Oliver Hi-Cap N Series, Operation Manual

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standards to be met and the quality of the material being fed onto the stoner. Quality
and capacity are inversely related, that is, increasing capacity usually lowers quality
and decreasing capacity usually improves quality.
6.
Loose clamps. Loose clamps are not a common problem, but they occur more often
than people realize. Loose clamps usually occur when an operator makes an
adjustment and fails to tighten the clamps sufficiently. The result of loose clamps is
false vibrations. False vibrations absorb much of the oscillatory action of the deck
and produce results similar to weak foundations.
7.
Using the wrong deck cover. Deck covers are the portion of the machine that actually
makes the separation. Without friction between the deck cover and the material to
be separated, no separation will result. Therefore, a cover must be selected that will
perform well with a specific product. Using the wrong cover will result in poor
separation, very low capacity and will sometimes cause sufficient damage to the
deck that it must be rebuilt. Generally, the cover should have a rough surface texture
and the openings should be as large as possible without allowing material to fall
through. We make four types of standard decks: cloth for small grasses and materials
smaller than 1/16"; 30 mesh wire for seeds the size of alfalfa (between 1/16" and
1/8" in size); 16 mesh for materials between 1/8" and 1/4" (cereal grains); and 10
mesh wire for materials larger than 1/4" (beans, for example). We can also supply a
variety of special decks to meet your particular needs.
8.
Belts slipping. This is a common occurrence with new machinery. New belts tend to
stretch slightly and should be checked frequently during the first couple weeks of
operation. To check a belt, turn the machine off. Then apply pressure to the back of
the belt midway between the two pulleys. The belt should deflect approximately 1/2
inch.
9.
Attempting to separate commodities unsuitable for separation. This is a very rare
problem, as normally a stoner will make some improvement in any seed lot.
However, a stoner is a specialized machine designed to separate particles of varying
density and similar sizes. If material does not fall into that classification, then it
probably cannot be separated on a stoner.