Oliver Stoner Instruction Manual

STONER
OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
MANUAL
Oliver Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Box 512, Rocky Ford, Colorado 81067
[phone]
Fax [phone]

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR
GRAVITY SEPARATORS
Read operator’s manual before using machine.
Always shut off the lock out power when performing maintenance or service.
Never operate machine with air filters removed.
Never operate with deck removed.
Never operate with missing or worn parts.
Never operate with air chest boot removed.
Never operate with worn or damaged decks.
Never use deck as table or workstation.
Never stand on machine.
Always wear face and eye protection when inspecting or adjusting machine.
Always insure machine and components are electrically grounded.
Keep machine clean and properly adjusted.
Inspect for wear and correct operation frequently.
If you have questions call the factory.
Make Safety First
And
Make It Last

STONER OPERATlNG lNSTRUCTlONS
I INTRODUCTlON
II lNSTALLlNG YOUR OLlVER STONER
Uncrating Your Oliver
Foundation Requirements
Electrical Connection
Clean Air Source
III HOW DOES A STONER WORK?
The Process of Stratification
The Theory in Practice
Oliver Steele's Guidelines for Use of
Gravity Separators and Stoners
IV CONTROLS OF THE OLlVER STONER
The Deck
The Four Basic Adjustments
Feed Rate
Tilt
Eccentric Speed
Air Adjustment
V START UP AND OPERATlON
lnitial Starting Procedures
Stoner Starting Procedures
lncreasing Capacity
VI IN CASE OF DlFFlCULTY - TROUBLE-SHOOTING
Feed Rate
Tilt
Eccentric Speed
Air
10 Most Frequent Problems
VII MAlNTENANCE
Decks
Drives
Vari-Speed Assembly
Bearings
Setting Balance Springs
Ordering Repair Parts
VIII AUXlLlARY EQUlPMENT
Dust Control Accessories
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I. lNTRODUCTlON
Congratulations! You have just purchased a well built machine that can earn substantial profits for you, if you
take time right now to understand the Oliver Stoner and how it works. The Operating lnstructions Manual con-
tains new, valuabie information that both experienced and inexperienced gravity operators will want to read.
Please take a few minutes to read the instructions to help eliminate many of the problems frequently encoun-
tered.
Keep in mind at all times that the stoner is not a "cure all" for the processor's problems. The stoner is a spe-
cialized piece of machinery designed to do one job very well. THE STONER SEPARATES PARTICLES
OF A SlMlLAR SIZE THAT DlFFER IN WEIGHT, ELlMlNATlNG HEAVY TRASH AND
STONES. THE STONER SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A CLEANlNG MACHINE TO REMOVE
DUST, DIRT, STlCKS AND OTHER REFUSE FREQUENTLY FOUND IN HARVESTED CROPS.
In all processing situations, the best results are obtained from the stoner when the product has been thor-
oughly pre-cleaned and sized, using the proper equipment for these purposes. Under these conditions, the
stoner is then able to show what it can really do!
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II. lNSTALLlNG YOUR OLlVER STONER
All Oliver Stoners are operated on test blocks at the factory for a minimum of two hours. During and after
operation, the drive train and controls are checked to insure that they will operate satisfactorily when you set
them up and punch the switch.
UNCRATlNG YOUR OLlVER
Although your Oliver is built to give years of service, it can be damaged while being uncrated. First the top of
the crate should be carefully removed. Then take off the sides. After the top and sides are withdrawn, the
Oliver Stoner can be disengaged from the bottom of the crate by removing the four 3/8" bolts located on the
mounting flanges of the stoner. While removing the crate, do not put anything on the separating deck. If the
deck is damaged, good separations are impossible. Also, be careful not to puncture the filter screens located
on the sides of the machine. If the filter screens are damaged, dirt may be sucked into the machine and may
plug the deck.
lmmediately after uncrating your Oliver Stoner, inspect for carrier damage. If the machine is impaired in any
way, it was caused in transit and a claim should be filed with the carrier.
The feed hopper, mounting brackets and discharge hoppers are attached to the inside of the crate or the
inside of the stoner. All items securely fastened inside the stoner may be removed by opening the filter
screens and cutting the tie wires.
FOUNDATlON REQUlREMENTS
Asolid foundation is required for your Oliver Stoner. False vibrations from flooring can ruin the separation
quality of the machine. A six inch concrete slab makes an ideal platform but is not essential. Many customers
operate Oliver Stoners on wooden floors with no problems. If you feel that your floor is insecure, please con-
tact the factory for recommendations.
When locating your stoner, be sure that you leave adequate clearance to operate the controls and to remove
the deck for changing or cleaning. To operate the controls and provide normal maintenance, we recommend
a minimum of 30 inches clearance. A space approximately equal to the dimensions of the deck is adequate
