US2208208A - Portable conveyer - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheet-Sheet 1 WML www V W. N 1 5 Md ww W. G. BROOKS PORTABLE CONVEYER Filed May 25, 1958 July 16, 1940.

ATTORNEY.

Patented v July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE C'ONVEYER William G. Brooks, Edgewater, N. J. Application May 25, 1938 Serial No. 209,8 71 3 Claims. (01. 193- 35)" This invention relates to roller conveyers and more particularly to types of a portable character as used in the transference of objects from one place to another by gravity.

6 More especially the invention is designed for service in connection with warehouses, in the loading and unloading. of freight delivered in ships, trucks and other common carriers, storage I, to bins orto other conveyances, and is especially adapted to carry granular material, as sugar, salt, lime, sand, etc, etc., packed in bags of textile fabric, in either dry or moist condition.

Such work is'usually done by strong, trained men at an enormous expense of muscular energy, consuming valuable time, and at a cost which adds materially to that of the goods initially.

Notwithstanding the fact that many endeavors have been made to produce an acceptable labors'aving device for the foregoing purpose, it does not appear that any have been sufficiently successful in meeting requirements to warrant extensive introduction.

Having this matter in mind, together with a thorough familiarity with the prevailing conditions of stevedoring, warehousing and factory shifting of goods of the type mentioned, it is an object of the invention to provide a rollerconveyer of such dimensions and weight as to enable it to be carried by one person to wherever it may be needed for use.

A further feature is in the provision of trestle frame supports for the end portions of the conveyer, whereby it can be adjusted at any desired inclination, the trestles being movable into any required position.

Another purpose is to arrange, at the discharge end of the conveyer, a receiving apron suited to be serviced by workmen at its side edges in a convenient manner. Finally, it is an aim to provide a device by which hard manual labor is greatly reduced and costs correspondingly cut, while safety and speed are attained. 1

These two other analogous objects, which will appear as the description progresses, are accomplished by the novel and simple construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings constituting an essential component of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a conventional truck as being loaded from a warehouse by a conveyer made in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the same but showing the truck floor level with a loading platform.

Figure 3 is another like view showing the truck above the platform.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a rear support trestle for the conveyer.

Figure 5 is a front view of the same.

Figure 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view" of the shorter, front trestle support for the conveyer.

Figure 8 is a front view of the same.

Figure 9 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the conveyer, parts being broken away to show the construction. i i

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the conveyer.

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view of the conveyer drawn to an enlarged scale, the roller partially in section.

Figure 13 is a similar view showing an alternative form of roller bearing construction.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 are shown scenes characteristically representative, of the use of embodiments of the invention, in which factories or warehouses are generally designated by A. B and C, serviced by commercial haulage trucks D, E; and F. l

The floor and platform G in Figure l, is shown above the level of the flooring of the truck D, while the lower floor H, in building B, is sub-. stantially level therewith, and in Figure 3 the lower floor I is below that of the truck F.

The building B has an upper floor H, as has also the building 0, as at I, and these upper floors are indicated as provided with travelling belt carriers K and L respectively, for conveying bags or sacks M to chutes N for delivery to the conveyor, the subject of the invention.

The conveyer, as shown in Figures 10 to 13, consists of a pair of roller channels 20, Prefer-f ably made of aluminum, because of itssuperior lightness and strength, arranged in spaced, opposed relation with their flanges 2l-22 disposed outwardly and their upper inner corners 23 rounded and smoothly finished to avoid abrading of articles contacting them.

The channels are rigidly held in assembled relation by cross bars 24 united to their lower flanges 22 and are further secured by diagonally disposed brace bars 25-26 interjacent the cross bars 24.

A short channel 28 extends across the space at the receiving end of the frame thus formed and in it are set a pair of pins 29 projecting rigidly sil' downward, the purpose of which will later appear.

At the opposite, front end of the conveyer frame is a flat, level apron rigidly secured to the frame sides and supported by braces 3|.

