Patent ID: 7175027

Claim:
A vibratory separator for separating components of material introduced thereto, the vibratory separator comprising a basket a collection receptacle beneath the basket, a deck on the basket for mounting a screen assembly thereon, the deck having a plurality of deck pins projecting upwardly therefrom, a screen assembly on the deck, the screen assembly comprising screening material, the screening material having a plurality of screening openings therethrough suitable for the flow of fluid therethrough, the fluid from the material introduced into the basket, the screening material having a plurality of spaced apart screen pin holes therethrough, each screen pin hole having therein part of one of the deck pins, vibratory apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for vibrating the screen assembly, holding apparatus for holding the screen assembly on the deck with a part of a deck pin in each screen pin hole, two side ledges on spaced-apart sides of the basket, the side ledges positioned for supporting spaced-apart sides of the screen assembly, each side ledge having an upper surface inclined downwardly from a basket side toward an interior of the basket, each deck pin projecting upwardly from one of the side ledges, and the screen assembly having two spaced-aprt edges each having screening assembly pin holes therethrough, each of said edges of the screen assembly resting on one of said upper surfaces, the holding apparatus including two spaced-apart rails, each rail positioned movably above one of the two side ledges, each rail selectively movable downwardly to abut an edge of the screen assembly and to push said edge against the upper surface of said side ledge thereby bending said screen assembly so that said edges assume an inclination corresponding to the inclined upper surface of said corresponding side ledge, selectively movable apparatus for moving the rails downwardly against said edges, and each rail having a plurality of rail holes therein, each rail hole located and configured for receiving a portion of a deck pin when the rail abuts the screen assembly, said deck pin also passing through an edge of the screen assembly.