CA2274234C - Vehicle discharge system - Google Patents
Vehicle discharge system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2274234C CA2274234C CA 2274234 CA2274234A CA2274234C CA 2274234 C CA2274234 C CA 2274234C CA 2274234 CA2274234 CA 2274234 CA 2274234 A CA2274234 A CA 2274234A CA 2274234 C CA2274234 C CA 2274234C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wheel
- endless belt
- transport means
- hold
- wheel shaft
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G21/00—Supporting or protective framework or housings for endless load-carriers or traction elements of belt or chain conveyors
- B65G21/20—Means incorporated in, or attached to, framework or housings for guiding load-carriers, traction elements or loads supported on moving surfaces
- B65G21/2045—Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface
- B65G21/2063—Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface comprising elements not movable in the direction of load-transport
- B65G21/209—Mechanical means for guiding or retaining the load on the load-carrying surface comprising elements not movable in the direction of load-transport for augmenting or creating a pression force between the load and the load-carrying surface
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
- B60P1/00—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading
- B60P1/36—Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading using endless chains or belts thereon
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
- B65G15/08—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration the load-carrying surface being formed by a concave or tubular belt, e.g. a belt forming a trough
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G15/00—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration
- B65G15/10—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface
- B65G15/12—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface with two or more endless belts
- B65G15/14—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface with two or more endless belts the load being conveyed between the belts
- B65G15/16—Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface with two or more endless belts the load being conveyed between the belts between an auxiliary belt and a main belt
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G31/00—Mechanical throwing machines for articles or solid materials
- B65G31/02—Mechanical throwing machines for articles or solid materials comprising belts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G67/00—Loading or unloading vehicles
- B65G67/02—Loading or unloading land vehicles
- B65G67/24—Unloading land vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
- B65G2201/04—Bulk
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)
Abstract
A system for discharging material, having a material holding container, a first material transport means, to transport material from the material holding container, a second material transport means, to deliver material from the first material transport means to a desired location remote from the vehicle and a material hold-down means arranged on the second material transport means. The material hold-down means is movable between a raised position and a lowered position, and holds material securely on the second material transport means until the material has been accelerated up to the desired travel speed. The material hold-down means has a first wheel shaft with a first wheel and a second wheel, a second wheel shaft with a third wheel and an endless belt running from the first wheel shaft to the second wheel shaft and resting upon the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel. The first and second wheel shafts are connected by a frame means. The third wheel is arranged substantially centred on the second wheel shaft and the first wheel and the second wheel are substantially equidistant from the centre of the first wheel shaft. The endless belt is self-tracking, i.e.
it stays centred on the three wheels even at higher speeds.
it stays centred on the three wheels even at higher speeds.
Description
This invention relates to a system for discharging material from a vehicle and, more particularly, to a conveyor arrangement mounted to a vehicle, such as a truck.
The vehicle has a material holding container connected to one or more hoppers leading to an endless belt transporter arrangement situated directly underneath the material holding container.
The material for discharge is any divided material such as gravel or sand. It is desirable to deposit the material at a location remote from the immediate area around the vehicle, thus an apparatus as disclosed in US 5,286,158 has been developed. The discharged material is flung at high speed from the apparatus, directed towards the deposit area.
The discharge apparatus includes a high speed endless belt having a lower middle cross-section and higher sides, to keep the material centred on the belt.
Above the belt, a constraining member which deflects material to be distributed onto the central portion of the belt and also retains the material on this central portion. The constraining member is basically a deflector shield to prevent material from leaving the belt before the material reaches the discharge opening. The constant barrage of loose material on the constraining member creates an unnecessary high noise level at the same time as the wear on the constraining member is unnecessary high. At the same time, the material is accelerated up to discharge speed only by the gravitational and frictional forces working on and between the first belt and the material.
