Patent Publication Number: US-8113355-B1

Title: Classifying kits

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments herein relate to classifying kits useful in separating gold and other precious metals, gems, collectable rocks, fossils, and archaeological artifacts from earth material using either wet or dry filtering methods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The use of stackable classifying sieves for separating objects such as fossils, artifacts, gold, gems, and rocks from earth material based on size has been attempted. As one example, the Hubbard #548 Screen Six Sieve Set available from Forestry Suppliers, Inc., is a kit having multiple sieves, each with different mesh sizes, stacked upon each other such that the largest mesh size is on top and the sieve with the finest mesh size is on the bottom. Unfortunately, this particular configuration has multiple disadvantages. 
     As one example, the system with its multiple exposed parts is not easy to transport as one unit, and is likewise not easily shaken to separate objects from earth material. Additionally this system is not configured for allowing sluicing, such as when a user wishes to further separate small objects from water based on weight. The system does not appear to allow for wet separation of materials either, as there does not appear to be a water exit hole at the bottom of the system. 
     Accordingly, there is a need in the art, and an objective of the teachings herein to overcome the disadvantageous of current products used for separating objects from earth material 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments are directed to kits for classifying objects from earth material comprising: a bucket having a top aperture opening to a lower main cavity defined by a periphery, and a bottom surface; a first classifying sieve having a mesh screen surrounded by a perimeter and configured to be removably positioned inside the main cavity near the top aperture of the bucket; and a support sleeve configured to removably fit within the bucket near the bucket periphery such that it is vertically supported by the bottom surface of the bucket and includes a top surface that provides vertical support for the first classifying sieve. Said embodiments are further directed to the use of multiple classifying sieves, a funnel, a sluice, and a base bowl. 
     Further embodiments are directed to kits for classifying objects from earth material comprising: a substantially cylindrical bucket having a top aperture opening to a lower main cavity defined by a periphery that slightly tapers downward to a bottom surface; a first classifying sieve, having a substantially cylindrical shape, and having a mesh screen surrounded by a perimeter and having means to be removably positioned inside the main cavity of the bucket. Said embodiments are further directed to the use of multiple classifying sieves, a funnel, a sluice, and a base bowl. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       It will be appreciated that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed on illustrating the various aspects and features of embodiments of the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a preferred sifting assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of an alternative sifting assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the topside of a lid. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the underside of a lid. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the topside of an upper sieve. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a lower sieve. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the topside of a lower sieve. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a funnel. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the sluice section. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the sluice section. 
         FIG. 11  shows a side view of a sleeve within a bucket. 
         FIG. 12  shows a perspective view of a base bowl. 
         FIG. 13  shows a side view of a base bowl. 
         FIG. 14  shows an underside view of a base bowl. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described below. It is, however, expressly noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the intention is that modifications that are apparent to the person skilled in the art and equivalents thereof are also included. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of a preferred kit  2  described herein. According to the teachings herein, the parts of the kit are configured to be removably held and used within a bucket  18 . Parts of the kits  2  herein can include the following: a lid  4 , a top sieve  6 , a first lower sieve  8   a , a second lower sieve  8   b , a funnel  10 , a sleeve  12 , a sluice section  14 , and a bowl  16 . Depending on the parts used in, and the desires of a user, the kits  2  herein can be used for separating objects such as gold, rocks, gems, fossils, and artifacts from earth material using water or through dry sifting methods. 
     In general the earth material, such as mud, dirt, clay, or any other granular material which can be broken apart by a sieve, is placed into the top sieve  6  which has the largest mesh sized screen of the sieves used in the kits herein. The earth material can then be filtered using water or dry methods through the top sieve  6  and the lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b  each having progressively finer mesh screens, such that the lowest sieve  8   b  has the finest mesh screen of all sieves in the kit  2 . According to preferred embodiments, the lowest sieve  8   b  can be vertically supported by a funnel  10   FIG. 1 . In general, the use of a funnel  10  is not required for dry sifting, but can be advantageous for wet sifting, where water is poured into the top of the bucket through the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b . The funnel  10  can vertically be supported by a sleeve  12 . The funnel  10  can be positioned above and configured to allow fluid communication with a lower sluice section  14  that includes a radial sluice  50  surrounded by a periphery  54 . In turn, the sluice section  14  can be vertically supported by and configured to allow for fluid communication with a lower base bowl  16 . 
