US2831274A - Power operated shovel for granular bulk material - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1958 M. c. ADDICKS 2,831,274

POWER OPERATED SHOVEL FOR GRANULAR BULK MATERIAL Filed March 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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POWER OPERATED SHOVEL FOR GRANULAR BULK MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1955 5 &8 IL I] Q7 INVENTOR.

April 22, 1958 M. c. ADDICKS 2,831,274

POWER OPERATED SHOVEL FOR GRANULAR BULK MATERIAL Filed March 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

- a 9 I lntte ttes atent cc Patented Apr,

Fig; 5 is a view in side elevation of the shovel of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6 is a. lower end view as seen from the line 66 2,831,274 of Fig. 5'; nml 5 Fig; 7 is a; front! elevation of another modification; POWER ggfiggg i gg GP AR Fig; 8 is a view in section taken on. the line 88 of Mentor C. Addicks, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 9,1955, Serial No. 493,265

5 Claims. (Cl. 37-135) My invention relates generally to power operated shovels and, more specifically, to such shovels or scoops which are utilized in the moving of loose granular bulk material such as grain or the like. More particularly, my present invention relates to improvements in shovels or scoops used in connection with automatic shovelling machinery of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,646,965, issued July 28, 1953,v and entitled "Device for Handling Granular Material.

Heretofore, in devices of this kind, wherein the material handling shovel isautomatically reciprocated between a retracted digging position and a projected delivery position, difiiculty is often experienced in causing the shovel tobury itself sui'hciently into the material to obtain a full load. This difliculty is increased-when relatively lightweight shovels are used, the light weight of the shovel being advantageous to the rapid reciprocation thereof without undue strain on the lines or cables and other parts of the machinery used to move the same. The primary object of my invention is, therefore, the provision of a shovel of the type set forth having novel digger means thereon for causing the same to bury itself in the material at the initial part of its forward delivery movement whereby to obtain a maximum load thereon before the shovel travels an appreciable distance toward the delivery point-1 Another object of my invention is the provision of a shovel of the type set forth having a digger element which has alength less than one-half of that of the shovel whereby, due to the lesser area of the digger element and the resultant lower friction therebetween and the material to be moved, the digger element will draw the shovel downwardly into the material when the shovel is moved forwardly toward its point of delivery.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a shovel of the above type which is of relatively light weight, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which is efiicient in operation and durable in use.

The above, and still further highly important objects and advantages of my invention, will. become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout theseveral views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, partly diagrammatic, view in vertical section of the body of a railroad car or the like illustrating a preferred embodiment of my novel shovel and its use;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the shovel of Fig. l, on. an enlarged scale, some parts. being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a lower forward end view of the shovel of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig.4 is a view in front elevation of a modified form of shovel;

Fig. 7';

Fig. 9 is a view in front elevation of a shovel showing still another modified form;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the shovel of Fig. 9; some parts being broken away and. some parts shown in section;

Fig; I1 is a lower end? View of the shovel of Figs. 9 and 10 as seen' from the line 1111 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a view in front elevation of a still. further modified form;

Fig. 13 is a view in side elevation of the. shovel of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a view inside elevation of. still another modified form; and

Fig. 15 is a transverse section taken on the line, 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Inv the preferred embodiment. of my invention illustrated in. Figs. 1 to 3,,inclusive,-- a:power operated shovel is indicatedin its entirety by the. numeral 1',v and comprisesa pain of flat body elements 2- and 3 which converge rearwardly toward anapex indicated at 4. Adjacent their upper ends, the body elements 2 and 3 are joined by a brace bar 5 which. is bolted or otherwise rigidly anchoredat-its opposite-ends tothe'body elements 2 and: 3; as indicated at 6 and 7, respectively. Asshown in Fig. 2-, the body element 3 is provided with a plurality of holes 8- for selectively receiving the anchoring bolts 7, whereby the brace bar 5-- may be positioned at various points longitudinally ofthe shovel I as desired. It may be assumed that the body element 2 is also provided with holes similar to the: holes 8* for reception of anchoring bolt 6-as selected! At their: lower ends,.the body elements 2 and 3 areprovid'ed with. toothed reinforcing plates 9 and 10; respectively, which-tend to break up lumps of material during the shovelling operation, and'which stiffen. the lower ends of the plate-like body elements 2 and 3. Welded or otherwise secured to'the toothed- plates 9 and 10 are a pair of laterally spaced ring-like shoes 11 and a central ring-like shoe 12, which shoes engage the floor of the car or bin being emptied, whereby to prevent the teeth of the plates'9and 10'from' digging into the floor and causing damage thereto.

