GB1575480A

GB1575480A - Conveyor system

Info

Publication number: GB1575480A
Application number: GB3908177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NEUHAUSER KG
Current assignee: NEUHAUSER KG
Priority date: 1976-09-30
Filing date: 1977-09-19
Publication date: 1980-09-24
Also published as: DE2644029C2; DE2644029B1

Description

(54) CONVEYOR SYSTEM (71) We, NEUHAUSER KG, a German Kommanditgeselleschaft of Scharnhorststrasse 16, 4670 Luren, West Germany, 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 invention relates to a system for the suspension and conveying of transportable container which are tippable for the unloading of the contents of the container.

More particularly the invention relates to the tippable suspension of a transport container of the type in which the two ends of the container are pivotally mounted and suspended by hoists from overhead rail running gear.

In known apparatus of this type the support apparatus is equipped with a pivot support, a safety locking mechanism for the pivot support, rotary knobs integral with rotary retaining bolts and a swivelling device for the connection of hoisting means, in which case the safety locking mechanism, the retaining bolts and the device for the connection of the hoisting means are mounted in a common mounting plate.

Apparatus of this type is used mainly in underground operations, when the transport containers or the like are to be conveyed by means of a single overhead running rail.

Within the scope of the present invention the term "containers" is intended to include buckets, pallets and similar receptacles.

Such apparatus is disclosed in German Patent Specification Numbers 1 210 736 and 1 907064, in which apparatus the aforementioned common mounting plate also supports the pivot support. The retaining bolts can be screwed in and out, and when screwed out they release coupling members so that the tipping movement of the transport container can take place about the pivots of the container. This prior arrangement has the disadvantage in that, frequently, a transport container to be picked up by the support apparatus is not horizontal, and also, frequently, a transport container to be deposited by the support apparatus cannot be deposited horizontally.

In these circumstances the support apparatus which is suspended horizontally from the hoisting means, must be brought with difficulty by hand into a position which corresponds to the non-horizontal attitude of the transport container, and then the container must be picked up or released from this position by hand. The invention has for its object the provision of apparatus of the above described type which does not have the aforementioned disadvantage.

By the invention there is provided an apparatus for the tippable suspension of a transport container or the like, in which the contained can be suspended or disconnected easily, irrespective of its attitude, without risk of injury to the hands of the operator, but which nevertheless allows the container to be transported in a stable manner.

The invention comprises a conveyor system comprising tippable containers journalled in bearing members disposed at each end of a tipping axis and suspended by hoists from overhead rail running gear, transversely extending beam, centrally pivoted about the tipping axis and cooperating with the end of the container to pivot therewith, locking means for releasably locking the beam in a substantially horizontal position, and auxiliary suspension means for releasably securing the beam to the running gear at spaced apart positions on the beam on either side of the tipping axis, so that the hbists can be attached to the container when out of the horizontal and operated to lift the beams and container to the horizontal.

The container may have on each end face a pivot and an abutment plate shaped so as to co-operate with the beam.

Each bearing member may further comprise a mounting plate on which are mounted a safety locking mechanism for a pivot support, the locking means and swivelling connecting means for hoisting means.

The beam may be journalled to pivot about a bearing which is itself mounted on the mounting plate, preferably by being partially inserted in a recess in the mounting plate, and the bearing may comprise a collar adapted to engage the recess in the mounting plate. The beam may comprise an annular flange which surrounds the bearing an in operation abuts the mounting plate.

The beam may have a recess therein adapted to receive the pivot support and may have retaining means for auxiliary suspension means.

The retaining means may comprise hooks pivotally attached to outer parts of the beam which may be formed as fork ends in which the hooks are pivotally mounted. The auxiliary suspension means may comprise chains attached to a lifting beam.

The locking means may comprise retaining bolts adapted to engage the underside of, or release, the beam.

The safety locking mechanism may comprise a stop and a safety catch adapted to prevent the pivot from coming out of the pivot support.

The hooks facilitate the attachment of the auxiliary suspension means, in particular suspension chains, during transportation, by means of which adequate stabilisation is achieved, even of a container which is overloaded at one side.

Furthermore, at the time of the tipping operation, the apex of a hook briefly becomes the fulcrum, since to initiate the tipping operation, the hoisting means can be lowered. However, this takes place soley when the centre of gravity of the loaded container is located below or laterally with respect to the desired fulcrum. In any case, tipping towards the desired side is achieved irrespective of the distribution of the load in the container.