     While any suitable bucket  18  can be used with the teachings herein, it is preferred that the bucket  18  has slightly downward tapering sides to allow it to be stackable with other like shaped buckets  18 . Downwardly tapering sides also allows for the different parts of the kit  2  to be internally stacked based on diameter size, such that the diameter of the various parts decreases from largest to smallest as they are positioned from the top to the bottom of the bucket  18 . According to further embodiments, it is preferred that the bucket  18  is a standard five gallon plastic bucket, readily available from multiple stores. Thus one advantage of the teachings herein is that they can utilize a very inexpensive, durable, and widely available bucket to not only use for separating materials but also for easily carrying all of the parts of the kit  2 . More specifically, in addition to the parts shown in  FIG. 1 , the buckets  18  described herein can also include further objects, such as manuals, guides, hand scoops, tweezes, and collection vials, useful in classifying objects from earth material. Preferred buckets herein include a swiveling metal handle for easier carrying, such as those include in commercially available 5 gallon buckets. 
     While a bucket  18  is used for the teachings herein, the kits  2  can be sold with or without the bucket  18 . When sold without a bucket  18  it is preferred that the kits  2  include instructions for a user to simply acquire a bucket  18  on their own. According to highly advantageous embodiments, the only modification that a user may want to perform on a store bought bucket  18  is to add a drainage hole  68  in the bottom section, such as using a drill. Non-exclusive examples of drainage hole  68  diameters can be between 1.5-3 inches, such as 2 inches, for example. While preferred embodiments are directed to buckets having cylindrical cross-sections as shown in  FIG. 1 , other shaped buckets such as those have a square or rectangular cross-sections can also be expressly used with the teachings herein, according to non-preferred embodiments. The parts described herein can be shaped accordingly to conform to the bucket shape. For example, if the bucket utilizes a square cross-section, the parts herein can include square cross-sections as well. 
     Preferred kits  2  include a dual functioning lid  4  that can be configured such that it can close the bucket  18  to prevent the parts from falling out and also be used as a gold pan. For this particular embodiment, and as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , it is preferred that the lid  4  is in the general shape of a standard gold pan having sides  7  that taper downward to a flat recessed bottom  5 . According to preferred embodiments, the lid  4  can have a conical cross-section, although other general gold pan shapes can also be used. The inner sides of the lid  4  can include common features in gold pans such as one or more protrusions or riffles  24  to assist in separating materials from each other. Preferably the lid  4  includes an outwardly projecting peripheral lip  20  at its top having an underside circumferential groove  22  for snapping onto the top rim of the bucket  18  to create a releasably secure fit. When the lid  4  is secured to the top rim of the bucket  18 , the bottom  5  and sides  7  of the lid  4  project downward into the internal space within the bucket. The lid  4  can be made of any suitable material such as high impact plastic or metal, such as steel. According to non-preferred embodiments, no lid, or a non gold pan lid can be used with the kits herein. 
     According to a first embodiment, the assemblies  2  herein include at least a top classifying sieve  6  configured to be positioned near the top of the inside of the bucket  18 .  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a type of top classifying sieve  6 . In general, the top sieve  6  includes a periphery  34  that traverses upwards from an inwardly extending lower rim  37  surrounding a mesh screen  26  that forms the bottom surface. According to more preferred embodiments, the periphery  34  functions as a wall to help keep the filtered material from falling off the screen  26 . The upwardly projecting periphery  34  is preferably made of high impact plastic, but can be made of any suitable material, such as metal or steel. Preferably the periphery  34  of the top sieve  6  is in very close proximity to but does not touch the inner walls of the bucket  18  in its natural resting position, such as when the bucket  18  is not being shaken. As an example, the periphery  34  can be about ⅛ of an inch from the bucket  18  walls. For embodiments where a user shakes the bucket  18 , the periphery  34  would come into contact with the inner walls of the bucket  18 . 