Today, the most commonly used vehicle has a material holding container mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means arranged at a lower part of the container, and a first material transport means arranged to transport material from the feeding means. The material transport means is usually a low speed first endless belt running over a plurality of first rollers. The first endless belt has a first end, located adjacent the material holding container, and a second end, located away from the material holding container. A second material transport means is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means and this second material transport means is usually a second endless belt running over a plurality of second rollers. The second endless belt has a third end, located adjacent the second end of the first endless belt, and a fourth end, pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge.
The second material transport means further has a material hold-down means arranged above the material transport means and in frictional contact with the second endless belt. The material hold-down means is usually a third endless belt. This third endless belt is driven by frictional forces between itself and the second endless belt, and usually has a forward roller, a rearward roller and downwardly arranged pulley wheels to keep the third endless belt stretched along a distance of the second endless belt, so that the material is securely held between the two belts to prevent any material from leaving the second endless belt before the material has reached the desired discharge speed.
Large tracking problems are often associated with this construction of the third endless belt, i.e. the belt does not stay centred on the rollers, but tries to leave the rollers in either sideways direction. To combat this, end wheels or flanged ends of the rollers have been used, which forcibly constrain the belt to remain on the rollers.
This increases the power required to propel the second endless belt because of the increased power lost to frictional forces, and also increases the wear and tear on the third endless belt.
There is a need for an improved apparatus which would provide for less required driving power for the second endless belt and lower wear on the third endless belt.
In view of the preceding, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for discharge of material from a vehicle.
To provide less required driving power to the second endless belt and to lower the wear on the third endless belt, the third endless belt has a rear roller in the form of a narrow wheel, and a front roller in the shape of a roll or two separate wheels located one each towards the respective edge of lihe belt. With this arrangement, the third endless belt is self tracking in its rollers, when it is propelled by the second endless belt.
Thus, according to the invention, a system for discharging material from a vehicle comprises a material holding container mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means, such as hoppers, arranged at a lower part of the container, and a first material transport means arranged to transport material from the feeding means. The first material transport means preferably comprises a low speed first endless belt running over a plurality of first rollers, the first endless belt having a first end, located adjacent the material holding container, and a second end, located away from the material holding container.
A second material transport means is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means, the second material transport means preferably comprising a second endless belt running over a plurality of second rollers. The second endless belt has a third end, located adjacent the second end of the first endless belt, and a fourth end, pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge. The second material 1o transport means further comprises a material hold-down means arranged above the second endless belt and engageable in frictional contact with the second endless belt.
The material hold-down means comprises a third endless belt, a first wheel shaft with a first wheel and a second wheel, a second wheel shaft with a third wheel and a second endless belt running from the first wheel shaft to the second wheel shaft and resting upon the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel. The first and second wheel shafts are connected by a frame means. The third wheel is arranged substantially centred on the second wheel shaft and the first wheel and the second wheel are substantially equidistant from the centre of the first wheel shaft. The third endless belt is propelled by frictional forces between the second endless belt and the third endless belt. The arrangement with three wheels holding the respective ends of the third endless belt improves the tracking of the third endless belt. The third endless belt is thus self-tracking on the three wheels, even if the first and second wheel shafts are not longitudinally parallel to each other.
The material emptied from the material holding container is propelled to a low speed on the first endless belt and then transferred to the second endless belt, where the material is accelerated to a high speed. To hold the material securely on the second endless belt, until it reaches the desired velocity, the material hold-down means presses the material onto the second endless belt. This prevents the material from being scattered from the second endless belt prematurely, thus improving both the efficiency of the system as well as the environmental safety of the operator of the system and anyone in the vicinity of the system. The material being discharged from the second endless belt can be accurately placed at the desired remote location from the system by throwing the material a certain distance from the discharge end of the second endless belt.
Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the following detailed description.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1A is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a system according to one embodiment of the invention, showing the hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 1 B is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a system according to one embodiment of the invention, showing the hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 1 C is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 2A is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 2B is a sectional front view of the system according to Fig. 2A, along line A-A, Fig. 2C is a view from above of the frame means and wheels of the material hold down means according to Figs. 2A and 2B, Fig. 2D is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 2E is a sectional front view of the system according to Fig. 2D, along line C-C, Fig. 3A is a perspective side view of a system according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 3B is a perspective side view of a system according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 4A is an exploded perspective elevational view of the frame and its associated axles and wheels according to the invention, Fig. 4B is a perspective elevational view of the frame and its associated axles and wheels according to the invention, and Fig. 5 is a perspective elevational view of the support for the hold-down means and its associated swivel means according to the invention.
According to the invention and referring to Figs. 1 A to 1 C, a system 1 for discharging material from a vehicle 10, comprises a material holding container 11 mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means 12, such as hoppers, arranged at a lower part 13 of the container. Further, a first material transport means 14 is arranged to transport material from the plurality of feeding means, the first material transport means preferably comprises a first endless belt 15 running over a plurality of first rollers 16.
The first endless belt preferably runs underneath and the complete length of the material holding container 11, and is arranged to receive discharged material from each of the plurality of material feeding means 12. The first endless belt has a first end 17, located adjacent the forward end of the material holding container 11, and a second end 18, located adjacent the rear of the material holding container. A second material transport means 20 is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means 14.
As is shown in Figs. 2A to 2E, the second material transport means preferably comprises a second endless belt 21 running over a plurality of second rollers 16', at least one of which is driven by a propulsion means (not shown), which may be regulated with respect to its speed. The second endless belt has a third end 22 and a fourth end 23, the third end being adjacent the second end 18 of the first endless belt 15, and the fourth end pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge. A
material collector hood 44, situated on the second endless belt at its third end 22, may be used to catch material that is dropped from the first endless belt 15 onto the second endless belt 21. The second material transport means 14 further comprises a material hold-down means 30 arranged closer to, and fractionally engageable with, the third end 22 of the second endless belt 21 . The material hold-down means is movable between two positions, one lowered position where the material hold-down means is in contact with and pressed against the second endless belt, and one raised position in which the material hold-down means is securely held at a distance above, and without touching, the second endless belt.
As shown in detail in Figs. 4A and 4B, the material hold-down means has a first wheel shaft 31 with a first wheel 32 and a second wheel 33, a second wheel shaft 34 with a third wheel 35 and a third endless belt 36 running from the first wheel shaft to the second wheel shaft and resting upon the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel. The first wheel shaft 31 and second wheel shaft 34 are connected by a frame means 29. The third wheel 35 is arranged substantially centred on the second wheel shaft 34 and the first wheel 32 and the second wheel 33 are substantially equidistant from the centre of the first wheel shaft 31. Referring back to Figs. 2A to 3B, the third endless belt 36 is propelled by frictional forces between the second endless belt 21 and the third endless belt. The material hold-down means 30 is pressed downwards so that the bottom of the third endless belt is pressed against the top of the second endless belt 21, simultaneously the bottom of the third endless belt is pressed against a plurality of support wheels 37. The plurality of support wheels are arranged in pairs attached to each end of support wheel axles 37', and each support wheel axle is attached to the frame means 29 so that the plurality of support wheel axles are substantially parallel with each other and, preferably, also with the first wheel shaft 31 and the second wheel shaft 34. The distance between the individual support wheel axles 37' preferably corresponds to the distance between individual support rollers 19 arranged on the second material transport means 20 to support the second endless belt 21 in a bent funnel-shape. Thus, a pair of support rollers 19 are arranged with the respective longitudinal axis at an angle to each other, where the angle is preferably greater than 90 degrees but not greater than 180 degrees.
As shown in detail in Fig 5, the material hold-down means 30 is attached to a support 38, which is arranged to hold the material hold-down means in the raised position and to allow the material hold-down means to swivel down to its lowered position.
The support has a forward part 40 and a rearward part 41. A swivel mechanism 42 is mounted on the forward part of the support and connects the support to the frame means 29, to guide and hold the material hold-down means in its lowered position, whilst a holding means 43 is arranged on the rearward part of the support, to hold the material hold-down means securely in its raised position.
