US1158848A - Conveyer. - Google Patents

Description

E. A. REED.

CONVEYER.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV.5| 1914.

1,1 58,848. Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA moan/um cu.. WASHINGTON. ufc.

E. A. REED.

CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.5. 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

1712/67? 07" Edward flfieea l ww I WW COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c

" To all whomz't may concern:

' EDWARD A. REED, 0F OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

. coivvnvne.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

' Application filed November 5, 1914. Serial No. 870,328.

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. REED, a citizen of the 'United States, and a. resident of Gttawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyors; and i I do hereby declare that the following'is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this speoification. V v

This invention relates in particular to a portable conveyer outfit designed especially for unloading ears of corn or small grainin crib, barn, car or the like. A conveyer of the type referred to comprlses n general, an.

elevator adapted toreceive the material at its lower end, raise the. material and discharge it at its upper end into a horizontal drag or crib conveyer, the latter belng located in and supported above the floorof the crib or barn. The material is discharged from the horizontal drag or crib conveyer into the crib, barn, car or other compartment provided to receive thesame.

Among the objects of the invention is to improve the construction of the horizontal drag or crib conveyer intheseveral particui l the conveyer, the material is discharged from the conveyer at a plurality of chang- 7 ing points, and the material is deposited on lars as will hereinafter appear, and to provide in particular, means whereby the discharge opening'of said horizontal drag or crib conveyer will be moved from oneend of the conveyer to the other during the operation of the conveyer and thereby gain a uniform distribution of the material in the crib or other receptacle provided to receive the material. By moving the discharge opening of the horizontal drag or crib conveyer continuously from one end of'the conveyer to the other during the operation of thefloor of the crib or the like, in a layer of a uniform depth.

The invention consists further in matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying "drawings illustrating my invention: Figure 1 is a vlew in perspective of a portable conveyer outfit of the kind referred to and showing the same in position along side of a crib with the horizontal drag or crib conveyer embodying the features of my invention located in a crib,

barn, or other receptacle provided to receive being shown.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a horizontal drag or cribconveyer embodying the features of my invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the conveyer 10 is located in a corn crib or barn 11, which is adapted to receive the material discharged from said conveyer.

Said conveyer 10 is horizontally arranged above, and preferably parallel to the floor of the crib or' barn 11 and is suspended from the ceiling of the latter by suspension hooks or other devices 12, 12. The material tobe loaded in saidcrib or barn 11 isbrought in from the field by a wagon or other like portable receptacle, 13. The material in said wagon 13. is dumped therefrom into an upwardly opening hopper 14 at the bottom .of an elevator 15 which discharges at its upper end into said horizontal conveyer 10. As

shown, the elevator 15 is located exterior to the crib 11. The upper end of said elevator extends into thecrib in position to discharge into the conveyer 10 through a window opening or the like in the adjacent end wall of said crib. In. the type of device shown in Fig. 1, theconveyer 1Q is'known as the horizontal drag or crib conveyer.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4:, both inclusive, the conveyer 10 comprises a pair of laterally "spaced upright sidewalls 16, 16%, preferably,

equal in length and height. Extending be tween the side walls 16, 16 at one end there of is a shaft 17. Extending between said side walls 16, 16? at the opposite end of the conveyer is a shaft 18. Extending between said side walls 16, 16 between the shafts 17 and 18 and adjacent the former, is a shaft 19. Said shafts 1T, 18 and 19 are parallel to each other and each of said shafts has its ends journaled in the side walls 16, 16 of the conveyer.

Mounted on the shaft 17 between the side walls 16, 16 is a pair of sprocket Wheels so as to rotate therewith.

