US2792952A

US2792952A - Wagon loader

Info

Publication number: US2792952A
Application number: US388610A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gene E Elder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-10-27
Filing date: 1953-10-27
Publication date: 1957-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1974-05-21

Description

G. E; ELDER Y WAGON LOADER May 21, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1953 INVENTOR.

. Gene E. E ldr y 1, 1957 G. E; ELDER 2,792,952

WAGON LOADER Filed Oct. 27, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gene E. Elder v JNVEN TOR.

G. E. ELDER May 21, 1957 WAGON LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 27, 1953 Gene E. Elder INVENTOR.

United States Patent WAGON LOADER Gene E. Elder, Cherokee, Iowa Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,610

1 Claim. (Cl. 214-83.26)

This invention relates to a wagon loader, and more specifically provides an elevator for conveying material to or from a wagon, or other conveyance.

An object of this invention is to provide a wagon loader detachably secured to a conveyance and having a drive meansextending beneath the conveyance and connected to a suitable power source for driving the elevator. Another object of this invention is to provide a wagon loader comprising an elevator for removing and loading material from a wagon and more specifically provided with a hopper and an endless conveyor belt or chain for moving the material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wagon loader specifically designed for detachable association with a wagon wherein the elevator may be disconnected and the wagon employed in its normal uses.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a wagon loader which may be used for various loading and unloading purposes and which is simple in construction, easy and efficient in operation, sturdy in construction and comprising readily obtainable materials wherein the economic feasibility of the device is facilitated.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the wagon loader of this invention in position for loading the wagon;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the construction of Figure 1 showing a portion of the wagon body broken away;

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the wagon loader in a position to unload material from the wagon and deposit it in a suitable receptacle;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken substantially along section line 44 of Figure 2, showing details of the elevating conveyor and the drive means for the wagon loader;

Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical section taken substantially along section line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing details of the wagon loader hoist means wherein the angular relation of the wagon loader may be changed;

Figure 6 is a top plan section taken substantially along section line 6--6 of Figure 4, showing details of the conveyor drive means;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 of Figure 2, showing details of the elevator hoist lock means;

7 Figure 8 is a detail side elevation of the discharge spout of the wagon loader;

, Figure-9 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along section line 9--9 of Figure 8, showing details of the conveyor belt tightener;

Figure 10 is a detail section taken substantially along section line 10-10 of Figure 9, showing details of the slidable bearing block for the conveyor roller; and

. a wagon, generally indicated by the numeral 12, which is attached to a drawbar 14 of a tractor 16 by suitable hitching means 18. The wagon 12 includes a plurality of ground engaging wheels 20 supporting a wagon body 44 with a conventional frame generally indicated by the numeral 24 wherein the wagon 12 may be moved over a suitable surface when the tractor 16 is driven. As shown in Figure 4, the frame 24 includes aligned apertures forming a bearing for a rotatable shaft 26 positioned under the body 22 of the wagon 12 and projecting from each end of the frame 24'. At the forward end of the shaft 26 is a universal joint 28 connecting a drive shaft 30 to the shaft 26 and the drive shaft 30 is connected to the power take-off shaft 32 by a suitable universal joint 34. It will be understood that the drive shaft '30 transmits rotational motion from the take-cit shaft 32 to the .shaft 26 thereby rotating the shaft 26 regardless of the angular direction of the tractor 16 in relation to the wagon 12. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an elongated rotatable shaft 36 is secured to the rear end of the shaft 26 by a suitable universal joint 38 and the other end of the shaft 36 is provided with a bevel gear 40 thereon for a purpose described hereinafter.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 4, it will be seen that the wagon loader 10 includes an-elongated frame-like trough member 42 having a rounded lower end portion 44 with a hopper 46 positioned thereon forming an entrance to the wagon loader 10. A pair of

transverse shafts

48 and 50 are located at the remote ends of the conveyor housing 42 with a spur gear 52 on the shaft 48 and a spur gear 54 on the shaft 50. The spur gears 52 and 54 are located adjacent the center of the shaft and along the longitudinal center line of the conveyor housing 42 for receiving anendless chain conveyor 56 thereover with projecting slats 58 thereon for elevating material along a conveyor bottom 60 in engagement with the under surface of the upper run of the endless chain 56. The upperend of the conveyor housing 42 is provided with a downwardly opening discharge spout 62 on the opposite side of the housing 42 from the inlet hopper 46 wherein the material may be discharged into a suitable bin or truck generally indicated by the numeral 54.

