Multi-zoned screening apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718006-B2
Application number	US-201314421323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2013
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A multi-zoned screening apparatus is disclosed for separating fiber from a liquid medium during, for example, a grain wet mill or dry grind process. The apparatus can include a housing having a first and second zone and situated adjacent one another along a length of the housing. A cylindrical screen having a plurality of openings is situated lengthwise within the housing to correspond with the first and second zones. A conveyor is situated lengthwise within the screen and includes an elongated shaft having a first and second conveyor section and along a length of the conveyor that corresponds with the first and second zones, respectively. Each conveyor section is configured to move material in a direction along a length of the screen. In one example, the first conveyor section includes vanes and a ribbon flight helically winding about the vanes, and the second conveyor section includes a plurality of paddles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-zoned screening apparatus comprising:
an elongated housing that is compartmentalized and separated into at least a first zone and a second zone, the first zone and second zone situated directly adjacent one another along a length of the housing, with each zone having a corresponding outlet;
an elongated cylindrical screen having a plurality of openings, the screen being immovable and situated lengthwise within the housing to generally align with the first and second zones, each of the first and second zones configured to collect a liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings;
a conveyor situated lengthwise within the screen, the conveyor including an elongated shaft having at least a first conveyor section and a second conveyor section along a length of the conveyor, the first conveyor section generally aligns with the first zone of the housing and the second conveyor section generally aligns with the second zone of the housing, wherein the conveyor rotates relative to the immovable screen to direct the liquid medium and a material toward the screen to filter the material from the liquid medium;
at least one feed inlet in fluid communication with an interior of the screen that aligns with the first zone of the housing to supply the liquid medium and the material to the multi-zoned screening apparatus; and
a discharge chute that collects the filtered material from the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

2. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated housing includes at least one movable interior panel that compartmentalizes and separates the housing into the first zone and second zone.

3. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the screen includes a first screen section and a second screen section situated adjacent one another along the length of the screen, the first screen section generally aligns with the first zone and the second screen section generally aligns with the second zone, the first zone is configured to collect the liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings in the first screen section and the second zone is configured to collect the liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings in the second screen section.

4. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first conveyor section is configured to move the material along a length of the first screen section and the second conveyor section is configured to move the material along a length of the second screen section.

5. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one feed inlet is in fluid communication with an interior of the first screen section that aligns with the first zone of the housing to supply the liquid medium and the material to the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

6. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first screen section and second screen section each have openings therethrough, the openings in the first screen section being of a different size than those in the second screen section.

7. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 , further including a baffle that is circumferentially disposed about the elongated shaft at about a junction between the first and second zones of the housing, the baffle extends in a direction away from the elongated shaft and is spaced apart from the screen.

8. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the discharge chute collects the filtered material from the second zone of the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

9. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first zone defines a pre-washing and separation zone for the material and liquid medium.

10. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second zone defines a washing and dewatering zone for the material.

11. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the interior of the screen that aligns with the first zone of the housing and/or an interior of the screen that aligns with the second zone of the housing to supply wash water to the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

12. A method of separating a material from a liquid medium utilizing the multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 1 .

13. A multi-zoned screening apparatus comprising:
an elongated housing that is compartmentalized and separated into at least a first zone and a second zone, the first zone and second zone situated directly adjacent one another along a length of the housing, with each zone having a corresponding outlet;
an elongated cylindrical screen having a plurality of openings, the screen being immovable and situated lengthwise within the housing to generally align with the first and second zones, each of the first and second zones configured to collect a liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings;
a conveyor situated lengthwise within the screen, the conveyor including an elongated shaft having at least a first conveyor section and a second conveyor section along a length of the conveyor, the first conveyor section generally aligns with the first zone of the housing and the second conveyor section generally aligns with the second zone of the housing, the first conveyor section including a plurality of vanes and a ribbon flight helically winding about a length of an outer surface of the vanes and the second conveyor section including a plurality of paddles, wherein the conveyor rotates relative to the immovable screen to direct the liquid medium and a material toward the screen to filter the material from the liquid medium;
at least one feed inlet in fluid communication with an interior of the screen that aligns with the first zone of the housing to supply the liquid medium and the material to the multi-zoned screening apparatus; and
a discharge chute that collects the filtered material from the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

14. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the elongated housing includes at least one movable interior panel that compartmentalizes and separates the housing into the first zone and second zone.

15. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the screen includes a first screen section and a second screen section situated adjacent one another along the length of the screen, the first screen section generally aligns with the first zone and the second screen section generally aligns with the second zone, the first zone configured to collect the liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings in the first screen section and the second zone configured to collect the liquid medium that passes through the plurality of openings in the second screen section.

16. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first conveyor section is configured to move the material along a length of the first screen section and the second conveyor section is configured to move the material along a length of the second screen section.

17. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one feed inlet is in fluid communication with an interior of the first screen section that aligns with the first zone of the housing to supply the liquid medium and the material to the multi-zoned screening apparatus.

18. The multi-zoned screening apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first screen section and second screen section each have openings therethrough, the openings in the first screen section being of a different size than those in the second screen section.

Assignees

• Lee Tech Llc
• Icm Inc
• Suzhou United Machine Co Ltd
• Lee Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lee Chie Ying
• Kohl Scott Dennis
• Jianmin Ren

Classifications

• B07B1/20 Primary

  Stationary drums with moving interior agitators · CPC title

• B01D29/118

  open-ended · CPC title

• B30B9/12

  using pressing worms or screws co-operating with a permeable casing · CPC title

• B01D29/90 Primary

  for feeding · CPC title

• B30B9/121

  Screw constructions · CPC title