The arrangement with three wheels holding the respective ends of the third endless belt 36 improves the tracking of the third endless belt, which is self-tracking on the first, second and third wheels, 32, 33 and 35, respectively, even if the first wheel shaft 31 and the second wheel shaft 34 are not longitudinally parallel to each other, i.e. out of alignment, i.e. the third endless belt stays centred on the three wheels even at higher speeds. In order to achieve the self-tracking properties of the third endless belt, the third wheel 35 has to be closest to the discharge end of the second endless belt 21, compared to the first and second wheels, 32 and 33 respectively. Outer wheels 39 are optionally arranged at the extreme outer ends of the first wheel shaft 31, so that the third endless belt 36 runs between the outer wheels and not on the outer circumference of the outer wheels.
_7_ The material emptied from the material holding container is propelled to a relatively low speed on the first endless belt 15. The second endless belt 21 is driven at a relatively high speed, to impart a high energy to the material to be discharged. In this way, the material may be deposited at a distance from the fourth end 23 of the second endless belt, making it unnecessary to place the vehicle close to the intended material deposit location. To hold the material securely on the second endless belt 21, until the material reaches the desired velocity, the material hold-down means 30 is arranged to press the material onto the second endless belt. This prevents the material from being scattered from the endless belt prematurely, thus improving both the efficiency of the system as well as the environmental safety of the operator of the system and anyone in the vicinity of the system. The material being discharged from the second endless belt 21 can be accurately placed at the desired remote location from the system by throwing the material a certain distance from the discharge end (the fourth end 23) of the second endless belt.
It should be clearly understood that it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above. Thus there will be many variations which will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
_g_
The vehicle has a material holding container connected to one or more hoppers leading to an endless belt transporter arrangement situated directly underneath the material holding container.
The material for discharge is any divided material such as gravel or sand. It is desirable to deposit the material at a location remote from the immediate area around the vehicle, thus an apparatus as disclosed in US 5,286,158 has been developed. The discharged material is flung at high speed from the apparatus, directed towards the deposit area.
The discharge apparatus includes a high speed endless belt having a lower middle cross-section and higher sides, to keep the material centred on the belt.
Above the belt, a constraining member which deflects material to be distributed onto the central portion of the belt and also retains the material on this central portion. The constraining member is basically a deflector shield to prevent material from leaving the belt before the material reaches the discharge opening. The constant barrage of loose material on the constraining member creates an unnecessary high noise level at the same time as the wear on the constraining member is unnecessary high. At the same time, the material is accelerated up to discharge speed only by the gravitational and frictional forces working on and between the first belt and the material.
Today, the most commonly used vehicle has a material holding container mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means arranged at a lower part of the container, and a first material transport means arranged to transport material from the feeding means. The material transport means is usually a low speed first endless belt running over a plurality of first rollers. The first endless belt has a first end, located adjacent the material holding container, and a second end, located away from the material holding container. A second material transport means is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means and this second material transport means is usually a second endless belt running over a plurality of second rollers. The second endless belt has a third end, located adjacent the second end of the first endless belt, and a fourth end, pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge.
The second material transport means further has a material hold-down means arranged above the material transport means and in frictional contact with the second endless belt. The material hold-down means is usually a third endless belt. This third endless belt is driven by frictional forces between itself and the second endless belt, and usually has a forward roller, a rearward roller and downwardly arranged pulley wheels to keep the third endless belt stretched along a distance of the second endless belt, so that the material is securely held between the two belts to prevent any material from leaving the second endless belt before the material has reached the desired discharge speed.
Large tracking problems are often associated with this construction of the third endless belt, i.e. the belt does not stay centred on the rollers, but tries to leave the rollers in either sideways direction. To combat this, end wheels or flanged ends of the rollers have been used, which forcibly constrain the belt to remain on the rollers.
This increases the power required to propel the second endless belt because of the increased power lost to frictional forces, and also increases the wear and tear on the third endless belt.
There is a need for an improved apparatus which would provide for less required driving power for the second endless belt and lower wear on the third endless belt.
