US3633707A

US3633707A - Safety device for conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3633707A
Application number: US79157A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph R Ambruster
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1970-10-08
Filing date: 1970-10-08
Publication date: 1972-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-11

Abstract

Conveying apparatus in which a car travels longitudinally in an open channel includes a belt having one end attached to the car. The belt extends generally horizontal to a fixed roll and is maintained under such tension that it can support the weight of a man. The belt edges are close to the sides of the channel so that a workman falling on the belt cannot fall off the belt.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Joseph R. Ambruster Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pa. 79,157

Oct. 8, 1970 Jan. 1 1, 1972 United States Steel Corporation [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONVEYING APPARATUS 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 182/139 [51] Int. Cl A62b 37/00 [50] Field of Search 182/139,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 597,818 1/1898 Fondu 182/138 896,213 8/1908 Kerfoot .1 182/138 1,088,826 3/1914 Labady 182/138 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Martin J. Carroll ABSTRACT: Conveying apparatus in which a car travels longitudinally in an open channel includes a belt having one end attached to the car. The belt extends generally horizontal to a fixed roll and is maintained under such tension that it can support the weight ofa man. The belt edges are close to the sides of the channel so that a workman falling on the belt cannot fall off the belt.

PATENTED JAN? 1 m2 SHEET 1 [IF 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH R. AMBRUS TER W QQMMQ A) forney PATENTEDJANHIHTZ $633707 SHEET 2 0r 3 c ,K FIG. 2. i

INVENTOR. JOSEPH R. AMBRUSTER Iforhey SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONVEYING APPARATUS This invention relates to a safety device and more particularly to a safety device for converging an open channel in which a car moves longitudinally. For example, in a strip processing line the finished product is coiled on a tension reel and the coil is placed on a coil car which travels longitudinally in a channel below the level of the mill floor. The car carries the coil to a point where the coil can be handled for packaging, shipping or further processing. The coil is placed on a shuttle car traveling at right angles to the path of the coil car. Thus, the floor opening presents a hazard to workmen in the area. In some cases there is no support between the mill floor and basement floor which may be close to 20 feet below. The conventional method of covering floor openings is by the means of sliding telescoping floor plates. However, such plates cannot be used to cover the opening between the coil car and the shuttle car because clearance must be maintained for the shuttle car.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide means for covering the top opening of a channel without the use of telescoping floor plates.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIG. I. is an elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a mill floor which has a longitudinal trough 4 therein. The trough 4 may be an actual trough with sidewalls the width of top opening 6 or it may be formed solely by the walls of the floor therebeneath as shown. In the latter case generally vertical sideplates 8 are provided below the floor opening 6 for a purpose which will appear later. Longitudinal extending tracks 10 are provided in the channel for supporting a car 12 which has two spaced arms 14 for supporting a coil of strip C. Car 12 is provided with a lift cylinder 16 for raising and lowering the arms 14. The car 12 is moved along the tracks by means of a traversing motor 18. A coiler, not shown in detail, is located adjacent one end of the path of travel of the car 12 and is provided with a mandrel 20 for the coil C. Shuttle car tracks 22 are arranged transversely of the tracks 10 adjacent that end of the trough 4 remote from the mandrel 20. A shuttle car 24 is mounted on the tracks 22 and is moved therealong by means of a hydraulic motor 26 as shown in FIG. 2. The car 24 is provided with a cradle 28 for receiving the coil C from the car 12. Grooves 30 are provided on each side of the cradle 28 for receiving the arms 14 shown in broken lines. Telescoping floor plates 32 (FIG. 1) are attached to the end of the car 12 remote from the tracks 22 for closing the opening between the car 12 and the coiler. The parts so far described are conventional.

According to my invention I provide

horizontal rolls

36, 38 and 40 which are attached to support beam 42 for track 22. A transverse horizontal roll 44 is attached to the end of the car 12 adjacent the tracks 22. A belt 46 having one end attached to the car 12 extends generally horizontally to and around roll 36 and downwardly in contact with

rolls

38 and 40 with weights 48 being attached to the free end of the belt 46. The width of the belt 46 is almost as great as the width of the channel 4 as defined by the plates 8. A plate 50 is provided at the bottom of the channel adjacent the uncoiler and is arranged so that it slopes downwardly away from the uncoiler.

In operation, with the car 12 adjacent the coiler end of the channel 4 the arms 14 are raised to the broken line position of FIG. 1 to receive a coil C from the mandrel 20. The arms 14 are then lowered to their full line position. In this position the end of the belt 46 extends vertically downwardly from the roll 40. The counterweight 48 applies sufficient tension to the belt 46 to hold it generally horizontal and to permit it to deflect only a short distance if a man should fall on it. If this occurs the plates 8 prevent him from falling to the floor beneath or to the bottom of the channel. As the car 12 moves toward the tracks 22 the counterweight 48 and the belt 46 will lower until the belt IS in line to be contacted by the roll 44. Continued movement of car 12 will then move the belt 46 to the right as shown in FIG. I to the position shown in broken lines. The plate 50 functions to dampen the swinging of the vertical portion of the belt at this time. The arms 14 are positioned vertically so as to be received in the slots 30 of the shuttle car 24 and are then lowered to the broken line position of FIG. 2 to transverse the coil C to the cradle 28. The car 12 is then moved to its original position with the belt and counterweight returning to their original position. Thus, the opening in the floor is protected at all times so that a workman cannot fall to the floor beneath. After the arms 14 are moved out of grooves 30, the car 24 is moved along tracks 22 as shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In conveying apparatus including a floor, an elongated open channel below said floor, longitudinal tracks in said channel, and a car in said channel supported on said tracks for movement thereon; the improvement comprising a belt having a width almost as great as the width of said channel, means for attaching one end of said belt to said car adjacent the top thereof, means for supporting said belt in a generally horizontal plane in said channel, and means for holding said belt under tension as the car moves along said tracks.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for supporting said belt includes a generally horizontal roll extending transversely of said channel and around which the belt passes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said tension means includes a weight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for supporting said belt includes a pair of generally horizontal rolls extending transversely of said channel one above the other, said belt passing over the top of the top roll and downwardly in contact with that side of the bottom roll adjacent the car.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said tension means includes a weight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a transverse horizontal roll mounted on said car on the end adjacent said pair of rolls, said car roll being adapted to contact the downwardly extending portion of said belt and move it longitudinally.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said channel includes a pair of longitudinally extending vertical plates spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of said belt and extending above and below said belt.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said means for supporting said belt includes a pair of generally horizontal rolls extending transversely of said channel one above the other, said belt passing over the top of the top roll and downwardly in contact with that side of the bottom roll adjacent the car.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said tension means includes a weight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 including a transverse horizontal roll mounted on said car on the end adjacent said pair of rolls, said car roll being adapted to contact the downwardly extending portion of said belt and move it longitudinally.