US2341977A - Loader - Google Patents

Description

E. P. CCRBIN Feb. 15,1944:

LOADER Filed NOV. 25, 1939 s Sheet s-Sheet 1 f/v VE/YTOR EBER F? Goren-am,

ATT'Y E. P. CORBIN Feb. 15, 1944.-

LOADER Filed NOV. 25, 19-39.-

s Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVEN TOR f EBER P Coream;

ATT'Y.

Feb. 15-, 1944 E. P. CORBTIN LOADE R File d Nov. 25. 1939 5. Sheets-Sheet 3 f/YVENTOEI EBER' P. CORBIN,

Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED; STATES LOADER Eber P. Corbin, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The .Jeflrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application November 25, I939,-Serial No. 306,082

4 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a gathering head and a gathering conveyer for a mechanical loader including a novel gathering fiight.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a loader having a novel and improved type of gathering head and gathering conveyor or conveyors which will deliver material to a discharge conveyor in a very efiicient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved gathering flight structure.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a loader incorporating the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the head end of said loader;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of said head end;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 46 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevational and plan views, respectively, of an improved flight of my invention.

The machine of my invention comprises a main frame 29 which is formed of two sections comprising a front or receiving section 2| and a rear or discharge section 22, which sections are mounted for relativepivotal movement about an upright axis; that is, the rear or discharge section 22 can be swung in a horizontal plane to various positions with respect to the front or receiving section 2! so that it maybe maintained at all times in proper discharging position with respect to a receiving conveyor or other receptacle as the front of the machine is adjusted along the face of a mine room to gather coal.

The tWo sections 2! and 22 cooperate to provide a continuous trough having a bottom 24 and through which material is conveyed by means of an endless conveyor chain 34 of the universal type which is provided with spaced flights 35 which, with the chain 34, convey material from the head end of the loader and discharge it over the rear end thereof.

It may be pointed out that much of the structure of this loader is the invention of Edwin B. Gellatly and is disclosed in full detail and claimed in his application for aLoader, Serial No. 306,083, filed Nov. 25, 1939.

The principal support of the main frame 20 is provided by a truck provided on opposite sides with wheels, one of which is seen at 45, which wheels are preferably provided with solid rubber tires, those associated with wheel 45 being seen at 49.

Suspended from the rear end of the main frame 28 is an electric motor M which drives the chain 34 through an appropriate drive, including a sprocket meshing therewith.

It may be pointed out that the frame 20 is pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis'whioh'is provided by a shaft upon which the wheels,- such as wheel 45, are appropriately journaled and the weight distribution is such that the head end of the loader overweighs the discharge end and consequently tends to rest upon the mine floor.

Attention is now directed particularly to Figs. 1 to'5, and to the structure of the gathering head 32. The gathering head 32 is formed by a pair of spaced upright plates 54, 54 (Fig. 4) which are rigidly bolted tothe outsides of. the upright plates 23 of the frame 2! which they overlap. Welded to the bottoms of the plates 54, 5a is a bottom plate '55 which cooperates with longitudinally spaced upright plates 56, 55 (see Fig. 5) and extremely widely spaced apart uprightplates 5?, 5'! (Fig. 4) to form a pair of gear housings 58, 58. Extending over and rigidly attached to the plates 54, '56 and 5? are horizontal plates '59, 59' which form a supporting bottom for the material which is gathered by the gathering head 32, as hereinafter described in complete detail. The plate 59 is suitably apertured above the gear housings 58 to provide for removable cover plates 58, 60 for said gear housings 58, 58. Side access to each gear housing 58 is provided by aremovable cover plate 6!. Each of the upright plates E i-is provided with a removable journal box 62, the outer end of which is provided with a grease retaining felt washer E3, said journal boxes 62, B2 supporting a transversely extending shaft fi l for free rotation, said shaft carrying a sprocket having a wide hub which is keyed to said shaft 64, the teeth of said sprocket 65 meshing with the cOnveyor chain 34 and being driven thereby, as above described.

