GB1598661A

GB1598661A - Apparatus for moving materials

Info

Publication number: GB1598661A
Application number: GB4364676A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Worsley & Co Ltd G
Current assignee: Worsley & Co Ltd G
Priority date: 1976-10-21
Filing date: 1976-10-21
Publication date: 1981-09-23

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR MOVING MATERIALS (71) We, G. P. WORSLEY & COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company of Haydock Lane, Haydock Street, St Helens WAll 0UU, Lancashire, 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 state menu: The invention relates to apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of such material, and to stockpiling and reclaiming systems utilising such apparatus.

Our Patent Specification No. 1,256,272 and our Patent Application No. 46637/75 Serial no 1578118 relate to apparatus for this purpose including a ramped portion that is drivable into the material for removal via a conveyor running transversely of the ramped portion. It is an object of this invention to provide an alternative type of apparatus having a generally smaller overall size, in particular removing the requirement for ramped portion or portions.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of material, comprising a frame or gantry that is movable forwardly towards the material to be removed or reclaimed, and is associated with conveyor means operative to carry away such material from immediately rearwardly of a plurality of spaced material engaging means that are constrained by guide means to be traversable relative to the frame or gantry and the conveyor means along the guide means in a direction transverse to the direction for movement of the frame or gantry, each said material engaging means being scraper means configured so that its engagement of the material in its traversal along the guide means lifts the material sufficiently for delivery thereof substantially directly onto the conveyor means.A suitable such conveyor system may be integral with or secured relative to the movable frame or gantry and to run across its width. It is then convenient for the material engaging means to be incorporated in trolleys that are guided at least by an overhead rail, but preferably also by cooperation with such a conveyor or housing therefor.

A convenient form of material engaging means includes one or more plough-like blades operative at the base of the material to be moved. A reciprocting drive may be used for such plough-like material lifting means with a stroke at least equal, and preferably exceeding, the spacing between them. Then, plough blades are conveniently mounted in oppositely directed pairs for each of the material engaging means, though alternate ones of the material engaging means could include one or more similarly directed plough blades with intervening material engaging means having oppositely directed plough blades, preferably with a reciprocation stroke equal to or exceeding twice the normal spacing between the material engaging means.Alternatively, for a single direction of movement of the material lifting means all of the plough blades may be similarly directed with a return run therefor in endless fashion either at the rear of the overall apparatus, say along the other side of the material removal conveyor or housing therefore, or above the material collecting run, say within the overall frame or gantry of the apparatus.

It may be preferred for apparatus embodying the invention to be provided with two sets of material engaging means and corresponding guide means, one on each side of the apparatus and preferably separated by a material removal conveyor or housing therefore. Such an arrangement will allow two aligned stockpiles to be reclaimed for opposite directions of a single linear run of the apparatus as a whole. Where, as is common, stockpiles are arranged in parallel rows it is not of course necessary for the stockpiles for the various to be in register as means may be provided for translating the reclaiming apparatus as a whole along a path between two rows of stockpiles.Such systems are particularly valuable where passageways between rows of stockpiles either share stockpiling and reclaiming apparatus or have stockpiling apparatus associated with alternative passa geways and reclaiming apparatus associated with intervening passageways.

One embodiment of the invention will now be specifically described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an alevational view of reclaiming apparatus in the form of a travelling gantry with associated material lifting means operative below the cross beam of the gantry; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line B-B of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows details of a plough arrangement suitable for reciprocating drive; Figure 6 shows a possible drive linkage for the apparatus as a whole; Figure 7 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the re-claiming apparatus; Figure 8 is a plan view of the other end of the apparatus of Figure 7;; Figure 9 is a section on the line CC of Figure 7; and Figure 10 is a section of the line DD of Figure 8.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and'2 are each in two parts labelled A and B showing opposite ends of the apparatus and omitting a central portion of a length desired for a particular application. A travelling gantry 10 has a cross beam 11, shown as being of open girder and strut construction though it could equally well be covered, supported at a predetermined height above ground 12 by side frames 13 and 14 running via wheels 15 on inset rails 16 and drivable therealong by frame mounted pinions 17 cooperating with fixed ground mounted racks 18. As would be appreciated, these rails 16 and racks 18 allow movement of the gantry 10 as a whole towards a stockpile 20 of material to be removed.

