US1449075A - Road-cleaning means - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 2o, 1923. www@ 1. WALKER.

ROAD CLEANING MEANS.

FILED APR. 24. 1922. 5 SHEETS-SHEET Y.

INVENTOR 2mes Wz//eff ATTORNEYS BEAM( Mar. 20, 1923.

J WALKER vROAD CLEANING MEANS.

FILED APR 24. 1922 w NW Am,

Malz 20, 1923.

l. WALKER- ROAD CLEANING MEANS.

5 SHEET SHEET 3- FILED APRS 24. 1922.

INVENTOR Jme TVQ/en Mar., 20, 1923.

J WALKER ROAD CLEANING MEANS.

5 SHEETS SHEET 4.

FILED APR.24. 1922.

5 SHEETS SHEET J. WALKER.

ROAD CLEANING MEANS.

FILED APR.24. 1922.

Mar. 20, 1923.

fag

IVENTOR James Wz//ef Patented Mar. :2Q i923. A y

'entre stares adatta garant ogame.

JAMES 0l? NETTLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

eosin-emanan@ ns.

Application led April 24, 1922. Serial No. 556,2.

vide a new and useful means or mechanism for road cleaning purposes and while it is generally operable for cleanlng roads of loose surface material by gathering such maf.

terial and conveying 1t into cars or dischargin'git at points away from the roadway, the said invention is more especlally designed for cleaning mine roads and loading the cleanings into mine `cars for belng conveyed outside of the -mine or in such places within the mineI where it may be conveniently dumped.

As 'iswell known to those familiar with coal miningfoal -dropped from overhead or off the cars, onto the roadbed, as the cars are d'rawn'alongby draft animals, becomes verly compact at times, due to men and anima s vtran-iping over the same, and .to such extent that it usually requires much labor to dig up the compact mass and loosen it into a Condition for being loaded into cars, by manual labor, with ordinary shovels.

Primarily, this invention seeks'to provide a relatively simple and mechanicalmeans whose operative parts are so combined, and are adapted to so coact, that the said mechanism performs evlery operation incident in cleaning mine roads or` tracks of any kind.

ln its more complete nature, my system of.

mechanical means for cleaning mine roads embodies a portable machine for simultaneously (ligging or loosening upthe tramped roadloed` scraping the loosened bed portions in position for beingconstantly gathered by conveyor devices that carry off the materia]` gathered from the road, and discharging such material into -cars that trail along, the digging, scraping, gathering and the conveying of the gathered material and the loading thereof into they cars, being a continuous operation, as the second and third units of my mechanism are being pulled along by the hauling power applied to the digging, scraping, gathering and conveying mechan1sms.

-road coal faster than the Another and important feature of my invention exists in the manner in which the control -devices for govering the action of the roadbed 'digging and scraping elements are arranged, so that the motorman, who has charge of5 the locomotive, vor other hauling 'power, can observe the mechanism that of the digging demachine is gathering conveyor will load 1t into the trailing cars, the4 hauling power can be readily slowed down or brought .to a stop, while the conveyor ues to elevate the loose coal gathered in front of the entrance end of the conveyor.

With the above objects and other objects in view, that will hereinafter'appear, my invention comprehends a mine road cleaning meansrwhich embodies the peculiar features of construction and novel arrangement of governs the operation vlees so that when the parts, all of which will be fully stated in the following description, specifically set out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

lFigure 1 is a diagrammatic sideelevation of the complete arrangement of my road cleaning means. v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the machine upon which is mounted the di ging,

"scraping and combined gathering an c conveylng mechanism referred to. Y

Figure 3 is la top plan nism shown in Figure 2. y y

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross section.` taken substantially on the line 4-4 on Fig-l ure C 1 Figure 5 is a similar view, taken 'on the line 5 5 on Figure 3.

Figure Si is a detail perspective view of a 'part of thesolid digging b/a'r with one of the digger bits operatively attached thereto.

Figure 7 is a detail horizontal section taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Figure (i,

Figure 8 is a detail perspective View of the hereinafter specifically' view ofthe mecharigidly held gathering member.

mechanism contini Figure 12 is a diagrammatic plan viewl illustrating a modified construction of the gathering member.

Figure 13 is a detail section on the line. 13-13 on Figure 12.

