US3782536A

US3782536A - Mobile transfer carrier

Info

Publication number: US3782536A
Application number: US00254935A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Toney
Original assignee: West Virginia Armature Co Inc
Current assignee: West Virginia Armature Co Inc
Priority date: 1972-05-19
Filing date: 1972-05-19
Publication date: 1974-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-01

Abstract

Mobile transfer carrier for use in a mining conveyor system to carry coal or ore away from a mine face. It provides an essential link in a train of conveyors where it is positioned to receive the discharge from a first bridge conveyor connected to a mining machine, and to discharge onto a second bridge conveyor which delivers to a portable conveyor moving up with the advancing mine face. The mobile transfer carrier has a conveyor frame supported on a tramming frame for mobility. The conveyor frame has a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected into a single adjustable unit and has continuous track surfaces to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor. The tramming frame has a pair of spaced, vertical, longitudinally extending gib plates in close, slidable engagement with the side rails to limit side movement while enabling vertical and some longitudinal movement of the conveyor frame. The conveyor frame is supported on opposite ends of the tramming frame by fore and aft pairs of transversely spaced, pivoted elevating levers. One pair of elevating levers is connected between the two frames by pivot pins to raise and lower one end of the conveyor frame while limiting fore and aft movement. The other pair of elevating levers is pivotably and slidably connected between the two frames to raise and lower the other end of the conveyor frame while enabling relative longitudinal movement between the frames to compensate for differences between the longitudinal components of movement of the two pairs of elevating levers.

Description

United States Patent Toney MOBILE TRANSFER CARRIER [75] Inventor: David Toney, Bluefield, W. Va.

[73] Assignee: West Virginia Armature Company, Bluefield, W. Va.

[22] Filed: May 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 254,935

[52] US. CL... 198/233, 198/126 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 25/08 [58] Field of Search 198/92, 118, 233,

Scranton 214/522 X Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Douglas D. Watts Att0rney.lames A. Davis et a1.

57 ABSTRACT Mobile transfer carrier for use in a mining conveyor system to carry coal or ore away from a mine face. It provides an essential link in a train of conveyors 1 Jan. 1,1974

where it is positioned to receive the discharge from a first bridge conveyor connected to a mining machine, and to discharge onto a second bridge conveyor which delivers to a portable conveyor moving up with the advancing mine face. The mobile transfer carrier has a conveyor frame supported on a tramming frame for mobility. The conveyor frame has a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected into a single adjustable unit and has continuous track surfaces to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor. The tramming frame has a pair of spaced, vertical, longitudinally extending gib plates in close, slidable engagement with the side rails to limit side movement while enabling vertical and some longitudinal movement of the conveyor frame. The conveyor frame is supported on opposite ends of the tramming frame by fore and aft pairs of transversely spaced, pivoted elevating levers. One pair of elevating levers is connected between the two frames by pivot pins to raise and lower one end of the conveyor frame while limiting fore and aft movement. The other pair of elevating levers is pivotably and slid ably connected between the two frames to raise and lower the other end of the conveyor frame while enabling relative longitudinal movement between the frames to compensate for differences between the longitudinal components of movement of the two pairs of elevating levers.

5 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PAIENTED JAN 1 74 SHEET 2 [1F 6 N w 2 Q WT PAIENTEDJAN 1 3,782.536

SHEET 3 BF 6 Fig 5 PATENTEB JAN 1 I974 SHEET 4 OF 6 MOBILE TRANSFER CARRIER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is generally that of belt conveyors.

