Vibrating screening feeder and method of use

Abstract

A vibrating screen feed conveying apparatus for conveying and separating sticky “moisture laden bulk solids” which are sticky and wet flowing onto a vibrating screening feeder and into a hopper. The apparatus includes a bed on which material is conveyed, a longitudinal counterbalance supported on a plurality of isolation springs, a plurality of inclined drive springs extending between the bed and the longitudinal counterbalance, and a plurality of stabilizers for controlling movement of the drive springs along their central axes. A plurality of vibratory motors, each having rotatable eccentric weights are attached to the rear end of the longitudinal counterbalance. The eccentric weights rotate in phase with one another to vibrate the bed at a vibration frequency.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A vibrating conveyor screen feeder, comprising:
 a bed having an inlet end and an outlet end on which material is adapted to be conveyed in a direction;   a plurality of drive springs, each one of said plurality of drive springs having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to a support, each one of said plurality of drive springs adapted to compress and extend along a line of stroke;   providing a plurality of stabilizers having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to said support, each one of said plurality of stabilizers being more rigid in a direction transverse to said line of stroke than in a direction of said line of stroke;   a plurality of vibratory motors, including a first vibratory motor having a first rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a first axis, a second vibratory motor having a second rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a second axis, a third vibratory motor having a third rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a third axis, and a fourth vibratory motor having a fourth eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a fourth axis, said first and second axis being located substantially in a first plane and said third and fourth axis being located substantially in a second plane, said second plane being non-coplanar with said first plane said first and second axis being spaced from said third and fourth axis along the direction the material is conveyed, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight and said third rotatable eccentric weight and said fourth eccentric rotatable weight being free-wheeling with respect to one another, said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor and said third vibratory motor and said fourth vibratory motor being adapted to operate at substantially the same operating speed and to provide an output force generally perpendicular to its axis of rotation, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight and said third rotatable eccentric weight and said fourth eccentric rotatable weight are adapted to accumulatively synchronize with one another without being rotationally coupled to one another such that the combined resulting output force of a first pair of rotatable eccentric weights is parallel to said line of stroke and the combined resulting output force of a second pair of rotatable eccentric weights;   said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor and said third vibratory motor and said fourth vibratory motor rotating said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight and said third rotatable eccentric weight and said fourth eccentric rotatable weight such that said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight and said third rotatable eccentric weight and said fourth eccentric rotatable weight accumulatively synchronizing and accumulatively adding their output forces and their respective power outputs and thereby vibrating said bed along said line of stroke at a vibration frequency; and   said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor and said third vibratory motor and said fourth vibratory motor operating at substantially the same selected operating speed equal to, or less than, the natural frequency of said plurality of drive springs vibrating said bed.   
     
     
         2 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 1 , said bed including a vibrating screen housing including at least one screen in flow communication with a pan extending the width and length of said bed, said bed fixedly connecting to said plurality of said drive springs and plurality of stabilizers mounted at an angle to said support which comprises a longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base, 
     
     
         3 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of
 vibratory   
       motors mount to a selected end of said longitudinal counterbalance. 
     
     
         4 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 2 , wherein said bed includes a plurality of downward extending abutments on a bottom surface fixedly connecting to said plurality of said drive springs and said plurality of stabilizers mounted at an angle to said longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base. 
     
     
         5 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of isolations springs and said plurality of drive springs comprise steel coil springs and said plurality of drive springs are stiffer than said plurality of isolation springs. 
     
     
         6 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of vibratory motors have an output shaft extending from a top end and a bottom end with an eccentric weight mounted on each of said output shafts in mechanical time with one another. 
     
     
         7 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 1 , including a programmable motor control unit capable of controlling said plurality of vibratory motors synchronized with one another at a selected speed, and periodically changing said selected speed for a selected time interval by a selected amount. 
     
     
         8 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of drive springs produce a first portion of a load that opposes vibratory motion, said plurality of stabilizers guide said vibratory motion, and said plurality of vibratory motors produce a remaining portion of said load opposing said vibratory motion. 
     