Figure 14 1s a transverse section'taken on the line 14--14 on Figure 13.

In the present showing of my invention,

the sameis especially constructed for use within coal mines and in the said showing of my invention the complete assemblage thereof comprises essentially three units a hauling power, cars into which Ithe gathered material is conveyed and loaded and a main unit which embodies the essential features of my invention since such main unit is in the nature of a. machine composed of mechanbehind the said machine.

In the accompanying drawing 4I have shown a mechanical hauling power in the nature of a common type of mine locomotive, but such power, when conditions admit it, may be animal power, the locomotive engine being the preferred draft means since by joining the front end ofthe main operating mechanism to the locomotive with -a high hitch and similarly hitching the rear end of the said operating mechanism or machinelto the trailer car, the said machine will be constantly pulled down and held to the road rails and in proper condition for doing the desired work of digging the coal that is often embedded along the road, between and outside ofthe rails in a compact manner,` asv before mentioned.

Referring now specifically to the structural arrangement of my invention, that is` the main unit thereof, hereinafter termed thel combined digging, scraping and gathering machine, the'same includes a truck frame, in practice, made of stout langle iron `well trussed and braced to stand the required stresses. The bed frame 1 of the truck is mounted on Ithe common type of twelve inch or fourteen inch diameter spoke wheels, designated 2, mounted on the ends of the front and rear axles 3 and 4, and upon the forward end of the truck frame is mounted an electric motor 5 which furnishes the necessary power for keeping in actionf the gathering mechanism, hereinafter specifically referred to.

At a suitable position on the forward end of the truck is mounted the digging mechanism whose function is to constantly break -up and loosen the coal surface compactly embedded along the road between andto each side of the track' rails 6 6, and the said digging mechanism, the construction of which is best indicated in Figures `2, 3, 5 and 6 of the drawings, includes-a mainv bar 7 which is transversely mounted upon the truck frame and is of suiiicient length to eX- tend across and beyond the-opposite track rails 6--6,. as shown.

The bar 7, hereinafter termed the trigger bar, is pendently supported from the truck frame at its ends in-strong stout guides 8 lwhich are pendently attached to the opposite side beams of the truck frame and the said bar 7 is held within its guides 8 8 for being f raised and lowered to suit the height of the track rails 6-6 and for enabling the lift- 1ng of the digger elements high enough to permit the passage thereof over switches or for being held up out of action when conditions make such adjustments necessary or desirable.

9 designates a compound lever that is'projected within convenient reach of the motorman in charge of the complete train or system and which is connected to the digger bal' 7 in any suitable manner for controlling the vertical adjustment of the said bar.

- Inl the construction shown,Y the digger bar, y

is equipped with digging bits 10I and these are shaped and attached to the bar in Ithe manner best shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen the shanks of the bits are half round to provide for conveniently clamping vthem to the bar 7 by U shaped clip bolts 11 Whose endspass through apertures 12 in the bars 7 and are secured by the nuts 13 which engage the threaded ends of the clip bolts 11. The lower ends of the bits 10 are flattened and are forwardly curved and tapered, as is clearly shown in Figure 6.

Any number of bits, depending on the particular character of the roadway or track gauge, may be attached to the digger bar. In the drawings, 'I have illustrated twelve bits fitted tothe said bar 7 for working between4 the opposite rails 6-6 and. four of such bits fitted to each end of the bar-7 that project beyond the rails 6`6 it being understood the bits between the rails break and loosen the road surface between such rails, while the end sets of bits dig up the surface just outside of the rails, as is clearly shown in Figure 5. y

By referring more particularly to Figures 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9 of the drawings, it will be noticed that the scraping elements comprise.

a scraperI bar 16, preferably of steel, and

'Magere for gathering the scraped material that is loosened by the digging elements as' they are pulled along the roadway, and the said means-,comprises a metal frame of'substantially U-shape in plan view, whose relation to the truck upon which. it is supported and the roadbed is best shown in Figure 3 ot the drawings, from which it will be seen that the side members 15-15 of the said frame project forwardly from the back member -18 of such frame and extend practically to the back face of the digger bar 7, and to add rigidity to the said members 15--15, brace rods 19-19 are provided, as shown.

rlhe scraper frame, the construction 'of which is shown in detail in Figure 8, has its back wall or member 18 ixedly connected t0 hangers 20--20 that are bolted upon the intermediate angled beams 2l of the truck frame and to ermit making the back member 18 of the 'rame high enough to .keep the gathered road material from passlng over the said member, back onto the roadbed, such member 18 has vertical slots 38 to provide `tor conveniently fitting the same onto the truck frame. Near its lower end and midway thereof the back member 13 has an opening 23 for the passage therethrough of the receiving end of the combined conveyor and loading means presently explained.

