Vibratory separators and screens for them

Abstract

A vibratory separator (in one aspect a shale shaker) and screen assemblies for them; the screen assemblies, in at least certain aspects, having an undulating plate with a plurality of spaced apart openings therethrough, a plurality of spaced apart supports extending beneath the plate and to which the plate is secured, and each support having a length and independent of and not connected to the other supports along its length, each support having two spaced apart ends, and screening connected to the plate.

1 . A screen assembly for a vibratory separator, the screen assembly comprising 
 a support plate having a plurality of alternating raised portions and lower portions, the support plate having a plurality of spaced apart openings therethrough,    a plurality of spaced apart supports extending beneath the support plate and to which the support plate is secured, and each support having a length and independent of and not connected to the other supports along its length, each support having two spaced apart ends, and    screening material on the support plate.    
   
   
       2 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  further comprising 
 a frame to which the support plate is secured, and    wherein each support has two spaced apart ends each connected to a spaced apart side of the frame.    
   
   
       3 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein 
 the supports are made of a material from the group consisting of metal, plastic, fiberglass, rubber or cermet.    
   
   
       4 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein 
 wherein the screening material is connected to the support plate.    
   
   
       5 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  further comprising 
 the screening material comprising at least one wire mesh connected to the support plate.    
   
   
       6 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein the screen material is a plurality of layers of wire mesh.  
   
   
       7 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  further comprising 
 bonding material bonding the at least one wire mesh to the support plate.    
   
   
       8 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein at least one support has at least one projecting portion for reception within a raised portion of the support plate.  
   
   
       9 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein for each raised portion of the support plate there is a corresponding projecting portion of each support.  
   
   
       10 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein the supports of the plurality of spaced-apart supports range in width between about 0.10 inches and about 3.00 inches, and are spaced-apart between about 0.2 inches to about 4.00 inches.  
   
   
       11 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein the screening material comprises 
 a first mesh connected to the support plate, and    a second mesh connected to the first mesh.    
   
   
       12 . The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein the screening material ranges between 2 mesh and 500 mesh.  
   
   
       13 . Vibratory separator apparatus comprising 
 screen assembly mounting apparatus,    vibrator apparatus for vibrating the screen assembly mounting apparatus,    screen assembly apparatus mounted on the screen assembly mounting apparatus, the screen assembly apparatus comprising a support plate having a plurality of alternating raised portions and lower portions, the support plate having a plurality of spaced apart openings therethrough, a plurality of spaced apart supports extending beneath the support plate and to which the support plate is secured, and each support having a length and independent of and not connected to the other supports along its length, each support having two spaced apart ends, and screening material on the support plate.    
   
   
       14 . A method for treating fluid with a vibratory separator, the fluid having material therein to be separated therefrom, the method comprising, 
 introducing the fluid onto a screen assembly in the vibratory separator, the screen assembly comprising 
 a support plate having a plurality of alternating raised portions and lower portions, the support plate having a plurality of spaced apart openings therethrough,  
 a plurality of spaced apart supports extending beneath the support plate and to which the support plate is secured, and each support having a length and independent of and not connected to the other supports along its length, each support having two spaced apart ends, and  
 screening material on the support plate.  
   
   
   
       15 . A screen assembly for screening material in a vibratory screening machine, said assembly comprising 
 a frame,    a plurality of apertures in said frame, spaced frame members on opposite sides of said plurality of apertures,    a screen on said frame comprising a support plate with a support plate undulating shape and screening material connected to the undulating support plate and having a screening material undulating shape corresponding to the support plate undulating shape,    the undulating shapes with elongated substantially parallel ridges having sloping sides, troughs formed between said sloping sides for conducting material which is being screened longitudinally of said troughs while it is being screened, and    at least one support beneath at least one of said ridges, said at least one support within a space defined by a lower surface of said at least one of said ridges and an upper surface of the frame.    
   
   
       16 . A screen assembly for screening material in a vibratory screening machine comprising 
 an undulating apertured plate having ridges and troughs between said ridges,    a screen on and formed in the same configuration as said undulating apertured plate and connected in complementary mating relationship thereto, and    at least one support beneath at least one of said ridges, said at least one support having at least a portion thereof beneath one of said ridges and within a space below a lower surface of said at least one of said ridges.