In view of the preceding, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for discharge of material from a vehicle.
To provide less required driving power to the second endless belt and to lower the wear on the third endless belt, the third endless belt has a rear roller in the form of a narrow wheel, and a front roller in the shape of a roll or two separate wheels located one each towards the respective edge of lihe belt. With this arrangement, the third endless belt is self tracking in its rollers, when it is propelled by the second endless belt.
Thus, according to the invention, a system for discharging material from a vehicle comprises a material holding container mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means, such as hoppers, arranged at a lower part of the container, and a first material transport means arranged to transport material from the feeding means. The first material transport means preferably comprises a low speed first endless belt running over a plurality of first rollers, the first endless belt having a first end, located adjacent the material holding container, and a second end, located away from the material holding container.
A second material transport means is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means, the second material transport means preferably comprising a second endless belt running over a plurality of second rollers. The second endless belt has a third end, located adjacent the second end of the first endless belt, and a fourth end, pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge. The second material 1o transport means further comprises a material hold-down means arranged above the second endless belt and engageable in frictional contact with the second endless belt.
The material hold-down means comprises a third endless belt, a first wheel shaft with a first wheel and a second wheel, a second wheel shaft with a third wheel and a second endless belt running from the first wheel shaft to the second wheel shaft and resting upon the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel. The first and second wheel shafts are connected by a frame means. The third wheel is arranged substantially centred on the second wheel shaft and the first wheel and the second wheel are substantially equidistant from the centre of the first wheel shaft. The third endless belt is propelled by frictional forces between the second endless belt and the third endless belt. The arrangement with three wheels holding the respective ends of the third endless belt improves the tracking of the third endless belt. The third endless belt is thus self-tracking on the three wheels, even if the first and second wheel shafts are not longitudinally parallel to each other.
The material emptied from the material holding container is propelled to a low speed on the first endless belt and then transferred to the second endless belt, where the material is accelerated to a high speed. To hold the material securely on the second endless belt, until it reaches the desired velocity, the material hold-down means presses the material onto the second endless belt. This prevents the material from being scattered from the second endless belt prematurely, thus improving both the efficiency of the system as well as the environmental safety of the operator of the system and anyone in the vicinity of the system. The material being discharged from the second endless belt can be accurately placed at the desired remote location from the system by throwing the material a certain distance from the discharge end of the second endless belt.
Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in the following detailed description.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1A is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a system according to one embodiment of the invention, showing the hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 1 B is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a system according to one embodiment of the invention, showing the hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 1 C is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 2A is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 2B is a sectional front view of the system according to Fig. 2A, along line A-A, Fig. 2C is a view from above of the frame means and wheels of the material hold down means according to Figs. 2A and 2B, Fig. 2D is a side view of the second material transport means and the material hold down means according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 2E is a sectional front view of the system according to Fig. 2D, along line C-C, Fig. 3A is a perspective side view of a system according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its raised position, Fig. 3B is a perspective side view of a system according to the invention, showing the material hold-down means in its lowered position, Fig. 4A is an exploded perspective elevational view of the frame and its associated axles and wheels according to the invention, Fig. 4B is a perspective elevational view of the frame and its associated axles and wheels according to the invention, and Fig. 5 is a perspective elevational view of the support for the hold-down means and its associated swivel means according to the invention.
According to the invention and referring to Figs. 1 A to 1 C, a system 1 for discharging material from a vehicle 10, comprises a material holding container 11 mounted on the vehicle, a plurality of material feeding means 12, such as hoppers, arranged at a lower part 13 of the container. Further, a first material transport means 14 is arranged to transport material from the plurality of feeding means, the first material transport means preferably comprises a first endless belt 15 running over a plurality of first rollers 16.
The first endless belt preferably runs underneath and the complete length of the material holding container 11, and is arranged to receive discharged material from each of the plurality of material feeding means 12. The first endless belt has a first end 17, located adjacent the forward end of the material holding container 11, and a second end 18, located adjacent the rear of the material holding container. A second material transport means 20 is arranged to cooperate with the first material transport means 14.