In a typical underground coal mining system where the present invention can be used to advantage, three or more parallel rooms may be driven up simultaneously. A mining machine, either a continuous miner or a loader, advances the mine face in each room in turn, constantly shifting from one room to another. A short conveyor, called a bridge conveyor, has its receiving end pivoted beneath the discharge end of the mining machine. The bridge conveyor has a wheeled carriage at its discharge end which rolls back and forth along tracks on a mobile transfer carrier which is another short conveyor, but is mounted on tramming gear to make it manueverable under its own power. The bridge conveyor carriage runs on tracks on the mobile transfer carrier and discharges at any position from one end to the other depending on the extent of telescopic overlap between them. A second bridge conveyor is pivoted beneath the conveyor discharge end of the mobile transfer carrier and likewise has a wheeled carriage at its discharge end which rolls back and forth along tracks on a movable floor conveyor. The latter discharges onto an extendible output conveyor which transports the mined material to other conveyors .or transportation equipment to carry it out of the mine. The second bridge conveyor discharges at any position along the length of the movable floor conveyor depending on the degree of telescopic overlap between them.

The telescopic overlaps provided by the two bridge conveyors enable the rooms to be driven up substantial distances, and breakthroughs driven between rooms in several directions. When the mine faces are advanced sufficiently to use up the overlaps mentioned, the system will be reset for a new advance by winching the movable floor conveyor in an inbye direction (that is, toward the faces), and the outbye conveyor will be extended correspondingly.

The mobile transfer carrier referred to above is one of the important applications of the present invention.

A mobile transfer carrier for such use conventionally has a conveyor which is in three separate sections. There is a central, fixed, horizontal section carried by and often forming an important structural part of the tramming frame. Receiving and discharge boom sections pivotally mounted at the ends of the central section are independently tiltable up and down. Chain type conveyors are used. A typical example of, a conventional mobile transfer carrier as employed in modern mining practice is described and illustrated in an article appearing at page 54 of the September 1971 issue of Mining Congress Journal.

Conventional mobile transfer carriers have a number of inherent disadvantages. In the first place, the use of chain conveyors involves high power consumption, rapid wear, high maintenance costs, excessive weight, and noise. Furthermore, the conventional rigid central section and the separately tiltable end sections are complicated and expensive and difficult to maintain; and the fixed heights of the central section and of the pivotal mountings for the end boom sections seriously limit mobility in low rooms in rolling seams.

Attempts to develop mobile transfer carriers using belt type conveyors have been unsuccessful in spite of advantages such as light weight, low cost, and smooth, quiet operation which would result. One of the serious problems of using a belt type conveyor is maintaining uniform belt tension and optimum frictional engagement with the driving pulley in all tilted adjustments of the end sections which are required in underground mining service.

SUMMARY OF THE llNVENTlON A general object of the invention is to provide a mobile transfer carrier using a belt conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mobile transfer carrier with a belt conveyor supported to maintain a substantially uniform tension throughout a wide range of elevated and tilted operating positions.

Another object is to provide a mobile transfer carrier having the following advantages when used with a bridge conveyor discharging onto it:

a The conveyor frame is elevatable and tiltable as one independent, integral, rigid unit to provide a high degree of compliance with uneven floor;

b The belt tension level and therefore the frictional engagement with the driving pulley remains absolutely uniform at all operating positions; and

c The conveyor frame has a pair of parallel, continuous tracks which smoothly support a longitudinally movable bridge conveyor carriage between the receiving and discharge ends at all elevated and tilted operating positions.

An important feature is that separate tramming and conveyor frames are provided, with the conveyor frame being adjustable as a unit to different heights and different inclinations relative to the tramming frame.

Another important feature is that the conveyor frame is pivotally mounted on elevating jacks at opposite ends of the trarnming frame enabling the conveyor frame to be raised or lowered by simultaneous operation of the jacks, or to be tilted about one set of jacks by operating the other set.

