US1440594A - Automatic feeder for elevators - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23,1923.

H. F. GORSUCH..

AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR ELEVATORS.

3 SHEETS-SHEE l.

F!LEDJUNE14,1922.

Smead/Coi Jan. 2, 1923.

. n H. F. GORSUCH. V

4AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR ELEVATORS.

FILED JUNE 14. 1922. s vSHEETS-Smau ortica'.

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AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOB ELEVATQBS. 'l

Application filed .Tunev 14,

To all fr/tom it' may concern.'

Be it known that I, l-lowAnD F. Gonsnoia, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new vand useful improvements in Automatic Feeders for Filevators, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to means for feeding material to elevators, and particularly to means for feeding material to an endless elevator having receiving buckets,'this mechanism being particularly designed for use with standard screening devices.

ln a certain type of standard screening mechanism, the material to be screened is received in a pit into which the lower end of an upwardly extending elevator frame extends,

this elevator frame carrying an endless elevator provided with buckets, the material be-l ing lifted from the pit by said buckets, cai'- ried upward on the frame, and then dis- "charged into a series 'of screening drums whereby the material put in condition for use. f

In mechanism of this kind, it is desirable to provide for an even feed of material to the buckets of the elevator so as to prevent the buckets from becoming clogged or filled to overflowing at one time,'while at another time the buckets will be running with very little inthem. i

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide means whereby gravel, broken stone, coal or like material may be gradually fed to the endless elevator. l

A still further object in this connection is to provide means whereby the graduated feed may becontrolled to a considerable eX- tent.

Another object is to provide ina mechanisin of this kind a reciprocating conveyor into which the material is discharged and which, by its reciprocations, causes" the material to travel forward and `be discharged into a spout and from thence to the elevator buckets, and provide means for causing the reciprocation of said conveyor.

Y A still further object isto providemeaiis for supporting the conveyor frame within the pit by the use of standard rails which may also serve las the rails of a track so as to permit dumping c'arsto be run into position over the pitand discharged onto the reciprocating feeding element or conveyor.

i922. serial no. 568,252.

. A further-object is to provide a construcl ygradually fed forward onto the conveyor buckets.`

Uther'objects have to do ,with the details of construction land arrangement of parts whereby these functions heretofore referred to are secured, V-

l'n the drawings, l have illustrated onlyso `much of the elevator system as is necessary vfor an understanding of my invention, and `in these drawings g f Figure jlis a sectional view through a l material elevating mechanism of well' known `construction andshowing myy material distributing mechanism appliedthereto;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1; y.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section onv the line 3&3 of Figure et;

Figurejll is an enlarged side elevation of the forward end of the distributing mechanism;

f Figure 5 is a front end elevation ofthe dis-L tributing mechanism;

Figure 6 isa fragmentary top plan view of the constructionshown in Figure 4; 4

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a pit or equivalent structure having a relatively narrowextension 11 whichextendsbeneath the railroad rails 12. The pit on each sideof lthe railroadrails may be covered in by planks 13. Extending downward into the main'portion of the pit is an elevator frame, which isdesignat'ed generally 14, and this `particular construction requires no description, inasmuch as it forms no part of my invention.

i This elevator frame carries at its lower end the sprocket wheels, rollers, or equivalent elements, 'designated 15, over which passes an endless element 16 having thereon ythe buckets 17. lt'is immaterial how vthis elevator 4l'is` driven, as this forms no part of my invention, but ordinarily, it may be stated, the elevator is driven from a head shaftl mounted at the upper end of the frame and carrying a sprocket wheel anddriven by a'sprocketchain from ashaft 18- mounted upon the frame,having a sprocket wheel 1 9 ioo driven from the engine, and also carrying a sprocket wheel 20. Mounted upon the frame 14 is a shaft 2l carrying a sprocket wheel 22, from whicha sprocket chain .23 passes to the sprocket wheel whereby the shaft 21 is driven. This shaft 2]. is illustrated as mounted in sliding bearings 24 carried in guides 25 attached to the frame 14, the sliding bearing being shifted in this guide by means of the screw-threaded member 26 or in any other suitable manner. Mounted upon the shaft 2l is the crank 27. Except for the shaft 2l and the members 22 to 27, all the parts which' I have heretofore described are standard equipment for this type ol elevator and further description is, therefore, believed to be unnecessary.y