It may be pointed out that the sprocket 65 acts as a head sprocket for said conveyor chain 34.

Mounted upon the plate 59 and adjacent opposite lateral edges thereof is a pair of gathering conveyors E6 and 61 which are similar in construction, except that one is a right hand and the other a left hand conveyor. Only one will be described in detail and it is to be understood, except for the reversal of parts, they are similar unless otherwise so indicated.

As seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings, a bevel gear 68 is keyed to the right hand end of shaft 64 and meshes with a bevel gear 69 which is keyed to an upright shaft 10, the bottom of which is mounted in a ball bearing H carried by the bottom plate 55.

Also keyed to the shaft 79 adjacent its top is a sprocket 12 having an enlarged hub which is appropriately journaled in the cover plate 66 and a ring 13 which is formed as a part of said cover plate 69. A removable retaining plate M is bolted to the upper end of shaft and retains the sprocket 12 in place. The sprocket 12 is cupshaped and is provided with a removable protection and access plate 15 which provides access to the plate 14. The sprocket 12 drives an endless chain 16 which extends along a guideway formed by a pair of plates 11 and 18 to which are attached top and bottom cam plates I9 and 86, respectively. The plates l1, 18, 19 and 86 are slidable as a unit longitudinally with respect to the plates 59, 59 to provide for adjustment of the tension of the chains 76 and they are attached to said plates 59, 59 by elongated bolts 8| adapted to slide in elongated grooves in the plate 59, one of which is clearly illustrated at 82 in Fig. 5 of the drawings. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, a portion of the plate 59 is reinforced by a plate 83 which is riveted thereto and which forms a stationary portion of the chain guide and carries an abutment block 84 with which the head of an adjusting bolt 85 cooperates, said bolt 85 having an adjusting nut 86 by which the tension of the chain 16 is adjusted. Access to the nut 86 is provided by removing cover plate 8'! which carries a holding lug 88 which prevents turning of the nut 86 when the plate 81 is in place.

At spaced intervals along the chain 16 the inner links are formed of generally triangular plates 89 which have pivot points at their apices to which are pivotally attached gathering flights 99 by means of pairs of pivot arms 96 which straddle plates 89, said flights preferably having serrated top edges and pointed noses.

The detailed structure of these flights is seen by reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The flights 99 are also provided with top and bottom arms 92, 92 which cooperate with the aforementioned top and bottom cam plates 79 and 80 so as to guide the flights along the paths of movement generally indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, each of the former of which arms 92 carries a bit or pick 9!.

It is to be noted by reference particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawings that the plate 59 over which the material is conveyed by the two gathering conveyors 66 and 61, extends above the bottom plate 24 of the conveyor trough and above the upper run of the chain 34 and flights 35. Consequently, as the material is gathered by the gathering conveyors 66 and 61. which is effected by forcing the lower end of the plate 59 under loose or semi-compact coal. the coal will be conveyed along the plates 59. 59 and discharged over the rear edge thereof onto the bottom plate 24 of the conveyor trough along which it will be conveyed by the chain 34 and flights 35.

It is to be noted that the flights 99, while in operation, extend beyond the edges of the plate .59, both along the side thereof and adjacent the .front thereof, and the middle front portion of the plate 59 is made in the form of a V-shaped scoop 93 which insures efiicient contacting of the flights with the coal.

To provide the aforementioned support for the front end of the main frame 26 a shoe 94 is provided adjacent the forward edge of the plate 59 which is adapted to ride on the mine bottom and make the third point of support for said main frame 20.

Adjacent its rear end the plate 59 is provided with upstanding guide plates 95 which generally surround the sprockets 72 and prevent any spillage of material under the influence of the flights 90 when moving around said sprockets 12. From the above description it is manifest that the conveyor chain 34 and the two gathering conveyors 66 and 6'! always operate together since they are directly mechanically connected.

