US1974668A - Automatic loader - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 25, 1934. sou 1,974,668

\ AUTOMATIC LOADER Filed Dec. 21. 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

. INVE'NTOR: GEORGE M. SOUTER.

ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1934.

G. SOUTER AUTOMATIC LOADER Filed Dec. 21. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 amm - INVENTOR;

GEORGE M. SOUTER BY 7 ATTORNEY.

l atented Sept. 25,

George M. Souter, Burlingame, Calif.

Application December 21, 1931, Serial No. 582,191

4 Claims.

,This invention relates to improvements in automatic loaders and more particularly to road making machinery. r l

The principal object of the invention is to pro- ;vide a traveling loader for elevating loose material such asscarified or plowed ground.

Another object is to provide an attachment for vehicles that will automatically load the vehicle as it progresses, without the application of any power other than the progress of the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. It isto be understood, however, that it is not limited to this form because it may be embodiedin other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims following the description.

a In the three sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a side delivery loader and scarifier built in accordance with this invention and adapted to' be drawn by a tractor.

Fig. .2 is an enlarged detail in side elevation of the digging and elevating buckets on the lower end of the loader, some of the buckets being shown in vertical section, better to show their construction and operation.

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan of one of the buckets, showing the bucket chains in horizontal section on the line III--III, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail similar to Fig. 2, in rear elevation, as indicated by the arrow IV.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention, in which a pair of loaders are mounted upon opposite sides of a trailer or drawings, referring to Figs. 1-2, comprises a ve- .1 a rigid structure.

hicle of any suitable type such as shown in Fig. 1, having the rear wheels 1 and the front caster wheel 2 mounted on the frame 3. The front wheel is mounted on a turntable 4, to permit a short turning radius. The draft bar and coupling 5 are attached to the turntable for the attachment of the tractor. The rear end of the frame is fixed to the cross axle 6 of the rear wheels.

The swing frame of the loader comprises two lower beams '7 pivoted on the axle 6 and properly cross connected and braced. The overhead beams 8 are supported on the standards 910, all cross connected and properly braced to form The front is raised, lowered and supported by the hydraulic hoist having the ram 11 pivoted to the vehicle frame at 12 and having the piston rod 13 pivoted at 14 to the loader frame. Water or oil under pressure is introduced into the hoist at 15 from a pump mounted upon the tractor, not shown.

The transverse conveyor 16 is driven by the drum 1'7 on the shaft 18 which is journaled in the bearing boxes 1920 on the standards 9-lil, respectively. A drum similar to 17 is mounted on the opposite end of the conveyor frame, not shown, which extends beyond the side of the trailer to deposit the dirt in a wagon or at the road side.

The shaft 18 is driven bythe pinion 21 enmeshed with the bevel gear 22 fixed on a transverse shaft suitably mounted on the loader frame. This gear 22 is driven by a sprocket 23 thereon and engaging the sprocket chain 24 encircling the drive sprocket 25 fixed to one of the wheels 1. This wheel may be provided with grousers on its rim to insure the necessary traction to drive the draper 16.

The elevating mechanism comprises the lower drum 26 mounted on a shaft between the beams 7 of the swing frame and the spaceddrums 27-28 mounted on the upper beams 8 of the swing frame. These drums are all idlers with smooth peripheries.

The elevator comprises a pair of chains 29-30, see Figs. 24. The links of the chains are arcuate, with the same radius as the drum ends, the peripheries of which they snugly fit. The spades 31 are arcuately curved throughout their length and are rigidly fixed between each pair of links in the chains 2930. Each spade is provided with a digging bit 32 across its width to thicken its lip. The bucket lips are arcuate to improve their penetrating or spading quality when they strike the ground, as at 31a.

The conventional searifier 33 is mounted upon the front end of the swing frame and is adapted to loosen up the ground ahead of the spades 31 to facilitate their penetration and loading. In working loose or plowed ground the scarifier may be omitted.

The invention operates substantially as follows: When the vehicle moves forward the hoist is actuated to lower the swing frame on its pivot 6 until the scarifier 33 loosens the ground to the desired depth. The curved spades 31 successively engaging and penetrating the loosened earth cause the whole chain of spades to automatically revolve around the drums 2627-28. The curvature of the spades is such that their combined lateral and rotary movement causes the spades to slide into the ground without materially displacing the surrounding material until the spades have penetrated to the desired extent. The spade 31b penetrating for about half of its length retains the loose ground when it begins to level out as at 310. This spade full is retained by the thickness of the bit 32 across the lip of the bucket until it reaches the level 31d. Without these thickened edges at 32, the loose earth would tend to flow out of the spades. If the flow is arrested at the plane of the spade ends by the bits 32, the loose particles of earth pyramid upon each other and stop the flow until the critical angle of the spade is passed. The spades traveling upward elevate the load until they reach the drum 27, at which point the spades tilt forward, spilling the dirt onto the center portion 2'7 of the drum, from whence it falls upon the traveling conveyor 16 and is discharged at the side of the machine The hoist mechanism 11 can be operated to raise and lower the spades at will to handle more or less dirt as occasion requires and to lift the spades clear of the road for transportation.

A modification of the loader is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In the modified form two sets of spades A-B are mounted upon opposite sides of a tilting truck bed C. These spade mechanisms are substantially the same as previously described, except that they are fixed to the sides of a conventional tilting truck bed C and are raised and lowered by the raising and lowering mechanism of the truck bed for clearance during transportation.

The chain of spades each discharge into their respective chutes libs-46mm, down which the dirt gravitates into the truck bed C. Characteristic parts of the modified loader are identified by the same designating characters hereinbefore used, with the addition of X, to indicate the equivalent parts.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect to material to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle in juxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around said drum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades being so curved longitudinally that the combined longitudinal and rotary movement of said drum causes the spades to penetrate without displacing said material until the spades assume a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the material before moving upward therefrom.

3. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect to material to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle in juxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around said drum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades being curved longitudinally and having thickened lips extending above the concave plane of the spades and adapted topenetrate without displacing said material until the spades assume a substantially 105 perpendicular position with respect to the material before moving upward and elevating the adjacent material.

4. In combination with a vehicle arranged to be moved with respect to material to be loaded; a loader including a drum on said vehicle in juxtaposition to said material; a chain of spades passing around said drum and driven by engagement with said material; said spades being curved longitudinally and having arcuate lips with 11.5 bits thereon extending above the concave plane of said spades and adapted to penetrate without displacing said material until the spades assume a substantially perpendicular position with respect thereto before moving upward and displac- 1 20 ing and elevating the adjacent material.

GEORGE M. SOUTER.

Images