Patent Application
20130180896
The present application relates to a separator. More particularly, the present application relates to a separator for processing used bedding material to separate bedding from waste material.
Wood shavings, wood pellets, sawdust or straw are commonly used as bedding material for horses in stalls. After use, the bedding material may become soiled with mud, manure and other waste material that may clump with the bedding material. A common practice is to muck out a stall to remove soiled bedding and replace the soiled bedding with fresh bedding material. Depending upon the condition of the soiled bedding, it may be possible to separate the bedding material from waste material for reuse.
An example of a prior art bedding separator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,029. This type of bedding separator provides a grating for receiving used bedding material. The bedding material may fall through the grating, while the waste material slides off an end of the grating. A limitation of this type of bedding separator is that soiled bedding material may be wet and clumped together, making it difficult to efficiently screened.
There is a need for a bedding material separator that overcomes the limitations in the prior art.
In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention,
In an embodiment, a separator is provided for separating used bedding material into waste material and bedding material for re-use. The used bedding material may comprise bedding material and waste material such as mud, manure or wet bedding material that tends to clump together. The separator may comprise a frame; a plurality of elongate screening elements fixed to the frame and oriented in-line with a discharge end of the separator; and, a rotatable actuator aligned transverse to the plurality of elongate screening elements, the rotatable actuator having a non-circular cross-section and positioned such that when the rotatable actuator is rotated a deflecting portion of the cross-section deflects the plurality of elongate screening elements from a static position away from a rotational axis of the actuator, and a releasing portion of the cross-section permits the elongate screening elements to return to the static position.
In an aspect, the releasing portion of the cross-section may permit the plurality of elongate screening elements to deflect past the static position towards the rotational axis of the actuator.
In an aspect, a rotator may be provided for rotating the actuator about the rotational axis. The rotator may comprise a cordless electric drill, electric motor or other rotation means.
In an aspect, the frame may be comprised of a metal such as aluminium, or a plastic.
In an aspect, the actuator may comprise a plastic rod having at least one flattened side, the at least one flattened side comprising the releasing portion of the cross-section and a non-flattened portion of the plastic rod comprising the deflecting portion of the cross-section.
In an aspect, the frame may comprise side rails separated by end rails, the end rails supporting the plurality of elongate screening elements. At least one of the end rails may comprises a discharge end rail, the discharge end rail sized to provide purchase on a wall of a container for receiving waste material discharged from the separator.
In an embodiment, a method is provided for separating used bedding material into waste material and bedding material for re-use. The method may comprise depositing the used bedding material onto a plurality of elongate screening elements supported at an angle to the horizontal; rotating a rotatable actuator aligned transverse to the plurality of elongate screening elements, the rotatable actuator having a non-circular cross-section such that upon rotation the actuator alternately deflects the plurality of elongate screening elements away from a static position and permits the plurality of elongate screening elements to return to the static position in an oscillatory motion; and, collecting bedding material below the plurality of elongate screening elements and collecting waste material at a lower discharge end of the elongate screening elements.
In an aspect, the plurality of elongate screening elements may be supported by a container at the lower discharge end and by a wall at an upper support end.
In an aspect, the plurality of elongate screening elements may be supported by a frame at a lower discharge end and an upper support end.
In an aspect, the non-circular cross section of the actuator may permit the plurality of elongate screening elements to return past the static position towards a rotational axis of the actuator when the actuator is rotated.
Referring to
As illustrated in the embodiment of
The embodiment of
The term “greater radius portion” being used to identify portions of the cross-section having a greater radius magnitude sufficiently large to cause an interference with the plurality of screening elements in relation to their static position. The term “lesser radius portion” being used to identify portions of the cross-section having a lesser radius magnitude sufficiently small to cause no interference with the plurality of screening elements in relation to their static position. In an aspect, the lesser radius magnitude may be sufficiently small to cause no interference with the plurality of screening elements in relation to a return deflected position located between the static position and, a rotational axis of the cross-section. In an aspect, the rotator may comprise a rod having a circular cross-section portion that comprises the deflecting portion and a flatted cross-section portion that comprises the releasing portion.
In the embodiment of
In an embodiment the screening elements 15 may comprise metal or plastic bars, and the actuator 18 may comprise a rod that has sufficient strength to cause a deflection of the screening elements 15 and has a low enough coefficient of friction to allow rotation of the actuator 18 with a reasonable torque applied to the spindle 20. By way of example, the rod may comprise a metal. Alternatively, the rod may comprise a plastic such as UHMW polyethylene and HDPE which are commonly used plastics that may be suitable. In an aspect, the frame may be comprised of a metal, such as steel or aluminum, or a plastic.
With repeated rotation of the spindle 20, the screening elements 15 may oscillate between the maximum deflected position and the minimum deflected position. The oscillating action assisting in the screening action imparted to used bedding material deposited on the screening elements 15.
The oscillating action may also assist in clearing the screening elements 15 by discharging waste material, such as mud and manure which may be mixed with the bedding material of the used bedding material, from the lower discharge end 21. Under the oscillating action, used bedding material deposited on the screening elements 15 may be separated into selected material, such as bedding material, sized to fall through the screening openings 16 to land under the separator 10 and clumped waste material that may slide down the oscillating screening elements 15 past the discharge end rail 14 and off the lower discharge end 21 to fall on the floor or be deposited into a container such as the wheelbarrow 35 for disposal. In the embodiment of
A second container or wheelbarrow 35 may be located under the separator 10 to collect the bedding material separated from the waste material if desired.
In the embodiment of
Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