In the operation of the machine it may be moved by controlling the wheels which, as disclosed in the above-mentioned application of Edwin B. Gellatly, are independently operable from independent motors to maneuver the head end to a pile of coal, either in a loose or semicompact state, whereupon said head 32 is fed into said pile of coal with all of the conveyors operating.

The gathering conveyors 65 and 61 are operative'through their flights 90 to scoop up material and carry it over the plates 59, 59' discharging it at the rear end of said plate 59' onto the bottom 24 of the trough on main frame 20 across which it is scraped by chain 34 and flights 35 and ultimately discharged at the rear end thereof.

The movement of any flight 99 throughout a complete cycle of operation is to be noted for it contributes largely to the higher efficiency of the two gathering conveyors 66 and 61. Assuming, for example by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, that the flight is moving forwardly along the outside of plate 59 so that the arms 92 have just come in contact with the cam plates 19 and 89, said cam plate-s l9 and 89 are so formed that the point or nose of the flight is appreciably ahead of a, plane at right angles to the direction of the travel of the flight. In other words, as the flight approaches the material to be gathered, it is angled into the pile of material thereby reducing appreciably the amount of power which would otherwise be required to force the flight into the material. As the flight moves across the outer end of the plate 59, it sweeps the material around, at the same time moving backwardly to a plane which is substantially at right angles to a tangent to the path of movement thereof which is in the arc of a circle at this point. This general position of the flight is maintained during the forepart of the return run during which the material is scraped over the plate 59.

That is to say, the top and bottom arms 92, 92 projecting rearwardly from the flights 90, engage the cam surfaces as the flights push the material along. These cam surfaces are on the edges of the plates 19, and are shown in plan in Fig. 3 at 97, 98, 99, I00, IUI and I02. When the flight is in its position illustrated at a in Fig. 3, it is about to leave the guard plate and at this time the arm 92 clears the plate I03 and when the outer end of the flight 90 leaves the plate 95, the flight is free to assume the position illustrated at b in Fig. 3. As the flight moves along, the arm 92 engages the rear end of the cam 9'! which effects movement of the flight to the position illustrated at c in Fig.

earner? :3. Whenthe arm iflzisiin fullengagement with the :cam surface 19.1, the :flight;assumes .aipositlon shown iatrd .Fig. 3.. zNoWcas the flight moves along, the :arm .92 gradually reaches the arcuate 'cam 'surface"98"wher ethe inner e'dgeof the arm time the arm -92 reaches the straight cam .:sur-- face 99 there is no longer existing the lforward penetrating component of the :gathering .move

the cam surface 99 in :the position .shown at f .injEig. 3, the :coal is moved laterally-toward the :center :of the ,gathering :head :plate 59.

It should be understood. that the gathering .head or mechanism '32 is particularly adapted to "make "a frontal "attack on "coal which still remains standing in a semi-compact mass after being shattered by a blasting charge. At the base :of .suchsemi-compactumass the lfiights tend to form a 'Vshaped kerf with its upper wall irregular .in formation by :reason of the serrations, which facilitates the dislodging action of the picking tool .91 mounted rigidly on the upper arm 92 rearwardly of the flight 90, as shown in Fig. 7, but projecting upwardly therefrom :as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 3, each and every one of the flights 99 of both of the :endless gathering conveyors '66, i6 is :provided with a rigidly mounted picking tool 9'! As shown in "Fig. 3, the straight cam surfaces 99, 99 converge slightly toward the center of the .plate 5%? and merge with 'thescircular 'cam surfaces H30, H38. Therefore when the arms 92 move along the circular cam surfaces l llll, the flights '95 move approximately along the upper edges of the converging faces of the V-shaped scoop 93.

angles to the forward coal engaging face of the fl ht.

