Patent ID: 7971726

Claim:
A screening apparatus for releasably engaging a prime mover for movement along one side of an excavation, picking up excavated material from the one side of the excavation and processing the excavated material into padding material for placement into the excavation, the screening apparatus comprising: (a) a main frame having a pivotally mounted separator sub-frame, the separator sub-frame movable between a first angle of inclination and a different second angle of inclination; (b) a lift conveyor connected to the main frame and including an endless conveyor belt for rotation about a lower roller and a spaced upper roller, the conveyor belt being substantially impervious to the passage of excavated material, the lift conveyor being inclined from a lower intake end to an upper discharge end; (c) a shaker frame connected to the separator sub-frame and spaced below the discharge end; (d) a screen fixed to the shaker frame, the screen having a convex configuration and disposed below the discharge end and receiving the excavated material passing from the discharge end; (e) a vibrator operably coupled to the shaker frame; and (f) a transfer conveyor below the screen for receiving fines, passing through the screen, the transfer conveyor passing about a first end roller and a spaced apart second end roller, wherein a length of a conveyor path intermediate the first end roller and the second end roller is lower than the first end roller and the second end roller thereby defining an arcuate belt path transverse to the lift conveyor.