Motorized Dirt Soil Screening Machine

[SkunkWerX]

First,
I would like to give credit to AKPILOT for the inspiration and answering all of my dumb questions.
AK's screening plant thread can be found here:
Akpilot's Screening Plant Thread


I used Ak's basic design, which I think is the basic design for most of these rigs. My BX's bucket is just under 48" wide, so, I made the screening bed 4 feet wide x 6 feet long. Was originally going to use a full 8 feet, but it was just too long. Hopefully the 6 foot length will allow most of the screening to take place before "waterfalling" off the end. I was looking for the most vibration at the shallowest angle for the most efficient (full) screening of the material.

Features:
-The Back (loading end) and Front (waterfall end) height are both adjustable.
-Used ATV coil springs.
-Interchangeable expanded metal screens, with abilty to overlay hardware cloth for finer screening of compost, potting soil and such.
-Sliding/adjustable motor mount for maintaining proper belt tension.
-Honda 5hp G200 motor with quiet muffler.
-Flywheel is 3/8" thick x 2" wide-orange (Yes, it will get a guard)
-Side Unloading of screened material
-Waterfall end will get a plywood divider.
-Will use small wheels and hitch for towing behind tractor. (soon, soon)

It has been test-run in the workshop a few times, needs wheels installed before it can be taken out for it's first real screening. (next day or two hopefully). It really scoots across the concrete floor in the shop!!

Dirt Screener Side View.jpg

Dirt Screener Flywheel.jpg

 

[atgreene]

Nice. Does the vibration cause an issue with the belt, or are they somehow isolated?

Keep posting pics.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Nice. Does the vibration cause an issue with the belt, or are they somehow isolated?

Keep posting pics.

Great Question! I thought about this a lot.

In my design I was going for a lot of high speed small vibrations, rather than large loping actions. Using varying RPMs and different sized pulleys I hope to find the "freuqncy" of the unit and establish a harmonic resonance, if that makes any sense.
Anyway the small vibrations don't seem to affect the belt function.

Here is my seat-o-pants theory as to why:
The belt is not experiencing a lot of rotational resistance. Not like a belt would if it were a fan belt running pumps or like a belt driving a rotating implement, therefor in this application slippage is not much of an issue.

I had originally planned on an idler pulley, as discussed in AK's thread, but, figured that could be an add-on if belt slippage became a problem.

I do have some small springs at the back end keeping a measured amount of back tension, so it's always pulling the screening deck (and attached pulley) into tension.

 

[MrJimi]

Looks great, do you have a way to get rid of the larger material off the screen?

 

[atgreene]

Does it rotate so it moves material up the screen until it breaks down into heavies and rolls off the screen or so it shakes it down the screen? Most large screens (hydro) you can run in either direction, shaking up the screen gives it more time on the screen, but doesn't work well with wet material.

How do you like the expanded metal for a screen? I would think that it would hold small roots easily. I always had better luck with the piano wire screens, but expanded would be slick if it works for you I'll have to work that into my plans.

I've always wated to build one that I can feed with my Takeuchi and take away with my Kubota. Hiring in a big trommel with a large loader to do 1000 yards per day just has made better economical sence for now.

Here's one desin that is kind of unique. I'd love to try it. Snake Mountain Rattler

Thanks for the info.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Mr. Jimi, The larger material ends up going over the waterfall at the downhill end. FEL to take it away. I have plenty of gullies and eroded areas to get rid of the spoils, then top coat with good topsoil. Best method if accessible would be let the spoils cascade directly into a fill "zone".

Atgreene, It shakes/vibrates and the material gravity feeds as th bed is vibrating.

Just came in from running an outdoor screening test using the FEL.
I screened about 3 yards of clay based fill dirt with rocks and clumps in it.
We had rain a day or two ago so it was moist, as well. The screener did a good job considering clay. I "worked" the pile for a few minutes to get everything loose, so it wasn't stuck together in big clods, then starting dumping onto the Screener.

Used about a 25 degree angle, not real steep. Ended up with about 1/3rd spoils and 2/3rds screened material by volume. The good news is that it fully screened each load, letting only screened spoils spill off the end. That was the goal.

The flat expanded metal worked well. Almost all of the roots and sticks rolled down and off the edge. 1 or 2 got stuck, no biggie, no show-stoppers.

A couple small bugs to work through, biggest is the set screw on the weight keeps loosening.

Then it will be dirt guard for the motor, shield for the flywheel, and some sort of hitch for towing and moving.

 

[akpilot]

Wow That looks great!! Looks like you did a real nice job. Yes they do "walk" around the shop You will want a gaurd on your flywheel they act like a baseball bat with small rocks I think your on the right track about the belt and the frequency. because there is very little load on the belt they can run amazingly loose, with no problems.
I have run about 100-150 yard of topsoil and about 50 yards pit run across mine and it seems to be doing very well. the only problem I have had is some viberation cracks in the welded on screen and the screen frame, nothing my welder and I can't fix. I figure mine has paid for it self couple times already.

 

[SkunkWerX]

akpiliot,

Thanks for the kind words. I wanted to be able to interchange screens which is causing a lot of noise! I can see how your screen welds might crack, there is a lot fo vibration going on between the frame and actual screen.

I have the screen bolted on, but am losing bolts fast! This then makes the screen very loose and it chatters something fierce, it makes a lot of racket!

I'm going to run to Lowe's tonight and get some more bolts and use Nylok nuts to see if they will hold up better to the vibration.

 

[Minotbob]

This looks really nice. You did a good job.

I was curious about the flywheel. Would it not have been safer to use a solid disk instead of the lawnmower type flywheel? Also what is the offset from center for the flywheel?

 

[bob_wood]

Great lookin machine ya got there SkunkWerX ... you did a very good job. Impressive !
I have been following the threads on dirt screeners and want to build one of my own someday, when I can find the time. With steel prices being what they are, I was thinking of building the base unit out of pressure treated and adding hardware and the screen, motor, flywheel, etc. Also, I was thinking of setting my screen up on skids and having a hitch on one end so I could pull the unit around with my tractor. Do you think my ideas would work ? Did you go with all new material ? Costs ?

Thanks for sharing your info, ideas and pictures.

Bob