Patent ID: 12240014

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG.1shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of a tine, generally indicated by arrow1. The tine1has an elongate body portion2which has a linear tooth array upon its top surface. The elongate body portion2has an aperture located at one end of the body2C upon which the tooth array does not extend. The tine end50has an arcuate side surface51with a central recess52.

A first attachment plate6is has an aperture16, an arcuate side surface4with a central recess5. A second attachment plate9has an aperture18, and an arcuate side surface14which has a central recess15.

In use, the first attachment plate6is located onto a first side of the elongate body portion2so that the aperture16is aligned with the aperture17of the elongate body portion2. The second attachment plate9is located on the opposite second side of the elongate body portion2so that the aperture18is aligned with the aperture17of the elongate body portion2. A metal pin19is inserted through the aligned apertures16,17,18, as indicated by arrow20, and is permanently fixed into position via a welding or other fixing methods. The inserted pin19permanently attaches the first and second attachment6,9plates to the elongate body portion2. The recesses5,15of the attached first and second attachment plates6,9are aligned with the recess52of the elongate body portion2and thereby provide an overall combined recess which extends through the first and second attachment plates6,9and elongate body portion2of the tine1.

A third attachment plate7has an arcuate side surface10with a central recess11. A fourth attachment plate8has an arcuate side surface12which has a central recess13.

A supporting member24comprises a vertical channel54which has two fixing apertures22and23.

In use, two elongate attachment bars25and26are inserted through the two apertures22,23within the supporting member24. Each attachment bar25and26is threaded along its length which threads in use, cooperates with corresponding fixing nuts27,28. The purpose of the elongate bars25,26is to provide upper and lower mechanical support to the elongate body portion2.

FIG.2shows an assembled tine1. The first attachment plate6, second attachment9plate, third attachment plate7and fourth attachment plate8are assembled together to provide an overall attachment means3for attaching the elongate body portion2to an elongate supporting member (not shown). The assembled arcuate side surfaces10and4of the first and third attachment plates6and7co-operate to form an aperture60with the recesses5and11deployed diametrically opposite each other.

The attachment bars25and26are located in the upper and lower channels which are formed between the assembled attachment plates6,7,8and9. The attachments bars25,26are then permanently attached within the channels via welding them to the first and second attachments plates6and9.

The welded attachment bars25,26are then retained to the rear support bracket24via attaching and subsequent tightening the fixing nuts27and28.

FIG.3shows a plan view of a mounting frame for plant machinery, generally indicated by the arrow50, comprising two elongate side members33and34, which are connected together via two elongate tine supporting members30. The tine supporting members30are deployed perpendicularly to the inner surfaces of both side members33and34.

A tine device1is attached in close proximity to the right end portion of each tine supporting member30. Each tine device1is attached so that the recesses (FIGS.1.11,5,15and13) of each tine device1cooperate with elongate protuberances31and32that extend along the outer surface of each tine supporting member30. The protuberances31and32are also diametrically opposite to each other on the outer surface of a supporting member30.

FIG.4shows an end view of the mounting frame50in which the two attached tine devices1are mounted in an inclined configuration that is in the region of0to45degrees relative to the bottom horizontal plane51. The preferred angle of the inclined tines being13degrees relative to the bottom horizontal plane indicated by arrow51. Each inclined tine device has a tooth array upon its upper surface.

FIG.5shows an inner end view of the mounting frame50shown inFIG.4.

FIG.6shows a front view of the mounting frame50, which shows two elongate side members33and34, connected together via tine supporting member30. The tine protuberance32extends linearly along the outer surface of supporting member30.

FIG.7shows an enlarged view of the tine device1which attached to the tine supporting member30. The recess11within the tine device1cooperates with the protuberance31which extends along the tine supporting member30.

In use, the recess of the tine device and the protuberance on the tine supporting member, cooperate to prevent any rotation movement of the tine device, relative to the tine supporting member, when impacted by large amounts of heavy particulate material such as mud, rocks and clay etc.

FIG.8shows a perspective view of the tine devices1attached to a mounting frame as shown inFIGS.3to6.

FIG.9shows an enlarged side view of a tine device generally indicated by arrow70, comprising a first attachment plate71and a second attachment plate72.

The first attachment plate71has an arcuate side surface74which has a recess76and a half-recess75. The second attachment plate72has an arcuate side surface73which has a recess77and a half-recess78.

The assembled first and second attachment plates71,72co-operate to form an aperture79. The aperture has three recesses within its inner side surface, with each recess radially spaced from a neighbouring recess by120degrees. The bottommost recess80within the aperture79is formed by the abutment of the half-recesses75and78.

The three recesses76,77,80co-operate with three protuberance members which are located on an elongate tine supporting member (not shown). In use, each recess76,77,80absorbs a radial force which is generated by falling particulate material impacting upon a serrated tine device. The plates71,72are held together by threaded bolt are held together by means of a threaded bolt81.

In a further embodiment, the upper in-use surface of a tine is provided with teeth to improve the cutting process in reducing the particle size of a material. Tines therefore can have multiple teeth and having teeth profiles that are arrayed in a staggered pattern across the working section of the of the frame. For example, in one embodiment, a tooth of a tine is so deployed that the tooth lies midway, in a direction along the length of the tine on which it is located, between teeth on neighbouring tines.