' are secured to the shaft 17 20, 20, the latter being secured to said shaft the drawing, said ,sprocket wheels 20,; by set screwsor the like 21, 21. r

Loosely mounted on the shaft 18 between the side walls 16,16 is a pairof sprocket 7 wheels 22, 22, laterally spaced apart. Said sprocket wheels 22, 22 are equal in diam eter to each other and to the sprocket wheels 20, 20 at the opposite end of the conveyer .191 Also loosely mounted. onsaid shaft 18 between said sprocket wheels 22, 22 is. a pair of sprocket wheels23, 23, the latter being inside of the pair of sprocket wheels 22, 22. (See Fig. 4:.) .As shown in said Fig.4, said shaft 18 is provided with re ducedends forming laterally, outwardly facing shoulders 24 against which the'inner, 2Q

small sprocket wheels bear. A washer on the like, 18, is interposed between eachset of larger and smaller sprocket wheels 22, 23-

' respectively. The shoulders 24 prevent the adjacent'set of largerjand smaller sprocket wheels from moving laterally inward. Lateral'ioutward no-vement of said set of sprocl'ze t wheels is prevented by the adjacent side wall of. the conveyer.

sprocket wheels 25,25. Said sprocket wheels 25, 25are fixed tothe shaft 19 so as to rotate therewith. Y As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said sprocket wheels 25, 25are. secured to the'shaft 19 by set screws orthe like, 26, 26.

The sprocket wheels 23, 23 at one end of the conveyer and the sprocket wheels 25, 25

at. theopposite end of the conveyer are each equalin'diameter; but all of said sprocket wheels 23,25 are smaller in diameter than the sprocket wheels 20, 22. ,7

The pairof sprocket wheels 23, 23 at one .end'of the conveyer are in longitudinal 'alinernent with :the like pair of sprocket wheels 25, 2 5 a"t] the opposite end ofthe 'conveyer. In other words, the smaller sprocket wheel at [one end of the conveyer and adjacent the side ,walllti, is in alinement with the smallersprocket wheel at, the other 7 end. of the conveyer and adj acent' thesame tudinally alined smaller sprocket wheels adjacent, the side wall 16: of, the conveyer. Ex fi efl es etw e a c nnec d with s id As shown-in Mounted on theshaft19 betweensaid side walls v16, 16of the conveyer, is a pair of chains'28, 28st a plurality of longitudinally spaced points, are a plurality of flat scrapers or s l ats 29, 29. Said scrapers are rigidly connected with the chains 28, 28 by fasteningscre'ws 30, 3O insertedthrough inwardly extending ears or lugs 31, 31 on the inner sidesof-said chains 28, 28. See Figs. 3 and" i 4. The flat scrapers 29, 29 are preferably spaced equal distances apart and extend transversely across 28,28.

The

5 the conveyer chains larger sprocket wheels 20, 20 at one.

end of theconveyer, are equal in diameter" to each other and to the like larger sprocket V wheels 22, 22 atjthe opposite end of: the con-V veyer. The pair of larger sprocketwheels at one end of the conveyer are in longitudi nal alinement with like sprocket wheels at w the opposite end of theconveyer. Trained over said-larger sprocket'wheels is anendless member in the form of a belt .32 which ex tendsbetween'theside walls 16, 16 of the conveyer 10 and incloses the slat or scraper conveyer 27 and its "operating sprocket.

wheels 23,25. In other words, the upper andlowerlaps of said endless belt 32 are above and below the upper and lower laps of-the scraper conveyer :27. '(See Fig. 2.)

The lower lap of theendless belt 32 is be low, but, isarranged parallel tothe lower lap 915 Y of the conveyer 27'thereabove. The lower lap; of said endless belt 32 or that portion of said belt which is always 'below the ap conveyel" 2 o ms in, elfect a mov;

able bottom forthe conveyer 10 and serves to support the inaterial discharged there-j;

into'during its progress, toward the discharge openingin said belt. 'The materialto ,be carried by the conveyer 10 is dis charged into the same between the upper and lower laps of said scraper conveyer Q27 7 through one-of thelside wallsof the con veyerbymeans of a Spent 33. As shown in Figs. .2 and 3, said spout33 extends into the conveyer through an opening 34 madein the sidewall 16*. The endless belt 32 is pro videdwitha plurality of discharge openings.

35, .36." (See Fig. 2.)