As shown in Figure 6, the transverse shaft 48 is journaled in suitable ballbearings 66 and projecting end portions 68 of the shaft are supported in rearwardly projecting brackets 70 secured to the lower portion of the transverse member of the wagon frame 24. The rearwardly projecting brackets 70 are provided with an arcuate recess 72 along their upper edge for receiving the end portion 68 of the rotatable shaft 48. A bevel gear 74 is secured to one end of the shaft 48 in meshing engagement with the bevel gear 40 on the end of the elongated shaft 36 or a shorter shaft 76 which is used when the wagon loader 10 is used in a position to unload the wagon 12. A projecting portion of the shaft 48, indicated by the numeral 78, is supported in suitable bearings 80 at its end portion and the bearing 80 is supported by a frame member 82 having guide bearings 84 for supporting the

shaft

76 or 36 so that the bevel gears 44) and 74 are retained in alignment. It will be seen that one of the bearings 66 is supported on a projecting arm 86, carried by the bracket member 82 wherein the

shaft

36 or 76 may be revolved in angular relation about the shaft 48 to permit the conveyoror wagon loader 10 to be moved in angular relationto the wagon 12. i

As shown in Figures and 6 in detail, a rotatableshaft 88 is positioned transversely of the conveyor housing 42 midway of the longitudinal length of the housing and is supported thereon by suitable bearing brackets 90 and the remote ends thereof are provided with a pair of cablewinding drums 92 and a handle member 94 is secured to one end of the shaft 88 at its outermost end. The ratchet gear 96 is secured to one of the drums 92 between the conveyor housing 42 and the drum 92 .and a spring urged pawl 98 is secured to the conveyor housing 42 by suitable U-shaped bracket 100 and a handle 102 is positioned at the remote end of the pawl 98 wherein the pawl 98 may be released from the ratchet gear 96 permitting the winding drums 92 to be rotated by the handle 94. A flexible cable 104 is attached to the winding drum 92 at one end and the other end thereof is attached to an upstanding lug 106 secured to an upstanding member on the frame 24 at the remote edges of the frame wherein the angular relationship of the housing 42 and the wagon 12 may be adjusted about the axis formed when the shaft 48 is positioned on the bracket 70 in the recess portion 72 and the short shaft 76 is used for operating the wagon loader 10.

Referring now specifically to Figures 8-10, it will be seen that the upper rotatable shaft 50 includes end portions 108 journaled in bearing blocks 110 which are generally rectangular in nature and slidably mounted in an elongated channel member 112 secured to the housing 42 by suitable securing means 114. As will be seen, the channel member 112 and the side of the housing 42 are provided with elongated slots 116 for sliding movement of the shaft 50. A threaded member 118 is rotatably secured to the bearing block 110 and is threadably engaged with a projecting lug 120 and provided with a polygonal end portion 122 and a lock nut 124 wherein the bearing block 110 may be moved in the longitudinal slot 116 in the channel member 112 by manipulation of the screw threaded member 118. The threaded engagement with the projecting lug 120 will cause the screw threaded member to move longitudinally of the housing 42 and thereby tightening the conveyor chain 56 to a desired degree of tautness. The setscrew 124 may be tightened against the outer edge of the projecting lug 120 to retain the screw threaded member 118 in its adjusted position. It will be understood that the adjustment means, as above described, is positioned on each side of the channel shaped housing 42 for simultaneously tightening the endless conveyor belt 56 by movement of the shaft 50.

