US2648989A - Demountable u-link chain for barn cleaners - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1953 N. CORDIS 2,648,989

DEMOUNTABLE U LINK CHAIN FOR BARN CLEANERS Filed March 13, 1950 Fig. 7 Fig. 8

INVENTOR:

NAT CORDI S I 'mragflam Fig. IQ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES .11

TENT OFFICE DEMOUNTABLE U-LINK CHAIN FOR BARN CLEANERS Claims.

This invention relates to drive and conveyor chainsv and more particularly to drive and. con-- veyor chains of the type which includes links formed of alternate punched plates connected by a U-shaped. member, some of the plates also serving to support transverse scrapers or paddles. More specifically, my invention relates to demountable conveyor chain assemblies adapted for use in barn cleaners.

The barn cleaner of the kind to which my invention relates includes a trough or gutter in the floor of the barn adjacent the animal stalls. This gutter or trough usually passes stalls on opposite sides of a barn floor and the cleaner travels in a loop. At some point along the travel of the cleaner, a pit is provided for the accumulation of refuse deposited therein as the chain and paddles pass over the pit. An elevator carries the refuse from the pit to a distributing point or vehicle and this elevator may also use the chain and paddle assembly produced in accordance with this invention. Chains for conveying the paddles through the troughs must be strong, rugged, and demountable to permit modification or repair of the assembly by unskilled labor on the site.

A desirable feature in chains of the above type is the provision of demountable fabricated chain links which are constructed so as to permit the separation of the chain at any point for lengthening or shortening the chain. In chains having this feature, however, it is necessary to provide means for locking the parts to prevent unintended separation during the normal use of the chain.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a chain construction which is demountable. Another object is to provide a positive means for locking the demountable chain elements. A further object of the invention is to provide a demountable chain assembly in combinaticn with paddles or scrapers which is particularly adapted for use in barn cleaners. An additional object is to provide a method and means for fabricating and modifying a conveyor chain assembly which avoids any on-the-job welding and can be installed by unskilled labor. These and other objects of my invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

In general I attain the objects of my invention by providing a demountable coupling member for joining alternate chain links comprising a U- shaped body adapted to engage adjacent chain links formed from punched plates. A side bar is provided with apertures for accommodating the legs of the U-shaped member. To retain the side bar in the assembled relation, recesses near the terminal ends of the legs are engaged by a side bar retainer such as, for example, spring rings. A bracket for supporting a paddle or scraper is carried by some of the links and is welded or otherwise fixed to or is integral with a plate link.

To illustrate my invention I have shown embodiments thereof in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a length of my chain;

Figure 2'is a top side View of 'a portion of a length of my chain, partly in section, the section being taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

' Figure 3 is a plan View showing the side bar which is assembled in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of one of the plate links which are alternated with the U-shaped member of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a side view which, taken with Figure 6, shows the details of the U-shaped member;

Figure 6 is a detailed View partly in section taken along the line 'e,6 of Figure 2;

Figures '7 and 8 illustrate details of a side bar retainer which is in the form of spring rings; and

Figures 9 and 10 are plan and side views, re spectively, of one type of sprocket which is adapted for use with my novel chain construction.

Referring to the drawings wherein correspond ing elements in the various figures are designated by similar reference characters, the chain construction includes alternate plate links H and U-shaped members it) having a side bar I2 and a retainer means 23.

The retainer 53 may, for example, be a spring ring made of brass or other'malleable and noncorrosive metal so that they can be readily removed in the event that it is desired to subtract or add links to the installed chain conveyor. Ordinarily, the U-shaped members It will be formed from round steel stock and the side bars l2, as well as the plate links H, can be forged or punched from metal plates of the desired weight. In any event, it is not necessary to use any welding either at the site or in prefabrication of unitary lengths of the chain,

The side bar l2, which is illustrated in Figure 3, has apertures I! which are non-circular, that is, the portion Ila is not cut out and this portion abuts the shoulder is on the U-member l8. To fabricate the chain the legs of the U-shaped member H) are passed through alternate plate links 1 I. The side bar :2 isthen placed over the legs of the Ushaped member iii and the spring rings it are crimped into the recesses M.

A side bar retainer 83 such as that shown in Figures 7 and 8 and in assembled position in Figures l, 2 and 6, fits snugly within the recesses M in the legs of the U-shaped member Hi. If desired, however, the retainer I3 may be a flexible plate substantially co-extensive with the side bar l2 and slotted adjacent its ends to engage the recesses It in the legs. of the U-shaped link.

Figures 5 and 6 show a U-link which has been fabricated from round stock and shaped as shown.