, Theshafts 17 and 19 extend at, oneend g beyondone of the side walls of the .conveyerlO; As shown in. the drawings, the

is shaft 17., 19 extend beyond the side member: 16. iMou'nted on eachfshaft17, 19 exterior to theside member vl6, is a gear wheel 37,

38. Saidgear wheels are. equal in diameter and are securedto th'e.shafts17,19 so as to rotatetherewith. The gear wheels 37,38 mesh with each other so that the rotation of one will rotate" the} other; I As said gear.

wheels are equal in" diameter, the shafts 17, 19 WilLbeQturned at'the same rate of speed but in, opposite directions. As a result, the endless scraper conveyer 27 and the endless belt 32.travel at the samerate ofspeed, but

in oppositeldirections. follows, that the endless scraper conveyer is moved in one direction while the endless belt 32 is moved in the opposite direction. The endless belt 32 is provided along its longitudinal margins with a plurality of equally spaced holes, 39, 3911s shown moreclearly in Fig. 6. Said holes 39, 39 receive the sprocket teeth of the large sprocket wheels as the belt passes over the large sprocket wheels. The endless belt 32 is moved upon the rotation of said large sprocket wheels.

For supporting the upper lap of the endless belt 32, sideplates 40, 40 are secured by fastening members or bolts 41, 41 to the inner sides of the sidewalls 16, 16 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The upper lap of said endless belt 32 is adapted to slide along the upwardly facing surfaces of the said side plates .40, 40. For supportingfthelower lap of said endless belt 32, strips or bars 42, 42

are secured to theinner faces-of the sidewalls, 16, 16 below the lower lap of the endless belt. The lower lap of-said endless belt 32 is adapted to slide on the upwardly facing surfaces of said bars 42, 42. The upper laps of the sprocket chains 28, 28 'of the slat or scraper conveyer 27 are supported by strips orbars 43, 43 below such parts of said chains, while the lower laps of said sprocket chains are supported by like strips or bars 44, 44 below such parts of said chains. Said supporting bars 43, 43 and 44, 44 are secured to the innersides of said supporting plates 40, 40 as shown in Fig. 3.

The horizontal drag or crib conveyer 10 herein shown and described operates in the following manner: Ears of corn or grain to be depositedin thecrib or barn ll are dumped from the wagon or other portable receptacle 13- into the upwardly opening hopper. 14at the. bottom or foot of the upwardly inclined elevator 15. Said elevator 15 is set in motion by rotating a main drive shaft 46, the latter being connected with and rotated by any sort of aprime mover, such as a gas engine, or the like. The head shaft 47 at the upper end of the elevatoris turned by moving the endless lift conveyer in the elevator 15. Said head shaft 47 is provided on its end extending exteriorto the side of the elevator 15 with a sprocket wheel 48. A sprocket chain 49 transmits power .from said sprocket wheel .48 on the head shaft 47 to the shaft 19 of the horizontal drag or crib conveyer 10. Said sprocket chain 49 is trained over a sprocket wheel 19 on said shaft 19 (see Fig. 3)., In operating theelevator, the intermeshing gear, wheels 37, 38 on the shaft 17, 19 of the horizontal drag or crib conveyer 10 are rotated, and as a result, the parts 'of the latter set in motion. As the elevator 15 is operated, the material emptied from the wagon 13 is raised to the top of the elevator and dumped into the spout 33. The upper end of the ele# direction opposite or contrary to the direction of movement of the scraper conveyer 27, and when the parts are in positions shown in Fig. 2, the opening 35 in the endless belt 32 is below the lower lap of the endless scraper conveyer 27 and adjacent the shaft 18 at the farther end of said horizontal drag 10. The material carried forward by the scrapers 29, 29 is discharged from the drag 10 through said opening 35 as soon as the material is moved into such opening. The material discharged from the drag 10 falls upon the floor of the crib or barn 11, as is apparent. As the endless belt 32 moves, the discharge opening 35 travels toward the shaft 17 at the nearest. end of successive points along the length of the drag. In other words, the discharge opening constantly changing its position, the materials is discharged from the drag 10 continuously, the point of discharge moving from one end of the drag to the other. When' the discharge opening 35 reaches a point beyond the chute 33, the discharge opening 36 has been moved into position adjacent the shaft 18 and below the slat conveyer 27. In short, when one discharge opening in the endless member 32 moves out of discharging position at one end of the drag, another discharge opening moves into discharging position at the opposite end of the conveyer. By moving the discharge opening from one end of the conveyer to the other, the material is deposited on the floor of the crib or barn 11 in a layer ofuniform depth, and the piling of the material in one pile of a thickness greater than another pile, is obviated. In other words, the horizontal drag or crib conveyer 10 constructed and described as herein shown, automatically effects an equal distribution of the material in the crib or barn 11 without requiring the operator to manually move the discharge opening from one end of the drag to the other. After the drag or conveyer 10 is set in motion, the material is discharged therefrom at a plurality of successive points along the length of the drag without requiring any attention being given thereto by the operator.

