US1723481A - Automatic conveyer adjustment means - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1929. A. J. HARTLEY AUTOMATIC CONVEYER ADJUSTMENT MEANS Filed July 12, 1926 mm H BY 0%)) dag ATTUBNEYE Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES ARTH'LIR J. HARTLEY, OF PIJORIA, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CONVEYER ADJUSTMENT MEANS.

Application filed July 12, 1926.

This invention relates to grain elevating and conveying devices, and more particularly, to mechanism for adjusting the position of the conveyer portion with respect to the elevator member.

One of the objects of the invention lies in the provision of an overhead adjustable supporting mechanism for the conveying portion of a grain elevating device.

Another object lies in the provision of such overhead adjustable connecting means between a conveyer member an d an elevator as to permit a wide range of movement of the conveyer, as well as varied adjustment thereof.

Still another object lies in the provision of a simple overhead adjustable connection between a conveyer member and an elevator member, said means including an overhead rod connection between the elevator and. delivery end Oili the conveyer, and auto1natically operative clamping means for holding the connecting rod members in the desired position.

A further object lies in the specific parts and arrangement thereof which permits automatic adjustment of a conveyer member with an elevator member, said mechanism in the present instance including two rod members, the outer ends of which are attached respectively to the upper end of the elevator and to the delivery end of the conveyer, the substantially parallel inner ends of said rods being slidably related to permit contraction, and an automatically operating clamp preventing extension of the rods except when held manually in a released position.

Other objects will appear in the following specification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the overhead conveyer adjustment mechanism. as applied to a well known type of grain elevator and conveyer device, as well as the manner of mounting the said devices upon a threshing machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the automatically operating clamping connection between the inner opposed ends of the rod members, the outer ends of which are connected respectively to the upper end of the elevator and to the delivery end of the conveyer; and

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the automatically operating clamping connection.

Serial No. 121,819.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a well known type of grain elevator and weighing device shown at 10, the same being installed inv its normal position upon a threshing machine 11. Inasmuch asthe present application is directed specifhzally to the adjustment mechanism between the elevator and conveyer member and the fact that grain elevators of the present type are so well known in the art, it has not been. thought necessary to include all of the mechanical details of the elevating device. it will sullice to say that the elevator 10 has its elevating portion, (not shown) driven from the threshing machine through the belt 12. A power driven conveyer shown at 13, said conveyer being ot well known structure and containing therein power driven flight portions (not shown) which deliver the grain to the final delivery spout 141., which is disposed ordinarily above a wagon member or other receptacle. The flight portion of the conveyer also has power transmitted thereto through a series of gears 15, sprocket 16, and chain 17, which also has power trans iitted thereto from the threshing machine. The above structure is entirely conventional as far as grain elevating and conveying devices are concerned, and describes generally the present day grain elevating, weighing and conveying devices. It will be noted that the conveyer is power driven, and this permits the use of a lower grain elevator than would be necessary should the conveyor be of the gravity type.

Again, we find that the conveyer 13 is pivoted at 18 to permit swinging movement thereof, and as a matter ot fact, swinging movement over the top of the thrcshing nla chine when supported in the mounting herein shown and later to be described. This swinging movement of the conveyer member was not possible in the gravity type as the said conveyer member had to be disposed downwardly; however, with the present force-feed type, the COIIVGyOI can deliver ust as efficiently, even in the raised position shown in the dotted line figure, which position is sometimes necessary. Again, it might be stated that in the present day construction of elevators and conveyors, an operator usually stands upon the threshing machine and adjusts the position of the conveyer therefrom. With the means which applicant has devised for adjusting the conveyer member, and which is now to be derod 22 has a connection 23 with the outer end of the conveyer 13. The inner end 24 of the rod 22 is bent at right angles, as shown in the drawings, and the same has an aperture 25 therein, through which slides the rod 20. The inner end of the rod 20 is related to the rod 22 in the following manner: A portion 26 is fashioned in a hooked manner and engages a frictional clamp 27. This clamp 27 is pivoted at 28 in a bracket 29 which is slidable upon the rod 22, unless held in a clamped position by means of the member 27.

With respect to the operation of the above described adjusting means, it may be readily seen that manually raising the conveyer to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 will result in the contraction in normal length of the two rod members 20 and 22, with the inner end portions of each rod sliding one upon the other. Contraction of the rods is readily permitted, and movement of the conveyer manually to any elevated position iseffected without manual manipulation of the connection between the rod members. However, upon release of the conveyer members, and an initial commencement of expansion of the rod members, the friction member 27 automatically operates to clamp the rod members 20 and 22 to prevent further extension. Thus we may readily see that after movement of the conveyer to any position, same is automatically held in that position until the connection between the rod members 20 and 22 is manually operated to effect release.

Obviously, in case lowering of the conveyor is desired, the operator must release the member 27 from its clamped position and hold same in a released position while lowering the conveyer manually to the position desired.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, a modification of the automatically operating clamping mechanism is shown, which differs from the above described clamping mechanism in that a single frictional connection 30 completes the attachment between the hooked end 26 of the rod 20 and the rod 22. This modification has been shown in order to indicate that various mechanism may be utilized for connecting the ends of the rod members and to effect an automatic release and clamping action therebetween.

The present device is operated, to a great measure, as conveyer or spout adjusting mechanism for grain elevators and follows directly the advances that have been made upon elevating and conveying devices. The present device represents also the improvements which applicant has made over the structure used by him for a great many years, the same being shown in a patent issued to him on July 23, 1912, and numbered 1,033,316.

WVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a grain elevator and conveying device therefor, of means for adjusting said conveyer vertically and horizontally with respect to said elevator, said means including a rod member pivotally connected to the upper end of the elevator, a second rod attached to the delivery end of the conveyer, and a sliding frictional connection between the opposed ends of said rods, adapted under the influence of the weight of the conveyer to automatically clamp said rods together in the desired position.

2. The combination with a grain elevator and conveying device, of means for adjusting said conveyor vertically and horizontally with respect to said elevator, said means including a rod member having its outer end pivotally attached to the upper end of the elevator, a second rod having its outer end attached to the delivery end of the conveyer, connecting means between the ends of the substantially parallel rod members, including such fashionin of their end portions as to permit a sliding connection therebetween upon contraction, and a clamp member operating automatically to prevent relative movement between the rods unless held manually in a released position.

3. The combination with a conveying device, of means for adjusting said conveyer vertically, said means including the pivotal support for the receiving end of the conveyer, a supporting member disposed above the receiving end of the conveyer and in line with the vertical axis thereof, a rod connection between the elevated support and the delivery end of the conveyer member, and mechanism cooperating with the rod connection to permit vertical adjustment of the conveyer member and to automatically hold same in the desired position.

In testimony whereof I ham hereunto aflixed my signature.

ARTHUR J. HARTLEY.

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