The present invention relates to an improved molded polyurethane screen.
Molded polyurethane screens having reinforcement therein are known in the art. However, in the past the dividing strips between the openings were relatively large, thereby causing the open area of the screen to be an undesirably low percentage of its surface, thereby in turn causing the screen to be relatively inefficient.
The present invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,819,809 and 4,857,176, both of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference hereto. The present invention provides improved screens with relatively high percentage open screening areas and high efficiencies.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a vibratory screen includes: a flexible molded polyurethane body having substantially parallel side edge portions at opposite ends of the body, a lower edge portion substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions, an upper edge portion substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions and opposite the lower edge portion, an upper surface, a lower surface, first and second members forming screening openings and third and fourth members. The first members extend between the side edge portions. The second members extend between the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion. The third and fourth members may have a thickness greater than the first and second members. The third members are substantially parallel and extend transversely between the side edge portions and have multiple first members therebetween. The fourth members are substantially parallel and extend transversely between the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion and have multiple second members therebetween. Reinforcement members are molded integrally with the third and fourth members.
Example embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the appended Figures.
Like reference characters denote like parts in the several Figures.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a vibratory screen 10 includes a body 12 of molded polyurethane having unperforated side edge portions 14, 16. Side edge portions 14, 16 may each have a U-shape and may each include a cast-in structural member, such as angle 15 shown in
First and second members 101, 102 form a first integrally molded grid structure 100 that defines screen openings 26. Third and fourth members 203, 204 form a second integrally molded grid structure 200. Fifth and sixth members form a third integrally molded grid structure 300. As shown in the exemplary embodiment depicted in
First members 101 may be substantially parallel to each other and extend transversely between side edge portions 14, 16. The second members 102 may be substantially parallel to each other and extend transversely between the lower edge portion 18 and the upper edge portion 20. Second members 102 may have a thickness greater than the first members to provide additional structural support to screen openings 26.
First members 101 and/or second members 102 may include reinforcement members 50 and may or may not be supported by additional support members or support grid structures. See, e.g.,
As shown in
Screen openings 26 may diverge downwardly between the upper surface 22 and the lower surface 24 and the first members 101 may be substantially in the shape of inverted trapezoids. See, e.g.,
Screens with the various screen opening sizes and support configurations described herein have a relatively large open screening areas. Open screening areas may range, for example, from between about 40 percent to about 46 percent. As further discussed herein, the relatively large open screening areas may be obtained through the placement of bi-directional reinforcement members 50 in cross members (e.g., members 203, 204) as described in the various embodiments herein. The reinforcement members significantly decrease the size of both of the bi-directional support cross members and allow for a thinner screen members, 101, 102 forming the screen openings 26. The grid work of support members and reinforcement members provide for a structurally sound screen that maintains the necessary screen openings during vibratory operation.
Third and fourth members 203, 204 may have a thickness greater than the first and second members 101, 102 and may have a portion 210 extending downwardly below the lower surface 24 of body 12. The greater thickness and portion extending downwardly may provide additional structural support to first and second members 101, 102. As shown in
The bi-direction support system provided by reinforced third and fourth members 203, 204 greatly reduces the thickness of the support members and provides for increased open screening area and overall screen efficiencies.