for deck removal from the heavy end. Please refer to our layout print at the end of these instructions for
dimensional information.
ELECTRlCAL CONNECTlON
After your stoner is mounted on a secure foundation, you are ready to install the motor and make the connec-
tions. If you ordered your stoner with a motor, it will be installed at the factory; and you will only be required to
make the necessary electrical connections. Factory-installed motors will be wired for 60 cycle, 220 volt, 3-
phase power unless otherwise specified. If your power supply is different and you order a motor, please
inform the factory well in advance of the shipping date, so the motor can be correctly installed. If you supply
your own motor, be sure that it is large enough to carry the load as specified in our literature.
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The motor is mounted directly to the motor mounting board installed for this purpose. Since motors differ in
their mounting requirements, it will be necessary for you to drill holes in the motor mounting board and attach
the motor with the size of bolts recommended by the motor manufacturers. The machine interior is accessible
by removing the filter panels. Be sure that the motor pulley is directly in line with the fan shaft pulley and that
the motor shaft and the fan shaft are parallel. After the motor is mounted, adjust the belts to the proper ten-
sion. When belts are too tight, excessive strain is placed on the bearings and will shorten bearing and belt
life. When belts are too loose, they will slip. This will cause the belts and pulleys to overheat and shorten their
life.
To check for proper belt tension, first turn the machine off. Then apply pressure to the side of the belt midway
between the pulleys. The belts should deflect approximately 1/2 inch. After the machine has operated for 8 to
10 hours, check the belts again. It is normal for new belts to stretch slightly, so the belt tension may have to
be adjusted.
When your electrician wires the motor, be sure that he connects it so that it will run in the proper direction. All
shafts, motor shaft, fan shaft and eccentric shaft, should run counterclockwise when viewed from the side of
the machine where the motor is installed. Proper fan rotation is very important and at least half of the prob-
lems with new stoners can be traced back to incorrect rotation.
CLEAN AIR SOURCE
Some customers need to bring in clean outside air rather than to draw dusty plant air through the filters
installed on the machine. For this purpose we supply an air nipple which can be used to bring air into the
machine. It can be installed by merely removing a filter screen and replacing the screen with an air nipple.
Connect your duct work to the air nipple that came with your machine. We recommend that you keep the duct
work shorter than 20 feet or use a booster fan. The clean air source should have a filter area not less than
the area of the deck surface.
After the stoner is installed and the motor wired so the fans rotate in the proper direction, familiarize yourself
with the theory behind stoner operation and the proper usage of the controls before attempting to make a
separation.
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III. HOW DOES A STONER WORK?
All gravity separators and stoners utilize the same principles to effect a separation. Once these principles are
understood, it is usually a simple step to adjust a stoner to produce an optimum separation. About 250 B.C.,
Archimedes discovered the law of specific gravity, which is "ALL BODlES FLOATlNG IN OR SUBMERGED IN
A LlQUlD ARE BUOYED UP BY A FORCE EXACTLY EQUAL TO THE WElGHT OF THE LlQUlD THEY DIS-
PLACE." The specific gravity of a particle is the ratio of its density to some standard substance, the standard
usually being water with a unit of 1. Particles having a specific gravity of less than 1 will float and particles
with a specific gravity greater than 1 will sink.
Oliver stoners use air as a standard rather than water. Since air is lighter than water, the relative difference
between particles of differing weights is widened. For this reason, the stoner is a very, sensitive machine and,
when operated correctly, can produce a very precise separation.
THE PROCESS OF STRATlFlCATlON
Air is used as the separating medium for the process of stratification. Stratification occurs by forcing air
through the particle mixture so that the particles rise or fall by their relative weight to the air. Figure 1 below
represents a cross section of the stoner directly over a fan. A particle mixture has been introduced on top of
the screen deck with the fans off.
In Figure 2 the fan has been turned on so that the heaviest particles rest on the surface of the deck and the
lightest particles are completely free of the surface of the deck. Proper regulation of the air flow at this time is
critical or all particles will be blended and lifted free from the separating surface by excess air (Figure 3).
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FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3
DECK
AIR
DISTRIBUTOR
AIR GATE
DECK
AIR
DISTRIBUTOR
AIR CONTROL
GATE
DECK
AIR
DISTRIBUTOR
AIR CONTROL
GATE