The cam surfaces fill, I91 are in diverging relation as shown in Fig. 3 andwhile the arms 92 engage these straight cam surfaces till, the flights assume the positions illustrated :at h and i, the flights of the two conveyors 6 6, being in staggered relation as shown "in Fig. 3. This staggered relation is preferred so that as "the flights 9% move on to the plate 59 from the mine bottom, large lumps of coal will not be crowded and jammed between the. flights 90 of one conveyor 56 and the flights .90 of the other nonveyor 61 at the V-shaped scoop 93. However, it is desirable to have the flights move in opposite orbital directions so that as they sweep across the face of the semi-compact mass there will be a balancing effect on the framework of the loading machine, thereby preventing pivoting of the latter at the axle of the wheels 45.

The straight cam surfaces I02, H]! are more diverging than the cam surfaces lill, l0l, so that as the arms 92 reach the cam surfaces I02 the flights will begin to swing backwardly as illustrated by the positions 9' and 7c in Fig. 3. There is still considerable conveying action in the position 7, but in the position 10 the flight is in readiness to slide out of the coal on the plates 59 and 59'. That is to say, when the arm 92 runs off the straight cam surface I02, the flight When the position 9 is reached, the I flight 9i! is moving in a-direction almost at right :mento'f the flight 99. As the arm '92 rides :along is-released to swing absolutely free under the influence of the coal .being oonveyed. The flight will not, under these conditions, move entirely parallel with the path of the chain because coal to the rear of the. released flight will still be conveyed by a trailing flight. However; when the flight is released from the cam I02 it is substantially free to flow or move over the plate 59' like any 'lump of coal, and therefore when the flight is thus released it has no influence upon the conveying of the coal over the plate 59' and this takes place before the point of pivotal connection-of the flight starts to move in a curved path along the arc of a circle around a drive sprocket 12. The floating position of the flight is illustrated in the position I in Fig. 3,

and the positions of the flight within the guards B5 are illustrated at m, n and a.

As the flight rounds the sprocket 12 it is still a floating condition. This floating action from the time it starts until the flight is on the other side of the sprocket precludes the throwing of any of the coal outwardly as the flight rounds the sprocket. In other words, the release of the'flight when it reaches the plate 59 permits the flight to slide out from the coal while the latter continues to be conveyed along straight lines on the plate 59 to the main conveyor. It will thus be seen that the release of the flight to enabl it to be withdrawn lengthwise from the conveyed coal, reduces to a minimum transfer of coal by the flights along the plate adjacent the guards 95. The tendency of the flights as they leave the plate 5a in their upward paths of travel is to move the coal laterally from the plate 59 onto the plate 59 adjacent the guards 95, but this tendency is overcome by an automatic release of the flights as illustrated in Fig. 3. The upward extensions 95', 95 converge as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to merge into the side walls of the main conveyor trough. These angular extensions '95, "95' co-operate with the flights when in their 'floating condition to maintain the conveyed coal in the path of movement of the flights '35 of the main conveyor, thereby preventing the transfer of coal along the arcuate guards 95.

The rearward extension 59' of the plate 59 overlaps the forward lower end of the main-conveyor. This can readily be seen by referring to Fig. -'5 and comparing the same with Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 4. It is important to note'that the plate 59 is spaced above the bottom plate 24 only a sufficient distance to permit free movements of the 5 flights '35 as they emerge from under the plate 59'. During loading operations the drop of the coal from theplate 59 to the bottom plate 24 is therefore reduced toaminimum. It willthus be :seen that the loading of the coal from the mine floor to the conveyor iflights 35 is effected with a minimum of degradation of the coal. It will thus be seen also that by providing .for release of the flights 9 to :permit them to slide out from the coal being conveyed over the plate 59'. the spacing between the rear delivery edge of the :plate 59' and the bottom plat fz' i need not be sufficient to permit the lumps to drop out from under the flights 99. In other words, the flights 913 pull themselves out from the conveyed coal so that the rear edge of the plate 59 need be no farther from the bottom plate 24 than is necessary for the passage of the flights 35 under the plate 59' to enable the chain 34 to engage the sprocket on the transverse shaft 54 of Fig. 5, such sprocket being shown at 65 in Fig. 4.