     The actual mesh screen  26  can be made of any suitable material such as high impact plastic or metal wire, such as steel. The bottom of the top sieve  6  preferably includes first and second support bars  28  and  30  that intersect to define  4  quadrants in the screen  26 . The sectioning into quadrants helps in the visual inspection of the material when looking for nuggets and gems and also provides strength to the overall screen  26 . The support bars  28  and  30  can be integrated with the screen  26  such that they define one surface along with the lower rim  37 , or substantially so. Alternatively the screen  26  can be vertically supported by support bars  28  and  30  and the lower rim  37  and positioned on top of them, preferably flat, or substantially so. Other embodiments include an uninterrupted mesh within the periphery without the support bars  28  and  30 . 
     Advantageously, the top classifying sieve  6  includes means for allowing for its removal from the bucket  18 . According to certain embodiments, wherein the concave bottom of the lid  4  extends downward into the top section of the bucket  18  when secured, the use of an upwardly extending protrusion  36 , such as used on lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b  discussed below, can be disadvantageous as it could prevent the lid  4  from being secured to the bucket  18  if it is extends upwardly too high. Thus it can be advantageous to utilize an upper rim  32  downwardly, and inwardly angled from the top of the periphery  34 . According to further embodiments the upper rim  32  is angled such that it is does not interfere with the securing of the lid  4  to the bucket  18 . According to more specific embodiments, the upper rim  32  can be angled at the same, or substantially the same angle as the downwardly tapering sides of the lid  4 , such that they are parallel or substantially so. The upper rim  32  is highly advantageous in acting as means for allowing removal of the top sieve  6  from the bucket  18  and also for functioning as a splash guard. More specifically, when a user pours water into the bucket  18  to separate solid particles from the earth matter in the top sieve  6 , the upper rim  32  can alleviate water and materials from splashing out of the bucket  18 . 
     While shown as a continuous rim  32  in  FIG. 5 , it is expressly contemplated that the upper rim  32  can be segmented, or only be one or more downwardly projected handles. According to other embodiments, the top sieve  6  can include an upwardly extending protrusion positioned in the middle of the screen  26  that is short enough not to interfere with the bottom  5  of the lid  4 , thereby allowing for secure attachment of the lid  4  to the bucket  18 . Suitable protrusions are discussed below in detail with relation to the lower classifying sieves  8   a  and  8   b . Furthermore it is advantageous to have the top sieve  6  have a deeper body than the lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b  to allow for a suitably high protrusion and/or to alleviate backsplash for wet filtering methods. As an example, the top sieve  6  can be approximately 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 times as deep as the first lower sieve  8   a , or deeper. 
     Preferably the top sieve  6  is stacked on top and vertically supported by one or more lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b .  FIGS. 1 and 2  depict the use of two lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b , but the teachings herein expressly contemplate the use of more than two lower sieves, such as three, four, five, and six or more sieves, depending on the size of the bucket  18 , and whether a funnel  10  and/or sluice section  14  is positioned below. As will be discussed below, the lowest sieve  8   b  is preferably vertically supported by a sleeve  12  that rises upwards from the bottom of the bucket  18 . According to embodiments where only one sieve, such as a top sieve  6  is used, the sleeve  12  can vertically support the single sieve  6 . 
     According to non-preferred embodiments, instead of being directly stacked on top of each other and the sleeve  12 , other means can be provided for vertically supporting the sieves. Non-exclusive examples include internal ridges or grooves within the bucket. This particular configuration is not preferred as the walls of the bucket would have to be significantly tapered to allow for lower sieves to be removed past upper support ridges or to install lower sieves below higher grooves. Additionally, as standard buckets do not currently have these support ridges, the buckets would have to either be custom made or modified, which complicates the teachings herein. 