The seed mixture, similar to Figure 1, falls from the feeder onto the deck. The area immediately under the
feeder is called the stratification zone. In this area, the vibration of the deck and the lifting action of the air
combine to stratify the material into layers with heavier layers on the bottom and lighter layers on the top as
shown by Figure 2. Separation cannot occur until the material becomes stratified. The size of the stratification
area will depend on the difficulty of the separation and on the capacity at which you are processing. At no
time should it exceed 1/3 of the deck surface.
The more difficult the separation, the greater is the area that is required to obtain proper stratification. For
example, the stratification area is large when separating mud clods from saleable beans, because there is rel-
atively little difference in weight. However, the stratification area is small when removing rocks or stones from
beans, because there is a large difference in weight. Higher capacities likewise require greater areas for strat-
ification.
Once the material is stratified, the vibrating deck begins pushing the heavier layers in contact with the deck
uphill toward the stone discharge. At the same time, the upper lighter layers, which do not contact the deck,
begin to float downhill toward the clean product discharge.
It should be noted that, since the stratification process is not instantaneous, some of the heavier materials
will be carried down the deck toward the discharge end before they can sink to the bottom of the fluidized
bed. This is normal and acceptable as long as the heavy trash does not flow off the deck with the cleaned
product. When you are not making a proper separation, it is an indication of one of the following problems:
1. Feed rate too high - stratification area too large.
2. Machine improperly adjusted -- improper stratification.
3. Material not suitable for separation on a stoner.
Each of the above is a distinct problem and will be discussed fully in this manual.
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THE THEORY IN PRACTICE
Figure 4 represents a top view of the ideal situation in the operation of a stoner

This sketch is a sectional diagram of what occurs on a stoner deck. Compressed air forced through the mesh
of the deck cover lifts the lighter particles upward, while heavier particles sink against the air currents and
come to rest on the deck surface, providing the air is properly adjusted. The heavier particles are forced to
travel uphill by mechanical action, while the lighter particies float downhill on a film of air.
While stoners have greater capacities than gravity separators, based on square feet of relative deck area,
there is a limit as to the amount of feed flowing to the deck. As the feed is increased, the stratifying area is
also increased. The stratifying area should not occupy more than 1/3 of the entire deck area.
We have already stressed the need for earlier processing of products before they are introduced onto the
stoner. (See p. 1.). This pre-sorting enables separations that are otherwise impossible. There are three guide-
lines developed by the late Oliver W. Steele that state what can be separated and what cannot be separated
on a gravity separator or stoner.
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FIGURE 5
FEED
BACKWARD
FORWARD

return to index
-7-
HEAVY LIGHT
OLIVER STEELE’S GUIDELINES FOR USE OF
GRAVITY SEPARATORS AND STONER
Rule 1. PARTICLES OF THE SAME SIZE BUT DIFFERING SLIGHTLY IN SPECIFIC GRAVITIES CAN BE
SEPARATED.
Acommon example of this would be the separation of similar size stones from seed where the stones are
heavier than the seed.
RULE 2. PARTICLES OF THE SAME SPECIFIC GRAVITIES BUT DIFFERING IN THE SIZE WILL BE
GRADED ACCORDING TO THE SIZE OF THE PARTICLES.
Unlike the gravity separator, a stoner produces a two way separation rather than a continuous grade at dis-
charge. Due to this two way separation, sizing is not done on a stoner, because the accuracy of separation is
poor.
RULE 3. PARTICLES DIFFERING IN SPECIFIC GRAVITIES AND ALSO DIFFERING IN SIZE CANNOT
BE EFFICIENTLY SEPARATED.
An example of this would be the separation of adobe from pinto beans where the particles are nearly the
same size and the weight as well. In cases such as this, the stoner must be operated at a lower capacity; and
one should expect a lower quality separation.