As is shown in Figs. 2A to 2E, the second material transport means preferably comprises a second endless belt 21 running over a plurality of second rollers 16', at least one of which is driven by a propulsion means (not shown), which may be regulated with respect to its speed. The second endless belt has a third end 22 and a fourth end 23, the third end being adjacent the second end 18 of the first endless belt 15, and the fourth end pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge. A
material collector hood 44, situated on the second endless belt at its third end 22, may be used to catch material that is dropped from the first endless belt 15 onto the second endless belt 21. The second material transport means 14 further comprises a material hold-down means 30 arranged closer to, and fractionally engageable with, the third end 22 of the second endless belt 21 . The material hold-down means is movable between two positions, one lowered position where the material hold-down means is in contact with and pressed against the second endless belt, and one raised position in which the material hold-down means is securely held at a distance above, and without touching, the second endless belt.
As shown in detail in Figs. 4A and 4B, the material hold-down means has a first wheel shaft 31 with a first wheel 32 and a second wheel 33, a second wheel shaft 34 with a third wheel 35 and a third endless belt 36 running from the first wheel shaft to the second wheel shaft and resting upon the first wheel, the second wheel and the third wheel. The first wheel shaft 31 and second wheel shaft 34 are connected by a frame means 29. The third wheel 35 is arranged substantially centred on the second wheel shaft 34 and the first wheel 32 and the second wheel 33 are substantially equidistant from the centre of the first wheel shaft 31. Referring back to Figs. 2A to 3B, the third endless belt 36 is propelled by frictional forces between the second endless belt 21 and the third endless belt. The material hold-down means 30 is pressed downwards so that the bottom of the third endless belt is pressed against the top of the second endless belt 21, simultaneously the bottom of the third endless belt is pressed against a plurality of support wheels 37. The plurality of support wheels are arranged in pairs attached to each end of support wheel axles 37', and each support wheel axle is attached to the frame means 29 so that the plurality of support wheel axles are substantially parallel with each other and, preferably, also with the first wheel shaft 31 and the second wheel shaft 34. The distance between the individual support wheel axles 37' preferably corresponds to the distance between individual support rollers 19 arranged on the second material transport means 20 to support the second endless belt 21 in a bent funnel-shape. Thus, a pair of support rollers 19 are arranged with the respective longitudinal axis at an angle to each other, where the angle is preferably greater than 90 degrees but not greater than 180 degrees.
As shown in detail in Fig 5, the material hold-down means 30 is attached to a support 38, which is arranged to hold the material hold-down means in the raised position and to allow the material hold-down means to swivel down to its lowered position.
The support has a forward part 40 and a rearward part 41. A swivel mechanism 42 is mounted on the forward part of the support and connects the support to the frame means 29, to guide and hold the material hold-down means in its lowered position, whilst a holding means 43 is arranged on the rearward part of the support, to hold the material hold-down means securely in its raised position.
The arrangement with three wheels holding the respective ends of the third endless belt 36 improves the tracking of the third endless belt, which is self-tracking on the first, second and third wheels, 32, 33 and 35, respectively, even if the first wheel shaft 31 and the second wheel shaft 34 are not longitudinally parallel to each other, i.e. out of alignment, i.e. the third endless belt stays centred on the three wheels even at higher speeds. In order to achieve the self-tracking properties of the third endless belt, the third wheel 35 has to be closest to the discharge end of the second endless belt 21, compared to the first and second wheels, 32 and 33 respectively. Outer wheels 39 are optionally arranged at the extreme outer ends of the first wheel shaft 31, so that the third endless belt 36 runs between the outer wheels and not on the outer circumference of the outer wheels.
