  5  are also placed on opposite sides of the frame. The two straight portions  3   a  and two spacer parts  5  are fixed together to form a one-piece frame. In use, the frame is placed on the transversal carriers  4  with two straight portions  3   a  of adjacent support carriers  3  abutting each other in the direction B, and with two spacer parts  5  of adjacent support carriers  3  placed adjacent each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction B. Each straight portion  3   a  of the frame has half the normal thickness of the straight portion of the supporting structure. Thus, when two straight portions  3   a  of two adjacent frames are placed abutting each other they will together have the normal thickness. 
     The spacer parts  5  are placed on stanchions  6 ,  7  of the transversal carriers  4 , whereby the spacer parts  5  have a groove on the lower side adapted to the form of the stanchions  6 ,  7 . In the example of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the stanchions  6 ,  7  have different heights. Therefore, the spacer parts  5  of each frame are positioned on different heights, to be adapted to the heights of the stanchions  6 ,  7 . Alternatively, in other embodiments the stanchions could be of the same height, whereby also the spacer parts would be disposed at equal heights in the frame. 
     In  FIGS. 4 and 5  a further example of a support carrier  8 , according to the present invention is shown. The support carrier  8  has a central straight portion  8   a  and one spacer part  9  at each end of the straight portion  8   a . The spacer parts  9  are placed perpendicular to the straight portion  8   a  and extend equal distances on either side of the straight portion  8   a . Thus, the support carrier  8  will have the shape of an I-beam, as seen from above. The support carrier  8  is made in one piece, i.e., the spacer parts  9  are fixed to the straight portion  8   a  of the support carrier  8 . 
     The support carriers  8  are placed on stanchions  6 ,  7  of the transversal carriers  4 . In the examples of  FIGS. 2 and 5 , each of the transversal carriers  4  has two stanchions  6 ,  7  placed parallel with each other and at a distance from each other. The two stanchions  6 ,  7  shown have different heights, but in other, alternative embodiments the stanchions could be of the same height. Each support carrier  8  has one of its spacer parts  9  placed on the stanchion  6  of a transversal carrier  4 , and its other spacer part  9  placed on the stanchion  7  of another transversal carrier  4 . The spacer parts  9  each has a groove on the lower side. The form of the groove is adapted to the form of the upper part of the respective stanchion  6 ,  7 . 
     It will thus be appreciated that each transversal carrier  4  receives spacer parts  9  of two mutually aligned support carriers  8 , with one spacer part  9  disposed on each stanchion  6 ,  7 . Thus, two support carriers  8  are placed abutting each other on the transversal carriers  4 . 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the upper central part, or top, of each straight portion has an extension  33  (see  FIG. 4 ) forming a projection extending a short distance from one end of the straight portion and has a complementary groove  34  at the other end. The projection  33  has a thickness adapted to the width of the groove  34 . Thus, when two support carriers  8  are placed abutting each other in the direction B, the projection  33  of one support carrier  8  is received in the complementary groove  34  of the adjacent support carrier  8 . In use, two adjacent support carriers  8  are placed with the ends of the spacer parts  9  abutting each other. Thus, the distance between the support carriers  8  is dictated by the distance by which respective spacer part  9  extends from the straight portion  8   a  of its respective support carrier  8 . 
     The support carrier  10  of  FIGS. 6-8  has an elongated form, and in the shown embodiment it has a straight portion  10   a  formed of two parallel plates  12  placed at a short distance from each other. The two parallel plates  12  are fixed to each other by means of a number of attachment members  13 . Each support carrier  10  has a spacer part  11  at one end which is oriented perpendicular to the plates  12  of the support carrier  10  and which extends on both sides of the support carrier  10 . The spacer part  11  is made in one piece with the rest of the support carrier  10 . The spacer part  11  extends the same distance from the straight portion  10   a  of the support carrier  10  at both sides. Thus, the support carrier  10  with the spacer part  11  has the shape of a “T”, as seen from above. 
     At the free end of the support carrier  10 , i.e. the end opposite the end with the integrated spacer part  11 , there is a groove  14  open from below. The groove  14  is used when attaching the support carriers  10  to each other in forming the support structure. 
     The spacer parts  11  have two rails  15  extending downwards, between which rails  15  a groove is formed. The rails  15  are used in attaching the spacer parts  11  to stanchions  20  of transversal carriers  19 . The spacer parts  11  assist in keeping the straight elements  10   a  of the support carriers  10  at proper mutual distance from each other. 
     In the area of connection between the support carrier  10  and the spacer part  11 , a lug  16  extends from each plate  12 . Thus, there are two lugs  16 . The lugs  16  have the same direction as the plates  12  of each support carrier  10 , and the lugs  16  extend perpendicular to the extension of the spacer part  11 . The lugs  16  are disposed on top of the spacer part  11 . A pin  17  is placed on each lug  16 , which pins extend in opposite directions by equal distances from the respective lugs  16 . The pins  17  are received in the grooves  14  of an adjacent support carrier  10  when the support carriers are installed for use. 
     In use, the support carriers  10  are placed in line abutting each other and with the spacer element  11  of each support carrier  10  placed on the stanchion of a transversal carrier  19 . 
     A rail  18  is disposed on top of each plate  12  for attachment to screening media. Alternatively, the plates  12  could have groves on the inside, or other means, used to fix screening media to the support carriers  10 . The exact form of the rails  18  (or alternative grooves) is adapted to the form of the screening media to be received. 
     As noted above, and as indicated in  FIGS. 9   a - 9   f , the top of each straight portion of the support carriers may have different forms adapted to the design and make of the screening media to be received on top of the support carriers. 
     The support carrier  8  of  FIG. 9   a  corresponds with the support carrier of  FIGS. 4 and 5  and has a rail  21  at the top. Also the support carriers  25 ,  29 ,  31  of  FIGS. 9   c ,  9   e  and  9   f , respectively, have a kind of rail  26 ,  30 ,  32  each. The support carrier  22  of FIG.  9   b  has a groove  23  at the top. In the middle of the groove  21 , as seen in the longitudinal direction of the straight portion of the support carrier  22 , there is a raised part  23 . Also the support carrier  27  of  FIG. 9   d  has a groove  28  at the top of the straight portion of the support carrier  27 . 
     A person skilled in the art will realize that the features of the different embodiments described may be combined in many different ways, and that additions, deletions, modifications and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.