The type of main conveyor illustrated is part'icularly adapted to a low roof loading machine because a hopper is eliminated byusing a single endless chain with the links on pivots rectangularly related to permit lateral swinging of the discharge section of the main conveyor to various positions. The main framework is a single unit mounted on a single pair of wheels for tilting on the axis of the wheels. The unit including the swinging discharge section 22 is balanced so as to have the center of gravity in advance of the axis of the wheels. A relatively large motor is connected to the main conveyor to drive the same, and as shown'in Figs. 4 and 5 such' drive is extended to the two endless gathering conveyors 5'5, El. Two relatively small motors, one connected to each of the wheels 415, are relied on to move the gathering head forwardly for frontal attack on the coal to be loaded, or laterally for lateral attacks thereon.

Although the loading machine embodying my improvements may have a general application, it is particularly adapted for the loading of coal from semi-compact masses at the coal face, which after being shot still remain standing but in shattered condition. The general combinations of features particularly adapted for low roof mines and the features as to the provision of a pair of separately power driven supporting wheels for maneuvering the machine during loading operations, are described and claimed in the aforesaid application of Edwin E. Gellatly, Serial No. 306,083, filed Nov. 25, 1939, for an improvement in a Loader. By rotating the ground engaging wheels in opposite directions the machine may be swung about in its own length and by operating a both wheels in the same direction the whole machine may be reciprocated for gathering operations.

Reverting to the fit of the arms 92 with the arcuate cams 98 it should be noted that each flight 90 and pick 9| is a single rigid structure having two spaced arms 92, 92 in position to engage the cams 93 on the spaced plates 19 and 80 shown in Fig. 5. Asstated above, the flights have a forward penetrating component and a lateral conveying component when the arms 92 move along the cam surfaces 82. Consequently when the flights have maximum duties to perform the inner curved surfaces of the arms 92 contact over the maximum areas with the cam surfaces 98 to effect maximum or most efiicient resistance to back thrust during operations of the gathering flights.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and I therefore Wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Gathering mechanism for a loading machine comprising the combination with a conveyor chain, of mechanism for guiding the same, a conveyor flight pivoted to said chain, a cam having a'curved abutment surface adjacent a predetermined portion of the path of travel of said chain, and an arm on said flight having an extended curved side bearing surface in position to fit said curved abutment surface to confine said flight to penetrating and conveying paths when said chain is moved along such predetermined path.

2. A loading machine comprising the combination with a receiving plate, of an endless chain conveyor mounted thereon and having conveyor flights pivoted to the chain for free swinging movement of about ninety degrees relatively thereto on upright axes when the chain is about to change direction adjacent the upper discharge end of said plate, trailing arms on said flights, a cam in position to be engaged by said arms to hold the flights each with its leading face at an acute angle with respect to the direction of travel .of the flight as the flight moves forward pointed into the material to be gathered, another cam engaged by said arms to hold the flights at right angles to the path of travel as such flights convey material over said plate toward the said discharge end of said plate, and means for driving said endless chain conveyor comprising a sprocket meshing with the chain adjacent said discharge end rearwardly of the rear end of said second-named cam so that as each flight reaches said sprocket it is freed for a ninety degree piv.. otal movement for lateral withdrawal from the said plate without conveying action laterally of said plate.

3. Gathering mechanism for a loading machine comprising the combination with an endless conveyor chain, of means for guiding the same along an orbital path, a plurality of spaced conveyor flights each pivoted to said chain, a cam having a curved abutment surface adjacent the penetrating and conveying paths of travel of the flights, and a plurality of arms one trailing from each flight and each having a curved surface in position to wipe along said curved abutment surface to confine the flight to such penetrating and conveying paths when the chain is traveling adjacent said cam.

4. Gathering mechanism for a loading machine comprising the combination with a gathering head comprising an inclined scooping and receiving plate, of a pair of spaced-apart endless conveyor chains mounted on such plate, means for guiding such conveyor chains to travel in orbital paths, a plurality of spaced flights pivotally connected to said chains, means for driving said chains in opposite directions to move the

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