A further object is to provide a mobile bridge carrier in which the motor and speed reducer for the conveyor drive pulley are supported by and adjustable with the conveyor frame for movement with it to all elevated and tilted operating positions.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OIF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view in solid lines of a mobile transfer carrier embodying the present invention, being shown with other elements in broken lines illustrating an overall conveying system for moving coal away from a set of mine faces being driven up together;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the mobile transfer carrier shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of FIG. 2, with portions cut away, showing one of a pair of pivotal elevating jack assemblies;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section of FIGS. 2 and 4, taken along line 5-5, showing a side view of one of the pivotal elevating jack assemblies;

FIG. 5A is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, taken along line 5A5A showing a side view of one of a pair of slidable elevating jack assemblies;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section of FIGS. 2 and 4, taken along line 66, showing an end view of one of the pivotal elevating jack assemblies;

FIG. 7 is a cut away perspective of the pivotal elevating jack assembly shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of FIG. 2, taken along line 88, showing a partial end view of one of the slidable elevating jack assemblies shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, vertical cross-section of FIG. 2, taken along line 99;

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the mobile transfer carrier, shown in a mining environment at the bottom of a dip, with the conveyor receiving and discharge ends both in elevated positions;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, at the top of a roll, with the conveyor receiving and discharge ends both in lowered positions;

FIG. 12 is another view similar to FIG. 10, conveying uphill toward the top of a roll, with the conveyor receiving and discharge ends in elevated and lowered positions respectively;

FIG. 13 is another view similar to FIG. 10, conveying downhill from the top of a roll, with the conveyor receiving and discharge ends in lowered and elevated positions respectively;

FIG. 14 is a schematic hydraulic diagram illustrating one arrangement for selectively controlling operation of the elevating jack assemblies to raise and lower and tilt the conveyor frame; and

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic side view, taken generally along line 15-15 of FIG. 2, showing comparisons of the pivotal and slidable elevating jack assemblies.

Like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the figures in the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a coal mining operation in which three

rooms

20, 22 and 24 are driven up together, and a mobile transfer carrier in accordance with the present invention is part of a train of conveyors which transport mined coal away from a face as fast as it is produced.

In FIG. 1 a continuous miner A is shown at face 26 of room 20. Alternatively, it may be a loading machine which follows a continuous miner or a conventional cutting and shooting operation. Coal produced at the face is transported outbye, continuously as produced, by a train of cascade conveyors, including a first bridge conveyor B, a mobile transfer carrier C in accordance with the present invention, a second bridge conveyor D, a portable belt conveyor E, and an extendible output conveyor F which discharges into other conveyors or mine cars (not shown) for transport to the outside.

The first bridge conveyor B has its receiving end 28 pivotally mounted beneath the discharge end of mining machine conveyor 30. The discharge end of the first bridge conveyor is mounted on a wheeled carriage or dolly 32 which moves back and forth on

side rails

34, 34 of the mobile transfer carrier C.

The mobile transfer carrier C will first be described generally in conjunction with the overall mining system shown in FIG. 1. It is self-propelled on running gear shown as a pair of

endless crawlers

36, 36 mounted on a tramming frame 35. A central conveyor, on a conveying frame 37 supported by the tramming frame 35, receives the discharge from bridge conveyor B at any position along its length depending on the degree of telescopic overlap between B and C as determined by the position of the bridge conveyor carriage 32.

The second bridge conveyor D is essentially a counterpart of B, having a receiving end 38 pivotally mounted beneath the discharge end of mobile transfer carrier C. A wheeled carriage or dolly 40 at the discharge end runs along side rails 42, 42 of the portable belt conveyor E. The latter may be of the kind disclosed in the above-mentioned copending patent application of Robert C. Nelson, Ser. No. 229,979, filed Feb. 28, 1972.

Output conveyor F may be of any type which is readily extendible as the rooms are advanced.

Briefly, the system shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows: the mining machine A moves from place to place as required to advance the

rooms

20, 22, 24 and drive

breakthroughs

44, 46, etc. To begin an advance, bridge conveyors B and D are telescoped substantially toward the discharge ends of the mobile transfer carrier C and the portable belt conveyor E, respectively. As the rooms are advanced, this telescopic overlap is used up until bridge conveyor carriages 32 and 40 are near the receiving ends of C and E, as shown in FIG. I. At that time, in preparation for a new advance, the portable belt conveyor E is winched forward (by means not shown) skidding it along the mine floor, and the output conveyor F is extended appropriately to maintain it in receiving relation with conveyor E. Mining is then resumed starting from a new position of substantial overlap between the conveyors of elements B and C, and D and E.

