Patent Application
20220126323
The present invention relates generally to sifters. Although this is only one of many applications for sifting and sorting, the embodiment of the invention described herein relates more specifically to the sifting of soil, compost, and other materials in order to perfect them for gardening. In many cases soils may be more effectively reused and even newly purchased soils may be improved by removing larger materials such as pebbles, leaves, clogs of clay, and living organisms such as bugs or worms. This process is most often accomplished by sifting.
Although sifting of soil has been done throughout the ages, many methods of sifting lack the efficiency and ease of operation required for maximum results. Many sifting methods, such as simply putting material in a screened container and shaking it are labor intensive, slow in operation, and do not deal with waste materials. Flat screen sifting requires a large area for product collection and likewise does not discard waste. There has been a need for sifting equipment that is portable, easy to operate, and can easily and efficiently gather finished product and discard waste materials. Solutions to these problems have been offered in the provisional application of Cheryl Ann Smyth entitled Rolling Sifter filed on Aug. 15, 2019, application No. 62/887,393. These solutions are further addressed by this application.
FIG. (1) is a front-top-right perspective view of the rolling sifter.
FIG. (2) is a front-top-left perspective view of the rolling sifter.
FIG. (3) is a front elevation view of the rolling sifter.
FIG. (4) is a bottom elevation view of the rolling sifter.
Referring to the drawings and more specifically to FIG. (1), it can be seen that the Rolling Sifter comprise a trammel, further comprising a cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1. Cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is open on one end. The remaining end is closed on the other end by disk member 2. A handle 3 is co-axially affixed to the center of disk member 2 so that the cylindrical mesh/sieve sifter member 1 may be rotated by rotating handle 3. Cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is supported and rests upon rectangular support frame 4. Support frame 4 is generally rectangular in shape and may be constructed of any suitable material. It is just slightly longer than cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 and is sufficient in width to disallow cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 from falling through or over the side of support frame 4. Handle 3 slides inward and outward with regard to support frame 4 for additional support. Cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is equipped with a rigid support band 5 at each end. Support bands 5 rest upon side bars 6 of the support frame 4. As handle 3 is rotated, cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is rotated on support frame 4 with support bands 5 being supported by side bars 6 of support frame 4 at either end. A support leg 7 is affixed to each of the four corners of rectangular support frame 4. These support legs 4 rest upon the bottom surface of a wheel barrow, tub, roll cart, or whatever suitable apparatus that the rolling sifter is being moved along by. Support leg adjusters 8 are pivotally attached to support legs 7 and rotate inward and outward so as to accommodate the top rim of the wheelbarrow or cart that is being used for transport.
Cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is filled with soil, compost, or whatever the user wishes to sift through its open end. Cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 is removably attached to handle 3 and may be removed and stood vertically for ease of fill. As cylindrical mesh/sieve sifter member 1 is rotated, prepared soil drops through the screen mesh 9 of cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 and is collected by the wheelbarrow, tub, or roll cart on which it is being transported while leaves, pebbles and other debris exit cylindrical mesh/sieve sifting member 1 through its open end. When all desired soil has been sifted, the Rolling Sifter is lifted from the wheelbarrow, tub, or roll cart and set aside so that the prepared soil may be transported to its place of use.