The advantages achieved by the invention are to be seen essentially in that when using the apparatus according. to the invention and a mounting plate suspended horizontally, the beam can be tipped in turn on the mounting plate about the aforementioned tipping axis. In this way, the container can be suspended or removed irrespective of its position, so that injury to the hands is prevented. In the prior art apparatus the retaining bolts interact directly with coupling members of the container, whereas in the apparatus according to the invention they interact with the beam. In addition, irrespective of the distribution of tKe load and thus the position of the centre of gravity of the container, transportation of the latter in a stabilized condition is always ensured with the assistance of the auxiliary suspension means, namely chains, engaging the hooks.

One embodiment of the invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus for the tippable suspension of a transport container, Figure 2, shows the detail A of the apparatus of Figure 1 to an enlarged scale, Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus of Figure 2 in the direction of arrow B.

Figure 4 is a view of the apparatus of Figure 2 in the direction of arrow C and Figure 5 is a section through the apparatus of Figure 3 along the line D, E.

The drawings illustrate an arrangement for suspending a container in the form of a conveyor bucket 1. The bucket 1 has two endwise disposed pivots 2 and shaped plates 3 forming abutments which co-operate with the bucket suspension apparatus for limiting the extent to which the bucket can be tipped.

The suspension apparatus comprises a pivot support 4 for each pivot 2 and a safety locking mechanism in the form of a catch 5 which stops the pivot 2 from coming out of the pivot support 4. Two retaining bolts 7 each have a knob or handle 6 which can be turned so as to move the bolts 7 axially of themselves. Turning one or other of the.

handles 6 releases the bucket 1 for tipping to the one side or the other, as will be explained below.

A hinged lug 8 is provided at each end of the bucket 1 for attaching the hoisting means in the form of cable 9 which depends from the overhead rail running gear 10. The lug 8, safety catch 5 and bolts 7 are all mounted on a mounting plate 11.

A "balance" beam 12 is journalled in a bearing 14 bolted into a recess 22 in the mounting plate 11 on the side thereof opposite the handles 6. The arrangement is suspended from the cable 9 so that the bearing 14 faces towards the bucket 1. The bearing 14 itself has a pivot support 4 to receive the pivot 2 on the end of the bucket 1, and the beam 12 has an upper opening 13 permitting access to this pivot support 4. The pivots 2 each have an end flange which prevent them from being pulled axially out of the pivot support 4.

The beam 12 has at each end inclined ledges 17 which locate against similarly inclined downwardly directed faces of the abutment plate 3, so that when the bucket 1 is mounted in the suspension apparatus the beam 12 is effectively fixedly secured to the bucket 1 and moves therewith. The ledges 17 are formed on fork ends 18 of the beam 12 in which are pivotally mounted hooks 19 for fastening chains 20 depending from a lifting beam or girder 21 comprised in the running gear 10.

The bearing 14 has a flange 24 fitting in an annular rim groove 23 of the recess 22 of the beam 12, and this holds the latter against axial movement away from the mounting plate 11. An annulus 25 of the beam 12 completely surrounds the bearing 14 and abuts the mounting plate 11.

The lug 8 comprises a forked bracket 26 for a hook 27 on the cable 9 and is hinged on a horizontal pin 28 extending transversely of the lengthwise direction of the conveyor. The safety catch 5 is also pivoted on this pin 28 and comprises a body part 30 with a projecting stop 31 which in its normal position limited by stop 29 on the mounting plate 11, as illustrated, is contacted by the pivot 2 if it is displaced upwardly relative to the mounting plate 11, thereby preventing further such displacement.

To release the bucket 1 from the suspension apparatus a handle on the catch body 30, on the opposite side of the pin 28 to the stop 31, is lifted to withdraw the stop 31 to within the bracket 26 so that the pivot 2 has a clear passage.

The beam 12 normally rests on the bolts 7 which project through the mounting plate 11. This is the position in which the bucket 1 is secured for transport along the conveyor track. To tip the bucket 1 to one side or the other the appropriate bolt 7 is withdrawn by turning its associated handle 6, thereby allowing the beam 12 and hence the bucket 1 to tip to that side.

The chains 20 and the cable 9 hold the mounting plates 11 stable during loading and unloading or tipping and in particular the stability of the bucket 1 is not affected as its centre of gravity rises during loading.