     As mentioned above, the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  advantageously can be positioned vertically based on mesh size and diameter, such that the mesh size and diameter decreases from the top of the bucket to the bottom. Thus the top sieve  6  would have larger openings in its mesh screen  26  than the first lower sieve  8   a  which in turn would have larger openings in its mesh screen than the second lower sieve  8   b . As a non-exclusive example, and with respect to U.S. mesh sizing, the top sieve  6  can be 10 mesh, the first lower sieve  8   a  can be 60 mesh, and the second lower sieve  8   b  can be 120 mesh. If more than two lower sieves are used, the additional sieves can have progressively finer screens than the second lower sieve  8   b . It is preferred that the lowest sieve  8   b  has a mesh size that is fine enough that the solid materials passing through will not clog the stem  46  of the funnel  10  such as to hinder or prevent water flow. According to certain embodiments, such as when a user is not utilizing a funnel  10  and sluice section  14 , the lowest sieve  8   b  can be vertically supported by an internal sleeve  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show an advantageous lower sieve  8   a . The second lower sieve  8   b  and potentially other lower sieves can be the same as the first lower sieve  8   a , but have slightly smaller diameters, and smaller openings in their mesh screen  26 , as mentioned above. Similar to the top sieve  6 , the lower sieve  8   a  includes a periphery  34  that traverses upwards from an inwardly extending lower rim  37  surrounding a mesh screen  26  that forms the bottom surface. According to more preferred embodiments, the periphery  34  functions as a wall to help keep the filtered material from falling off the screen  26 . The upwardly projecting periphery  34  is preferably made of high impact plastic, but can be made of any suitable material, including metal, such as stainless steel. Preferably the periphery of the lower sieve  8   a  is in very close proximity to but does not abut against inner walls of the bucket  18  in its natural resting position, such as when the bucket  18  is not being shaken. As an example, the periphery  34  can be about ⅛ of an inch from the bucket  18  walls. For embodiments where a user shakes the bucket  18 , the periphery  34  would come into contact with the inner walls of the bucket  18 . According to preferred embodiments, even when the upper sieve  6  and/or the lower sieves  8   a  and  8   b  move slightly in horizontal directions, the vertical abutment between them is not broken. 
     The actual mesh screen  26  can be made of any suitable material such as high impact plastic or metal wire, such as steel. The bottom of the lower sieve  8   a  preferably includes first and second support bars  28  and  30  that intersect to define  4  quadrants in the screen  26 . The sectioning into quadrants helps in the visual inspection of the material when looking for nuggets and gems and also provides strength to the overall screen  26 . Preferably a protrusion  36  extends upwards from bottom of the sieve  8   a  to function as a handle for a user to grip when desiring to remove or position the lower sieve  8   a . More specifically it is preferred that the protrusion  36  is positioned centrally on the bottom of the sieve  8   a  such as at the intersection of the support bars  28  and  30 . 