To provide for a proper ttlng or the adjustable scraper bar 16, such bar has cut lout portions 26 for fitting over thel track rail G-- (see Figure 4) and midway lts length it has a semi-circular notch 27 in its upper edge, that fits around the lower end pf the conveyor shaft when the said bar 1;(3 1s lifted high enough to be out of operativeposition, when such adjustment therefor is required.

Any suitable means may be utilized for raising and lowering the scraper bar 16. For the purpose of illustration,` ll have `.shown a compound lever 22 which extends forwardly to near the `motormans seat X on the motive power unit. The members of the lever 22 are fulcrumed on standards and the rearend Vthereof has an elongated slotw'ay for receiving the'litting bail 24 whose opposite-or pendent ends are fastened to the front face. of the bar 16, as at 25-25 on Figure 9. The bail 2flis vertically movable in guide members 1li- 141e lt shouldv be stated that` in the practical development of my road cleaning mechanism, the-scraping elements, before mentioned, follow along' with the truck, as the road surface is being loosened up by the digging devices, and the said scraper frame drags along the loosened material and constantly gathers it into a mass or pile high enough to cover the receiving end of the pick up conveyor, as is clearly indicatedlin Figure .2 of the drawings.

As before stated, my invention includes a mechanical means for constantly gathering the scr-apedvup road material and which conveys it rearwardly and loads the same into a car-or cars which trail behind the Itruck l.

The said gathering or offtake means com- ;prises a main spiral conveyor 41 which works within a main tube 42 that extends rearwardly and 'is supported, at an upward i' incline upon the truck and discharges the lifted material into .a supplemental horizontally disposed spiral conveyor 28 operable Witbin a separate tube 29 which is held in a horizontal plane and extends back over the car or cars E30- 30, which cars are loaded from the supplemental conveyor in the manner presently explained.

'The main or spiral conveyor 41 includes a' drive shaft 31, whose lower end extends beyond the mouth of the conveyor and is connected by any suitable power transmission mechanism 32, 33, 34 with a driving shaft 35, to whichpower is transmitted through reducing gears 36 from the motor or engine shaft 50, as is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 12, it being understood that when the conditions of the gathered mass in advance-of the scrap-ing element is such that the accumulations are more rapid than the conveyor can take them otl, the traction power may be held fromA further forward movement as the conveyor mechanism continues to lift the gathered mass and load it back into'the car.

At this point, it should be mentioned that for some work the digging and scraping mechanism may be used without the conveyor mechanism, and the gathered mass, when thesaid mass is of sufficient 'qantity, may be removed from between the digging and scraping elements by laborers with ordinarv shovels. i

. lvlhen, however, my mechanism is in. the

"complete form, best shown in Figure 2, the

2@ thefmaterial as it is the supplemental conveyor tube 29, for proframewith' a back portion `18 and side yec extends high enough to prevent'the material going over the top of the said" back member 18, while the loosened material at the outside of the rails is held from owing away, laterally as it is caught up and massed with the other gathered material.

When two cars are to be loaded, as shown in Figure 1, the supplemental conveyor need not extend over the rear end of the rear carvsince it can stop short of such car end Vand in such arrangement the supplemental conveyor, when the several loading gatesl (presently referred to) are closed, will discharge into and load the rear half of the rearA one.

Any suitable construction of gates may be employed for controlling the outflow of being conveyed through gressively iilling the cars, beginning with the rear end of the rear car.

Power is transmitted to each of the shafts V39 in any suitable m-anner, for example, as -diagrammatically shown in Flgure vl2, which illustrates a shaft 55 driven by the transmissionA gearingl operated by the motor 5 and from which power is transmitted, through an endless sprocket chain connection,56, to one of the shafts 39; the other shaft 39 beingfdriven through a sprocket and chain connection 57 that joins with the driving shaft 3.5.

The advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention relates. mechanism is relatively simple and such that it can be readily kept'in order and while the arrangement of the parts -as shown and described illustrates an operative emb'odment ofmy invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself Vto Ithe exact details of the combinations and arrangements of the parts as illustrated, since many changes in the detailed assemblage and cooperative connection of the said described and lshown parts may be made, without departing from the scope and spirit of my inventionfas defined by the claims.

For example, instead of lifting the material gathered on the roadbed by the digging and scraping elements, by screw con- .veyors -as shown, the said gathered material may be removed and elevated, either to the 'rea-r of the machine or laterally thereof, by

any of the'well-known types of ,elevating mechanisms used in elevating road cleanings.

What I claim is: y 1. In a'mechanism lfor loosening road-v beds and lifting and conveying the loosened .material into a car, a truck, a `hauling power attached to the front off the truck,

'redacta The entire veyor bein -a'load receiving car 'hitched to the rear end the truck, drag devices on thetruck mounted transversely of the car for digging and loosening the roadbed, means on the said truck for gathering the material as itis loosened by the drag devices into a mass, a

conveyor mounted on the truck that picks up the gathered mass and deposits it in the loadl receiving car, a motor on the truck, power transmission gearing that connects the motor driven shaft withthe combined that engage the roadbed outslde the oppo'- A site rails, the scraping mechanism including back `and side vportions that enga the material loosened between and outsi e' the track rails'and movesuch material 'cinto a mass before the receiving end of the gathering and lifting conveyor. 5

2. A means for cleaning mine roadbeds comprising a hauling power, a load receiving car, a truck located between and hitched to the hauling power a-nd the car, digger elements pendent from the truck,/the said elements including digger teeth for engaging the roadbed between the rails and other teeth for digging and loosening the material at each side of the said rail and scraping mechanism supported upon and movable y terial at each sideof the said rail and scrap:

lll@

ing mechanism supported upon and movable with the truck for'gathering the road material as itis loosened between and outside I the rails into a mass between such rails and tion for being removed, the said scraping elements including a back member, forwardly extending side members adapted for crowdingv the loosened material lin a compact mass in advance of the back memberand an oi'take conveyor whose lower or receivin end projects through and in advance o the said back'member, vthe said conupwardl and rearwardly 'inclined to ischarge tl e gatheredImateriaI,v and afload receiver into which the said material is discharged, said receiver being cou-1y pled to and movable with the aforesaid truck. .v

a. A means for cleaning mine roadbeds comprising a hauling power, a truck hitched to the hauling power, digger elements pendent from the truck, the said elements including digger teeth for engaging the roadbed between the rails and# other teeth for digging and loosening the material at each side of the said rail and scraping mechanism supported upon 'and movable with the truck for gathering the road material vas it is loosened between and outside the rails into back member, the said conveyor bein a mass between such rails and the scraping and digging elements in position for being removed, the said scraping elements including a back member, forwardly extending side members adapted for crowding the loosened material in a compactmass in advance of the back member, and an olitake A conveyor whose lower or receiving end pron of discharge, a hauling power, a truck v@il hitched to said power, a digging mechanism mounted on the truck, said mechanism comprising a digger bar that extends across and bevond` the opposite rails, a set `of digger bits attached to and pendently supported on the -bar for loosening the bed between the rails, otherdigger bits attached to the opposite ends of the bar for loosening the roadbed portions along-the outside of and adjacent the said rails, and scraping elements on the truck trame which follow the digger elements and drag the loosened material in a confined mass along between the rails and back of the digger elements.

6. `vln a mechanism for loosening roadbedsurfaces ot mines and .lifting the loosened material andy conveying the same to a place ot discharge, a vhaullng power, a truck` hitched to said power, a digging mechanism rmounted on the truck, said mechanism comprisinga digger bar that extends across and beyond the opposite rails, a set of digger bits 'attached to and pendently supported on the 'bar for loosening the bed between the rails,

other digger bits attached to the opposite ends of the bar for loosening the roadbed portions along the outside of and adjacent the said rails, scraping Velements on the truck frame which follow behind the digger elements and drag the loosened material in a confined mass along between the rails and back of the digger elements, a conveyor mounted on the track whose entrance end is projected beyond the front of the scrapmg elements and is adapted to remove the 'gathered mass and which is rearwardly projected from the said scraping elements, a motor on the truck and means :for transmitting the motor power from the motor to vthe conveyor.