The mobile transfer carrier C of the present invention, which is shown only generally in the operating environment of FIG. 1, will now be described in detail.

The mobile transfer carrier C comprises an elongated tramming frame 35 having ground-engaging, powered tramming means including a pair of endless crawlers 36. An elongated conveyor frame 37 is mounted for up and down and tilting movement on the tramming frame.

The tramming frame 35 comprises a crawler support housing 48 at each side, interconnected in any suitable way, as for example by low, transverse I-beams or channels 50 (FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8). These may be welded or bolted in place by any suitable means (not shown). Each crawler support housing 48 has a vertical end wall 52 (at the right end in FIG. 3) with a pair of vertical, spaced, crawler support plates 54 attached as by welding. A bearing member 56 is longitudinally slidable in an open-ended horizontal slot 58 in each plate 54. The bearing members 56 rotatably journal an axle shaft 60 of an idler sprocket 62 for one of the endless orbitally movable crawlers 36. An adjusting screw 64, supported by each plate 54, engages the corresponding bearing member 56 for shifting the idler sprocket 62 to adjust the tension in the crawler assembly in the usual manner.

Similarly, at the left or driving end of each crawler support housing 48, a pair of vertically spaced crawler support plates 66 are attached to an end wall 68. The plates 66 have open-ended slots 70 supporting bearings 72 which rotatably journal drive shaft 74 for drive sprocket 76.

At the driving end, each crawler support housing 48 has a bottom plate 200 with a floor extension 78 which supports a tramming drive mechanism for the respective crawler. Each tramming drive mechanism comprises an electric motor 80 connected to a speed reducer 02 by drive shafts 84 and 86 and flexible coupling 88. Speed reducer 82 has an output shaft 90 with a drive chain sprocket 92 connected through chain 94 to a driven sprocket 96 fast upon shaft 74 to drive the main crawler drive sprocket 76. i

A housing 77 encloses each motor 80 and reducer 82 and is mounted on the crawler housing floor extension 78.

As best shown in FIG. 8, an inner, vertical, gib plate 98 is mounted as by welding along the inner sides of

housings

46 and 77 to provide a pair of parallel, slidable guide surfaces for the conveyor frame. The gib plates 98 limit sidewise movement while enabling freely vertical and longitudinal movement of the conveyor frame 37 relative to the tramming frame 35.

The conveyor frame 37 has a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails 34. As best shown in FIG. 9, each side rail 34 comprises a rectangular cross-section, hollow, box-channel member having inner and

outer side walls

100 and 102, and top and

bottom walls

104 and 106. The top surface 108 of each channel top wall 104 comprises a track to rollingly support the wheels 110 of the above described first bridge conveyor carriage 32. (See FIGS. 1 and 9.)

A vertical gib plate 112 is mounted as by welding along a portion of the outer surface of each wall 102. These provide strength and wear resistance and slid ably engage the gib plates 98.

At the discharge end of the conveyor (the left end in FIGS. 2 and 3) a belt driving assembly is shown. This consists of a pair of spaced vertical extension plates 114 affixed as by welding to thevends of the side rails 34. They are rigidly interconnected by a transverse yoke 116 having an opening 117 for a pivotal connecting pin (shown only schematically at 118 in FIG. 10). An electric motor 120 has a drive shaft 119 connected into speed reducer 122. Both are mounted on one of the extension plates 1 14. A beltreversing driving pulley 124 is rotatably journaled in bearings 126 fastened to the extension plates 114. The pulley shaft 128 is suitably connected within the reducer 122 to enable the motor 120 to drive the pulley. An idler roller 136 is rotatably journaled in bearings 136 on extension plates 114, to improve the belt wrap and stabilize the driving tension of pulley 124. A holddown roller 140 for a conveyor belt return run is rotatably supported between bearingmembers 142, mounted within the respective side rails 34.

