Title of Invention

"A SIEVE FOR A DRY PARTICULATE SOLID AND LIQUIDS"

Abstract

A sieve comprising: a base; a circular sieve screen frame mounted on the base; a circular sieve screen mounted in the frame and having a centre; a vibrator arranged to vibrate the frame relative to the base; a resonator rod secured to or contacting the sieve screen, wherein the resonator rod takes the form of a spiral¬like curve starting at or near the centre of the sieve screen, the curve having a progressively increasing radius of curvature and extending through at least 270° about said centre; and an ultrasonic transducer at one end of the resonator rod to excite the resonator rod, to induce a deblinding excitation 5 of the sieve screen.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a sieve for a dry particulate solid and liquids. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to sieves both for dry particulate solids and for liquids and particularly sieves in which an excitation source provides deblinding excitation of the sieve screen. Background of the Invention Most industrial sieving machines include some means of applying a primary vibratory movement to the sieving screen in order to facilitate product movement through the screen and also to create a flow of material over the screen surface. This ensures maximum utilisation of the active screening area and that oversized product can be transported to an outlet to be removed. The primary vibratory movement is often a combination of horizontal and vertical reciprocating motion which may typically be applied to the frame carrying the sieve mesh or screen in a variety of ways, such as by rotating out-of-balance weights, or a direct drive by a rigid crank or cam system. A problem with sieving machines is blinding of the screen, particularly when sieving damp or sticky materials. Blinding is a significant problem in the industrial sieving of certain powders and also in the straining of liquids. To overcome the blinding problem secondary vibrations, preferably flexural, have been applied to the screen, for example by impacts from deblinding discs or the application of high and ultrasonic frequencies (see for example EP-A-0369572) . Typical ultrasonic frequencies are above 20kHz, and typical amplitudes of the ultrasonic vibration supplied to the mesh are a few (1-10) microns. However, ultrasonic energy is quickly dissipated in the screen, making it difficult to excite a large screen area ultrasonically. Extended resonators to increase the distribution of ultrasonic energy over the screen are disclosed in EP 0652810. However, for large sieve areas, multiple transducers are still normally required. It is also known to use guide members located above the screen to improve the flow of material to be sieved over the surface of the screen. For example, scroll-shaped guide members are used with circular sieves to ensure material to be sieved moves progressively from the centre of the screen, where it is first delivered, outwards in a generally spiral path, covering nearly all regions of the screen surface before reaching the outlet for oversize particles at or near the screen periphery. This increases the residence time over the screen, to maximise the opportunity for fines to pass through the screen. Other guide member shapes and arrangements are used for different sieve designs, in each case to improve material flow over the screen to increase the time for undersize to separate from oversize. Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a sieve comprising: a base, a circular sieve screen frame mounted on the base, a circular sieve screen mounted in the frame and having a centre, a vibrator arranged to vibrate the frame relative to the base, a resonator rod secured to or contacting the sieve screen, wherein the resonator rod takes the form of a spiral-like curve starting near the centre of the sieve screen, the curve having a progressively increasing radius of curvature and extending through at least 27 0° about said centre; and an ultrasonic transducer at one end of the resonator rod to excite the resonator rod, to induce a deblinding excitation of the sieve screen. The progressive increase in curvature may be frame, although it may take other forms. The sieve screen frame 6 is attached to a lower cylindrical container 7, for example by clamping. An upper cylindrical container 9 is secured, e.g. also by clamping, on top of the screen frame 6 to act as a containment wall for the product to be sieved when it is on the sieve screen surface 10. The lower container has a domed floor 22. The lower container is secured on a skirtskirt-shaped annular casting 18, e.g. by clamping. The sieve also has a fixed base 4 which is attached to the floor 36, in this embodiment by using sieve stands 38. However, in alternative embodiments the base may simply stand on a suitable surface, may be fixed to a suitable surface or may be arranged on wheeled or other mounts. The skirt is supported on the fixed base using a suspension support 20. In this particular embodiment the suspension support 2 0 comprises a rod 19 attached to the