U.S. patent number 3,640,386 [Application Number 04/848,373] was granted by the patent office on 1972-02-08 for portable sifting apparatus.
Invention is credited to John W. Frangos.
United States Patent |
3,640,386 |
Frangos |
February 8, 1972 |
PORTABLE SIFTING APPARATUS
Abstract
A compact, portable, power-driven sifter is provided for use in
sifting flour or the like, and is particularly suited for
restaurant and institutional use. A basket having replaceable
screens is mounted in a housing for horizontal oscillatory movement
by means of a motor-driven eccentric linkage, the basket being
supported on rollers and guided by sheave rolls against lateral
displacement. The housing is supported in a highly raised position
by elongated legs to permit pans, trays and the like to be moved in
and out from under the unit from any side thereof.
Inventors: |
Frangos; John W. (Beverly,
MA) |
Family
ID: |
25303085 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/848,373 |
Filed: |
June 2, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
209/337; 209/372;
209/405 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B07B
1/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B07B
1/30 (20060101); B07B 1/28 (20060101); B07b
001/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;209/337,372,327,329,330,338,412,413,415,373,420,319,342,315,341,405 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lutter; Frank W.
Assistant Examiner: Cuchlinski, Jr.; William
Claims
Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to
obtain by Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. Sifting apparatus, comprising
a. a housing, having a discharge opening formed in the bottom
thereof,
b. spaced elongated legs mounted to said housing for elevating said
housing above a supporting surface at a height sufficient to permit
access under said housing and from any side thereof,
c. an open frame mounted for oscillation in said housing,
d. spaced juxtaposed rollers mounted to said housing and engaging
opposite sides of said frame for horizontal movement thereof,
e. a foraminous basket removably mounted in said frame,
f. a motor mounted at one end of said housing, and
g. an eccentric coupling connecting said motor to one end of said
frame whereby operation of said motor will oscillate said frame and
said basket,
h. said frame being formed with a horizontal flange extending at
least along the sides thereof,
i. said rollers including spaced rollers mounted for rotation about
horizontal axes and engaging the underside of said flange and
spaced annularly grooved rollers mounted for rotation about
vertical axes and engaging the edges of said flange.
2. Sifting apparatus according to claim 1 including a removable
screen mounted in said basket, said screen being coextensive with
said basket, resilient bumpers mounted along the edges of said
screen and upright posts mounted at the ends thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to power sifting equipment and
more particularly is directed towards a compact, low-cost, portable
sifter for use in restaurants and the like.
2. History of the Prior Art
Various types of commercial sifters for restaurant and
institutional use have been available for many years. However,
sifters of this type heretofore have been rather large, heavy and
expensive machines usually requiring considerable floor space and
permanently installed. It is, therefore, an object of the present
invention to provide a low cost, portable, compact and power-driven
sifter suitable for commercial use and which may be located and
used with convenience on any suitable flat supporting surface such
as a table top counter top or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention features a power-driven portable sifting apparatus
comprising a housing supported above a table surface or the like on
elongated legs to provide access from four sides thereof for pans
and the like to the discharge under the housing. The housing
encloses a basket with interchangeable screens and is horizontally
oscillated by means of a motor-driven eccentric coupling, the
basket being supported by cooperating rollers for smooth, friction
free operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective, partially broken away, showing a
sifter made according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the FIG.
1 apparatus,
FIG. 3 is a detailed view in front elevation showing the roller
support assembly, and,
FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a replaceable screen employed in
the sifter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawings the reference character 10 generally indicates a
sifting apparatus comprising a boxed housing 12 set on elongated
legs 14 which support the housing 12 at a substantial height above
a supporting surface such as a table or counter top, for example.
Typically, the legs 14 maintain the housing 12 perhaps 5 or 6
inches or so above the supporting surface. A leg is mounted at each
corner of the housing and preferably is of a relatively narrow
cross section to permit a maximum amount of access space between
adjacent legs. Each leg preferably is provided with a suction cup
foot 16 for stabilizing the unit of its supporting surface.
The top of the housing 12 is provided by a hinged cover 18 the
larger portion of which encloses a sifting basket 20 while the
smaller portion encloses a motor 22 and drive assembly 24.