At the receiving end (the right hand end in FIGS. 2 and 3) the conveyor side rails 34 are held in fixed spaced relationship by transverse bracing elements including a cross tube 144 and an end yoke 146, welded between the inner walls 100.

A reversing idler pulley 148 is adjustable lengthwise of the side rails 34 by suitable takeup mechanism gen erally designated 147 to tension the conveyor belt and thereby provide proper driving friction with the discharge end pulley 124. The take-up mechanism 147 here shown is contained within the hollow spaces in the side rails and includes bearing members 150 slidably mounted for longitudinal movement within the side rails by conventional hydraulic or mechanical take-up jacks 152.

A conveyor belt generally designated 154 is trained for orbital movement between the reversing

pulleys

148 and 124. As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 9, the upper run 156 of the conveyor belt is rollingly supported in a troughed configuration by troughing roller assemblies 158, and the lower run 160 is slidably supported on transverse struts 162.

Each troughing roller assembly 158 includes a transverse, inverted, T-bar 164 formed to provide a horizontal center section 166 (FIG. 9) and upwardly

inclined end sections

168, 168. Ears 170 (on the back side in FIG. 9) carry the shaft of a center roll 1'72 and

ears

174, 176 carry inclined wing rollers 178 which impart a troughed configuaration to the upper run 156. L- shaped brackets 180 are welded to the ends of each T-bar 164, on the underside, and are held by bolts 182 to brackets 184 welded to the inside walls 100 of the side rails 34.

The transverse struts 162 are slightly downwardly bowed tube members, welded to the inside walls 100. They serve a dual function, first, in providing sliding supports for the return run 160 of the belt and, second, in providing rigid interconnections between the side rails 34.

Separate and independently operable elevating jack means are provided at longitudinally spaced positions along the tramming frame 35. The jack means at the discharge end comprises a pair of pivotal elevating jack assemblies each generally designated 186. The jack means at the receiving end comprises a pair of slidable elevating jack assemblies each generally designated 187. These are substantially identical, except for right and left hand configurations and fore and aft connections, and the connecting details to the side rails 34. These will now be described.

The pivotal elevating jack assembly 186 shown in FIGS. 4-7 is the one illustrated at the lower left hand portion of the tramming frame shown in FIG. 2. This will be described first.

A pair of spaced, vertical connector plates 1811 with bottom triangular extensions 169 are inset in vertical slots cut in the sides of each rail 34 and fastened as by welding. An elevating lever 190 is pivoted by pin 192 between the plate lower ends 189. The other end of lever 190 is connected as by welding to a rocker shaft 194 which is journaled in a split bearing 196. The base 198 of the latter is fastened to the bottom plate 200 of the crawler support housing 48. The rocker shaft 194 is held assembled within the bearing by means of a cap portion 202 fastened by bolts 204.

At its opposite end, the rocker shaft 194 has an actuating lever 206 fastened thereon, being shown in FIG. 5 at approximately 60 relative to the elevating lever 190. Any other suitable angular relationship may be t employed. At its swinging end the actuating lever is pivoted by pin 208 to a clevis 210 carried by piston rod 212 of cylinder 214, the latter having an opposite bifurcated extension 216 pivoted by pin 218 to a bracket 219 upstanding from a floor plate 220 within the crawler support housing 48. As shown in F116. 5, the

cylinder bifurcations 216 extend through an opening 217 in an end wall 68a of crawler housing 48.

As shown in solid and broken lines respectively in FlG. 15, each elevating lever 190 is operable between upright and prone positions to adjust the elevation of conveyor side rails 34.