skirtcasting 18 and base 4 using elastomeric bushings 21. This arrangement permits both horizontal and vertical movement of the skirtcasting 18 and therefore of the sieve frame 6 and sieve screen 10. Other methods may be used for supporting the sieve screen frame on the fixed base, for example spring mounts. A motor 23 is mounted on the fixed base 4 and flexibly attached, for example using a rubber coupling 25, to a vibrator 12. The vibrator 12 comprises a bearing housing 2 9 secured in the centre of the skirtcasting 18, a motor shaft 24 which when the motor is at rest is generally vertical, and upper and lower eccentric weights 26, 28. The upper eccentric weight 26 is attached to the upper end of the motor shaft 24. The lower eccentric weights 2 8 is are attached to the lower end of the motor shaft 24. In this example the mass of the lower weight is greater than that of the upper weight. However, the effective eccentricity of the mass of one or both of the upper and lower weights may be adjustable and the relative angular positions of the two weights on the motor shaft 24 can also be altered. By altering the effective eccentricity and the positions of the masses the vibration transmitted using vibrator 12 may be varied to give optimum sieve performance for particular applications. In use, vibrator 12 in combination with the suspension mounting of the skirt 18 will result in vibratory motion being imparted to the sieve screen frame 6 and thereby the sieve screen 10, such a motion having both horizontal and vertical components. A guide member 14 is located on the sieve screen surface 10 and the guide member is used to control the flow of the material to be sieved over the sieve screen surface. An excitation source 16 is attached to the guide member 14 and excites the guide member, preferably so that it moves in a vertical direction. The guide member 14 thereby preferably drives a vertical vibration of the sieve screen 10. The excitation source 16 of this particular embodiment is additionally attached to the X-frame 8 for support. The various methods of excitation and fixation will be described in more detail subsequently. For simplicity, how the material to be sieved is supplied to the sieve 12 is not shown. However, this may be at any point on the sieve screen surface, but is typically at or near the centre of a circular sieve or at one end of a rectangular sieve. An outlet 32 for removal of oversized particles is shown and this will remove particles which remain on the sieve screen surface. Once particles with a size smaller than the apertures in the sieve screen frame have fallen through these apertures they are directed by the dome 22 towards an outlet 30 for fines. The dome 22 serves an additional purpose of preventing material which has fallen through the sieve screen from fouling the vibrator 12, and in particular the upper eccentric weight 26. Although a dome is depicted in this particular embodiment, this feature may take other forms, for example a cone or a continuous slope across the width of the sieve. Also shown in this embodiment is a support device 34 which is attached to the guide member and is supported on the X-frame 8. The forms which may be taken by the support device 34 will be discussed subsequently. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the sieving apparatus 2 of figure 1. The sieve 2 has a circular sieve screen frame 6 in which is secured a circular sieve screen 10 and in addition an X-frame 8. On the surface of sieve screen 10 is located the guide member 14. The guide member 14 is secured to the sieve screen, for example using an adhesive. The guide member 14 in this embodiment takes the form of a spiral-like shape having an inner end approximately at the centre of the sieve screen 10 and extending outwards with a steadily increasing radius of curvature through approximately 540°. The guide member 14 is secured to an excitation source 16 which is located substantially at the centre of the sieve screen 10 and is supported on the X-frame 8. A support device 34 is located at the opposing end of the guide member 14 to support the guide member on the -sieve screen 10. There may also be other supports of the same or different type. In use the vibrator 12 produces a substantially gyratory motion of the sieve screen 10. This movement encourages the flow of the material to be sieved outwards from the centre over the sieve screen surface. However, the material may be moved too quickly over the sieve screen surface to the outside of the screen so that fines can be carried with the oversized particles to the outlet 32, reducing efficiency. The guide member 14 controls the flow of material over the sieve screen surface and thereby increases the residence time of material on the sieve screen surface. This increases the efficiency of the sieve, since there is a greater opportunity for fines to fall through the sieve screen apertures. Although it is known to optimise performance for different materials by adjusting the out-of-balance weights 2 6 and 28 as mentioned above, this is a time consuming adjustment. The guide member 14 can ensure