Typically, the cover is provided with a surrounding gasket 25.
The sifting basket 20, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, is in the
form of an open rectangular receptacle having generally upright
sidewalls 26, preferably of sheet material such as stainless steel
or the like. The walls 26 are formed at the bottom with an inwardly
facing lip 28 which supports the outer margin of an open mesh
screen 30 spanning the otherwise open bottom of the basket 20. The
upper portion of the wall 26 is formed with an outwardly extending
lip 32 by which the basket rests on a rectangular frame member 34
extending about the basket 20. Tabs 33 are provided for use in
lifting the basket from the frame. In the preferred embodiment the
frame 34 is formed from right-angle stock which serves as a holder
for the removable basket and also serves as a track and support for
the basket 20 which undergoes vigorous oscillatory movement when in
operation. The horizontal portion of the frame 34 extends out from
the side of the basket 20 and rests on spaced rollers 36 located
along opposite sides of the basket and mounted to the housing 12 by
means of a block 38. The rollers 36 preferably are of a durable
plastic material such as Teflon which provides low frictional
support, are quiet and enjoy a relatively long and trouble-free
life. Obviously, other materials may also be used. The axes of the
rollers 36 lie in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the path of
travel of the basket 20.
In order to guide the basket against lateral or vertical
displacement sheaves or pulley guide rollers 40 are provided,
preferably in proximity to the rollers 36, and mounted to the
housing 12 so as to engage the outer edge of the horizontal portion
of the frame 34. This is best shown in FIG. 3 where it will be seen
that the guide roller 40 is mounted to an upper flange 42 of the
housing 12 for rotation about a vertical axis and it will be
understood that there is at least one guide roller 40 on each side
of the basket and preferably two, one near each corner thereof and
serving to guide the basket during oscillation and to prevent
spurious movements thereof. Again it is desirable that the guide
roller 40 be fabricated from a low-friction material such as Teflon
or the like.
The basket 20, as indicated previously, is provided with a screen
30 across the bottom thereof and in practice the screen 30 is of a
relatively wide mesh with finer sifting being available by the use
of accessory screen inserts 44 such as shown in FIG. 4. The screen
44 may be of any desired mesh according to the material being
sifted. The accessory screen 44 preferably is formed with a
rectangular frame 46 to which is mounted mesh screen material 48
reinforced by cross ribs 50. Upwardly extending posts 52 are
provided at each end to facilitate insertion and removal of the
accessory screen from the basket. Each post may be provided with a
gripping head 54. Mounted across each end of the frame 46 are
bumpers 56, preferably of rubber or other resilient material, which
may be readily formed from split tubing or the like. The bumpers 56
serve to hold the screen insert squeezed in position at the bottom
of the basket and prevent the screen inserts from banging about as
the gasket is oscillated. In practice, each sifting unit would be
provided with a set of screen inserts of various mesh sizes.
The basket 20 is oscillated by means of the motor 22 and drive
linkage 24. The motor, as previously indicated, is mounted in the
rear position of the housing and typically is provided with a
reduction gear assembly 58 to provide an output of approximately
300 r.p.m., for example. The reduction gear assembly is provided
with a drive shaft 60 eccentrically keyed to the inner race of a
bearing 62 mounted in one end of a connecting rod 64. Typically the
eccentric is three sixteenths inches off center to provide a
3/8-inch stroke of the rod 64. The opposite end of the connecting
rod is drivingly connected to the basket frame 34 by means of a
shaft 66 passing through a ball bearing assembly 68 with the ends
thereof supported in spaced blocks 70 and 72 secured to the basket
frame 34. It will be understood that when the motor is energized
the rotation of the shaft will cause, through the eccentric
connection, the basket to be oscillated back and forth in the
direction of the connecting rod. The material to be sifted is
placed in the basket and discharges from the bottom. By raising the
housing in the manner shown, pans or other receptacles may be
placed in under the housing to collect the sifted material as it
drops from the sifting basket. Since the shifting unit is raised
entirely by means of the elongated legs the unit may be placed on
almost any supporting surface and be used conveniently since pans
or the like may be slipped under the housing between any of the
legs from any side thereof.
* * * * *