Rigidly secured to the central portion of the shovel 1 near the upper end thereofis' a generally U-shaped anchoring bracket 13 towhich is pivotally mounted the upper end of a draw-bar acting l'eg 1'4that extends forwardly and downwardly and terminates in a ground engaging shoe 15; The leg 14 is adapted to swing toward and away from the shovel 1 and is provided intermediate its ends with a generally rearwardlyprojecting stop bar 16 that is adapted to engage the intermediate or apex portion 4 of'the shovel 1 to limit swinging movements of the leg 14 inwardly toward the shovel. Means for limiting outward or forward swinging movements of the leg 14 with respect to the shovel comprises a flexible cable 17 which is anchored at its opposite ends to hook-like elements 18 and 19 that are rigidly secured to the outer side edge portions of the body elements 2 and 3, respectively, and near the lower ends thereof. The cable17 is adapted to be received in a selected one of a plurality of forwardly opening notches 20 in the intermediate portion of the drawbar-acting leg 14 whereby to adjustably limit the outward swinging movement of the leg with respect to the shovel. A locking arm 21 is pivotally secured at one end to the leg 14, as indicated at 22, and is provided with 3 a plurality of inwardly opening notches 23, each of which cooperates with a different one of the notches in the leg 14 to form an aperture through which the intermediate portion of the cable 17 is adapted to pass. When it is desired to shift the cable 17 from 'onenotch to another, it is merely necessary to swing the locking arm 21 outwardly with respect to the leg 14, after which the: cable 17 may be moved from one notch 20 to another thereof. When the cable 17 is placed in the desired notch 20, the locking arm 21 is again swung inwardly into engagement with the leg 14. The locking arm 21 may be releasably held against outward swinging movements by any suitable means, not shown.

Intermediate the notches 20 and the shoe-forming lower end 15, the leg 14 is provided with a plurality of apertures 24, through a selected one of which is passed an anchoring link 25 at the end of a forward pulling line or cable 26. Adjacent its upper end, the leg 14 is provided with a plurality of apertures 27 for the selective reception of an anchoring clip or the like 28 to which is connected a rearward or return pulling line or cable 29. With reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the return 'cable 29 is adapted to pass over a tail sheave 30 suitably mounted to one end portion of the interior wall of a bin or railroad freight car A. The car A is of the usual type utilized for hauling grain or other freight and is provided at its central portion with a door-equipped opening B, the floor of the car being indicated at C. The cables 26 and 29 may be assumed to extend to suitable winding means, not shown, but clearly disclosed in my prior United States patent above identified, the shovel 1 being movable between a retracted position adjacent the tail sheave 30 and a forwardly projected delivery position adjacent the door opening B whereby to unload the car A of material such as grain or the like, indicated at D. Obviously, as the level of the grain D in the car is lowered, the tail sheave 30 is placed in a lower position so that the shovel 1 is caused to engage the same adjacent the end wall of the car, said end wall being indicated at B. As shown in Fig. 1, during the return movement of the shovel 1 from its delivery position toward the tail sheave 30, the same moves on or over the surface of the granular material D. Then, during its forward delivery movement, the shovel 1 tends to dig into the material whereby to move the'sarne toward the door opening B. Inasmuch as the shovel 1 reciprocates between its retracted and delivery positions at a relatively rapid rate of speed, it is advisable that the shovel 1 be of as light weight as possible commensurate with the strength necessary to enable the same to perform its useful function, so that the strain on the cables 26 and 29 and the machinery for moving the same is held to a minimum.

