Improvements in Screening Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screening Machines.
We, JOSEPH MILTON ELDER, Brick Manufacturer, of 815, East Front Street, and
OLIVER WALDRON DUNLAP, Brick Manufacturer, of 806, South Bunn Street,
Bloomington, in the County of McLean, and State of Illinois, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates particularly to machines for reducing or screening moist
and sticky clay and it has for its object to so construct the machine that the major
portion of the clay may be reduced to the proper fineness, and a further object is
to provide a simple means for cleaning the screen.
The machine comprises four uprights and a frame consisting of upper and lower
strips connected together by tie pieces. The upper end of the frame is pivotally
connected to the uprights at the upper end of the machine and the lower strips
have trunnion bearings in said uprights. The frame is arranged on a downward
angle toward the discharge end of the machine, which angle may be regulated by
means of links extending from the top portions of the frame through a cross
bar supported by the uprights at the discharge end of the machine, the links being
screw-threaded and engaged by nuts which bear upon the upper side of the cross
bar. Mounted at the upper and lower ends of the frame at opposite sides thereof
are sprocket wheels with which engage endless sprocket chains. One end of the
shaft for the one pair of sprocket wheels is provided with a gear wheel meshing
with a pinion on the shaft of which is a band wheel to which power may be applied
for operating the screen. It is obvious however that other means than a band
wheel may be employed. Pivotally connected to the sprocket chains are screen
sections whose edges engage with one another so as to form a practically continuous
screening surface. The screens are mounted in suitable frames which are turned
up at their ends and the pivotal point between these screens and the sprocket
chains is about the centre of the end portions of the frame. Arranged in the frame
and extending from the upper to the lower end thereof is a chute which opens out-
ward into the discharge end, the bottom of this chute having a greater incline
than the incline of the screen and thus relieving the possibility of clogging.
Loosely hung over the top stretch of the screen is an apron which extends
substantially the full length of the machine and is designed to keep the clay in
contact with the metal screen, the clay being spread out thin before it is discharged
on to the screen proper. The apron then holds the clay in check and as the metal
plates or screen sections are travelling upward and the clay downward, the apron
creates a sifting motion compelling each and every particle of clay to come in
contact with the screen sections before it arrives at the lower end, thus getting the
benefit of the full size of the perforations over the entire screen surface and allow-
ing nothing but the particles that are too coarse to go through the perforations to
go over with the tailings. The cleaning of the screen sections is accomplished
by a rotary bush held yieldingly against the lower stretch of the screen: The shaft

page_text: of this brush has bearings in blocks from which cords or the like extend over
pulleys and each cord has a weight attached to this end. The pulleys are mounted
on lugs extending from one of the frames or standards mounted on the main frame
and upon which portions of the apron engage. The brush is driven by a band
passing round a pulley on the brush shaft and over a pulley on the shaft of the
screen operating band wheel. As the screen or the sections thereof at the lower
stretch are travelling from the top of the machine downward, the brush running
in the opposite direction, the plates being upside down are exactly in the reverse
position from what they are while on the screening surface and not being in use
long enough at a time to become clogged, the brush positively and thoroughly
removes each and every particle that sticks to the sections or gets wedged into the
perforations, thus giving a clean bright surface to the screen sections and keeping
the perforations open.
Dated 11
f Wah1000
We, JOSEPH MILTON ELDER, Brick Manufacturer, of 815, East Front Street, and
OLIVER WALDRON DESLAP, Brick Manufacturer, of 806, South Bunn Street,
Bloomington, in the County of McLean, and State of Illinois, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement: -
This invention relates particularly to machines for reducing or screening moist
and sticky clay. Screening clay since its advent has been one of the most difficult
tasks that clay workers have had to contend with. Practical knowledge teaches
that the preparation of clay has its effect on the finished product and in the
preparation of clay that necessitates fineness, such as fireclay and shale, the screen
is a most important factor. From actual demonstrations it is known that the
finer the clay can be reduced the greater the assistance to the machinery that
receives the clay and forms it into the different shapes of the fashioned product.
Another item, which is an important one in the manufacture of clay ware, is the
fuel. It is obvious that the finer and closer the bond can be produced in the
mechanical part of the product, the more solid and compact a body can be
maintained in the process of burning with a great saving of fuel and also with
less waste from coarse, porous, and imperfectly made ware. It is the object of our
invention, therefore, to so construct the machine that the major portion of the
clay may be reduced to the proper fineness, and a further object is to provide a
simple means for cleaning the screen.
We will describe a screening machine embodying our invention and then point
out the novel features in the appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screening machine
embodying our invention and Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof. Similar
characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.
The machine comprises four uprights 1, 1, 1, 1, and a frame consisting of the
upper strips 2 and the lower strip: 3 connected together by tie pieces 4. The upper
end of the frame is pivotally connected to the uprights 1 at the upper end of the