good sieving performance over a wide range of materials. The guide member 14 is a bar-like member, typically having an L-shaped or rectangular section presenting sufficient height above the screen surface to restrict or substantially prevent' material from crossing over the guide member during sieving. As mentioned above, the guide member 14 is excited by excitation source 16 to impart deblinding excitation to the sieve screen 10. As will be described in more detail later, the excitation source 16 is a source of ultrasonic vibration, and is adapted to excite the guide member 14 resonantly. In order to be a good transmitter of ultrasonic energy, the guide member should be preferably of metal, such as aluminium or stainless steel. The guide member 14 ensures the excitation energy from source 16 is distributed over the screen 10, to increase the area of the screen 10 which is sufficiently excited to provide effective deblinding. Figure 3 shows an embodiment similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 in which the spiral shaped guide member 14 is driven ultrasonically by a centrally mounted excitation source 16. The guide member 14 is supported part way along its length and at its outer end by respective supporting devices 34a and 34b. The device 34a is further illustrated in scrap section in Figure 4 and will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 7. As has been previously mentioned, the guide member is ultrasonically excited, commonly at frequencies above 20 KHz. Figure 7 provides a detailed illustration of an excitation source 16 configured to provide ultrasonic excitation and a support device 34 which is suitable for use with ultrasonic frequencies. The excitation source comprises a transducer 42 for converting electrical energy to ultrasonic wave energy, for example by using the piezoelectric effect. The transducer may be a half wave stack-type transducer of a kind which will be familiar to those experienced in ultrasonics. A circular resonator boss 44 is attached to the active end of the transducer 42. The resonator 44 converts the longitudinal vibration of the transducer to a transverse diaphragm mode. The excitation source 16 is supported on the X-frame 8 by the use of a central support 48. The dimensions of the central support 4 8 are chosen such that it is one half wavelength in length so that a node is formed at a point about half way along the length of the central support 48. A cylindrical sleeve 50 is attached to the support 48 at the node point, and the sleeve 50 is secured to the X-frame 8, for example by welding. Because the connection to the central support is at a node, the mounting arrangement decouples the transducer 42 from the X-frame 8, minimising loss of ultrasonic energy to the frame. The resonator 44 is attached at its outer periphery to the guide member 14 to transmit ultrasonic energy to the guide member. The dimensions of the guide member 14 are preferably chosen so that the length is approximately a whole number of half wavelengths, so that the guide member 14 can be driven in resonance to maximise the transfer of ultrasonic energy from the transducer 42 into the guide member 14. However, the guide member 14 would normally be a substantial number of half wavelengths long. Therefore, it is not necessary to make the guide member to have a length precisely equal to a whole number of half wavelengths, as it can readily be brought into resonance by a small change in the drive frequency of the transducer 42, without great loss of efficiency. Also, in some applications, vibration of the guide member 14 may be damped, e.g. by the loading of the sieve screen and material to be sieved, to such a degree that little vibration energy is reflected at the far end of the member. Then, the guide member functions as a non-resonant transmission member rather than as a resonator. Although resonator boss 44 is illustrated interconnecting the transducer 42 and the guide member 14, in some applications it may be satisfactory to connect the transducer 42 directly to the guide member 14 or through a different coupling system. Also shown in Figure 7 is a support device 34 (corresponding to device 34b in Figure 3) designed to support the guide member 14 on the sieve screen 10. At ultrasonic frequencies it is preferable to provide a support device 34 which ultrasonically decouples the guide member 14 from the support frame, to which it is attached. Accordingly, the support device 34 comprises a cylindrical resonator boss 52, that may be similar to boss 44, which is attached to the guide member 14, so that a diaphragm mode of vibration is excited in boss 52. At least one diaphragm mode node is therefore formed at a predictable position on the resonator boss 52. Decoupling washers 54a, 54b have skirts which are located against the upper and lower surfaces 52a, 52b, of the resonator boss 52, at the diaphragm mode node. These decoupling washers 54a and 54b therefore experience minimal excitation. A support bracket 58 welded to the X-frame 8 engages the lower decoupling washer 54b. A bolt 60 is used to clamp the resonator boss 52 between the washers 54a and 54b and the support flange 58 to secure the boss to the X-frame 8. The bolt 60 extends through an oversize hole in the resonator boss 52, so as not to contact the body of the resonator boss 52. This configuration effectively decouples the guide member 14 from the X-frame 8, since the only point of contact with the resonator boss 52 is at the diaphragm mode node, i.e. a point of minimum vibration. This nodal decoupling boss is also described in GB-A-2343392. A similar construction is used for the support device 34a of Figures 3 and 4. The boss 52 may be excited to resonate in other modes, provided the point or points of contact with the boss are made at appropriate nodal points of the resonant mode to ensure decoupling. Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative supporting arrangement for the guide member 14. Figure 6 shows flange 62 in the form of an inverted J, which is attached to the X-frame 8 and to the guide member 14. Although this construction of support provides less effective ultrasonic decoupling of the guide member 14 from the X-frame 8, this may be sufficient for many purposes, provided the area of contact with the guide member 14 is small compared to a quarter wavelength of the resonant vibration of the member 14. Although the excitation source or transducer is shown in the previously discussed embodiments as being supported on an 'X' frame, the excitation source may in fact be wholly supported by the screen, or may be supported at least partially by a flexible or rigid coupling to the frame or' the fixed base. The "sieve screen" may comprise a number of layers, for example it may comprise a first screen and second screen arranged above and supported by the first. In such multi-screen sieves, one or more of the guide members arranged on the screen may be directly excited by the excitation"source. In all the embodiments described above, a guide member is fastened to the top of the sieve screen in order to control the flow of material to be sieved over the screen surface, as well as to provide for an effective deblinding excitation of the screen itself. In a further embodiment, a spiral shaped resonator is fastened beneath the screen. Figure 2 of the drawings is also a schematic representation of this embodiment, except that the spiral resonator 14 illustrated in the drawing is secured beneath the sieve screen rather than on top. The spiral shape may have a continuously increasing radius of curvature (as in Figure 2) or the radius may increase in one or more steps. Further the resonator 14 need not have a profile designed to provide a good deflecting action as is necessary when acting as a guide member on top of the screen. Instead, the resonator 14 may be a simple rectangular section tube or solid bar, or else may have a strap shape having a larger dimension secured to the screen. In each case, the resonator 14 should preferably be made of metal or of another material which is an excellent propagator of acoustic energy. The resonator 14 is excited by an ultrasonic transducer connected to the resonator 14 at the centre of the spiral as shown as 16 in Figure 2. Again the transducer and the spiral may be supported on an X-frame 8 beneath the sieve screen by decoupling arrangements as illustrated in Figure 7, except that the resonant bosses 4 4 and 52 shown in Figure 7 would be also located beneath the sieve screen. The spiral resonator 14 is driven to resonance so that deblinding excitation is distributed over the sieve screen to increase the area of the sieve screen which is effectively excited so that deblinding can be minimised. In order to provide effective distribution of the ultrasonic energy over the sieve screen area, the spiral should extend through at least 270° of arc, and preferably more than 360° of arc, as illustrated in Figure 2. Importantly, the spiral design can allow deblinding excitation to be distributed to a screen of larger sizes by increasing the number of turns of the spiral. In this way almost any practical screen size can be excited using a single length of resonator driven by a single transducer. This avoids the problems of tuning the different lengths of a multiple rod resonator to the same driving frequency, and the additional complication of using multiple single rod resonators with respective separate transducers. Although the spiral resonator designs of Figures 2, 3 and 5 have the spiral starting at the centre of a circular sieve, it may be preferred to locate the inner end of the spiral away from the centre. It is common for material to be screened to be delivered to the centre of the screen, so that keeping this region clear can be beneficial. In practice, the ultrasonic transducer may be operated to excite the rod resonator at a resonant frequency between 18 kHz and 40 kHz. A preferred operating frequency is about 3235 kHz. The corresponding wavelength of ultrasonic energy along the length of the resonator rod is between 25 mm and 35 mm and typically about 30 mm. In most applications, the minimum radius of curvature of a resonator rod should be greater than 50 mm, and preferably