GB878773A - Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems - Google Patents

Abstract

878,773. Railway systems. COMPAGNIE FRANCAISE DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE. May 5, 1958 [May 6, 1957; April 4, 1958], No. 14229/58. Class 104 (2). [Also in Group XXXII] Relates to a railway conveyer system in which solid or liquid materials are carried in long flexible tubular containers carried on trucks above or below a railway track (see also Group XXXII). Referring to the embodiment of Figs. 12 to 15, the container 69 is provided along its longitudinal edges with interengaging lips whereby the container is closable as shown. At intervals along its length the container has a bedplate 84 secured to its base, the bedplate distributing the load over a substantial length of the container and having a boss 85 projecting therefrom to removably engage in a socket in a bracket 68 carried by the axle 70 of a roller 67 running on a single rail 60. The rail 60 is carried by C-brackets 61 secured to a channel member 62 suspended by bars or cables 66 from catenary cables supported between V-supports 80, 81, Fig. 14, which may be of the lattice forms described with reference to Figs. 7 to 10 (not shown). The brackets 61 are interconnected by X-braces 63, Fig. 13, and the container roller trucks 67, 68, 70 are coupled together, through the agency of flanges and clamps 71, by cables 72 carried by the clamps. Instead of the brackets 61 and braces 63 the rail 60 may be carried by a box girder. The conveyer system may be formed in a continuous loop and C-brackets placed back to back with those shown may then carry a return rail whereby loaded containers move in one direction on one rail and empty containers in the opposite direction on the other rail. Sections of the track are provided with driving means for propelling the containers. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, an endless drive belt 76, driven from a motor 79 mounted on the catenary support 80 and tensioned by a pulley 82 mounted on the support 81, has its upper run supported by rollers 83 carried by the channel 62, whilst its lower run is pressed by rollers 74 on to the upper peripheries of the truck rollers 67. The rollers 74 are carried by stirrups 77 and spindles 76 mounted in guide means 78 on the channel 62 and the rollers are urged downwardly by springs 75. Instead of the monorail system described the containers may be supported by single-axle trucks above a twin-rail track as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 (not shown). The containers would then be driven at points along the trackway by a drive cable positioned between the rails and engageable with automatically openable clamp means carried by the load distributer bedplates on the bases of the containers, the clamp means being operable by camming devices on the track. The roller trucks may be self-propelled by motors carried directly on the axles and supplied with electric current in the manner described with reference to Fig. 5 (not shown). A modified drive means for an axle truck movable above twin rails comprises an endless belt provided with lugs engageable with the axles, the belt being disposed in a pit between the rails. In a further modification the belt is of channel section which tends to close due to its resiliency. The sides of the channel section may be moved apart by passing the belt over convex camming rollers whereafter the sides may receive therebetween and thereafter grip plate members depending from the truck axles, as described with reference to Figs. 18 and 19 (not shown). A continuous-track system may be of the form shown in Fig. 11. In the Figure is shown the loading end of the system and the discharge end may be generally analogous. The track 4a for returning empty containers is looped at 4c from whence it branches at 4e and 4d providing the loading stations.