     
         9 . The vibrating screen feeder of  claim 1 , wherein said first vibratory motor, said second vibratory motor, said third vibratory motor, and said fourth vibratory motor comprise an alternating current vibratory motor. 
     
     
         10 . A vibrating conveyor screen feeder, comprising:
 a bed having an inlet end and an outlet end on which material is adapted to be conveyed in a direction;   a plurality of drive springs, each one of said plurality of drive springs having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to a support, each one of said plurality of drive springs adapted to compress and extend along a line of stroke;   a plurality of stabilizers, each one of said plurality of stabilizers having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to said support, each one of said plurality of stabilizers being more rigid in a direction transverse to said line of stroke than in a direction of said line of stroke;   a plurality of paired vibratory motors;   said plurality of paired vibratory motors including at least a first vibratory motor having a first rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a first axis and a second vibratory motor having a second rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a second axis, said first axis being located substantially in a first plane and said second axis being located substantially in a second plane, said second plane being non-coplanar with said first plane, said first axis being spaced apart from said second axis along the direction the material is conveyed, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight are free-wheeling with respect to one another, said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor are adapted to operate at substantially the same operating speed and to provide an output force generally perpendicular to its axis of rotation, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight are adapted to accumulatively synchronize with one another without being rotationally coupled to one another such that the combined resulting output force of said first rotatable eccentric weight is parallel to a line of stroke and a combined resulting output force of said second rotatable eccentric weight;   whereby operating said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor to rotate said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight, such that said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight accumulatively synchronize and accumulatively add their output forces and their respective power outputs and thereby vibrate said bed along said line of stroke at a vibration frequency when operating said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor at substantially the same selected operating speed being equal to, or is less than, the natural frequency of said plurality of drive springs which are vibrating said bed.   
     
     
         11 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , said bed including a vibrating screen housing and at least one screen in flow communication with a pan extending the width and length of said bed mounted at an angle to said support which comprises a longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base. 
     
     
         12 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 11 , including a plurality of downward extending abutments on a bottom surface of said bed mounted at an angle to said longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base. 
     
     
         13 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of vibratory motors mount to a selected end of said longitudinal counterbalance. 
     
     
         14 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of drive springs have a defined stroke angle and said plurality of drive springs are in alignment with said stroke angle. 
     
     
         15 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors are variable speed alternating current motors. 
     
     
         15 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors adjust vibration intensity during a timed cycle. 
     
     
         16 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors provide a range of from zero to maximum output adjustment with a vibratory stroke of 8 Hz for 25 seconds and a pulse stroke of at least 60 Hz from 3 to 5 seconds. 
     
     
         17 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of drive springs are sub-resonant tuned to drive harder under loaded conditions. 
     
     
         18 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors have output shafts extending from a top end and a bottom end with an eccentric weight mounted on said output shafts in mechanical time with one another. 
     
     
         19 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , including a programmable motor control unit for controlling said plurality of paired vibratory motors with said eccentric weight synchronized thereto at a selected speed and periodically changing said selected speed for a selected time interval by a selected amount. 
     
     
         20 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of drive springs produce a first portion of a load that opposes vibratory motion, said plurality of stabilizers guide said vibratory motion, and said plurality of paired vibratory motors produce a remaining portion of said load opposing said vibratory motion. 
     
     
         21 . The vibrating screen feeder of  claim 11 , wherein a stroke angle of said plurality of drive springs is perpendicular to an axial centerline of said plurality of stabilizers whereby said vibrating conveyor screen feeder is dynamically counter-balanced. 
     
     
         22 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of isolations springs and said plurality of drive springs comprise steel coil springs and said plurality of drive springs are stiffer than said plurality of isolation springs. 
     