Tipping is facilitated because the centre of gravity of the loaded bucket 1 does not have to be below the axis 16 of the pivots 2.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A conveyor system comprising tippable containers journalled in bearing members disposed at each end of a tipping axis and suspended by hoists from overhead rail running gear, a transversely extending beam, centrally pivoted about the tipping axis and co-operating with the end of the container to pivot therewith, locking means for releasably locking the beam in a substantially horizontal position, and auxiliary suspension means for releasably securing the beam to the running gear at spaced apart positions on the beam on either side of the tipping axis, so that the hoists can be attached to the container when out of the horizontal and operated to lift the beams and container to the horizontal.

2. A conveyor system according to claim 1 wherein the container has on each end face a pivot and an abutment plate shaped so as to co-operate with the beam.

3. A conveyor system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each bearing member further comprises a mounting plate on which are mounted a safety locking mechanism for a pivot support, the locking means and swivelling connecting means for hoisting means.

4. A conveyor system according to claim 3 wherein the beam is journalled to pivot about a bearing which is mounted on the mounting plate.

5. A conveyor system according to claim 4 wherein said bearing is partially inserted in a recess in the mounting plate.

6. A conveyor system according to claim 5 wherein the bearing comprises a flange adapted to engage the recess in the mounting plate.

7. A conveyor system according to claim 6 wherein the beam comprises an annulus which surrounds the bearing and in operation abuts the mounting plate.

8. A conveyor system according to claim 2 wherein the beam has a recess therein adapted to receive the pivot support.

9. A conveyor system according to any preceding claim wherein the beam comprises retaining means for the auxiliary suspension means.

10. A conveyor system according to claim 9 wherein the retaining means comprise hooks pivotally attached to outer parts of the beam.

11. A conveyor system according to claim 10 wherein the outer parts of the beam are formed as fork ends in which the hooks are pivotally mounted.

12. A conveyor system according to any preceding claim wherein the auxiliary suspension means comprise chains attached to a lifting beam.

13. A conveyor system according to any preceding claim wherein the locking means comprise retaining bolts adapted to engage the underside of, or release, the beam.

14. A conveyor system according to claim 3 wherein the safety locking mechanism comprises a stop and a safety catch adapted to prevent the pivot from coming out of the pivot support.

15. A conveyor system substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. ~

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ledges 17 are formed on fork ends 18 of the beam 12 in which are pivotally mounted hooks 19 for fastening chains 20 depending from a lifting beam or girder 21 comprised in the running gear 10. The bearing 14 has a flange 24 fitting in an annular rim groove 23 of the recess 22 of the beam 12, and this holds the latter against axial movement away from the mounting plate 11. An annulus 25 of the beam 12 completely surrounds the bearing 14 and abuts the mounting plate 11. The lug 8 comprises a forked bracket 26 for a hook 27 on the cable 9 and is hinged on a horizontal pin 28 extending transversely of the lengthwise direction of the conveyor. The safety catch 5 is also pivoted on this pin 28 and comprises a body part 30 with a projecting stop 31 which in its normal position limited by stop 29 on the mounting plate 11, as illustrated, is contacted by the pivot 2 if it is displaced upwardly relative to the mounting plate 11, thereby preventing further such displacement. To release the bucket 1 from the suspension apparatus a handle on the catch body 30, on the opposite side of the pin 28 to the stop 31, is lifted to withdraw the stop 31 to within the bracket 26 so that the pivot 2 has a clear passage. The beam 12 normally rests on the bolts 7 which project through the mounting plate 11. This is the position in which the bucket 1 is secured for transport along the conveyor track. To tip the bucket 1 to one side or the other the appropriate bolt 7 is withdrawn by turning its associated handle 6, thereby allowing the beam 12 and hence the bucket 1 to tip to that side. The chains 20 and the cable 9 hold the mounting plates 11 stable during loading and unloading or tipping and in particular the stability of the bucket 1 is not affected as its centre of gravity rises during loading. Tipping is facilitated because the centre of gravity of the loaded bucket 1 does not have to be below the axis 16 of the pivots 2. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A conveyor system comprising tippable containers journalled in bearing members disposed at each end of a tipping axis and suspended by hoists from overhead rail running gear, a transversely extending beam, centrally pivoted about the tipping axis and co-operating with the end of the container to pivot therewith, locking means for releasably locking the beam in a substantially horizontal position, and auxiliary suspension means for releasably securing the beam to the running gear at spaced apart positions on the beam on either side of the tipping axis, so that the hoists can be attached to the container when out of the horizontal and operated to lift the beams and container to the horizontal.