Disposed within the pit l1 and extending 1 into the portion l0 thereof are sidewalls which are formed of the supporting angle irons 28 and depending plates 29 which are riveted or otherwise connected to the angle irons. These two side walls are spaced from each other under Ordinar7 circumstances a distance of 91E, though it will be obvious that these may be spaced a greater distance if desired. Depending from the angle irons 28, riveted or otherwise attached thereto and therefore supported from the side walls, are hangers 30 which support cast iron rollers 31, there being three sets of these hangers i villustrated and three rollers. Resting upon the rollers and loosely embracing the depending `plates 29 is. a conveyor` trough. This trough is composed of a flat bottom member 32 and angle irons. 33 having up- -wardly extending flanges constituting side walls to the trough, the horizontal flanges of the angle irons extending beneath the plate 32, and disposed above this plate 32 is a transversely curved, concave bottom 34 which at its middle rests upon the plate 32 but at itssides is supported by filler blocks 35. The margins of this plate extend beneath the depending plates 29, while the vertical tlanges of the angle irons 33 extend upward on each side of the depending plates 29 This conveyor 35 is reciprocatable with reference to the depending plates 29 and rests upon the rollers 3l and is supported thereby for recnprocation. Preferably the hangers 30 are connected by straps 36 to the angleirons 28 but any other suitable strengthening means for the hangers 30 may be used.

The reciprocating trough is connected at one end, more or less adjacent its forward end, to an equalizer bar-37. The middle portion of this equalizer bar is rectangular-in cross section where it extends beneath the reciprocating'trough, but the extremities of the equalizer bar are r-educed and circular in diameter to form ytrunnions 38. This ,equalizerbaris cmmecte'dl tothe. trough-:by

inattesa a U-shaped yoke 39 attached by bolts 40 to the bottom plate 32, and this yoke is attached to the equalizer bar by a king bolt 4l passing through the equalizer bar and through the yoke and carrying la nut '42; The heads of the bolts 40 and o1 the bolt 4l are countersunk, as illustrated, so that the inner surface of the concave bottom 34 is smooth. The ends of the equalizer bar are connected to the crank 27 by means of connecting rods 43. that a rotationof the shaft 2l will cause a reciprocation of the ltrough-shaped conveyor. n

The conveyor frame is supported. from t will be obvious nowV the railroad rails l2 by means ot angle irons or angular clamps 44, oneinargin of each of said angle irons resting upon the base of the corresponding rail l2 and clamping them. Downwardly extending plates 45 y and specifically adjacent the pathk oct travelk of the elevator bucket=l7, and the spout isl preferably pivotally mounted so that its forward end maybe adjusted up or down and thus the inclination of the spout changed. To this end the spout is provided with two downwardly extending flanges 49 formed by angleirons attached to the bottom of the spout and thespout is pivotally supported by an extension 5.0 extending forward from the lower end of the forward hanger 30, this extension at its extremity being` formed to provide av bead 5l through 'which a pin 52 passes, this pin also passing through the flanges 49. Thus the spout is yoperatively supported from thel side walls.

The spout is held in its adjusted position by upwardly extending supporting straps 53 riveted to the side walls of the spout and extending upward through slots in the hori zontal flanges of theI angle irons 28. ,The upper end of each strap 53 has a plurality of perforations 54 through which a'pin 55 may be passed to hold this spout adjusted. s