page_text: machine. As here shewn the lower strips 3 have trunnion bearings 5 in said
uprights. This frame is to be arranged ou a downward angle toward the discharge
end of the machine, which angle may be regulated by means of links 6 extending
from the top portions 2 of the frame through a cross bar 7 supported by the
uprights at the discharge end of the machine. These links or rods 6 are screw
threaded and are engaged by nuts which bear upon the upper side of the cross
bar 7. Mounted at the upper and lower ends of the frame at one side thereof are
sprocket wheels 8, 9, with which an endless sprocket chain 10 engages, and at the
opposite side of the frame there are sprocket wheels II and 12 with which
the endless sprocket chain engages.
One end of the shaft for the sprocket
wheels 8 and 11 is provided with a gear wheel 14 meshing with a pinion 15
on the shaft 16 of which is a hand wheel 17 to which power may be applied for
operating the sereen. It is obvious, however, that other means than a band wheel
may be employed. Pivotally connected to the sprocket chains 10 and 13 are
screen sections 18. These screen sections engage their edges one with another so
that a practically continuous screening surface is provided. The screens are
mounted in suitable frames, the ends of which are turned up, and the pivotal point
between these screens and the sprocket chains is about the centre of the end
portions of the frame. Arranged in the frame, and extending from the upper te
the lower end thereof, is a chute 19 which opens outward into the discharge end,
the bottom of which chute has a greater inclination than that of the screen, thus
relieving the possibility of clogging up.
As
Loosely hung over the top stretch of the screen is an apron 20 which extends
substantially the full length of the machine and is designed to keep the clay in
contact with the metal screen, the clay being spread out thin before it is discharged
into the screen proper. The apron then holds the clay in check, and as the metal
plates or screen sections are travelling upward and the clay downward, the apron
creates a sifting motion compelling each and every particle of clay to come in
contact with the screen sections before it gets to the lower end, thus getting the
benefit of the full size of the perforations over the entire screen surface and
allowing nothing but the particles that are too coarse to go through the perforations
to go over with the tailings. The cleaning of the screen sections is accomplished
by a rotary brush 21 held yieldingly against the lower stretch of the screen.
here shewn, the shaft of this brush has hearings in blocks 22 from which
cords 23 or the like extend over pulleys 24 and each cord has a weight 25 attached
to this end. The pulleys 24 are mounted on lugs extending from one of the frames
or standards 26 mounted on the main frame and upon which portions of the
apron 20 engage. The brush 21 is driven by a band 27 engaging with a pulley 28
on the shaft of the brush and with a pulley 29 on the shaft 16. As the screen
or the sections thereof at the lower stretch are travelling from the top of the
machine downward, the brush running in the opposite direction, the plates being
upside down are exactly in the reverse position from what they are while on the
screening surface and not being in use long enough at a time to become clogged,
the brush positively and thoroughly removes each and every particle that sticks to
the sections or gets wedged into the perforations, thus giving a clean, bright,
surface to the screen sections and keeping the perforations open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. A screening machine comprising a number of screen sections engaging one
with another at the edges and thus practically forming a continuous screen,
endless sprocket chains or like carriers to which the sections are pivoted, a chute
below the upper stretch of the screen, and means for operating the carriers
substantially as specified.
2. A screening machine comprising an inclined frame, a screen consisting of a
series of sections pivotally connected to carriers mounted to move in the frame, a

page_text: discharge chuté underneath the upper stretch of the screen and having a greater
incline than said upper stretch of the screen, and a brush for cleaning the screen
substantially as specified.
3. A clay screening machine comprising an inclined frame, a screen consisting
of a series of pivoted screens, means for moving said screen around the frame, a
discharge chute underneath the upper stretch of the screen, an apron supported
loosely above said upper stretch of the screen, a rotary brush held yieldingly
against the lower stretch of the screen, and means for rotating said brush
substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day at November 1898
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.