GB1586408A - Skip - Google Patents

Description

(54) SKIP (71) I, BARRIE HERBERT. a British subject of Unity Road. Lowmoor Industrial Estate, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 7LE do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to skips and more particularly concerns skips ware adapted to run on an overhead rail.

According to the present invention a skip adapted for running on an overhead rail comprises.a container body having an upper portion provided with rail-engaging means and a lower portion provided with at least one door movable between a closed position and an open position. and means for moving said door between said positions. said means comprising an electrical motor and gear box connected to a door actuating linkage said linkage incorporating resilient means.

Where such skips are to be used for transporting and discharging material comprising or including hard particles the provisions of the resilient means reduces the tendency to jam during the door closing operation.

Preferably the skip is provided with a pair of doors. In this case the door linkage may be secured to one door and a collecting link mechanism may be provided to transmit the movement of said one door to the other door.

In one preferred form of the invention a skip is self powered bv means of an electrical motor.

The rail-engaging means provided at the upper portion of the container body may be such as to engage a single rail or a twin rail.

Where the rail-engaging means is adapted to run on a single rail. It is preferred to provide stabilising rollers which can engage with a suitable stabilising plate to prevent the skip from tipping when it is being loaded.

The resilient means may, for example, comprise spring means such as a compression spring. pneumatic or hydraulic means or a resilient brake of a material such as a elastomeric material or a combination of any of these.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing. which is a perspective view of one form of skip according to the present invention.

The skip comprises a container body 10 having a cover II which closes an inlet for material. The upper portion of the body is provided with a pair of rail connecting means 12. one at each end of the bodv. each rail-engaging means comprising two pairs of rollers 13 adapted to run on the two opposed flanges of an I-beam rail.

The skip is arranged to be self powered by means of an electric motor (not shown).

The lower portion of the body 10 is provided with a discharge aperture which is arranged to be closed by a pair of doors 14 and 15. In the drawing the doors are shown in the open position.

The door opening mechanism comprises a door linkage 16 which is attached to the door 14 and is connected via pneumatic resilient means 17 to the output of a gear box 18 arranged to be driven by an electric motor 19. The gear box is provided with fixing flanges 2() whereby it is secured to the body 10.

The doors 14 and 15 are interconnected by means of linkage 21. The linkage 21 includes a central pivot 22 with a link arm 23 connected to the door 14 via pivot 24 and link arm 26. The door 14 is pivoted to the container body at 25. Link arm 28 is connected to the link arm 23 by central pivot 22 and the door 15 is pivoted to the container body at 27. When the door 14 is opened and closed by operation of the electric motor 19 the door 15 will also be caused to open and close by means of this linkage.

Since the skip is arranged to run on a single rail there is a tendency for the skip to tilt when it is being loaded with material. In order to avoid undue tilting the upper portion of the container 10 is provided with at least one pair of rollers 29 which can engage with a stabilising support arranged at a loading station. It is normally not necessary to provide the stabilising support other than at the loading station as the material will tend to self level within the skip.

The skips according to the present invention are very suitable for transporting materials via overhead rails. They can be moved along the rail relatively rapidly and easily and furthermore the provision of electrically operated door opening means provides smooth operation which can be readily controlled, either remotely or automatically.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A skip adapted for running on an overhead rail comprising a container body having an upper portion provided with rail engaging means and a lower portion provided with at least one door movable between a closed position and an open position, and means for moving said door between said positions, said means comprising an electrical motor and gear box con nected to a door actuating linkage said linkage incorporating resilient means.

2. A skip according to claim 1 provided with a pair of doors.

3. A skip according to claim 2 in which the door linkage is secured to one door and a connecting link mechanism is provided to transmit the movement of said one door to the other door.

4. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 3 which is self powered by means of an electrical motor.

5. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 4 4 in which the rail or engaging means provided at the upper portion of the container body is such as to engage a single rail.

6. A skip according to claim 5 having stabilising rollers which can engage with a suitable stabilising plate to prevent the skip from tipping when it is being loaded.

7. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the rail engaging means is such as to engage with twin rails.

8. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 7 in which the resilient means comprises spring means, pneumatic or hydraulic means or a block of resilient material.

9. A skip substantially as herein de scribed with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. electric motor 19 the door 15 will also be caused to open and close by means of this linkage. Since the skip is arranged to run on a single rail there is a tendency for the skip to tilt when it is being loaded with material. In order to avoid undue tilting the upper portion of the container 10 is provided with at least one pair of rollers 29 which can engage with a stabilising support arranged at a loading station. It is normally not necessary to provide the stabilising support other than at the loading station as the material will tend to self level within the skip. The skips according to the present invention are very suitable for transporting materials via overhead rails. They can be moved along the rail relatively rapidly and easily and furthermore the provision of electrically operated door opening means provides smooth operation which can be readily controlled, either remotely or automatically. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A skip adapted for running on an overhead rail comprising a container body having an upper portion provided with rail engaging means and a lower portion provided with at least one door movable between a closed position and an open position, and means for moving said door between said positions, said means comprising an electrical motor and gear box con nected to a door actuating linkage said linkage incorporating resilient means.

2. A skip according to claim 1 provided with a pair of doors.

3. A skip according to claim 2 in which the door linkage is secured to one door and a connecting link mechanism is provided to transmit the movement of said one door to the other door.

4. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 3 which is self powered by means of an electrical motor.

5. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 4 4 in which the rail or engaging means provided at the upper portion of the container body is such as to engage a single rail.

6. A skip according to claim 5 having stabilising rollers which can engage with a suitable stabilising plate to prevent the skip from tipping when it is being loaded.

7. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the rail engaging means is such as to engage with twin rails.

8. A skip according to any of claims 1 to 7 in which the resilient means comprises spring means, pneumatic or hydraulic means or a block of resilient material.

9. A skip substantially as herein de scribed with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.