The connecting rod 43 is adjustable upon vthe crank 27 so that the crank may be in elect lengthened or shortened to thus change the stroke of the reciprocating trough constitut-ingthe conveyor yand the material is caused tomove forward into the conveyor upon each backward stroke of the trough or conveyor by means of a downwardly and vforwardly extending' wall ,56 (seeFigure l) .whichis disposed y.between the depending' plates 29 and' held in place in any suitable manner, theloiver edge'ol this Wall 56 approximating the bottom ill/l but not touching the same and this Wall being held from any longitudinal movement. Thus upon the backward movement of the trough-shaped conveyor, the material in the conveyor will strike against this Wall 5c and thus the material `Will be forced for Ward relative to the bottom and discharged. out into the spout. The reciprocation ol'. the conveyor Will also cause a certain amount of material to be discharged into the spout and thus into the buckets ot' the ele-- vater. The yamount of material which be discharged maybe varied byl changin.;` the stroke ot the crank 27. ln ordinarii practice this crank will be adjustable to. provide either an S or l0 stroke. Any suitable means may be used tor .f'aryingrI the stroke ol this crank. The depending;y pla-tes 29 are `further braced. trom movement by braces 5'? which are riveted to the ton Ward plates l5 and to braces 58 on the frame la. Preferably ahopper 59'(see Fig. 2)

will be mounted to discharge int-o the space` between the depending plates 29, the hopper Walls forming part of the side Walls or being` operatively connected 'thereto and preterf ably extending across the hopper will be a plurality of bars spaced trom each other to form a grate or screen.

The operation ot this mechanism will be obvious from what has gone before. The operation ot the elevator will cause the operation ol the crank 27 and this Will cause the reciprocation or' the trough-shaped con-' tace ont the conveyor and that when the false bottom or inner bottom 34;, which is termed et quarter-inch thick plate, becomes too L much Worn and useless, it may be readily removed and a nevv plate put in place, and furthermore that the angle irons 33 and the plate 32 are of relatively heavy material and are very rigidly connected to the equalizing` bar so as to resist the strains which are incident to the constant reciprocation of the conveyor with its load.

The equalizer bar 37 is pivotally connected at its middle to the trough bottom 34: so that when the erector sets this plant up the screening plant and feeder. do not have to come on an exact line in order to get thc side arms to lit and there Will be no more stress on one side than onv the other When the device is Working. The spout 4&8 directs the material tothe buckets onl the elevator, and one of the purposes ot hinging this spout so that when a large stone falls' dovvnone ot thed buckets -andcatches the under side ot the spout, the hinge will allow the spout to shift and give su'liiciently to permit the stone to pass and not bend the bucket out ot' shape.

l In the construction shown in Figure l, l have shown this mechanism as applied to an ordinary gravel screening plant Wherey the gravel is drawn Vto the hopper by horses and small slip Scrapers. -The bars 60 under these circumstances actas a guard to prevent too large stones from getting in and clogging up the 'feeder or elevator. The railroad rails l2 are simply short rails put down in the pit forclainping the feederto. lt will be obvious, ot course, that this mechanism might be readily utilized tor receiving gravel and the like from cars.v n Y rlhe mechanism is relatively simple, has

been Jfound to be thoroughly effective in actual' practice and will notlreadily get out ol" order.- Ot course, it will be understood that means is provided'whereby the sprocket lWheel 2O may be operatively `connected to or disconnected 'from the shaft 18, this means being an ordinary c lutchlso that it is not necessary to operatethey feeding' mechanism While the elevator is being operated.

l claim f l. A feeding mechanism of the `character described including parallel,l downwardly extending side Walls held from movement, a reciprocatabletrouglrshaped conveyor having side Walls extending up exterior to the first named side Walls, means for upporting` the conveyor y fory reciprocating movement,

rand means for reciprocating .the conveyor.

