GB877187A - Improvements in and relating to turntables - Google Patents

Abstract

877,187. Turntables; feeding cars to pit cages and tipplers. SIMON-CARVES Ltd. March 17, 1960 [April 29, 1959], No. 14644/59. Classes 78 (4) and 104 (2). In a closed circuit track system having a turntable therein the introduction and removal of vehicles to and from the system is facilitated by a switch arm secured to and pivotable in a peripheral guide-rail on the turntable and movable in a horizontal plane between a position wherein the switch arm comprises an arcuate continuation of the inner periphery of the guide rail and a position wherein the switch arm comprises a continuation of a straight track portion crossing the turntable on a chord thereof. In the arrangement shown the closed circuit system consists of two parallel rail tracks 2, 3 having inner rails 4 and 5 and outer rails 7 and 8. One of the tracks 2 or 3 is in line with a track in a mine cage and the other, 3 or 2, with a track within a tippler and the arrangement is such that the loaded mine cars are pushed out of the mine cage by a ram device on to the track 2 or 3 and then on to a turntable 9 where the cars are transferred to the track 3 or 2 into a tippler from which the empty car is pushed by another ram device towards another turntable to be transferred to the track 2 or 3 where it is pushed into the mine cage. The mine cars are gradually lowered, so that their wheel flanges bear on the top of a rotating plate 9, by plates 28 which are preferably tapered and are secured to anglepieces 26, 29 overlying the plate 9. With switch arms 30 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the mine cars are carried around by the rotating plate 9, between a peripheral wall 16 and an inner wall 17, to the exit, track 3, and are gradually raised on to the tracks 5 and 8 by the angle-pieces 26, 29 and plates 28. If it is desired to remove a mine car from a closed circuit of track 2 the switch arm 30 is pivoted by a piston-and-cylinder device 51, Fig. 4, to the chain-dotted position in which the straight side of the switch 30 is moved into alignment with the angle-piece 29 and rail 4. If it is desired to return a mine car to the track system the switch arm 30 is moved to the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 1, in which the straight side of the switch is moved into alignment with the anglepiece 29 and the rail 5 of track 3. The plate 9 has mounted on its under-side a drum 14 provided with sprocket teeth engaged by roller chain 15 driven by a motor 11 through a reduction gear 13 and a sprocket 12. The switch arm 30, Fig. 7, comprises three articulated sections 31, 32, 33 which are so shaped that, when in the position shown in full lines on Fig. 1, their concave edges 41, 42, 43 form a continuation of the curved periphery wall 16 and when in the position across the table 9, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, their straight edges 36, 37 and 40 form a straight track. The section 31 of the switch is provided on its straight side 36 with an outwardly-extending web 45 which forms a guideplate and guides the inner side-wheel of the mine cars on to the table 9. A roller 44 is journalled on the section 32 of the switch 30 so as to lie parallel to the direction of rotation of the plate 9 when the switch is in the position across the plate.