As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the depending spout 62 may be provided with outstanding peripheral flanges 126 for rotatably receiving an extension 128. The extension 128 is provided with oppositely disposed extensions 130 and an extension member 132 is pivotally mounted on the projecting lugs 130 for limited angular movement thereabout. An upstanding eye member 134 is secured to the bottom end of the discharge spout 62 and an upstanding lug 136 is positioned on the extension 132 and a flexible chain 138 connects the

lugs

134 and 136 wherein the distance between the lugs is adjustable and the angular relationship of the spout 132 and the discharge spout 62 may be adjusted by shortening the distance between the

lugs

134 and 136 in an obvious manner.

As shown in the drawings, the wagon body 22 is provided with a discharge closure generally indicated by the numeral 140 and the hopper 46 is provided with a transverse member 142 forming a handle therefor and also preventing the hopper 46 from becoming overloaded in an obvious manner. As shown in Figure 6, the side of the housing 42 adjacent the bevel gears 74 and 40 is provided with a lug 142 having an aperture 144 therein and the bracket 82 is provided with a lug 146 which has an aperture therein for matching with the aperture 144 and the lug 142 when the wagon loader is placed in a position to load the wagon substantially as shown in Fig- 4 .ures 1 and .2, wherein the bevel gears 74 and 40 are retained in their correct relative position.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. As shown in Figure 4, the shaft 48 is positioned on the bracket 70 with the hopper 46 under the discharge of the wagon and the discharge spout 62 is adjusted vertically by manipulation of the handle 94 thereby winding the supporting cable 104 thereabout and changing the angular relation between the wagon and the conveyor housing 42. As will be understood, the tractor takeoff is operated thereby turning the

shafts

26 and 76 and operating the conveyor in an obvious manner. When it is desired to move the wagon loader 10 to a position for loading the wagon, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hopper 46 is moved remote from the wagon and the short shaft 76 is replaced with the long shaft 36 after the bracket 82 had been swung about the axis of the shaft 48 and the

lugs

142 and 146 have been secured in correct relation. The tension adjuster for the conveyor operates in an obvious manner, as does the various discharge spouts. The device may be specially utilized in connection with a dump-type wagon or thje like, and may be readily detachable therefrom, wherein the wagon may be readily usable for many purposes.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a wheeled wagon having a frame :and a body portion, a wagon loader disposed exteriorly of said body portion, said wagon loader comprising an inclined elevating conveyor, a hopper at the lower end of said conveyor, said conveyor including an endless chain, means for tensioning said chain, projections on said chain for transporting material, bracket means mounted on said frame for detachably supporting the lower end of the conveyor adjacent the body portion, a drive shaft journaled on said frame and adapted to be connected to a power source, and adjustable means for extending the drive shaft for driving the conveyor chain when the lower end of the conveyor is disposed adjacent to and remote from the body portion for selectively loading and unloading a wagon, said conveyor having a transverse end shaft, a bevel gear on the end shaft, a bracket rotatably journaled on said end shaft, a stub drive shaft journaled on said bracket, a bevel gear on said stub drive shaft in meshing engagement with the bevel gear on the end shaft whereby the end shaft and the conveyor may be driven with the stub drive shaft disposed in various angular positions when the drive shaft is connected to the stub drive shaft when the lower end of the conveyor is selectively disposed "adjacent to and remote from the body portion.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,515,327 Barkmann et a1 Nov. 11, 192.4- 1,841,525 Evensen Jan. 19, 1932 2,302,840 Chart-rand Nov. 24, 1942 2,401,465 Cwicig June 4, 1946 2,410,996 Patterson Nov. 12, 1946 2,422,268 Symonds June 17, 1947 2,490,241 Smith et a1 Dec. 6, 1949 2,539,021 Kitchens Jan. 23, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 305,784 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1929 127,882 Sweden Apr. 4, 1950