FIGS.10and11illustrate a separating apparatus, generally referenced100, comprising tines deployed in a set of arrays101of parallel tines. It should be noted that herein, a set of arrays can refer to one or more arrays co-operating together. Each array, as can be seen fromFIG.11comprises a plurality of tines105which are fixed at both ends to a cross-piece106, typically of generally circular cross-section. This allows the structural size of the cross-members to be reduced in size compared to an apparatus where only one end of a tine is secured. The tines of an array101are offset laterally from the tines of a neighbouring array to improve the efficiency with which material can pass through the tines105. As can be seen fromFIG.13, each neighbouring array101is offset vertically downwards to the neighbouring previous array as material moves from a first end120to a second end121of the apparatus100which facilitates movement of material. In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, tines can be mounted such that tines are not parallel to a neighbouring tine, which can provide an improved cutting action for certain materials. For this arrangement it is convenient to clamp a tine to a cross-tube of the frame, which aids the provision of a gap between tines and in particular, the provision of non-parallel tines.

To facilitate fixture of a tine to a cross-piece106then in a second embodiment of fixture means, each end of the tine has a convex cut-out. For example, inFIG.14a, a first end of the tine140has a cut-out141, with a second cut-out142at the second end of the tine140. The cut-outs141,142are each orientated away from the tine140, with the cut-out141facing in an upward direction, and the cut-out142facing in a downwards direction. When the tine140is secured in position therefore about a cross-piece, the cross-piece about which the cut-out141is secured will be higher in the apparatus100than the cross-piece about which the cut-out142is secured. Neighbouring arrays of tines are therefore at a different level to the neighbouring array, producing a stepped configuration as illustrated inFIGS.10and13.

In the tines150shown inFIGS.15a-15d, the cut-outs151,152do not extend as far round a cross-piece as those inFIGS.14a-14dto facilitate the removal and replacement of a tine during manufacture or repair.

In use, material to be broken down and separated into particles of different sizes is added to the first end120of the apparatus100via a hopper. The material then passes down the slope formed by the arrays101of tines105towards the second end121of an array101. The tines105are caused to vibrate by a motor secured, for example, to the hopper. As the material passes along the bank of tines105, the movement of the tines105acts to break down the material. The material is impacted by the tines, and in particular the engagement with the teeth of the tines causes the tines to be reduced in size, with particles of sufficiently small size passing between neighbouring tines105to be collected in a trough (not shown).

FIGS.16and17illustrate a further optionally advantageous feature of a tine160. The tine160has been provided on its in-use upper surface with a cap of a sacrificial material. The cap161is applied for example by TIG welding and prolongs the working life of a tine. The cap forms a taper when viewed along the length of the tine to minimise any restriction on material passing between neighbouring tines. In a further embodiment of tine, as illustrated inFIGS.18, the teeth of a tine180are wider along the tops181of the teeth183of the tine than along the bottom182of the tine180. This provides that the gap between neighbouring tines increases as material passes between tines and the risk of material becoming jammed between tines reduces.

FIGS.19a,19billustrate an embodiment of an attachment means suitable for use in the present invention. The attachment means is enables rapid attachment and removal of a tine to a tine array. The tine190has an attachment plate191secured to the tine body192by the means described above. The attachment plate191has a semi-circular cut-out193awhich co-operates with a corresponding aperture193bon the second attachment plate194to form a circular aperture195through which a support bar passes. Channels196a,196bin the attachment plate191house threaded connectors197. Each connector197has a head198utilisable when tightening the connection between the plates191,194. To secure the plates191,194together, the connectors197pass through the plate194and are brought into threaded engagement with the nuts199.

The tine body192has a saw-tooth arrangement of teeth200, with the upper end of a tooth being surmounted by a cap201.

FIGS.20a,20billustrate a tine in which the attachment plates are as described forFIGS.19. The tine body210has teeth211deployed at different angles relative to each other. When viewed along the main axis of the tine body210, the teeth211are offset from a direction parallel to the tine body to increase the cutting effect where required. Moreover, the offset of a tooth is in the opposite direction to adjacent teeth on a tine.

FIGS.21illustrate a second embodiment of separating apparatus220having 2 sets221a,221bof arrays of tines. The set221ais deployed above the set221band receives material which passes through the arrays of the set221a. Typically, the distance between neighbouring tines in the set221bwill be smaller than between tines in the set221ato provide a material of lower average particle size than received from the set221a. A further aspect of the invention, utilisable in the embodiments described herein is the inclusion of motors222, mounted to the outside of the apparatus220to cause the apparatus to vibrate and so aid the passage of material through the tine arrays. The hopper223guides material onto the tines. The hopper223is open at one end to allow material too large to pass through the tines to exit the apparatus220.

In the embodiment ofFIG.22, the set of arrays of tines is shown as having 3 arrays of tines230a-c. The tines in this embodiment are in accordance with the embodiment shown inFIGS.20, although tines having other configurations can be used. The array230ais higher than the array230c, the latter array230cbeing adjacent the opening232in the hopper231. The width of the hopper231decreases towards the opening232. The number of tines in the array230ais therefore greater than in the array230c.