The slidable elevating jack assemblies 187 will now be described. As shown, these are identical with assemblies 186 except for the following differences: their cylinders 214 are fastened within crawler housings 43 through openings (not shown) in end walls 520 (FIG. 2) and, instead of an elevating lever 190, an elevating lever 190a is fastened to the rocker shaft 194. At its swinging end, there is a widened cam head 195 with an arcuate end surface 197 engageable with and slidable along the bottom of a wear plate 199 fastened as by welding beneath each side rail 34.

With this combination of pivotal and slidable elevating

jack assemblies

186 and 187, either pair may be operated independently of the other or they may be operated together. Sliding movement between the cam heads 195 and the wear plates 199 will compensate for any differences between the horizontal motion components of the elevating jack assemblies lengthwise of the conveyor.

Thus, each elevating

lever

190 and 190a is pivoted respectively to one side of the tramming frame 35 and one of the conveyor side rails 34. Elevating levers 190 are fastened by pins or

shafts

192 and 194 which stabilize the conveyor frame 37 against longitudinal movement relative to the tramming frame. Elevating levers 190a provide the same kind of pivotal support for the conveying frame, and in addition, provide relative movement, supporting the receiving end of the conveyor at any selected height irrespective of the longitudinal position determined by elevating levers 190.

To operate one of the elevating

jack assemblies

186 or 187, fluid under pressure will be directed into one of the

fluid lines

222 or 224 while fluid is returned to tank through the other by control means shown in FIG. 14. This shows a schematic fluid diagram for selectively controlling the operation of the two pairs of elevating

jack assemblies

186 and 187.

in FIG. 14, the two elevating jack assemblies 186 which are mounted on the crawler housing end walls 68a are shown at the left side, and the two elevating assemblies 187 which are mounted on the end walls 52a are shown at the right side.

A valve 232 has two

separate banks

234 and 236, each with an operating handle 238 movable from a neutral position indicated by a solid circle to two operative positions I and I1 indicated by broken line circles. in the neutral positions, both the valve banks may be blocked and the pump 226, if running, merely bypasses through the relief valve 240 to tank 230.

By moving the handle of bank 234 to the l position, fluid is drawn by the pump from tank through suction line 242, and is directed under pressure into line 244, through the valve banks, into line 246 and lines 222 leading into the head ends of cylinders 214 of the elevating jack assemblies 186 at the discahrge end of the tramming frame. Referring to FlGS. 5 and 7, this will extend both cylinders 214, and the resulting counterclockwise rotation of the rocker shaft 194 will elevate the discharge end of the conveyor. As the cylinders 214 so extend, fluid is displaced from the rod ends into interconnected lines 224, line 248, the valve bank 234, and then to tank through line 250.

If, instead of moving handle 238 of bank 234 to 1 position, it is moved to "ll position, fluid under pressure is directed through line 248 and lines 224 into the rod ends of the cylinders 214 of the elevating jack assemblies 186 and fluid is displaced from the head ends through line 246 and the valve bank 234 to tank. This contracts the discharge end cylinders 214, thereby lowering the discharge end of the conveyor.

Similarly, valve bank 236 controls the cylinders 214 at the receiving end, either to extend the cylinders 214 simultaneously thereby elevating the receiving end of the conveyor, or to contract the cylinders thereby lowering it.

In operation, the mobile bridge carrier of the present invention is extremely simple and reliable, yet provides a very wide range of height and tilt adjustments adapting it for mining in different grade and slope conditions. Examples of some of these are shown in schematic representations of FIGS. 1043. FIG. 10 shows both ends of the conveyor frame 37 in maximum elevated position when operating at the bottom of a dip. H6. 11 shows the reverse, namely, operation at the top of a roll,.where both ends of the conveyor frame are lowered, enabling the conveyor to operate at minimum height. FIG. 12 is a situation where the mobile transfer carrier is conveying uphill toward the top of a roll, the receiving end of the conveyor being elevated while the discharge end is lowered. FIG. 13 is the reverse of FIG. 12, showing the carrier conveying in a downhill direction from the top of a roll, the receiving end being lowered and the discharge end being elevated.