     Although any suitable vertical extension can be used, one advantageous design includes a vertical stem  40  that extends upwards from a base skirt  38  that flanges outward at a downward angle. The flanged skirt  38  is advantageous as it is configured to direct materials to descend towards the screens  26  for sieving. It can also be advantageous to have the edges of the skirt  38  form right angles or substantially so with the support bars  28  and  30  to allow the screen  26  to be substantially planar with the support bars  28  and  30 . The protrusion  36  should not extend too high such as to interfere with the underside of the sieve positioned directly above it. Alternatively, according to non-preferred embodiments, the lower sieve  8   a  can include an upper rim, inwardly and downwardly angled from the top of the periphery  34 , such as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     According to certain manufacturing embodiments applicable to all sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b , a screen  26 , can be supported on top of the support bars  28  and  30  and the lower rim  37 , or made to be integral with these parts, preferably such that they are level, or substantially so. For example, the entire sieve  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  can be made from a single plastic mold. For certain embodiments where the sieve  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  includes a vertical protrusion  36 , a separate screen having a central hole sized to fit over the vertical protrusion  36  can be pressed down onto the support bars  28  and  30  and the lower rim  37  such that the screen  26  is vertically supported by and level with the support bars  28  and  30  and the lower rim  37 . The screen  26  can be held in place using any suitable means, including welding, adhesives and fasteners. As one example, a ring, such as rubber ring can be positioned on top of the periphery of the screen  26  and glued, or otherwise fastened to the inner periphery  34  and/or lower lip  37  of the sieve. The ring can include any suitable cross-section such as entirely square, rectangular, or circular, but according to preferred embodiments, the cross-section can have a quarter-round shape. According to more specific embodiments, the central hole in the screen  26  is configured to fit closely around the base of the skirt  38 . It can also be advantageous to have the edges of the skirt  38  form right angles or substantially so with the support bars  28  and  30  to readily allow the screen  26  to be substantially planar with the support bars  28  and  30  and lower rim  37 . Other embodiments include an uninterrupted mesh within the periphery lacking support bars  28  and  30  and/or a vertical protrusion  36 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , it is preferred to have a sleeve  12  positioned at the bottom of the bucket  18 , and having sides that extend upwards alongside the bucket  18  walls to the underside of the lowest sieve  8   b  to provide a vertical support structure for the sieves  6 ,  8   a  and  8   b . More specifically, the upper edge  64  of the sleeve  12  can abut against the underside perimeter of the lowest sieve  8   b . The sleeve  12  preferably is configured such that its outer face fits tightly with the inner walls of the bucket  18 , and is of a thickness sufficient to provide vertical support to the underside of the lowest sieve  8   b  and higher sieves  8   a  and  6  above. 
     Advantageously, the sleeve  12  includes a hole  66 , that is preferably the same or substantially the same size as the hole  68  in the lower half of the bucket  18 . As an example, the hole  66  can be between 1.5 to 3 inches, including 2 inches in diameter. Preferably the kits  2  herein include means for both preventing and allowing liquid and matter from escaping from the sleeve&#39;s hole  66  though the bucket&#39;s hole  68 . According to one embodiment, the sleeve  12  can be configured to spin around within the bucket thereby allowing the hole  66  in the sleeve  12  and the hole  68  in the bucket  18  to either align or not align.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the holes  66  and  68  aligned thereby allowing water and other filtered matter to flow out of the bucket  18 , while  FIG. 11  shows the holes  66  and  68  unaligned thereby preventing or discouraging water and matter flow exiting the bucket  18 . Alternative ways of allowing and preventing or discouraging water flow from the sleeve  12  and bucket  18  include a spigot, valve, or removable plug or stopper, as non-exclusive examples. An unaligned or closed configuration can be advantageous for capturing dry material, while an open configuration can be advantageous for wet sifting to allow water to exit the bucket  18 . Additionally, the bucket and sleeve can each include 2 or more similarly sized holes that can each be aligned/unaligned or opened and closed. The sleeve  12  can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of high impact plastic. The sleeve  12  can be entirely cylindrical, or substantially so, without a bottom panel, or alternatively according to non-preferred embodiments can include a bottom panel. While shown as a continuous piece, the sleeve can alternatively be two or more pieces that are unconnected. 
       FIG. 12  provides a perspective view of a preferred base bowl  16 . A base bowl  16  can be removably positioned at and supported by the bottom of the bucket  18  within the sleeve  12 . The bowl  16  includes a large top opening that captures material that has been filtered from above. 
     It is preferred that the bowl  16  is configured to have sides  72  that do not come into contact with the inner walls of the sleeve  12  in a natural resting position. It is further preferred that the gap between the inner walls of the sleeve  12  and the side walls  72  of the bowl  16  is larger than the gaps between the periphery of the sieves  6 ,  8   a ,  8   b  and the inner faces of the bucket  18 . As an example, the sides of the bowl  16  can be tapered at a higher degree than the angles of the walls of the sleeve  12  or bucket  18 . A larger gap between the bowl  16  and the sleeve  12  is advantageous in preventing or alleviating clogging or backup, especially for wet sifting methods. Examples of suitable gaps between the sides  72  of the bowl  16  and the sleeve  12  include those larger than ⅛ inch. According to other embodiments, the gaps between the sides  72  of the bowl  16  and the sleeve  12  are about ⅛ inch. 