As above indicated, some difiiculty has been encounteredwith the use of light weight shovels in causing the same to be properly buried in the material D during the initial portion of the forward travel thereof so that a full load of material is carried by the shovel to the point of delivery. In order to overcome this difliculty, I provide a digger element 31, cross-sectionally U-shape, and having its'axis generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension-of the shovel 1. As shown, the digger element 31, extending transversely of the shovel 1, has its opposite ends bolted or otherwise rigidly anchored to the body elements 2 and 3 adjacent the lower ends thereof, as indicated at 32. The digger element 31 has a leading edge 33 and a trailing edge 34, the intermediate portions of which are rearwardly spaced from the planes of the body elements 2 and 3 so that grain D is adapted to pass therebetween during the movements of the shovel through the granular material. With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a ring-like floor-engaging shoe 35 is anchored to the digger element 31 at its transversely intermediate portion and adjacent the leading edge 33 thereof.

As shown in Fig. 1, during the rearward movement of .4 the shovel 1, the digger element slides through the granular material D adjacent the surface thereof and remains buried in the material to substantially the rearward limit of its travel. As the shovel 1 is pulled forwardly toward its delivery position, it is tilted upwardly toward its position shown in Fig. 2. During this initial forward movement, material moving upwardly between the rear surface of the shovel 1 and the digger element 31 causes the digger element 31 to draw the shovel 1 downwardly into the material until a full load is gathered by the shovel during the initial part of its forward travel. Obviously, there is a tendency at the very outset for the shovel 1 to bury itself due to its angular relationship with respect to the direction of forward movement thereof. However, this initial burying of the shovel by this means alone stops before the shovel becomes fully loaded due to the rapidly increasing friction of the material in the shovel against the front wall surfaces of the body elements 2 and 3. It will be noted with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the length of the digger element 31 between its leading and trailing edges 33 and 34, respectively, is considerably less than one-half of the length of the shovel 1 between its upper and lower ends and that the digger element is of considerably less width than that of the shovel 1. For this reason, during the forward travel of the shovel through the material D, the material flows easily through the digger element 31 whereby to cause the shovel to become buried in the material to a greater extent than would otherwise occur. Furthermore, the digger element 31 being buried in the material at the retracted limit of movement of the shovel, the digger element aids materially in the initial burying of the shovel in the grain or granular material D.

For the purpose of cleaning up the car A when the same is nearly empty, I provide a pair of handles 36, one each secured to the upper end portions of each of the body elements 2 and 3 so that the shovel 1 may be manually guided or moved to different portions of the floor C. This operation is fully disclosed in my prior United States patent above identified.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, the shovel comprises a single sheetlike or plate-like body element 37, to the front surface 38 of which are secured a pair of lower anchoring elements or rings 39 and a pair of upper anchoring elements or rings 40 adjacent opposite side edges of the body element 37. A flexible cable 41 has its opposite ends secured to the anchoring elements 39, and a second flexible cable 42 has its opposite ends connected to the anchoring elements 40. The cables 41 and 42 are connected at their intermediate portions to a ring or clevis 43 to which is adapted to be secured a forward pulling line or cable 44. A third flexible cable 45 has its opposite ends secured to the anchoring elements 40 and is provided at its central portion with a ring or clevis 46 which is adapted to be connected to a return or rearward pulling line or cable, not shown. A plurality of generally U-shaped digger elements 47 are secured to the rear surface 48 of the body element 37 adjacent the lower end portion thereof and in laterally spaced relation to each other. The digger elements 47, like the digger element 31, are disposed with their axes parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the shovel, and are of a length from their leading edges 49 to their trailing edges 50 substantially less than one-half the length of the body element 37.