The legs of the member it are provided with re cesses i l and shoulders I5 have been formed as by forging. That is, shoulders ii are adapted to restrict the movement of the side bar l2 downwardly toward the base of the U-member i0. By this means the chain assembly is jam-free and the plate links l l are free to rotate about the legs of the U-shaped member 10.

When the chain of this invention is installed in a gutter it travels along one side thereof near the bottom and the lower edge of the paddle 22 travels in contact with the floor of the gutter. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate such a barn cleaner paddle or scraper 21-22 which is mounted on the chain at spaced intervals. The bracket 23 is fixed as by welding to a plate link H and has a bolt-receiving opening 24. The paddle 2l22 is provided with a slot 28 and a bolt 23. The slot 23 passes over the bracket and the bolt 23 in turn passes through the paddle Zl-ZZ and the bracket 20. A spacer element or ring may be interposed between the paddle face 22 and the bracket 29 as shown in the drawings and a suitable locking means such as nut 21 completes the assembly. It is contemplated, however, that other types of paddles and paddle mounts may be used. For example, I can provide an inverted U-shaped bracket with the base fixed to the plate link i I and mount a wooden or metal paddle within the bracket on a bolt or pin passed through the arms of the U.

One embodiment of a suitable drive and idler sprocket for use with my chain assembly is shown in Figures 9 and 10. The sprocket 30 is mounted so as to permit the teeth 3! to enter the opening 31a defined by the U-shaped member l5 and the side bar 12 as shown in Figure 2. The tooth 3! within any given U-shaped link 10 bears against the preceding plate link II as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 2, It should be noted that the bearing surface 32 between the teeth 3i on the sprocket 39 is substantially fiat to accommodate the long edge of the plate link ll. By this construction and arrangement there is a minimum of slapping of the chain on the sprockets whether the sprocket idles or drives.

Although I have described my invention with reference to particular embodiments, this is for the purpose of illustration only and my invention is not limited thereto. It is, therefore, contemplated that modifications can be made by those skilled in the art in view of this description without departing from the spirit of my invention described herein or as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling link for joining adjacent chain links formed of punched plates, comprising a generally U-shaped main body of round stock having upstanding cylindrical legs to receive the chain links, an annular groove of rectangular cross-section adjacent the ends of the link-receiving legs, a shoulder on each of said legs spaced from said groove, a plate having noncircular holes in its opposite ends adapted to receive the legs and to engage the shoulder on said legs, the distance between the shoulder and the lower edge of the groove being approximate- 1y equal to the thickness of the said plate, and a plate-retaining means adapted to enter said grooves and contact the upper surface of said plate whereby the said plate is secured between said grooves and said shoulders.

2. A coupling link for joining adjacent chain 4 links formed of punched plates, comprising a generally U-shaped member of round stock having an elongated straight base and upstandin legs to receive the adjacent chain links, an an nular groove of rectangular cross-section adja cent the ends of the link-receiving legs, a forged shoulder on each of said legs spaced from said grooves, a plate having holes in its opposite ends arranged to engage the grooved ends of the said legs, the distance between the shoulder and the lower edge of the grooves being approximately equal to the thickness of the said plate, and split spring rings adapted to engage said grooves whereby the said plate is secured between said grooves and said shoulders.

3. A chain link comprising a shallow U-shaped body formed from round stock and having upturned parallel legs forming the bearing surfaces of the link, an annular groove formed on each of said legs, a shoulder forged on each of said legs between said grooves and said bearing surfaces, a flat side bar having non-circular holes in its opposite ends to receive said grooved ends and abut the said shoulders, and a flexible locking member for retaining said side bar and body in assembled arrangement, said flexible locking member being engageable with said grooves.

4. A sprocket chain construction including alternate fiat plates and demountable links adapted to accommodate the teeth of a sprocket, each such demountable link comprising a member of round stock having an elongated base and parallel uptur' ed pintle-like legs, the said legs being round and the axes of said legs extending at right angles to the axis of the said base, an annular groove encircling each said pintle-like leg and spaced inwardly from the end thereof to provide a head on each leg, a removable flat side bar arranged between legs or" the same member below said grooves, side bar stop means on each leg spaced below said grooves a distance which corresponds to the thickness of said flat side bar, and a spring ring in each said groove retaining said side bar and alternate plates on said pintle-like legs.

5. A sprocket chain construction including alternate plates and demountable links, each such demountable link comprising an elongated shallow U-shaped member of round cross section having a base portion and right angular turned pintle-like legs, an annular groove of rectangular cross section about each leg near the end thereof to provide a head on each leg, a removable flat side bar arranged below said heads and grooves and between legs of the same U- shaped member, side bar stop means on each leg spaced below said groove a distance correspond ing to the thickness of said flat side bar, and a spring ring in each said groove retaining said side bar on said pintle-like legs below said heads.

NAT CORDIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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