[omi] the grate

I've been thinking about the grate while drinking red wine, which is always dangerous. The central reinforcing strip puzzles me. It adds very little in the way of mechanical support. I think it's some sort of vibration damper, to suppress resonant oscillations caused by the vibrator. I'm not suggesting any change, but it's started me thinking. Also, I've seen a lot of grates, and they all have much heavier bars than our one, mainly because of wear as the material passes through. Finally, every other grate I've seen has a rejection mechanism for oversize material that won't pass through it. Would it be possible to ask the Missouri bunch exactly what the purpose of the grate is? Cheers Nigel