The modified form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 comprises a fiat plate-like body element 51 having upper and lower cables 52 and 53, respectively, anchored to the body element 51 by anchoring elements 54 similar to the anchoring elements 39 and 40 of the shovel of Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive. A third flexible cable 55 is similar to the cable 45 and is adapted to be connected to a return line or cable, not shown, the cables 52 and 53 being adapted to be connected to the forward pulling cable 44 by means of a connector ring or clevis 56. This form ofthe invention providesa plurality of generally U-shapecl digger elements 57 in side-by-side relationship across the lower end of the body element 51. It will be noted that the digger elements 57 are three in number, the adjacent ones thereof having common legs 58, and the outermost ones thereof having outer legs 59. The legs 58 and 59 are all Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear surface 60 of the body element 51. It will further be noted that the leading edges 61 of the digger elements 57 lie in the plane of the body element 51 whereas the trailing edges 62 of the digger elements are rearwardly spaced from the plane of the body element 51. Although the intermediate portions 63 of the digger elements 57 are angularly disposed with respect to the plane of the body element. 51, the digger elements 57 are substantially as efiective in drawing the shovel downwardly into the material under forward movement thereof as those of the shovels heretofore described.

The shovel illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, is somewhat similar to the shovel of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, in that the same, being indicated in its entirety by the numeral 64, comprises a pair of angularly disposed rearwardly converging body elements 65- and 66 joined together at 67 and being provided with a brace bar 68 at their upper end portions. The body elements 65 and 66 are connected adjacent their lower ends by a plurality of digger elements 69 in the nature of spaced parallel bars that are angularly disposed with respect to the apex 67. The digger elements 69 perform a dual purpose, that of drawing the shovel 64 downwardly into the material as it is moved forwardly therethrough, and that of bracing the lower ends of the body elements 65 and 66 in the same manner as the brace bar 68. For moving the shovel 64 forwardly, I provide a flexible cable member 70 having its opposite ends anchored in mounting apertures or the like 71, and a second flexible cable member 72 which has its rear end secured to an anchoring ring or the like 73 at the upper central portion of the shovel 64. The front end of the flexible cable member 72 and the intermediate portion of the cable member 70 may be assumed to be connected to a forward pulling cable, not shown, by suitable means similar to the ring or clevis 43 described in connection with the shovel of Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive. A return or rearward pulling cable 74 may be, if desired, secured to the anchoring ring 73.

In the modification of Figs. 12 and 13, a shovel 75 comprises a generally rectangular flat plate-like body element 76 and a pair of digger elements 77 welded or otherwise secured to opposite side edges of the body element 76 by means of gusset-like legs 78. In this form of the invention, the leading edges 79 of the digger elements 77 are substantially in the plane of the body element 76, whereas the trailing edges 80 of the digger elements 77 are rearwardly spaced from the plane of the body element 76.

In the modificationshown in Figs. 14 and 15, a shovel 81 comprises an elongated cross-sectionally arcuate body element 82, the inner concave wall surface 83 thereof comprising the forward wall surface. A brace bar 84 is connected at its opposite ends to opposite side edge portions of the body element 82, and a flexible member 85 adapted to be connected to a forward pulling cable, has its opposite ends connected to opposite side edges of the body element 82 adjacent the lower end portion thereof. The shovel 81 is provided with a central generally U-shaped digger element 86 and a pair of secondary digger elements 87 at either side of the central digger element 86.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my novel device and various modifications thereof, it will be understood that the same is capable of other modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a power operated shovel for moving granular bulk material, a sheet-like body element having front and rear wall surfaces the former of which engages said materiatte move the same during. operative forward movement of the shovel and the latter of which engages and slides over said material during inoperative return movements of the shovel, means adjacent the lower end of said body ele= ment for connecting the shovel to a forward pulling line, means adjacent the upper end of said body element: for connecting the shovel to a rearward pulling line, and, a rearwardly projected digger element connected to' the rear wall surface of said body element adjacent thelower end thereof and extending transversely of said shovel, said digger element having leading and trailing edges riespec tively relative to operative forward movement of the shovel, at least a portion of said leading and trailing edges being spaced from the body element: whereby to. define therewith an open ended passage-for material: therebes tween, the digger element engaging said materialindependently of said body element during operative forward movement thereof to cause the shovel to be drawn, downs wardly into said material. v