It will, of course, be realised that other forms of locomotion may be used for the gantry, for example as shown in Figure 6 rail engaging guide wheels 15' may have integral or attached spur rings 17' for engagement with a drive pinion 21. In general, however, any suitable drive mechanism may be used.

Also although the gantry beam 11 is shown as being of square cross-section, any other desired specific shape or form of structure may be used.

At an axially central portion 22 of its base the gantry cross beam 11 is provided with spaced supports 23 affording accommodation and location for a conveyor 24 running the length of the cross beam 11 for conveying material away from below the gantry.

At each side of the position of the conveyor 24 and outboard thereof guide rails 25 and 26 are shown secured below the base of the gantry beam 11. These rails 25 and 26 slidably support trolleys 27 and 28 by means of rollers 29 and rollers 30 mounted for free rotation between upper side flanges of the trolleys 27. The trolleys 27 are the front or stockpile engaging side of the apparatus are drivingly secured to an effectively endless drive rope, wire, or hawser 32, at equal spacings therealong. The relatively rearward trolleys 38 are similarly secured to a drive rope, wire or hawser 33 which is in all material respects similar to that shown at 32.

These endless drives 32 and 33 are taken upwards over idler pulleys 36 near the ends of the gantry cross beam 11 for return runs within that beam. Their ends are connected together by sections of chain 38 via which reciprocation is imparted by toothed driven wheels 40 and 41 acting on the chain between guide wheels 42 journalled between beams 43. The chain drive wheels 40 and 41 are secured to a shaft 45 for opposed phases of rotational drive by way of hydraulic motors 46 and 47.

The trolleys 27 and 28 serve to mount material engaging and lifting means shown as being specifically in the form of pairs of oppositely directed plough-like shaped plate members or blades 48 and 49. These members 48 and 49 act as ploughs, or even openended scoops or buckets, to transfer material from the stock pile upwards and rearwards onto the conveyor 24, which is preferably of the scraper chain type.

The conveyor 24 is shown as rising from one end of the gantry to an off-loading hopper 52 suspended at 53 from a boom 54 attached to the gantry side frame 13. This hopper 52 transfer material to an endless conveyor system 55 for transfer away from the site of the reclaiming apparatus, typically between two rows of stockpiles.

It will be appreciated that, when using a reciprocating drive for the material engaging and lifting devices, the trolleys may be directly associated with reciprocation means for a conveyor system 24 that also operates on a reciprocable basis.

It will also be appreciated that the material lifting means may be driven in continuous endless fashion if provision is made for returning the trolleys through or above the gantry cross beam 11, or, and perhaps preferably, having the trolleys 27 and 28 on the same endless drive with the trolley return being taken above or below the conveyor system 24 at each end of the gantry. Such a unidirectionally system would allow all of the material lifting blades to have the same direction with, if desired, only one blade per trolley.

Figures 7 to 10 show an embodiment with a unidirectional drive and a single-sided plough or scoop arrangement. As with the first embodiment a travelling gantry type main structure is assumed and like or equivalent parts are given the same references.

In this embodiment, however, single-sided scoops or ploughs 61 are mounted below an endless flexible carrier indicated as being in the form of a chain 38, running in an internal recess of scoop or plough mounting trolleys 62 and having driving lugs or teeth 63 coupled to the flexible drive chain 38, or a drive hawser. The trolleys are spaced along the drive chain or hawser at desired intervals for the scoops or ploughs 61. Spaced guide rails 64 and 65 are shown below but attached to outer parts of the gantry cross beam and guidingly engaging appropriately shaped shoes 66 and 67 of the plough or scoop trolleys. A further substantial guide rail is indicated at 78 for engaging lower parts of the scoops or ploughs 61.

The drive chain 38 is driven at both ends from a suitable drive unit 70, such as a hydraulic motor, having a drive pinion 71 drivingly engaging a larger pinion 72 fixed within a flat assembly that is thus also rotatable thereby. This assembly is supported on rollers 74 at its periphery and has, at its upper part, axially extending chain engaging and driving parts 75. As can be seen from Figure 10 and Figure 8, this drive mechanism takes the overall flexible endless interconnection of the plough or scoop trolleys or supports in a relatively wide arc that is nevertheless within the overall width of the cross beam of the gantry, though it would be possible to do otherwise both in respect of the arc of return and also the overall width if design criteria so permitted or required.