7. lln a mechanism for loosening roadbed surfaces of mines and lifting the loosened material and conveying the same to a place of discharge, a haulmg power, a truck hitched to said power, a digging mechanism mounted on the truck, said mechanism comprising a digger bar that extends across and beyond the opposite rails, a set of digger bits attached to and pendently supported on the bar for loosening the bed betweeen the rails, other digger bits attached to the opposite ends of the bar for loosening the roadbed portions along the outside ot and adjacent the said rails, scrapin elements on the truck frame which follow ehind the digger elements and drag the loosenedmaterial in a confined mass along between ,the rails and back of the digger'elements, a conveyor mounted on the track whose entrance end is projected beyond the front of the scraping elements and is adapted to remove the gathered mass and which is rearwardly projected from the said scraping elements, a motor on the truck, means for transmitting the motorrpower from the motor to the conveyor, guides pendent from the truck frame in which the opposite ends-of the vdigger bars have vertical movement and other likeguides in which the ends of the scraper -bar are mounted and separate lever controlled devices for raising and lowerin the said digger and scraping elements, an holding them to their adjusted positions.

8. ln a lroad cleaning mechanism, a hauling power and a car intov which the road cleaning-s are deposited; in combination with a truck the said truck having a. highv hitch at one end with the hauling power and a like hitch at the other end with the car, a lseries ot digger elements pendent trom the truck adapted for breaking up and loosening the roadbed surface as the truck travels forward, scraping elements on the truck thatl follow the digger elements and gather the lua loosened material into a mass on the roadbed between thescraping and digger elements and an elevatingconveyor whose entrant end projects into the said gathered mass, said conveyor including a section that projects over and discharges into the car behind the truck, a'motor on the truck and power transy mission gearing that joins the motor shaft and the conveyor for imparting rotation to the said conveyor. f

.9. lin a road cleaning mechanism of the character stated, the combination 'with a truck adapted for being drawn along the road rails, a digger bar 'disposed transversely over the roadbed and pendently supported on the truck fralne, the opposite ends of the bar extending outside of the roadbed, a series of digger bits vertically disposed along the front face of the bar and along that portion of the bar-between. the road rails, other bits pendent from the front Aface f of the bar at the ends that; extend beyond the said rails, and means on the truck to ythe rear of the digger 'bar that gather the 110. ln a road-cleaning mechanism of' the character stated, the combination with av truck adapted for being drawn along the road rails, a digger bar disposed transversely over the roadbed and pendently supported on the truck trame, the opposite ends of the bar extending outside of the 'roadbed a series of digger bits vertically disposed along the front face of the bar and alon that portion of the bar between the roa rails, other bits pendent from the front face of the bar at the ends that extend beyond the said rails, means on the truck tothe rear of the digger bar that gather the material loosened by the di ger bits into a mass ready for being remove' from the said roadbed, means for constantly e'ecting the re- -moval of the said material as it is being athered by theA scraping elements and a urther means fdr applying motion to the said mechanism cause such mechanism to remove the said material from between the track rails.

11. ln a roadbed cleaning mechanism'of the character described, a truck for engaging the roadbed rails, means on the truck inname and conveyor devices as they l are pulled lalong with the truck.

12.' In a roadbed cleaning mechanism of the character described, a truck forengaging the roadbed rails,l means on the truck for digging and loosening the roadbed while being' dragged alon the said roadbed, means on the truck that ollowthe roadbed digging and loosening means and which scrapes the loosened material into a massed pile, a combined pick lup and conveying mechanism on the truck that athers the mass, conveys and disch'ar es it ack of the truck, further means or actuating the combined pick w and conveyor devices as they are pulle along with the truck, the said material scraping means including members operable along the outside of each rail for gathering the material loosened at the' outside ofthe rail and depositing such material laterally between the rails, and transmission gearing4 for imparting power from the motor to the said last mentioned devices.

y as WALKER@ for digging and'loosening the'roadbed

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