US3211305A

US3211305A - Caterpillar belt trains

Info

Publication number: US3211305A
Application number: US312665A
Authority: US
Inventors: Davenport Everard; Frank E Stevens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-02
Filing date: 1963-09-30
Publication date: 1965-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-12
Also published as: DE1200858B; GB1043684A

Description

12, 1965 E. DAVENPORT ETAL 3,211,305

CATERPILLAR BELT TRAINS Filed Sept. 30, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Awavmes 1965 E. DAVENPORT ETAL 3,211,305

CATERPILLAR BELT TRAINS Filed Sept. 50, 1963 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Avwwms f pp DAVE/YPaRT FIeA/v/e fl/AMS Jrs new:

United States Patent 3,211,395 CATERPILLAR BELT TRAINS Everard Davenport, Uxtord Hotel, Oxford Road, Rosebanlt, and Frank E. Stevens, 104 Braekenhurst, (Iorlett Drive, Illovo, both of Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republie of South Africa Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,665 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Get. 2, 1962, 4,169/62; Mar. 1, 1963, 861/63 11 Claims. (Ill. 214-452) This invention relates to caterpillar belt trains.

A caterpillar belt train consists in a series of pans supported on a series of undercarriage units usually fitted with rail wheels. The undercarriage units are connected for traction in either direction by means allowing a wide degree of movement between the pans about the axis of traction as well as around corners. The bearing surfaces of the pans are connected by means of flexible membranes usually made of rubber conveyor belt material.

In use the pans are loaded while they are in the erect position. For unloading the train is moved over inclined rails which cause individual undercarriage units with their pans to tilt to discharge their burden. With relatively flat pans the usual tilting angle is already as high as 70.

However such relatively flat pans have a low capacity per unit length. Attempts have been made to increase the capacity of the train by increasing the height of the pans so that they are almost semi-cylindrical in shape. In such a case the tilting angle for discharge is 135, which is almost a complete turn-about. Even then all material is not always discharged.

The invention seeks to retain the advantages of conventional relatively fiat belt trains and yet increases its capacity. In some embodiments the invention also dispenses with tilting of the undercarriage units during discharge operations.

According to the invention a pair of parallel upstanding walls project from the edges of the pans and are ar ranged to flex over the regions of the membranes, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of moving along a different trajectory to the train during discharge operations.

Further according to the invention each pan is surmounted by a rectangular rigid box that is open top and bottom and the boxes are connected together by flexible elements over the membranes, two opposed sides of each box constituting parts of the wall. Sides that constitute part of the second wall are hingedly connected to the pans below them.

As appears from the following description this basic construction is susceptible of a number of modifications.

The invention is further discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a part undercarriage unit of one embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of part of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 with undercarriage details omitted,

FIGURES 3 to 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating successive stages during the discharge of the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2,

3,2ll,3% Patented Get. 12, 1955 FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a further embodiment,

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of discharging the embodiment of FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 8 is a View similar to FIGURE 7 showing another method, and

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of the rail installation used in FIGURE 8.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises known structure which may take any one of a variety of known forms and the structure provided by the invention.

Dealing firstly with the known structure it consists of a plurality of undercarriage units having horizontal axles 9 and wheels It). The undercarriage units have cradles 111 on which there rest pans I2, usually of sheet metal. The undercarriage units may or may not have a central spine 13, but preferably has such spine, and are joined together by universal joint structures which permit consecutive undercarriage units to move relatively to one another in any required direction as the train follows the grade and contour of a track.

The pans 12 are connected by flexible membranes 14 usually of rubber which are slightly longer than the gap between pans, also in a known manner.

Provided that suitable precautions are taken during discharge, the wheels 10 need not necessarily be rail wheels, but they preferably are rail wheels.

The structure provided by the invention consists in a rectangular rigid box that is open top and bottom and surmounts each pan 12. One side wall 15 of each box is hinged to its pan 12 at 16, the other side wall 17 resting freely on the pan 12.

The ends 18 of the boxes going across the train serve as struts to the sides 15 and I7 and need not be the same width as the sides. The ends 18 at abutting ends of boxes are vertically staggered so that large rocks or the like that fall in the gaps between the boxes may be more conveniently accommodated.