     Means for allowing removal and positioning of the bowl  16  can also be implemented. As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , preferably a protrusion  360  extends upwards from the bottom to function as a handle for a user to grip when desiring to remove or position the bowl  16 . More specifically it is preferred that the protrusion  360  is positioned centrally on the bottom of the bowl  16 . Although any suitable vertical extension can be used, one advantageous design includes a vertical stem  400  that extends upwards from a base skirt  380  that flanges outward at a downward angle. The protrusion  360  should not extend too high such as to interfere with the underside of the sluice section  14  or a lower sieve  8   b  positioned above it. According to preferred embodiments, and as shown in  FIG. 13 , the protrusion  360  is hollow to allow for water  80  to enter while heavier materials  82  such as gold will sink to the bottom if the bowl  16 . Water  80  can flow down from the sluice section  14  or the lowest sieve  8   b  into the top opening of the bowl  16 , then into the top opening  390  of the vertical stem  400  and downward through the base skirt  380  and out a bottom hole  88  to a space  84  between the underside of the bowl  16  and the bottom of the bucket  18 . A plug or cover for the top opening of the protrusion  360  can be used for dry filtering embodiments, where no water  80  is added. 
     Alternatively, no protrusion can be present in the bowl and a user can rely on a hole in the bottom of bowl for removal of water and for gripping for positioning and removal of the bowl. A plug or cover can also be used for this hole. According to further non-preferred embodiments, the bowl can include an inner rim downwardly angled from the top, like the top sieve  6  shown in  FIG. 5  utilizes. 
       FIG. 14  shows a preferred underside of the bowl  16 . A central opening  88  serves as a hub that allows water  80  to flow away from the central opening  88  to the sleeve and bucket exit holes  66  and  68 . Preferably, the underside of the bowl  16  includes a plurality of support stands  86  that can be configured to have sufficient load bearing strength to support the base bowl  16  filled with water and elevate the base bowl  16  above the bottom surface of the bucket  18  such as to define a sufficient gap  84  between these surfaces to allow for water  80  flow and to prevent back up. Additionally, the stands  86  should be able to support a sluice section  14  stacked on top of the bowl  16 . Preferably the stands  86  are intermittently spaced on the underside, such as around the perimeter  72 , and allow for water  80  to flow along the inside of the walls  72  without significant obstruction. Likewise the exit hole  88  and the protrusion  360  should be configured such as to allow water  80  to flow out of the bowl  16  at a faster rate than it enters, to prevent back up in the sluice section  14 . As the water entering the sluice section  14  is determined by the funnel  10 , it is preferred that the top opening in the stem  400  is larger than the bottom opening in the funnel  10 . The base bowl  16  and its parts can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of high impact plastic. 
     According to further embodiments, multiple support ribs can radiate away from the exit hole  88  like spokes from a hub to define substantially triangular channels that direct water  80  away from the central opening  88  to the sleeve and bucket exit holes  66  and  68 . The ribs should be configured to have sufficient load bearing strength as discussed above with the stands  86 . Preferably the ribs don&#39;t extend to the side walls  72  of the bowl to allow for water  80  to flow more freely between the walls  72  of the bowl  16  and sleeve  12 . 