As shown in FIG. 14, each transverse pair of cylinders 214 are connected in parallel. This automatically compensates for any differences which could rack or twist the conveyor frame when the cylinders are operated simultaneously.

The starting and stopping controls for the belt conveyor drive motor and the tramming motors 81D, 80 may be conventional and because they do not form any part of the present invention, they are not specifically shown.

One of the important aspects of the present invention is the use of a single, rigid, unitary conveyor frame, having no articulated end sections to cause change in the belt tension when the end sections are adjusted.

It will be understood that. the gib plates $8 on the tramming frame are in close, but not binding, slidable engagement with the gib plates 112 on the side rails. This controls and limits sidewise movement of the conveyor frame while enabling it to be adjusted vertically at either the discharge or receiving end, or both simultaneously.

It will also be understood that, when eievating levers are swung by their respective power cylinders 214, they impart both horizontal and vertical components of movement to pivot pins 192. Thus, vertical adjustment of the discharge end of the conveyor is accompanied by some longitudinal movement, the magnitude of which depends on the are through which the elevating levers are swung. Actuation of the elevating jack assemblies 187 at the receiving end alone causes the conveyor frame to tilt about the pivot pins 192 at the other end while sliding the cam heads 195 under the wear plates 199.

Actuation of the elevating jack assemblies 186 at the discharge end alone causes the conveyor frame to tilt about the arcuate cam surfaces 197 on the cam heads 195 while moving the conveyor frame longitudinally and causing the wear plates l99 to slide on the cam surfaces 197. Actuation of both elevating jack assemblies 186 and lid? (in the same direction) causes both ends of the conveyor frame to elevate or lower simultaneously accompanied by sliding movement between the cam surfaces 197 and the wear plates 199.

While one form in which the present invention may i be embodied has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and variations thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong:

an elongated tramming frame having groundengaging, powered tramming means to provide mobility for said carrier;

an elongated conveyor frame adjustably mounted on said tramming frame;

said conveyor frame conprising a pair of elongated,

parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected to provide an integral unit having a pair of upwardly disposed track surfaces to support and guide a bridge conveyor carriage for movement therealong;

said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to support an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys;

guide means between saidframes limiting sidewise movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame;

separate and independently operable pairs of transwhereby simultaneous operation of both pairs of said elevating assemblies adjusts the elevation of the entire conveyor frame as a unit, and operation of either pair of said elevating assemblies relative to the other pair of elevating assemblies adjusts the inclination of said entire conveyor frame as a unit about said other pair of elevating assemblies.

2. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong:

an elongated conveyor frame adjiustably mounted on said tramming frame;

said conveyor frame comprising a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected to provide an integral unit having a pair of upwardly disposed track surfaces to support and guide a bridge conveyor carriage for movement therealong;

said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to sup port an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys;

guide means between said frames limiting sidewise movement of said conveyor framerelative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame;

separate and independently operable elevating jack means at longitudinally spaced positions along said tramming frame, each of said elevating jack means comprises a pair of separate, transversely spaced elevating levers having opposite ends pivotally engaged respectively with said frames, one of said pairs of elevating levers including connections limiting longitudinal movement of said frames and the other of said pairs of elevating levers including connections enabling longitudinal movement between said frames, and power means for moving each pair of elevating levers tochange the elevation of the corresponding end ofsaid conveyor frame.

3. In a mobile transfer carrier, the combination of claim 2 in which said one of said pairs of elevating levers are connected by pivot shafts to both said frames and said other of said pairs of elevating levers include cam members having arcuate surfaces engageable with one of said frames.

4. In a mobile transfer carrier, the combination of claim 2 in which said one of said pairs of elevating levers are connected by pivot shafts to both said frames, and each of said other of said pairs of elevating levers is connected by a pivot shaft to one of said frames and is connected through a cam member to the other of said frames.

5. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong:

an elongated conveyor frame adjustably mounted on said tramming frame;

said conveyor frame comprising a pair of elongated,

said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to support an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys; guide means between said frames limiting sidewise movement'of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; separate and independently operable elevating jack means at longitudinally spaced positions along said tramming frame, each of said elevating jack means including an elevating lever having opposite ends whereby simultaneous operation of both of said jack means adjusts the elevation of the entire conveyor frame as a unit, and operation of either of said jack means relative to the other jack means adjusts the inclination of said entire conveyor frame as a unit about said other jack means.

Claims

1. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong: an elongated tramming frame having ground-engaging, powered tramming means to provide mobility for said carrier; an elongated conveyor frame adjustably mounted on said tramming frame; said conveyor frame conprising a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected to provide an integral unit having a pair of upwardly disposed track surfaces to support and guide a bridge conveyor carriage for movement therealong; said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to support an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys; guide means between said frames limiting sidewise movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; separate and independently operable pairs of transversely spaced elevating assemblies at longitudinally spaced positions along said tramming frame, each of said elevating assemblies including an elevating lever having opposite ends pivoted respectively to one side of said tramming frame and to one of said side rails, and each of said elevating assemblies including power means carried by one of said frames for rocking the corresponding elevating lever to adjust the elevation of the corresponding section of said conveyor frame, one pair of said elevating assemblies including means enabling longitudinal movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; whereby simultaneous operation of both pairs of said elevating assemblies adjusts the elevation of the entire conveyor frame as a unit, and operation of either pair of said elevating assemblies relative to the other pair of elevating assemblies adjusts the inclination of said entire conveyor frame as a unit about said other pair of elevating assemblies.

2. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong: an elongated tramming frame having ground-engaging, powered tramming means to provide mobility for said carrier; an elongated conveyor frame adjustably mounted on said tramming frame; said conveyor frame conprising a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected to provide an integral unit having a pair of upwardly disposed track surfaces to support and guide a bridge conveyor carriage for movement therealong; said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to support an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys; guide means between said frames limiting sidewise movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; separate and independently operable elevating jack means at longitudinally spaced positions along said tramming frame, each of said elevating jack means comprises a pair of separate, transversely spaced elevating levers having opposite ends pivotally engaged respectively with said frames, one of said pairs of elevating levers including connections limiting longitudinal movement of said frames and the other of said pairs of elevating levers including connections enabling longitudinal movement between said frames, and power means for moving each pair of elevating levers to change the elevation of the corresponding end of said conveyor frame.

5. In a mobile transfer carrier adapted to support the discharge carriage of a bridge conveyor for longitudinal movement therealong: an elongated tramming frame having ground-engaging, powered tramming means to provide mobility for said carrier; an elongated conveyor frame adjustably mounted on said tramming frame; said conveyor frame comprising a pair of elongated, parallel, horizontally spaced, continuous, unitary side rails rigidly interconnected to provide an integral unit having a pair of upwardly disposed track surfaces to support and guide a bridge conveyor carriage for movement therealong; said conveyor frame having transverse belt reversing pulleys at opposite ends journaled for rotation between said side rails and having transverse belt supporting members intermediate said pulleys to support an endless conveyor belt for orbital movement between said pulleys in upper and lower runs, and power means for rotatably driving one of said pulleys; guide means between said frames limiting sidewise movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame but enabling vertical adjustment of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; separate and independently operable elevating jack means at longitudinally spaced positions along said tramming frame, each of said elevating jack means including an elevating lever having opposite ends pivoted respectively to said tramming frame and to said conveyor frame, and each of said jack means including power means carried by one of said frames for Rocking the corresponding elevating lever to adjust the elevation of the corresponding section of said conveyor frame, one of said jack means including means enabling longitudinal movement of said conveyor frame relative to said tramming frame; whereby simultaneous operation of both of said jack means adjusts the elevation of the entire conveyor frame as a unit, and operation of either of said jack means relative to the other jack means adjusts the inclination of said entire conveyor frame as a unit about said other jack means.