A plurality of rollers are journalled between the frame side members 20 in uniformly spaced relation and in such manner that their peripheries are considerably below the flanges 2|, which act effectively as guides for the articles moving over the conveyer and prevent them from sliding off.

One form of mounting the rollers is shown in Figure 11, in which a tubular shell 36, of the requisite diameter and length, has fixed in each end the outer element of an anti-friction bearing 31, its inner element being fast upon a shaft 38 havingshoulders abutting the channel 20 and extensions 39 passing through openings and clamped firmly by nuts 40 on the outer sides of the channels.

In the modification, illustrated in Figure 13, the tubular shell 36 has fixed in it, midway its length, a roller bearing 42, its inner element fixed on a shaft 43 reduced at its ends to pass through the channels, and set in the ends of the tube are inreaching collars 44 bored to clear the shaft 43 under normal conditions but prevent extensive strain upon the bearing in event the conveyer is unevenly loaded.

The particular form of bearingis immaterial but it is essential that the rollers rotate freely and with as little friction as possible.

The diameter of the rollers is preferably onethird the height of the channel sides, and their axes should not be above the center of the channels.

Two different heights of trestles are used, that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the higher, at the receiving end of the conveyer, while the shorter, shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, is at the delivery end.

The higher trestle, generally designated by the numeral 48, consists of four corner uprights 49--50 connected by a frame 5| at their lower ends and supported on wheels 52 for convenience in moving over a surface.

The tops of the uprights, which may preferably be rolled angles, are connected at the sides only by cross bars 53, while diagonal braces 54 extend between the upper and lower corners.

The rear uprights are cross connected at their tops and midway their length by angle bars 5556, and the front uprights 49 have a single cross connection 51, all these cross bars having paired openings 58 in which the pins 29 in the end member of the roller frame may be engaged, thus providing means for detachably connecting the conveyer at different levels.

The front trestle 60 is also formed by four uprights arranged in pairs 6l62 respectively at the front and rear, connected at their bottoms by a rigid frame 63, cross braced, as at 64, and at their sides only by diagonal braces 65, and at their upper ends by bars 66.

Wheels 52 support the trestle 60, which has a clear space between its sides, and at the front uprights 6| are set a plurality of headed studs 61 by which is adjustably supported a cross bar 68 to receive the front, or delivery end portion of the conveyer.

The sides are further reenforced by two or more pairs of opposed angle brackets 69 drilled to receive the down-turned, hook-like ends of a stay rod 16, interchangeably engageable in either pair.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the conveyer frame may be adjustably supported by the trestle's so that it can be arranged at any desired inclination and maintained safely and securely in such adjustment.

To further retain the conveyer in fixed position relative to the discharge chutes N, a series of eyebolts H are fixed in the side frames 20 and engaged by bands 12 carried on the horizontal portions of the chutes. c

Having thus described the invention and set forth the manner of its construction and application, subject to such changes as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, what is claimed as new and sought to secure by- Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a portable roller conveyer, a trestle provided with wheels, said trestle having a clear space between its sides, headed studs fixed in the upright members of said trestle at different heights, and a notched bar selectively engageable with said studs, said bar adjustably supporting one end portion of the conveyer.

2. A traveling apparatus for loading packages from a high position onto a vehicle, the latter having its platform relatively low, comprising in combination an inclined roller conveyer section, including a frame, said section having a high receiving end and a low delivery end, a high support for the receiving end, means relatively movably connecting said support and the associated end, a low support including spaced sides for the delivery end, said supports having rotary traveling elements thereon, and means for adjusting the delivery end between said sides, whereby to maintain the inclination of said section while the delivery end is located over platforms of different height.

3. In an apparatus for loading articles on vehicles, an inclined roller conveyer having a high article receiving end,v a low front delivery end, a rectangular frame support forthe high end including a horizontal top having a back member and an open top front, means connecting said member and the high end, the latter being passed through the open front, a frame support for the low end including sides having horizontal tops,

front end between said sides.

WILLIAM G. BROOKS.

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