, In horizontal drags or crib conveyors hereother.

tofore constructed and employed, the ma terial was discharged from the drag through a discharge spout which could be moved' manually from one end of the drag to the Often times, the material was allowed to pile up in one spot before the'discharge spout was moved so' as to start another pile in the crib; This resulted inpiling the material in the crib in piles of uh equal depths and in the case of ears of corn, the piles being of unequal depth, the corn at the bottom of the deepest pile could not be sufiiciently dried and therefore, became decomposed and worthless. A careless operator could effect the loss of many ears of corn by failure to change the 'po sition'of the discharge spout.

With a horizontal drag or crib conveyer embodying the features of my invention, an equal distribution of the material over the floor of the crib or bin is efl'ectedwithout' requiring any attendance on the part of the opera-ton It follows, that the material will be deposited in the crib in a pile of equal depth throughout, so in the c'aseears of corn are being handled, the corn in one part of the crib willnot be piled to such aheight as to prevent the corn in the lower part of the pile-from properly drying.

The endless belt 32 may be constructed in any suitable manner as long as the objects to be accomplished are performed' I have shown in the drawings, a preferred manner in which said endless belt 32 may be made. As best shown in Fig. 6, the'endless belt 32' comprises a plurality of flat metal plates,- 50, 50, equal in width and length and flexibly connected at their meeting lateral edges, so that said plates will readily turn on a longitudinal axis-as they pass around the sprocket wheels 20, 22. Said plates 50, 50 extend entirely across the endless belt 32, and are flexibly connected together by bending the adjacent lateral edges of the plates upwardlyinto tubular form and inserting a pintle or rod 51 through the tubular parts thusformed. As shown in said Fig. 6, one plate 50'is provided along one of its lateral edges with tubular parts 52, 52 terminating short of the central portion of theplate. The next adjacent plate 50 is provided along its margin adjacent the tubular parts 52, 52 of the precedingplate, with a tubular portion 53, centrally disposed, and adapted to occupy the space between the tubular- parts 52, 52 of the preceding plate 50. When the tubular parts of the plates are in alinement, as shown in Fig. 6, the pintle o1- rod 51 is inserted through such parts so as to pivotally connect the plates 50, '50 together. Each plate 50 is so constructed and flexibly connected with its adjacent plates .50, 50 in the manner described. At the discharge open? ing formed in the endless belt 32, the plates 50 at each side of the discharge opening are spaced apart a suflicient distance to provide eral margins of the plates in a tubular form.

One tubular portion 56, 57 is on one short plate and the other tubular portion is on the other plate. A- short pintle or rod 58'- is inserted through the alined tubular portions of the short plates 55, 55, so as to pivotally. connect the latter together. As shown -in Fig. 6, the holes 39, 39 for the sprocket teeth are formedin the plates of which theendless belt 32 is constructed. It is, of course, to be'understood,-that the endless belt' 32 may be made in anysuitable manner and "any. suitable meansmay'be employed for driving the same simultaneously with the scraper or like conveyer 27.

The lower-lap of the flexible member 32, i

or that portionof the endless belt'32 which is always below the lower lap ofthesoraper chain 27, constitutes in effect the bottomof the horizontal drag or crib conveyer lt). As V the endless belt moves, the drag 10flis pro-" vided with'a movable bottoml' The dis charge opening being in the 'movablebottom, the dragIO is provided with a movable-discharge opening, or as maybe expressed, with a movable bottom having a discharge open ing therein. f1 i F In Fig; 2 I have shown ears of corn 59,59 being moved over the movable bottom of the drag'10 by the flat'upright scrapers orslats i v l Although I have shown'my invention as applied to the horizontaldrag or 'cribjconveyer of aportable corn or small grain conveyer'outfit, it is to be of course u nder stood, that'I may apply the featureseof rnyinvention to any type of conveyer wherein an equal distributioniof'material over the floor ofthe desired.

