US1571536A - Conveyer - Google Patents

Description

Feb0 2 1926 CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 7. 1922 Feb. 2 1926.

- 1,571,536 AF. N. WILSON I CONVEYER Filed July 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,M939 @5w-f @yf/@15.

FRANK 1"?. "WILSQN, OF WEBSTER GRQVES, MISSOURI.

CONVEYER.

Application filed. July 7,

,To all effeom t may concern f bBe it known that l, FRANK itl. lViLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster tflrores, in the county of St. Louis and State of liiissouri, have invented cert new and useful improvements in Conveyers, ofaivliich the folle is a specification.

l/ly 'present invention relates to conveyors and more particularly to a conveyer chain and blades carried thereby and is a distinct and practical improvement to overcome certain objections to and defects in the universal type of chain and blades in order to adapt the same to the work of conveying lump coal up an incline, as set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 530,183 tiled January 18, 1922, noiv ldatent 1,467,700, September 11, 1923.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a conveyer blade which is yieldable at its base to permit cxpai'ision of 'the blade while riding over an are due to the connection of the blade to chain links, which 'are separated by a plurality of intermediate links, and permit contraction of the base to normal position While travelling along a straight path.

Vilith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction more fully described and linally pointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thislspeciflcation wherein like reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1v is a plan view of a conveyer chain andblades embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the chain sprocket.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a combined link and blade support.

F ig. 4 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a sprocket and three of the links of the chain in operative relation therewith.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modiiied forni of convcyer chain blade embodying my inven tion.

Fig. T is a side elevation thereof, showing the inner chain guide and bed plate.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 designates the bed plate of a conveyer device provided with the inner and outer guide members 2 and 3 which are spanned with a cover plate 4. Each of the inner and puter guide members is provided 1922. serial No. 573,429.

with a vertically disposed link receiving groove 5 communicating with a central hori'- mentally disposed link receiving groove 6, as shown more clearly by Fig. 7. n

The reference character 8 indicates a spe cial chain sprocket rotatably7 mounted on a stub shaft 9 Which is suitably fixed to the bed plate 1. The sprocket 8 is provided with la deep peripheral groove 10 for receiving the horizontally disposed links of a chain while the vertically disposed links of the chain are seated in the recesses or pockets 11 Which are spaced apart by means of its opposed shoulders 12, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The endless conveyer chain which is adapted to ride over a pair of spaced sprockets 8, is a link chain and consists of ordinary elongated links 13 and the suitable spaced blade supporting links 14. The blade supporting links or combined links and blade supports 14 are preferably solid and are provided With the end openings l5 for the reception of the ordinary chain links 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each blade supporting link is provided With a lateral extension or ear 16 which is provided With a longitudinally directed slotted opening 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The conveyor blades 18, which are supported bv means of the links 14, each consists of the arms 19 and 20 spaced apart at their outer ends by a block 26 and fastened together by any suitable means such as a rivet 26, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Each of the arms 19 and 20 has an inner folded portion 23 arranged to form an opening for the pin 24 and lixed to the blade arms by suitable securing means, such as bolts 25. At the base of each blade arm is a slotted opening' 22 into which extends the ear 16 of the blade supporting link 14. The pin of each blade arm passes through slots 17 in the ear 16 to connect the blade to the chain and to be thereby supported. The blades 18 shown in Fig. 1 are formed of a single piece of material to provide the armi@ 19 and Q0, instead of two pieces, as shown in Fig. 6.

The blades comprising the arms 19 and 20 being made from resilient material, such as spring steel plate, for example, it is evident that the. free ends of the arms at the base of the blade are free to expand or spread apart to prevent buckling of the chain, pecially in. moving or riding over a short arc, as v-.hen riding over the sprocket 8. This arrangement provides a `flexible or yieldable conveyer blade capable of being connected to a pair of chain links Which are separated a suitable distance from each other by means or' one oi' more intermediate ordinary chain links 13, thus eliminatingthe necessity of attaching the blade to a single chain link, which is not as preferable a con iiection as that herein disclosed.

It is evident from the foregoing description that by having the upright chain links ride in the vertical grooves of the guide members 2 and 3 there is no possible chance for the. chain to buckle or establish lateral displacement from any load strain on the conveyer blades, as the upright links can not be displaced in their grooves. The h orizontal groove in the guide members receives he horizontally disposed link only and this groove prevents the links trom vertical displacement only as there is no load strain, or at least very little load strain, on these links.

It is essential to remember that the arms 19 and 2O are capable of expanding or spreading apart When necessary, especially when the arms pass over the sprocket, when the distance between the blade supports is increased as compared with the distance when the blades are travelling in a rectilinear direction. It is apparent that .the blades are capable of Hering and expanding at the base to relieve extraordinary stresses occasioned by loads locally excessive at any particular time. This desirable result is achieved not only by the pin and slot connection ot' the blades with the links but also by the inherent resiliency of the metal trom which the blades are constructed.

It ivill be observed from Fig. 1 of the drawings that when the slotted openings 17 are employed in links 14 the tension on arms 19 and 2O has the tendency to draw the pins 24 and hold them toward eachv other in the openings and it Willbe apparent that should there be any cause for the spreading apa-rt of the arms occasioned by load strain, slack in chain, or any other cause, the pins 24 can move in the openings 17.

While I have shown the openings 16 of the links 14 as slotted, it is apparent that the openings may be of t-he same size as the pins 24.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that certain changes may be made in the construction and arrangement. of parts Without departing from the invention andy I'k do not desire to be limited to the exact structure shown except within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A conveyer chain consisting of a pair of chain links each having a laterally extending lug 'having a slotted opening, a plurality of chain links intermediate said firstmentioned links and connecting them together, spreadable V-sliaped members, and means to connect said members to the slotted lugs of said iirst mentioned links to permit spreading of said members at the base thereof.

2. in endless conveyer having a chain consisting of a series of links provided With laterally extending lugs, Which lugs are each provided With a slotted opening, a plurality of links connecting said lirst mentioned links, and a plurality of blades connected to the lugs ot said lirst mentioned links by means oi pins passing through the slotted openings.

3. In an endless conveyer, a chain consisting of a series of links having laterally extending lugs, each of Which lugs is pi'ovided with a slotted opening, said lugs each having a slotted opening therein, a plurality or connecting links, a plurality of blades, each blade being provided with diverging arms, and means to connect the free ends of said arms to said lugs to permit movement in the openings in the lugs.

4. ln an endless conveyei, a chain having links with slots therein and links connecting said rst mentioned links, and a plurality of blades, each bladehaving tWo arms connected together at their outer ends and having their inner ends connected to two lin rs having slots by pins movably receivable in said slots.

5. A conveyer blade for attachment to an endless conveyer chain comprising a pair of blade arms converging toward their outer ends and having their inner ends flexibly spaced apart to form a substantially V- shaped conveyor blade, the inner ends of each blade arm being provided With a central longitudinally disposed cut-away portion to provide spaced bifurcated inner ends for the blade arms, said bifurcated ends being folded back to engage the inner faces of the blade arms in such a. manner as to provide a. pair of opposed vertically disposed beaiings t'o-r the bifurcated ends of the blade arms between which bearings a chain lug is adapted to be pivotally connected to the blade arms, and means for tixing the foldedbiturcated ends of the blade arms to the blade arms.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

FRANK N1 WILSON.

Images