     For embodiments, directed to dry sifting, without the use of water, the assembly depicted in  FIG. 2  and described above can readily be used. For certain embodiments that provide a user the option to engage in wet filtering with water, the kits can also include a funnel  10  and a sluice section  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . It is also readily contemplated that the kit  2  shown in  FIG. 2  can also be used with water in addition to dry separation. More particularly, a user may not desire to use a funnel  10  or a sluice section  14  if they only wanted to separate the objects from the earth material by size instead of weight, and thus may choose to forego the use of these parts when using water. Objects that are typically separated by size non-exclusively include fossils, artifacts, and rocks, for example. Conversely, the configuration of  FIG. 1  that utilizes a sluice section  14  and funnel  10  would not be used for dry separation techniques, without the use of water. This configuration is advantageous for separating materials by size and by weight, such as gold, for example. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a funnel  10  generally has a wide top opening  44  that tapers downward to form a stem  46  having a bottom opening  48  that is smaller than the top opening  44 . The smaller bottom exit  48  allows for a controlled, steady, directed stream of liquid and material to descend from the top opening  44  into the sluice section  14  below. As a way to remove the funnel  10  from the bucket  18 , a user can place a finger into the stem  46  and out the opening  48 , hook their finger around the rim of the opening  48  and pull upwards. Preferably the funnel  10  can include a peripheral lip  42  defining the wide top opening  44 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the top rim  64  of the sleeve  12  can abut against the underside of the funnel&#39;s lip  42  instead of the lowest sieve  8   b  when a funnel  10  is used with the kit  2 . This particular configuration allows the funnel  10  to hover above the sluice section  14  as opposed to abutting against it. The sleeve  12  and the funnel  10  are preferably configured to align the funnel  10  in a position above the sluice section  14  such that water exits downward out of the bottom hole  48  above the vertical protrusion  52  of the sluice  50 . It is additionally preferred that the funnel  10  is close to but does not contact the inner sides of the bucket  18  when the kit  2  is its natural state, not being moved. 
     The funnel  10  has sides sloped to a degree that causes any material passing through the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  above to flow freely in water out of the funnel&#39;s bottom opening  48  by gravitational phenomena. The bottom opening  48  is configured diameter such that a calibrated amount of water will flow into the sluice section  14  below and prevent too much water from entering the sluice section  14 . Thus the funnel  10  and the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  above act together to create a larger water holding reservoir thereby allowing for proper function of the sluice section  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the sluice section  14  is used in conjunction with and positioned below the funnel  10  within the bucket  18 . The sluice section  14  can be supported vertically by the upper rim  74  of the base bowl  16  which can be configured to abut against the underside of the sluice section  14 . As mentioned above, it is preferred that the sluice section  14  does not make contact with the funnel  10  positioned above. According to more specific embodiments, the outer perimeter of the sluice section  54  is not in contact with the inner walls of the sleeve  12  when the kit  2  is in its natural position, not being moved. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the outer perimeter  54  of the sluice section  14  surrounds a centrally positioned radial sluice  50  that can utilize water and gravitational force to classify materials having different weights. Preferably, the radial sluice  50  generally has a cone shaped body  60  etched with multiple concentric grooves  56  with progressively larger diameters from the top of the sluice  50  to the bottom. In addition to having larger diameters, the concentric grooves  56  preferably get narrower and shallower as they progress downward from the top of the sluice  50  to the bottom. This is advantageous as water flow will slow as it is spreads across the wider plane of the sluice  50 . The sleeve  12 , funnel  10  and sluice section  14  are configured such that water streams out of the funnel opening  48  at a steady rate, and the water, along with its accompanying solids, travels down the sluice  50  such that heavier materials (such as gold) in the water fall and become trapped within the grooves  56  while water and lighter materials travel over the grooves  56  down the body  60  of the sluice  50 . The base of the sluice  50  is preferably defined by a lower lip  62  having a plurality of drainage holes  58  positioned around it. The drainage holes  58  can be configured to allow water and lighter materials not trapped within the grooves  56  to drain into the base bowl  16  below. Having multiples drainage holes  58  is advantageous as it helps ensure that water is exiting the sluice section  14  faster than it is coming in through the bottom opening  48  in the funnel  10 . 
     It is preferred that the apex of the radial sluice  50  includes a vertical protrusion  52  having a vertical stem extending upward from a base skirt that flanges downward towards the grooves  56 . This is advantageous in dispersing water flow evening, or substantially so, across the sluice  50  plane. Additionally the vertical protrusion  52  is advantageous as a handle for a user to grip in order to remove the sluice section  14  or to set it within the bucket  18 . The sluice section can be made of any suitable material such as high impact plastic, for example. 