Fifth members 305 and sixth members 306 may be included in body 12. Fifth and sixth members may have a thickness greater than the third and fourth members and may have a portion 310 extending downwardly away from the lower surface of the body. The greater thickness and portion extending downwardly may to provide additional structural support to first and second members 101, 102. The sixth members 306 may include a portion 320 extending upwardly away from the upper surface of the body. Portion 320 may be substantially triangular in cross-section with apexes projecting away from the upper surface 22 of body 12. Sixth members 306 are shown in
In use, the vibratory screen 10 is mounted on a vibratory screening machine 30 (
Reinforcement members 50 as described herein may be an aramid fiber (or individual filaments thereof), a naturally occurring fiber or others material having relatively large tensile strengths with relatively small cross sectional areas. When an aramid fiber is used as reinforcement fiber 50 it may be aramid fibers that are commercially obtainable under the trademark KEVLAR of the DuPont Company and further identified by the designation KEVLAR 29. The reinforcement members 50 may also be at least one of aramid fibers that are commercially obtainable under the trademarks TWARON, SULFRON, TEIJINCONEX, and TECHNORA of the Teijin Company. In addition, the aramid fibers may be twisted or woven multistrand so that they act as nature of wicks to absorb the polyurethane which is molded around them to thereby provide an extremely good bond therewith. The twisted or a woven multistrand fibers may be about 55 denier to about 2840 denier, preferably approximately 1500 denier. The flexibility of the aramid fibers provides a flexible reinforcement system for the molded polyurethane which is able to return to its original molded shape after the necessary bending and flexing that occurs during handling and installation into the vibratory frame member 32. Furthermore, flexible aramid fibers permit the flexible polyurethane screen to be flexed without harm into an arcuate condition and tensioned as shown in
During operation, first members 101 will vibrate to enhance the screening action. In this regard, it is to be noted that because first members 101 are flexible and relatively thin they will provide a relatively high amplitude of desirable vibration. The reason the first members 101 can be made relatively thin, creating screen openings described herein, is because of a support framework of bi-directional support members and reinforcement members, as described herein, having relatively large tensile strengths with relatively small cross sectional areas. The making of the support members and the first members 101 relatively thin results in the screen having a greater percentage of open area, which, in turn, increases its capacity.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention a vibratory screen 10 includes a flexible molded polyurethane body 12 having substantially parallel side edge portions 14, 16 at opposite ends of body 12, a lower edge portion 18 substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions 14, 16, an upper edge portion 20 substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions 14, 16 and opposite the lower edge portion 18, an upper surface 22, a lower surface 24, first and second members 101, 102 forming screening openings 26, the first members 101 extending between the side edge portions 14, 16 and the second members 102 extending between the lower edge portion 18 and the upper edge portion 20. The body also includes third and fourth members 203, 204. Third and fourth members 203 and 204 have a thickness greater than the first and second members 101, 102. Third members 203 are substantially parallel and extend transversely between the side edge portions 14, 16 and have multiple first members 101 therebetween. Fourth members 204 are substantially parallel and extend transversely between the lower edge portion 18 and the upper edge portion 20 and have multiple second members 102 therebetween. Reinforcement members 50 are molded integrally with the third and fourth members 203, 204. The body also includes fifth and sixth members 305, 306. Fifth members 305 are substantially parallel and extending transversely between the side edge portions 14, 16. Sixth members 306 are substantially parallel and extending transversely between the lower edge portion 18 and the upper edge portion 20. The fifth and sixth members have a thickness greater than the third and fourth members and include reinforcement members 50 molded integrally therewith. Vibratory screens according to this configuration may have open screening areas greater than forty percent and mesh sizes ranging from approximate 0.375 mesh to approximately 400 mesh. By way of example, screens tested having the aforementioned configuration include a 43 mesh size screen, a 140 mesh size screen and a 210 mesh size screen. Each of these screens had open screening areas of approximately 40 percent to approximately 46 percent. Such large screening areas for such fine mesh sizes are achieve through the relatively strong and thin grid framework created by the third, fourth, fifth and sixth members, 203, 204, 305, 306 and reinforcement members molded integrally therewith. In the aforementioned exemplary embodiment and examples, the size of each grid unit formed by the intersection of the third and fourth members, 203 and 204 is approximately 1″ by 1″. Generally, grid units may be larger for screens with larger screen openings and grid units are smaller for screens with smaller screen openings. This principle may be generally applicable for each example embodiment discussed herein. Grid units may also have a generally rectangular shape or any other suitable shape for supporting the screen openings.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of making a vibratory screen, includes: creating a mold configured to fabricate the vibratory screen, the vibratory screening having a flexible molded polyurethane body; installing reinforcement members in the mold, the structural members configured to be molded integrally with the body; filling the mold with polyurethane; and forming the vibratory screen that has: substantially parallel side edge portions at opposite ends of the body, a lower edge portion substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions, an upper edge portion substantially perpendicular to the side edge portions and opposite the lower edge portion, an upper surface, a lower surface, first and second members forming screening openings, the first members extending between the side edge portions and the second members extending between the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion, third and fourth members having a thickness greater than the first and second members, the third members substantially parallel and extending transversely between the side edge portions and having multiple first members therebetween, the fourth members substantially parallel and extending transversely between the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion and having multiple second members therebetween, reinforcement members molded integrally with the third and fourth members.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that it is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4100248 | Adams | Jul 1978 | A |
4383919 | Schmidt | May 1983 | A |
4819809 | Derrick | Apr 1989 | A |
4857176 | Derrick et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
5876552 | Bakula | Mar 1999 | A |
7000777 | Adams et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7484625 | Scott et al. | Feb 2009 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110253602 A1 | Oct 2011 | US |