The boxes are connected by flexible elements 19, usually of rubber, which are slightly longer than the distance between boxes when the train is straight. The elements 1'9 have downwardly hanging flaps 20 that seal on the membranes 14.

The side 17 of each box is provided with a guide roller 21 adapted to co-operate with a rail 22 provided at the discharge station.

Apart from the rail 22 the discharge station for this embodiment is the same as the known discharge station at which the train is twisted section by section to discharge its burden. The rail 22 serves to guide the edges of the sides 17 so that the boxes follow a different trajectory to the pans If. and, for that matter, the undercarriage units.

Successive stages in a discharge operation are illustrated in FIGURES 3 to 5, where FIGURE 3 illustrates the commencement of the discharge operation, FIGURE 4 an intermediate stage and FIGURE 5 the final stage of unburdening. Of course, the train returns to its normal running position through similar stages in the reverse order.

The discharge operation discussed above has some disadvantages. Firstly traflic other than belt trains cannot enter the station or pass through. Secondly the overall distance required for the discharge operation is fairly long.

To obviate these disadvantages to some extent the invention provides the embodiment of FIGURE 6. In this case each pan 12 is hinged to the undercarriage unit at 23 and the side 17 is provided with a hook formation 24.

The embodiment of FIGURE 6 is discharged while the train is stationary at a tipping station which may be of the kind used with ordinary side discharge trucks.

A tipping operation is illustrated in FIGURE 7. Here a grab structure engages with the hooks 24 and pulls the boxes sideways and upwardly until the train reaches the position shown. The grab structure 30 is conveniently actuated by a suitable hydraulic ram.

If the undercarriage units are not heavy enough to remain horizontal under self-weight during discharge, the far side of the train should be anchored to the rail bed. Thus the undercarriage could be provided with formations 26 that engage with complemental hold down rail sections within the area of the discharge station 25 on the rail bed as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

The fact that the train has to be stationary during discharge operations may be a disadvantage in high speed operations. In such a case the embodiment of FIGURE 6 may be provided with rollers 21 as in FIGURE 1. This is shown diagrammatically in FIGURES 8 and 9. In FIGURE 8 the normal position of the train is shown in full while the discharge position of the pans and boxes is shown in chain line. The approximate contour of the guide rail 27 used in this case is shown in plan in FIG- URE 9. The rail bends sideways and upwardly to reach the chain line position in FIGURE 8.

In this embodiment also means for holding down the undercarriage units (as in FIGURE 6) may be necessary.

In both of the embodiments of FIGURES 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 the track area is entirely clear so that normal traffic may pass the discharge station and locomotives with overhead trolleys may be used.

Thus by the addition of the boxes on the train the capacity of a conventional Caterpillar belt-train has been increased. Of course, axles, bearings and traction parts should be strong enough to carry the extra duty.

We claim:

1. In a Caterpillar belt train, comprising a plurality of universally articulated, wheeled undercarriage units, a plurality of troughed pans carried by the undercarriage units and troughed flexible membranes joining adjacent pans, the pans and the membranes constituting an elongated load-carrying surface, the improvement of a pair of parallel upstanding walls projecting from the edges of the pans, having rigid portions over the pans and flexible portions over the regions of the membranes and extending the length of the load-carrying surface, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of being lifted off the pans during discharge operations, and formations on the first wall adapted to engage with lifting gear during discharge operations.

2. The train claimed in claim 1 in which the rigid portions of the walls are connected by braces spanning the width of the pans and spacing the walls in parallel relationship.

3. The train claimed in claim 2 in which the rigid portions of the second walls are hinged to the pans below them.

4. The train claimed in claim 3 in which the formations on the first wall are guide rollers adapted to engage with a guide rail during discharge operations.

5. The train claimed in claim 3 in which each pan is hinged to an undercarriage unit supporting it at that side that is under the first wall.

6. The train claimed in claim in which the formations on the first wall are guide rollers adapted to engage with a guide rail during discharge operations.

7. The train claimed in claim 5 in which the formations on the first wall are hook formations adapted to d be engaged by lifting gear and pulled transversely to the length of the wall by the lifting gear.