greater than 100 mm. Embodiments of the invention may be applied also to sieves with multiple screens, for example multi layer screens with lower screens of increasing fineness for classifying materials into more than two particle sizes. Then one or more of the screens of the sieve may be fitted with the excited guide member, or the spiral resonator, as described above. It should also be understood that the generally spiral-shaped guide members or resonators in various of the examples described above need not have an inner end at the centre of a circular sieve screen. In a further example, a so-called cascade sieve has upper and lower screens of the same mesh, with oversize from the upper screen being fed on to the lower screen to retrieve remaining fines which may not have had an opportunity to pass through the upper screen. Fines which do pass through the upper screen are collected and tunnelled through an aperture in the centre of the lower screen. In such a cascade sieve design, the lower screen can be fitted with an excited guide member or a spiral resonator having an inner end terminating outside the central aperture of the lower screen. The excitation induced in the guide member in the embodiments of the invention described above has been referred to as one which produces a deblinding excitation in the sieve screen. Generally, secondary excitation of the sieve screen, e.g. at ultrasonic frequencies, is known to speed up the flow of fines through the screen during sieving so that the productivity of the sieve is improved. This enhanced flow through the screen may be the result of other processes than the removal of blind areas on the screen, such as the fluidisation of the material at the screen interface. It should be understood that the term deblinding used herein to describe the excitation applied to the screen is intended to encompass other processes by which the excitation enhances product flow rate through the screen compared to the rate achieved with only the basic vibratory sieve action. In the above described examples of the invention, the guide member or the resonator is described as being secured to the sieve screen. In other embodiments, the guide member may be only in contact with the screen, e.g. pressing against the screen with sufficient pressure to enable vibrations in the guide member to be transmitted to the screen to provide the deblinding excitation. Where the embodiment provides only a resonator which does not necessarily act as a guide member, i.e. one which may be located beneath the sieve screen, the resonator again may be only in contact with the screen and not--'speelf-icaliy secured to it. WE CLAIM: 1. A sieve (2) comprising: a base (4); a circular sieve screen frame (6) mounted on the base (4); a circular sieve screen (10) mounted in the frame (6) and having a centre; a vibrator (12) arranged to vibrate the frame (6) relative to the base (4); a resonator rod (14) secured to or contacting the sieve screen (10), wherein the resonator rod (14) takes the form of a spiral-like curve starting at or near the centre of the sieve screen (10), the curve having a progressively increasing radius of curvature and extending through at least 270° about said centre; and an ultrasonic transducer (42) at one end of the resonator rod (14) to excite the resonator rod (14), to induce a deblinding excitation of the sieve screen (10). 2. A sieve (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resonator rod (14) has a minimum radius of curvature at any point between said spaced ends which is greater than 50 mm. 3. A sieve (2) as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sieve (2) comprises a support frame (8) attached to said screen frame (6) and extending beneath the sieve screen (10). 4. A sieve (2) as claimed in claim 3, having a support device (34) arranged to support the ultrasonic transducer (42) on the support frame (8) and connected to the transducer (42) at a node such as to minimise transmission of ultrasonic energy to said support frame (8). 5. A sieve (2) as claimed in claim 4, having an additional support device for the resonator rod (14) connected by a node to the support frame (8) such that transmission of ultrasonic energy of the support frame (8) is minimised.

Documents:

2497-delnp-2005-abstract.pdf

2497-DELNP-2005-Claims-(19-08-2008).pdf

2497-delnp-2005-claims.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-description (complete).pdf

2497-delnp-2005-drawings.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-form-1.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-form-18.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-form-2.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-form-3.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-form-5.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-gpa.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-pct-220.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-pct-301.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-pct-304.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-pct-308.pdf

2497-delnp-2005-pct-search report.pdf