2. In a power operated shovel for moving granular bulk material, a. trough-like body comprising a plurality of connected wall portions, at least oneof said wall portions having front andrear wall surfaces the former of which engages said material to move the same during operative forward movement of the shovel and the latter of which engages and slides over said material during inoperative return movements of the shovel, means adjacent the lower end of said body for connecting the shovel to a forward pulling line, means adjacent the upper end of said body for connecting the shovel to a rearward pulling line, and a rearvvardly projected digger element connected to the rear wall surface of said body adjacent its lower end and extending transversely of said shovel, said digger element havingleading and trailing edges respectively relative to operative forward movement of the shovel, at least a portion of said leading and trailing edges being spaced from the plane of said rear wall surface whereby to define therewith an open-ended passage for material therebetween, the digger element engaging said material independently of said body during operative forward movement thereof to cause the shovel to be drawn downwardly into said material.

3. In a power operated shovel for moving granular bulk material, a pair of generally rectangular plate-like body elements angularly disposed with respect to each other and connected together at their adjacent side edges to provide a cross-sectionally V-shaped body having a generally upwardly and downwardly extended apex and front surface portions which engage said material to move the same during operative forward movement of the shovel and rear surface portions which engage and slide over said material during inoperative return movements of the shovel, means adjacent the lower end of said body for connecting the shovel to a forward pulling line, means adjacent the upper end of said body for connecting the shovel to a rearward pulling line, and a crosssectionally U-shaped digger element extending generally transversely of said body and having its opposite ends each anchored to a diiferent one of said body elements adjacent the lower end of the rear wall surface thereof, said digger element having leading and trailing edges respectively relative to operative forward movement of the shovel, at least a portion of said leading and trailing edges being spaced from said body rear wall surfaces whereby to define therewith an open-ended passage for material therebetween, the digger element engaging said material independently of said body during operative forward movement thereof to cause the shovel to be drawn downwardly into said material.

4. In a power operated shovel for moving granular bulk material, a plate-like body element having flat front and rear wall surfaces the former of which engages said material to move the same during operative forward movement of the shovel, and the latter of which engages and slides over said material during inoperative return movements ofthe shovel, means adjacent the lower end of said body element for connecting the shovel to a forward pulling line, means adjacent the upper end of said body element for connecting the shovel to a rearward pulling line, and a rearwardly projected generally U- shaped digger element extending transversely of said body element and having its opposite ends connected to laterally spaced portions of the rear wall surface of said body element adjacent the lower end thereof, the intermediate portion of said digger element being rearwardly spaced from said rear wall surface whereby to define therewith an open-ended passage for material therebetween. 7

5. In a power operated shovel for moving granular bulk material, a plate-like body having front and rear surfaces, the former of which engages said material to move the same during operative forward movement of the shovel and the latter of which engages and slides over said material during inoperative return movements of the shovel, means adjacent the lower end of said body for connecting the shovel to a forward pulling line, means adjacent the upper end of said body for connecting the shovel to a rearward pulling line, and a plurality of cross-sectionally generally U-shaped digger elements disposed laterally across the rear of said body at its lower end portion, each of said digger elements having leading and trailing edges respectively relative to operative forward movement of the shovel, said leading and trailing edges being rearwardly spaced from said body whereby said digger elements and rear surface define open-ended passages for material therebetween, said digger elements engaging said material independently of said body during the operative forward movement thereof to cause the shovel to be drawn downwardly into said material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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