A device herein described andshow'nindetail, although embodying the features of compartment or receptacle is 1 my invention, may be variously modified 7 with regard to its details of construction and arrangement of parts and I don'ot de;

siretobe limited to the specific features' illustrated 1 and described, except in pointed out in the annexed claims. 7

- I claim as my invention: V 1. A conveyer, comprising sidewalls, and

so far as a bottom wall adapted to be moved endwise ofthe conveyer, said bottom wall being pro vided with a discharge opening adapted to be moved from one end of the conveyer to the other in the endwise movement of said bottom wall, means for moving the material, 7, V deposited on said bottom 'wall,"toward said 7 discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said means with said bottom wall whereby the former and the latter will be moved simultaneously.

2. A conveyer, comprising side walls, an endless belt located between said side walls and having a portion extending along the bottom of the conveyer and forming a movable bottom for the same, said belt being provided with a discharge opening adapted to be moved from one end of the conveyer to the other in the movement of said belt, means for moving the material, deposited on the portion of said belt forming the movable bottom, toward said discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said means with said belt whereby the former and the latter will be moved simultaneously and in opposite directions.

3. A conveyer, comprising side walls, an endless belt located between said side walls and having a portion extending along the bottom of the conveyer and formin a movable bottom for the same, said beat being provided with a discharge opening adapted to be moved along the bottom of the conveyer from one end thereof to the other in the movement of said belt, an endless member embracing means acting to move the material, deposited on the portion of the belt forming the movable bottom, toward said discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said belt with said endless member whereby the former and the latter will be moved simultaneously and in opposite directions.

4. A conveyer, comprising side walls, an endless belt located between said side walls and having a portion extending along the bottom of the conveyer and forming a movable bottom for the same, said belt being provided with a discharge opening adapted to be moved along the bottom of the conveyer from one end thereof to the other in the movement of said belt, an endless member embracing a plurality of scrapers or slats adapted to move the material, deposited on the portion of the'belt forming the movable bottom, toward said discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said belt with said endless member whereby the former and the latter will be moved simultaneously and in opposite directions. 7

5. A conveyer, comprising side walls,

shafts extending between and journaled in the side walls; there being one shaft adjacent each end of the conveyer, a rotary member mounted on each of said shafts, an endless belt trained over and moved by said rotary members and having a portion thereof extending along the bottom of the conveyer and forming a movable bottom for the same, said belt being provided with a discharge opening, adapted in the movement of the belt to be moved along the bottom of the conveyer from one endthereof to the other, an endless member located in said conveyerfor moving the material, deposited on the movable bottom, toward said discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said belt with said endless member whereby the latter and the former will be moved simultaneously and in opposite directions.

6. A conveyer, comprising side walls, shafts extending between and journaled in said side walls; there being a shaft adjacent each end of the conveyer and a shaft intermediate the first mentioned shafts, rotary members mounted on each of said shafts, an endless belt trained over and moved by the rotary members mounted on the shafts at the opposite end of the conveyer, one of the laps of said belt extending along the bottom of the conveyer and forming a movable bot tom for the same, said endless belt being provided with a discharge opening adapted to be moved along the bottom of the conveyer from one end thereof to the other in the movement of said belt, an endless member trained over and moved by the rotary members on the intermediate shaft and the shaft at the opposite end of the conveyer, a plurality of scrapers or slats secured to said endless member and adapted to move the material, deposited in the lower lap of the belt, toward said discharge opening, and mechanism connecting said intermediate shaft with the adjacent end shaft whereby said belt and said endless member will be moved simultaneously and in opposite directions.

In testimony, that I, do claim the foregoing as my own invention and aflix my own signature in the presence of witnesses, this second day of November A. D. 19141.

EDWARD A. REED.

Witnesses:

MARGARET BRETAG, AMY Voonnnns, JACOB J. EOKERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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