     Two main filtering techniques can be utilized with the kits  2  herein for classifying objects from earth material: (1) dry and (2) wet. According to dry sifting methods it is preferred that the kit either doesn&#39;t include the funnel  10  and the sluice section  14  or that it does and the user simply removes them from the bucket  18 . This particular configuration is shown in  FIG. 2 . In contrast, methods of wet separation can either utilize the funnel  10  and the sluice section  14  as shown in  FIG. 1  or not, depending on whether the user also wants to separate objects from the water by weight using a sluice  50 , or merely by size through the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b . Accordingly at least two main types of kits  2  can be sold, a kit having a removable funnel  10  and sluice section  14  ( FIG. 1 ) or kits that do not have a funnel or sluice section ( FIG. 2 ). 
     For dry sifting techniques, the kit  2  can be configured as shown in  FIG. 2 . A user can remove the lid  4  from the top of the bucket  18  and pour the earth material into the top classifying sieve  6 . The user can then hold and agitate the bucket  18  by swirling or shaking it back and forth. The movement of the bucket  18  combined with gravitational phenomena will separate material by size through the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b . More specifically, larger objects will remain on the top sieve  6  which has the largest sized mesh, while medium sized objects will remain on the first lower sieve  8   a  which has a finer mesh screen then the top sieve  6 , while even smaller objects will remain on the second lower sieve  8   b  which has the finest mesh. 
     Matter that is finer than the mesh screen of the bottom sieve  8   b  will fall downward into the base bowl  16 . After agitation, a user can remove the top sieve  6 , such as by grabbing the inner rim  32 , and examining the remaining material on the screen  26  for fossils, artifacts, rocks, gold, or gems. Likewise the remaining sieves  8   a  and  8   b  can also be removed, such as by grabbing onto their protrusions  36  and pulling upward. After removal, these sieves  8   a  and  8   b  can likewise be examined for desired objects that may have been mixed with the earth material. After examination, the matter from the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  can be emptied, to be retained or discarded, and the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  can be returned to the inside of the bucket  18 , in order from lowest to highest, so a user can separate and examine a new sample of earth material. As the difference in diameter or mesh size between the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  may be difficult to distinguish quickly, the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  can be identified such as by numbering and/or colors in order to facilitate a user in placing the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  back into their designated positions within the bucket  18 . In addition to removing the sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b , a user can also remove the base bowl  16  and empty it of material. 
     For wet sifting techniques, the bucket  18  can also be configured as shown in  FIG. 2 , however, instead of or in addition to agitation the bucket  18  with movement, a user can pour water into the top opening of the bucket  18  to filter objects from the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b . The force of the water will separate material by size through the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b . Water can be supplied to the top opening of the bucket  18  through any suitable method. More specifically it is preferred that the kit  2  is configured such that water will exit out of the bucket  18  through the hole  68  faster than it enters. As one option, a user can simply utilize a secondary bucket to hold and pour water into the kit  2 , such as a bucket of equal size to the bucket  18  used in the kits  2  so it easy to stack the two buckets together. 
     Additional wet filtering techniques can utilize a funnel  10  and a sluice section  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 , such as when a user desires to separate materials from earth material based on size and also on weight. This particular configuration is highly advantageous in classifying gold, for example. In addition to examining the classifying sieves  6 ,  8   a , and  8   b  a user can remove the sluice section  14  and examine the grooves  56  in the sluice  50  for desired objects. Furthermore, the user can remove the base bowl  16  and examine the material sunken at the bottom. For even further examination of the bowl  16  materials, a user can simply dump the contents from the bottom of the bowl  16  into a gold pan such as the lid  4 . If there is insufficient water from the bowl  16 , more water can be added, and the contents can be swirled and separated using suitable gold panning techniques to find desired objects, such as gold particles. 
     All references listed herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms besides and beyond those described herein. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents, rather than by the foregoing description.