2. A feeding mechanism of the character 'described including parallel, downwardly extending Side Wallsheld from movement, a reclprocatabie troughshaped conveyor having side Walls extending up exterior to the lirst named side Walls, hangers depending from the iirst named side Walls, and rollers carried by said hangers and upon which the bottom of the conveyor rests.`

3. A feeding mechanism of the character `described :'u'icluding4 parallel, vertical side` Walls, a reciprocating trough-shaped conveyor mounted belovvthe side Walls for.. re-v ciprocation relative thereto, means` for reciprocating the conveyor includingan equalizer bar attached to the troughsshaped conveyor and extending laterally `on each side beyond it, acrank shaft having cranks, and connecting rods connecting the cranks` to said equalizer bar. y

et; A mech nism of the character described inclu c f id side Walls spaced ,trom each other, a trough-shaped conveyor disposed below the lower edges of the sidel Walls and having side Walls embracing the first named side Walls, rollers operatively supported from the i'irst named side .Walls and supporting the conveyor for reciprocating movement, power operated means 'for reciprocating the conveyor9 and a spout operatively supported from said side Walls at one end thereol-r andnto which the forward end ot the reciprocating conveyor discharges7 rsaid spout'being angularly adjustable.

6. A conveyingv mechanism of thechanv acter described comprising parallel side Walls,` a trough-shaped conveyor mounted below said side Walls and inchiding` a transverse concave bottom plate having its margins extending beneath the side Walls and Vincluding angle irons formed 'to provide-side Walls embracing the irst named side Walls; supporting means for the 'conveyor7 and means for reciprocating the conveyor. i

7. A vfeeding` mechanism oit the character described including side walls, a troughshaped conveyor mounted beloivithe side Walls and including a bottom plate?l angle ironsattached thereto and extending upward exterior to the side Walls,'an inner bottom, transversely'concave having its margins extending beneath the side Walls7 filling pieces between the irstn-amed bottom and the innerbottomand power operated means for reciprocating the conveyor.

8. A 'feeding mechanism 'el' the ciaracter 'described including `side walls, a troughshap'ed conveyor mounted below the side Walls and includ a bottom plato, angle irons attached thereto and e iding up- Ward exterior to the side Walla an inne-r botn tom transversely concave havi margins extending beneath the side malls, i'illing pieces between the first bottom and the inner bottom, power operated means for reciprocating the conveyor including an equalizer bar extending beneath thel connimeer veyor, a yolre bolted to the rsty nam'edfplate and embracing the equalizer bar, and a boltI passing through the inner bottom plate and througl the yoke and equalizer bar, the head of said bolt being countersunlr in the inner bottom.

9. A feeding. mechanism of the character described including parallel7 vertical side walls, a reciprocatingconveyor coacting with the side Walls tor `reciprocation 1- relative thereto, means for reciprocating the con-` veyor including an equalizer bar operatively pivoted at its middle tothe middle of `the conveyor and extending laterally on each side, connecting rods stvingingly connected to the ends of the equalizer bar, and power operated means for reciprocating the connecting rods.

10. rlhe combination with a main conveyor? of an auxiliary conveyor discharging ther into and including a reciprocatable conveying member, a power driven cranlr shaft mounted upon the trame of the main conveyor and extending approximately at. right angles to the longitudinal axis oli the Lauxiliary conveyor, an equalizer bar operatively pivoted to the bottom of the conveying member and projectinglaterally therefrom, and connecting rods engaging the ends of the equalizer bar and said crank shaft.

1l. ln a structure of the character described, a pit7 an elevator yextending into the pit at one end, rails extending transversely across the pit, a frame disposed below the rails including side members1 angle irons g upon the Webs oit attached to the side lmeinbers and extending un through saidr anglek irons whereby said ine including the side members is supported from the rails, and a reciprocatable trough extending between the sidemembers and supported thereby. y

l2. ln a str cture of the characterde scribed, a pit, an elevator extending into the pit at one end, railroad rails extending transversely across the pit, a conveyor discharging into'the elevator and disposed Within the pit and comprising side` members and a trough-shaped member associated .with the side members and forming thebottomof the conveyor, means for supporting the troughshaped member for reciprocation relative to the side membersy and means for supporting said side members comprising eyeebolts eX- tending divergent relation upward from tne side members, and angle irons for each rail, through one iange oii'vvhich the correspondingeye-bolts pass `and the other flange rest-im;` upon the base` of said rails.

l i testimony whereof I aiiii; my signature.

HGWARD F. GORSUCH.

the rails7 eye-bolts

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