     
         23 . A vibrating conveyor screen feeder, comprising:
 a bed having an inlet end and an outlet end on which material is adapted to be conveyed in a direction, said bed including a vibrating screen housing and including at least one screen in flow communication with a pan extending the width and length of said bed;   said bed fixedly connecting to a plurality of drive springs and a plurality of stabilizers mounted at an angle to a longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base;   each one of said plurality of drive springs having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to said longitudinal counterbalance and each one of said plurality of drive springs adapted to compress and extend along a line of stroke;   each one of said plurality of stabilizers having a first end attached to said bed and a second end attached to said longitudinal counterbalance, each one of said plurality of stabilizers being more rigid in a direction transverse to said line of stroke than in a direction of said line of stroke;   a plurality of paired vibratory motors;   said plurality of paired vibratory motors including at least a first vibratory motor having a first rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a first axis and a second vibratory motor having a second rotatable eccentric weight adapted to rotate about a second axis, said first axis being located substantially in a first plane and said second axis being located substantially in a second plane, said second plane being non-coplanar with said first plane, said first axis being spaced apart from said second axis along the direction the material is conveyed, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight are free-wheeling with respect to one another, said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor are adapted to operate at substantially the same operating speed and to provide an output force generally perpendicular to its axis of rotation, said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight are adapted to accumulatively synchronize with one another without being rotationally coupled to one another such that the combined resulting output force of said first rotatable eccentric weight is parallel to a line of stroke and a combined resulting output force of said second rotatable eccentric weight;   whereby operating said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor to rotate said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight, such that said first rotatable eccentric weight and said second rotatable eccentric weight accumulatively synchronize and accumulatively add their output forces and their respective power outputs and thereby vibrate said bed along said line of stroke at a vibration frequency when operating said first vibratory motor and said second vibratory motor at substantially the same selected operating speed being equal to, or is less than, the natural frequency of said plurality of drive springs which are vibrating said bed; and   a control unit for controlling said plurality of vibratory motors with said eccentric weight synchronized thereto at a selected speed and periodically changing said selected speed for a selected time interval by a selected amount.   
     
     
         24 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said bed includes a plurality of downward extending abutments on a bottom surface fixedly connecting to said plurality of said drive springs and said plurality of stabilizers mounted at an angle to said support which comprises a longitudinal counterbalance supported by a plurality of isolation springs extending upward from a base. 
     
     
         25 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of vibratory motors mount to a selected end of said longitudinal counterbalance. 
     
     
         26 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors provide a vibratory stroke of 50 Hz for 25 seconds and a pulse stroke of at least 60 Hz from 3 to 5 seconds. 
     
     
         27 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of drive springs have a defined stroke angle and said plurality of drive springs are in alignment with said stroke angle. 
     
     
         28 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors are variable speed alternating current motors. 
     
     
         29 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors adjust vibration intensity during a timed cycle. 
     
     
         30 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors combined with said plurality of drive springs are sub-resonant tuned to drive harder under loaded conditions. 
     
     
         31 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of paired vibratory motors have output shafts extending from a top end and a bottom end with an eccentric weight mounted on said output shafts in mechanical time with one another. 
     
     
         32 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , including a programmable motor control unit for controlling said plurality of paired vibratory motors with said eccentric weight synchronized thereto at a selected speed and periodically changing said selected speed for a selected time interval by a selected amount. 
     
     
         33 . The vibrating conveyor screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of drive springs produce a first portion of a load that opposes vibratory motion, a plurality of stabilizers guide said vibratory motion, and said at plurality of paired vibratory motors produce a remaining portion of said load opposing said vibratory motion. 
     
     
         34 . The vibrating conveyor screening and feeder of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of isolation springs and said plurality of drive springs comprise steel coil springs and said plurality of drive springs are stiffer than said plurality of isolation springs. 
     
     
         35 . The vibrating screen feeder of  claim 23 , wherein a stroke angle of said plurality of drive springs is perpendicular to an axial centerline of said plurality of stabilizers whereby said vibrating conveyor screen feeder is dynamically counter-balanced.