8. The combination of a caterpillar belt train, comprising a plurality of universally articulated, wheeled undercarriage units, a plurality of troughed pans carried by the undercarriage units, troughed flexible membranes joining adjacent pans, the pans and the membranes constituting an elongated load-carrying surface, a pair of parallel upstanding walls projecting from the edges of the pans, having rigid portions over the pans and flexible portions over the regions of the membranes and extending the length of the load-carrying surface, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of being lifted off the pans, and guide formations on the first wall; and a discharge station including lifting gear adapted to engage with the guide formations and during relative movement of the undercarriage units and the lifting gear to lift the first wall oil the pans underlying it.

9. The combination of a caterpillar belt train, comprising a plurality of universally articulated, wheeled undercarriage units, a plurality of troughed pans carried by the undercarriage units, troughed flexible membranes joining adjacent pans, the pans and the membranes constituting an elongated load-carrying surface, a pair of parallel upstanding walls projecting from the edges of the pans, having rigid portions over the pans and flexible portions over the regions of the membranes and extending the length of the load-carrying surface, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of being lifted off the pans, which pans are fixed to the undercarriage units, and guide rollers on the first wall; and a discharge station including rails engaged with the wheels of the undercarriage units and adapted to tilt the train to discharge its burden over the edge of the load-carrying surface underlying the first wall, and a guide rail adapted to engage the guide rollers and to cause the first wall to move sideways and upwardly relatively to the edge over which the burden is discharged.

10. The combination of a caterpillar belt train, comprising a plurality of universally articulated, wheeled undercarriage units, a plurality of troughed pans carried by the undercarriage units, troughed flexible membranes joining adjacent pans, the pans and the membranes constituting an elongated load-carrying surface, a pair of parallel upstanding walls projecting from the edges of the pans, having rigid portions over the pans and flexible portions over the regions of the membranes and extending the length of the load-carrying surface, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of being lifted off the pans, each of which pans is hinged to an undercarriage unit supporting it at that side that is under the first wall, and guide rollers on the first wall; and a discharge station including a guide rail adapted to engage with the guide rollers and guide them sideways and upwardly relatively to the direction of movement of the undercarriage units, such sideways and upward movement causing the pans to tilt about their undercarriage units.

11. The combination of a caterpillar belt train, comprising a plurality of universally articulated, wheeled undercarriage units, a plurality of troughed pans carried by the undercarriage units, troughed flexible membranes joining adjacent pans, the pans and the membranes constituting an elongated load-carrying surface, a pair of parallel upstanding walls projecting from the edges of the pans, having rigid portions over the pans and flexible portions over the regions of the membranes and extending the length of the load-carrying surface, with at least the first wall of the pair resting freely on the pans and being capable of being lifted off the pans, each of which pans is hinged to an undercarriage unit supporting it at that side that is under the first wall, and hook formations on the first wall; and a discharge station including means 5 6 to engage with the hook formations and to pull them side- 2,042,266 5/36 McCallen 214-58 X Ways and upwardly, while the train is stationary, so as 2,623,651 12/52 Vial. to cause the pans to tilt about the undercarriage units. 2,719,636 10/55 Berg 21463 2,979,184 4/61 Becker et a1 198-109 References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 500 852 S Q PATENTS 280,904 7/83 Boyer 214-64 5 6 1,893,633 1/ 33 Peterson et a1. GERALD M. FORLENZA, Pnimary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A CATERPILLAR BELT TRAIN, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF UNIVERSALLY ARTICULATED, WHEELED UNDERCARRIAGE UNITS, A PLURALITY OF TROUGHED PANS CARRIED BY THE UNDERCARRIAGE UNITS AND TROUGHED FLEXIBLE MEMBRANES JOINING ADJACENT PANS, THE PANS AND THE MEMBRANES CONSTITUTING AN ELONGRATED LOAD-CARRYING SURFACES, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A PAIR OF PARALLEL UPSTANDING WALLS PROJECTING FROM THE EDGES OF THE PANS, HAVING RIGID PORTIONS OVER THE PANS AND FLEXIBLE PORTIONS OVERF THE REGIONS OF THE MEMBRANES AND EXTENDING THE