GB1567878A

GB1567878A - Trimming and emptying device for bulk material

Info

Publication number: GB1567878A
Application number: GB29809/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HAAHJEM MEKANISKE AS
Current assignee: HAAHJEM MEKANISKE AS
Priority date: 1977-01-17
Filing date: 1978-01-17
Publication date: 1980-05-21
Also published as: JPS5825615B2; JPS5455978A; DK143544B; FI66156B; FI66156C; NL7807358A; DE2827623C2; DE2800226A1; NL7800482A; DE2800226C2; CA1060372A; JPS5391273A; BE862933A; GB1567877A; NO770132L; NL183991B; JPS5733250B2; SE437966B; NO138442B; SE7805002L

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

( 11) 1 567 878 ( 21) Application No 29809/78 ( 62) Divided out of No 1567877 ( 31) ( 33) ( 44) ( 51) ( 22) Filed 17 Jan 1978 ( 19) Convention Application No 770132 ( 32) Filed 17 Jan 1977 in Norway (NO)

Complete Specification Published 21 May 1980

INT CL 3 B 65 G 65/38 ( 52) Index at Acceptance B 8 E 11 A ( 54) TRIMMING AND EMPTYING DEVICE FOR BULK MATERIAL ( 71) We, HAAHJEM MEKANISKE A/S, a Norwegian Body Corporate of 6040 Vigra, Norway do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-

The present invention relates to a trimming and emptying device for bulk material in a cargo or storage room, comprising at least one raking device which in use moves the bulk material in one of the main directions of the room and which is movable transversely of the direction of motion of the bulk material.

A device of this type is shown for instance in French Patent Specifications Nos.

1,343,751 and 911,594 Using such devices, for instance in a ship, for unloading the ship, it is necessary to move the bulk material up and inclined plane to one or more band conveyors running transversely of the direction in which the bulk material is being moved by the raking devices The band conveyors take up space and thus reduce the net cargo colume of the room Besides, since the band conveyors are placed near the bottom of the ship, access for repair and maintenance work is difficult.

In certain shipboard uses, especially in larger ships, frames, reinforcing plates and webs often protrude into the cargo room, thus making it impossible for the raking devices to remove the bulk material adjacent to the outer walls of the room Furthermore, the raking devices will not be able to cover the entire cross section of the room should the room have varying width in the vertical direction since the guiding beams of the raking devices are dependent upon vertical guides.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for emptying bulk material from a storage chamber, the apparatus comprising rake means in the storage chamber for transporting material in the storage chamber in one direction therein for external discharge from the chamber, a guide beam in the chamber extending transversely with respect to the one direction, means supporting the rake means on the guide beam for slidable movement thereon, means supporting the guide beam for vertical movement thereof, the guide beam including means for varying the length thereof for adapting the length of the guide beam to varying width of the storage chamber.

Preferably the guide beam comprises a middle section and at least one other section telescopically arranged in the middle section.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a cross section through the cargo room of a ship where apparatus according to the invention is installed; Figure 2 shows a cross section of the ship cargo room showing its varying width in the vertical direction; Figure 3 shows the longitudinal section through the cargo room; Figure 4 shows a part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 on a larger scale, while Figure 5 shows part of the apparatus shown in Figure 4 viewed in the direction of arrows V-V.

Figure 1 shows a cross section of a ships hull 1 with a cargo room 2 in which is installed a raking device 3 The raking device is able to move bulk cargo in the longitudinal direction of the ship, and is movable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ship along a guide beam 4 which in turn is movable vertically in guides (not shown in Figure 1) at its ends Furthermore, at one end of the raking device 3 a similar raking device is arranged extending at an angle to the raking device 3, preferably transversely of the latter The transverse raking device 5 is able to move the bulk cargo towards a verti1,567,878 cal transporting device 6 placed for instance near one side of the cargo room In the embodiment shown, the vertical transporting device 6 takes the form of bucket conveyor delivering bulk cargo to a band conveyor 7 on the deck of the ship Instead of a bucket conveyor, a screw conveyor or any other suitable vertical transporting device may be used The transverse raking device 5 may be divided in two or more raking devices delivering bulk cargo to the same or separate vertical transporting devices The transverse raking device is movable vertically, for instance by means of suspension members 8 of variable length The transverse raking device is preferably held at a somewhat lower level than the main raking device 3 so that a certain slip angle is obtained from the latter.

