US1980088A - Conveyer - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1934. REDLER 1,980,088

CONVEYER Filed Nov. 12, 1931 lmmmwmmml II II 22 INVENTOR azewz ATI'ORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER,

Application November 12, 1931, Serial No. 574,525 In Great Britain March 18, 1931 3 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyors and particularly to the flexible conveyer members and their manner of attachment to the conveyer flights.

The invention has for its object generally, an improved construction and. arrangement of parts, which is efiicient, economical and readily manufactured.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a construction for a flexible conveyer member which is adapted to be readily attached to and detached from the conveyer flights.

It is also an object to provide an arrangement which is adapted for quick repairs and involves a rugged and substantially fool-proof construction.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of-construction, combination'of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation showinga flexible conveyer member in section attached to a conveyer flight in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the conveyer flight shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in dis-assembled relation;

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively side and plan views, showing details of a removable member cooperating with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a modified form of device embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, 10 denotes a flexible conveyer member or cable which is made in sections of appropriate length and secured at its ends in the conveyer flights, a flight being shown generally at 11. The conveyer flights may be of any suitable variety, for example, flights arranged for conveying material in bulk with a minimum of friction losses as set forth in my Reissue Patent No. 18,445 granted April 26, 1932, or as shown in my Patents Nos. 1,904,167 and 1,910,056 granted April 18, 1933 and May 23, 1933, respectively; this application being a continuation in part of the latter patent.

The flights here shown each comprise a central portion 12 in which the ends of the sections of the flexible conveyer member 10 are secured. A pair of conveying arms 13 are provided and arranged to project laterally from the central portion 12. The portions of the arms which are immediately adjacent the central portions 12- are preferably enlarged as shown at 14:, these enlargements being adapted to serve as guide blocks or teeth with which the teeth of a sprocket for propelling or guiding the conveyer may en- 7 gage. The enlarged portions 14 are reducedat proper distances from the central portion 12 and have extensions 15 preferably terminated with upper surfaces obliquely disposed to the horizontal adapted for doing the work of conveying. In the arrangement shown, the central portion 12, the enlargements 14 and the extension 15 are preferably arranged to have a-continuous lower surface, so that the conveyer flight is adapted to lie evenly on the wall of a conveyer conduit in which the conveyer of the pres-. ent invention works (the illustration of the conduit being omitted in the interests of clearness) In the practice of the present invention, each end of a section 10 of the flexible member or cable is secured in a sheathing member of the character shown at 16 in Fig. 3. This may be accomplished in any suitable manner adapted to the nature of the material of the section or cable. Where the section is of wire or stranded metal, the end thereof may be turned in and expanded in the' base of the sheathing member 16, and the wire or metal may be secured by soldering or welding the same in the member 16.

In order that the central portion 12 may have the sheathing members 16 of two adjacent ends of sections 10 secured therein, it is recessed to provide one or more interior chambers adapted to receive and engage with the members 16; access to the chamber or chambers, for the purpose of inserting or removing a member 16, being afforded by the provision of a removable member 17 that is preferably formed so as structurally to complete the central portion 12. As shown, the removable member 1'7 has the form of a base plate fitted up into the central portion 12 and adapted to be flush with bottom surfaces of portions 14 and 15 described above. This plate is secured in place in any convenient manner, for

example by counter-sunk screws, as shown at 18. Thechambered interior of the, central portion 12 is preferably divided by a medial partition 19 than the bases of the cones, or the members 16 may be provided with shoulders on theirbases, as shown at 21, which will not pass through the perforations, or ,a combination of these features may be employed as shown.

The shoulder 21 imparts strength to the sheathing member 16 and it is preferably supported in the chambered portion in a manner that avoids constructing stresses. To this end the chambers in the portion 12 are shown as lateral recesses sufliciently to aiford a flat surface behind the taper of the openings at 20 on which the shoulders 21 of the opposing members 16 may bear. It is seen that when a removable member 1'7 is taken out from the bottom, access to the recesses within the central portion 12 is readily had, so as to per- This .re-,

mit the desired recessing operations. movable member has a pair of arcuate projecting portions 22 cooperating with the openings 20 in the end walls to complete the orifices into which the members 16 are fitted. These projecting portions thus serve to key the members 16 in place and prevent their accidental displacement.

In operation, it is seen that a conveyer may be built up of conveyer flights and sections of flexible conveyer cable to have any desired form, for example an endless conveyer of suitable length working in a conveyer conduit and driven bysuitable sprockets. When the flights have their removable members 17 secured in place, it is seen that they lie flat against the wall of the conveyer conduit, and in consequence are not likely to become loose or dislodged. In the event that a section of the flexible conveyer member becomes broken or' pulls out of a conveyer flight, the parts may be readily repaired or a new section substituted by first removing the member 17, and replacing the same after desired repairs or replacements are accomplished.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. '7, the ends of the section of the flexible conveyer member 10are provided with sheathing members in the form of ferrules as shown at 25 and 26, swaged or otherwise secured on the ends of the section. These ferrules may have any suitable shape and are arranged to engage with a conveyer flight, such as shown at 11, in positive manner without the aid of a'removable member. To this end, they are shown as adapted for threaded engagement with the central cylindrical portion 27 of the flight 11. From this it is seen that a non-slip engagement between the flight and its propelling flexible member is provided. 1

While the flights here shown and described are adapted for engagement with the ends of cable sections, it will be understood that such sections may have flights attached at intermediate points by other means, for example, as shown in Fig. 1 of my Patent No. 1,910,056 referred to above.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a conveyer of the character described, the combination with a conveyer flight, of a section-of a flexible conveyer member having an end provided with a securing member, said flight being provided with a chambered portion formed with a pair of interior recesses having a medial partition and end walls, each provided with a perforation, said securing means being formed with a conical outer surface and a shoulder on the base, said recesses being of suflicient depth to accommodate and support such shoulder, and

opening, said housing providing recesses therein within which the enlarged ends of adjacent ends of said sections of the conveyer member are detachably received to detachably secure said sections to the flight, the interior of said hous-' ing being shaped to conform to the shape of the enlarged end portions of said .conveyer member.

3. In a conveyer of the character described, the combination with two sections of a flexible conveyer member having enlarged and conically shaped end portions, of'a conveyer flight '-having a unitary housing formed integrally therewith open at its bottom and having a bottom plate normally closing said opening, the interior of said housing being shaped to conform to the conical shape of said'enlarged end portions, said

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