The spacing of the drive parts 75 conveniently allows the conveyor 24, say of Panzer type, to be taken above the drive means at one or both ends of the gantry structure say for discharge after the fashion of the embodiment so described ("Panzer" is a registered Trade Mark).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of material, comprising a frame or gantry that is movable forwardly towards the material to be removed or reclaimed, and is associated with conveyor means operative to carry away such material from immediately rearwardly of a plurality of spaced material engaging means that are constrained by guide means to be traversable relative to the frame or gantry and the conveyor means along the guide means in a direction transverse to the direction for movement of the frame or gantry, each said material engaging means being scraper means configured so that its engagement of the material in its traversal along the guide means lifts the material sufficiently for delivery thereof substantially directly onto the conveyor means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable frame or gantry incorporates drive means at least for the material engaging means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the material engaging means is incorporated in trolleys guided on at least an overhead rail or said guide means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the trolleys are further guided by cooperation with said conveyor means or a housing therefor.

5. Apparatus according-to any preceding claim, wherein each of the material engaging means includes at least one plough-like blade arranged to be operative at the base of the material to be moved.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein drive means or said drive means for the material engaging means is such as to produce reciprocation thereof in the said direction of traverse.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drive means has a reciprocation stroke substantially equal to or greater than the spacing between the material engaging means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein plough-like blades of the material engaging means are in oppositely directed groups.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plough-like blades are successively oppositely directed in the direction of said guide means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein each material engaging means has a pair of oppositely directed plough-like blades.

11. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein drive means or said drive means for the material engaging means is such as to produce unidirectional movement thereof in said direction of traverse.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said material engaging means have a return run in endless fashion.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the return run is at the rear of said direction of traverse.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 with claim 3, wherein the return and material mining runs of the material lifting means are at opposite sides of accommodation for said conveyor means.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the return run is above said direction of traverse.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the return run is within the frame or gantry.

17. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising two sets of the material engaging means and corresponding guide means, one to each side of the apparatus and

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. main structure is assumed and like or equivalent parts are given the same references. In this embodiment, however, single-sided scoops or ploughs 61 are mounted below an endless flexible carrier indicated as being in the form of a chain 38, running in an internal recess of scoop or plough mounting trolleys 62 and having driving lugs or teeth 63 coupled to the flexible drive chain 38, or a drive hawser. The trolleys are spaced along the drive chain or hawser at desired intervals for the scoops or ploughs 61. Spaced guide rails 64 and 65 are shown below but attached to outer parts of the gantry cross beam and guidingly engaging appropriately shaped shoes 66 and 67 of the plough or scoop trolleys. A further substantial guide rail is indicated at 78 for engaging lower parts of the scoops or ploughs 61. The drive chain 38 is driven at both ends from a suitable drive unit 70, such as a hydraulic motor, having a drive pinion 71 drivingly engaging a larger pinion 72 fixed within a flat assembly that is thus also rotatable thereby. This assembly is supported on rollers 74 at its periphery and has, at its upper part, axially extending chain engaging and driving parts 75. As can be seen from Figure 10 and Figure 8, this drive mechanism takes the overall flexible endless interconnection of the plough or scoop trolleys or supports in a relatively wide arc that is nevertheless within the overall width of the cross beam of the gantry, though it would be possible to do otherwise both in respect of the arc of return and also the overall width if design criteria so permitted or required. The spacing of the drive parts 75 conveniently allows the conveyor 24, say of Panzer type, to be taken above the drive means at one or both ends of the gantry structure say for discharge after the fashion of the embodiment so described ("Panzer" is a registered Trade Mark). WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of material, comprising a frame or gantry that is movable forwardly towards the material to be removed or reclaimed, and is associated with conveyor means operative to carry away such material from immediately rearwardly of a plurality of spaced material engaging means that are constrained by guide means to be traversable relative to the frame or gantry and the conveyor means along the guide means in a direction transverse to the direction for movement of the frame or gantry, each said material engaging means being scraper means configured so that its engagement of the material in its traversal along the guide means lifts the material sufficiently for delivery thereof substantially directly onto the conveyor means.

separated by said conveyor means.

18. Apparatus for removing or reclaiming material from a stockpile or other mass of material arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.