Thus the material falls under the action of gravity, resulting in energy savings.

By using a transverse raking device together with a vertical transporting device, a higher degree of filling of the cargo room is obtained since the dead volume beneath inclined planes leading to the transverse band conveyors, is avoided Furthermore repair and maintenance work becomes easier because the rakes at all times may be situated above the cargo.

Figure 2 shows how the raking device 3 is installed in the cargo room 2 the width of which varies substantially in the vertical direction The raking device 3 with the guide beam generally designated 4 is shown in solid lines in an upper position and in broken lines in a lower position The lower position illustrates how the guide beam 4 is constituted by two outer sections 4 ' telescopically arranged in a middle section 4 " The outer sections 4 ' of the guide beam are equipped at their outer ends with rollers 9 or the like sliding in guides which generally follow the side walls of the cargo room The middle section 4 " of the guide beam is shorter than the smallest distance between the guides 10.

The middle section 4 " of the guide beam may alternatively be arranged floating on the two outer sections 4 ' in order for it to be movable with the raking device 3 all the way out to the guides 10 even when the guide beam is located in a lower position Thereby, possible problems are avoided since the raking device 3 does not have to be moved from the middle section 4 " to one of the outer sections 4 ', or vice versa.

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the cargo room 2 It is furnished with a main rake 3 which moves bulk material in the longitudinal direction of the cargo room, a transverse rake 5 and a vertical transporting device 6 The main rake 3 is equipped with an excavating arm means 11 which is movable and pivotably arranged on the rake.

By means of the excavating arm, bulk material may be extracted from between frames 12 and stiffening plates 13 so that the main rake 3, or the transverse rake 5 may move the material towards the vertical transporting device Since the excavating unit is movable on the rake, it is able to reach all remaining material between or on protrusions so that the vessel in most cases may be completely unloaded without further equipment.

Figure 4 shows in greater detail an especially suitable embodiment of the transporting device 6 It is constituted by a band conveyor with buckets 14 attached to a number of endless chains 15 running over upper and lower driving and turning wheels 16, of which only the lower one is shown.

That part of the bucket conveyor which at any time lies below the level of the surrounding bulk material, is protected by plates 17 which are attached to chains which run over lower turning wheels 19 The plates 17 and the chains 18 together form a roll-front type device whose upper edge 20, as is best shown in Figure 5, may be withdrawn to expose the bucket conveyor as the level of the bulk material is reduced The upper edge 20 of the roll-front device is at all times held somewhat lower than the transverse rake 5 so that the bulk material may slide from the end of the rake down into the buckets 14 of the conveyor.

Our copending application No 1837/78 (Serial No 1567877) from which this application is divided describes apparatus as just described but claims different subject matter.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1 Apparatus for emptying bulk material from a storage chamber, the apparatus comprising rake means in the storage chamber for transporting material in the storage chamber in one direction therein for external discharge from the chamber, a guide beam in the chamber extending transversely with respect to the one direction, means supporting the rake means on the guide beam for slidable movement thereon, means supporting the guide beam for vertical movement thereof, the guide beam including means for varying the length thereof for adapting the length of the guide beam to varying width of the storage chamber.

2 Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the chamber has longitudinal and transverse extent, the rake means extending longitudinally and having a fixed length and the guide beam extending transversely.

3 Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means for varying the length of the guide beam comprises telescopic sections for the guide beam.

4 Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the telescopic sections of the guide beam include a middle section and two outer sections, the rake means being confined for slidable movement only on the middle sec3 1,567,878 3 tion.

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the lengths of the middle and outersections are correlated with the maximum width of the chamber to enable the middle section to travel on the outer sections so that the rake means can transverse substantially the entire maximum width of the chamber.

6 Apparatus according to claim 5 comprising guides in the chamber on the side walls thereof and roller means on the outer sections engaged in the guides.

7 Apparatus for emptying bulk material from a storage chamber according to claim I and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accomapnying drawings.

GALLAPENT & CO.

8, Staple Inn, London WC 1 V 7 QH Agents for the Applicants Printed fiur flcr Majesty's Stationiery Office, b) Cuduon Printinlg ('nmpany l mind, Croydon, Surrey, 1980.

I'ubhshed by The Patenl Office 25 Soulhamiplon Buildings, London, We'2 A l AY fr om winch copics may be obtained.