_7_ The material emptied from the material holding container is propelled to a relatively low speed on the first endless belt 15. The second endless belt 21 is driven at a relatively high speed, to impart a high energy to the material to be discharged. In this way, the material may be deposited at a distance from the fourth end 23 of the second endless belt, making it unnecessary to place the vehicle close to the intended material deposit location. To hold the material securely on the second endless belt 21, until the material reaches the desired velocity, the material hold-down means 30 is arranged to press the material onto the second endless belt. This prevents the material from being scattered from the endless belt prematurely, thus improving both the efficiency of the system as well as the environmental safety of the operator of the system and anyone in the vicinity of the system. The material being discharged from the second endless belt 21 can be accurately placed at the desired remote location from the system by throwing the material a certain distance from the discharge end (the fourth end 23) of the second endless belt.
It should be clearly understood that it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above. Thus there will be many variations which will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
_g_
Claims (5)
1. A system for discharging material from a vehicle, said system comprising a material holding container mounted on said vehicle, a first material transport means, to transport material from said material holding container, a second material transport means, comprising a conveyor having a second endless belt with an upper surface to receive material from said first material transport means and to deliver material from said first material transport means to a desired location remote from said vehicle, a material hold-down means arranged on said second material transport means, movable between a raised position and a lowered position, to bias material securely onto said upper belt surface of said second material transport means, in the lowered position, until the material has been accelerated up to the travel speed of said second material transport means, wherein said material hold-down means has a first wheel shaft with a first wheel and a second wheel, a second wheel shaft with a third wheel, and a third endless belt running around said first and second wheel shafts and resting upon said first wheel, said second wheel and said third wheel, said first and second wheel shafts being mounted on a frame means, and where said third wheel is arranged substantially centred on said second wheel shaft and said first wheel and said second wheel are substantially equidistant from the centre of said first wheel shaft.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first material transport means comprises a low speed first endless belt running over a plurality of first rollers, said first endless belt having a first end, located adjacent said material holding container, and a second end, located away from said material holding container.
3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said second endless belt has a third end, located adjacent said second end of said first endless belt, and a fourth end, pointing in the direction of the desired material discharge.
4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said system further comprises a plurality of material feeding means arranged at a lower part of said container; and said first material transport means is arranged to transport material from said plurality of feeding means.
5. A system according to claim 3, wherein said material hold-down means is arranged above said second endless belt and in frictional contact with said second endless belt, said third endless belt being propelled by frictional forces between said second endless belt and said third endless belt.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2274234 CA2274234C (en) | 1999-06-10 | 1999-06-10 | Vehicle discharge system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2274234 CA2274234C (en) | 1999-06-10 | 1999-06-10 | Vehicle discharge system |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2274234A1 CA2274234A1 (en) | 2000-12-10 |
| CA2274234C true CA2274234C (en) | 2007-01-02 |
Family
ID=30774302
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2274234 Expired - Fee Related CA2274234C (en) | 1999-06-10 | 1999-06-10 | Vehicle discharge system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2274234C (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11292671B1 (en) | 2020-09-30 | 2022-04-05 | Intelligrated Headquarters, Llc | Belt package conditioner |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUPS181402A0 (en) * | 2002-04-18 | 2002-05-30 | Fibrecycle Pty Ltd | Improvements in a process and apparatus for the production of paper products |
| CN103803258B (en) * | 2014-03-03 | 2016-05-11 | 成都市富瑞达生物技术有限公司 | Middle-size and small-size throwing machine |
| CN107380899A (en) * | 2017-07-19 | 2017-11-24 | 江苏新美星包装机械股份有限公司 | Manage the bottle base conveying device between base machine and bottle blowing machine |
| US10806084B2 (en) | 2018-05-07 | 2020-10-20 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | System for unloading harvested crop from an agricultural harvester |
-
1999
- 1999-06-10 CA CA 2274234 patent/CA2274234C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11292671B1 (en) | 2020-09-30 | 2022-04-05 | Intelligrated Headquarters, Llc | Belt package conditioner |
| EP3978399A1 (en) * | 2020-09-30 | 2022-04-06 | Intelligrated Headquarters LLC | Belt package conditioner |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2274234A1 (en) | 2000-12-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |
Effective date: 20130611 |