US802047A - Mechanism for operating bucket elevators or the like. - Google Patents

Description

No. 802,047. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

O. KRELL.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING BUCKET ELEVATORS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 8, 1904.

s sums-sum 1.

No. 802,047. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. 0. KRELL.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING BUCKET ELEVATORS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 3, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 802,047. f PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

I '0. KRELL. v MEUHANISM FOR OPER'ATINGBUGKET ELEVATORS OR THE LIKE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.-8. 1904.

O O O 0 O ,wmiwas dies 0 of the buckets.

UNTTEI) STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

OTTO KRELL, OF NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. i7, 1905.

Application filed November 8, 1904. Serial No. 231,927.

To all whorm it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, OTTo KRELL, director, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Nuremberg, Bavaria,Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanisms for Operating Bucket Elevators, Oonveyer- Chains, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

In the endless cam chains hitherto employed for driving conveyor-chains, bucket elevators, and the like each driving-cam is rigidly and immovably connected with a link of the chain. So long as a link of the chain rests on one or the other of the two chainwheels carrying the driving-chain the end of the cam which comes in contact with the projections on the conveyor-chain as it stands farther away from the axis of the chainwheel (the cam-chain link itself) moves with greater speed than the latter; but while moving in a straight line between the chainwheels both the speed of the driving-chain and the speed of the cam exactly coincide. Consequently the ends of the cams undergo each time a sudden alteration of speed which involves a vigorous jerk on the conveyerchain, bucket elevator or the like at the moment at which the respective chain-link rises off one chain-wheel and when it runs onto the other chain-wheel.

Now this invention has for its object to allowof the driving of conveyer-chains, bucket elevators, and the like free from jerks. This may be attained by giving the driving-cams the form of elbow-levers, which are mounted on the chain-pins and during the movement in a straight line in the direction of the conveyor-chain slide with one arm in fixed straight guides.

Such means of driving conveyer-chains, bucket elevators, and the like is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section on lines 1 l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 a section on the lines 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an isometric view, on an enlarged scale, of a propelling-cam on the drivingchain, showing the form and attachment. Figs. 4 and 5 are side views of such a driving device, in which,-however, the guides for the one arm of the elbow-lever-shaped drivingcams are inclined at their ends.

The separate forwarding or conveying buckets Z) of an ordinary bucket elevator or conveyer are mounted on two rails a by means of two rollers cZ, mounted on the spin- These spindles a, which lie one behind the other, are connected by a suitable drawing appliancefor instance, a rope 0. Above a straight portion of the track a there runs an endless drive-chain g on two chain-wl1eelsf"f operated by motive power. Pins it, standing at equal distances apart on said chain, are prolonged on both sides and form pivots for two similar-shaped elbowlevers a" 11 the outwardly-extending arms 6 of which are combined to form a catch 6 These catches a come in contact with the spindles a between the ropes e, and thus move the said spindles, with the buckets Z2, forward.

The lever-arms Z of the driving-cams 2'", extending forward in the direction of the movement of the driving-chain, carry externally to the pins it and also at the outer end laterally-projecting loose rollers 79* and 7c, which during the travel of the members of the driving-chain in a straight line roll along in the direction of the conveyer-chain or bucket mechanism in fixed guide-bars m, provided with longitudinal grooves Z. The grooves Z are kept straight between those places at which the driving-chain 9 comes off the driving wheel f and gets onto the drivingwheel f.

The method of Working the conveyer-chain and the like driving mechanism, hereinbefore described, is as follows: In running off the chain-wheelf located at the entrance side, the cam-rollers it" come into the grooves Z, whereby the cams 2' are turned into their driving p0sitionthat is to say, are placed against the spindles 0 of the bucket mechanism Z) c, the conveyor-chain, or the like. The cams 2' then only have a driving action on the bucket mechanism Z) 0 when the respective guide-rollers k in are in the said straight piece of the grooves Zthat is to say, when the cams 71 travel with uniform speed in the direction of the bucket mechanismin other words, in a "straight line. In practice it is very difiicult to obtain a uniform pitch of the driving-chain and the bucket mechanism or conveyer-chain. In the case of inequalities in these pitches a jerky dragging movement of the bucket mechanism, conveyor-chain, or the like is produced, whereby their connecting partsfor instance, the ropes eare greatly strained, and thereby results a great loss of power. To avoid these drawbacks, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lower portion m of the straight grooves Z, which portion serves as the surface onto which the rollers Zr Z0 of the driving-cams Z mount, are prolonged at both ends and these prolongations are so formed that the cams i gradually pass over into their driving position and are gradually released from this position. 5, the pitch of the bucket mechanism, the conveyer-chain, or the like is greater than that of the driving-cams i only the rearmost of the driving-cams eachtime held by the straight part of the guide-grooves Zthat is to say, always only i the one which has the last come into action can bear against the respective contact 0 and carry with it the bucket mechanism or conveyer-chain. The next following cam i, on the other hand, cannot bear against the contact 0 belonging to it, as the rollers Z0 sinking down under the action of their own weight turn away the cams 2' from the contact 0 until the driving-chain g having progressed the rollers k of the drivingcam i run on the guide-surfaces m, and thereby are slowly lifted or pressed up again. By this means the driving-cams i are slowly pressed against the contacts 0 belonging to them, and simultaneously asuitable release of the previous cam 71* is operated, so that any jerking action is avoided. In case the pitch of the contacts of the conveyer-chain is smaller than that of the driving-cams the corresponding operations take place at the exit side,which may be easily followed by reference to Fig. 4:. This improved driving arrangement also prevents any jerky action'ii' either the driving-chain or the bucket mechanism or the conveyer-chain are slightly irregularly divided, and consequently the pitch sometimes of one and sometimes of the other chain is the greater. Whichever of the cams belonging to the driving-chain at a given moment may find itself in action, (because on the straight driving stretch the mutual distance of the cams from the respective contacts 0 undergoes no alteration) it can only come out of engagement in such a way that one of the cams i passing over the prolongations of the guide-bars m comes permanently or temporarily into action, which quite suflices to prevent any jerks.

In the driving-cam gear hereinbefore de- In case, as shown in Fig. w

scribed the use of any auxiliary means hitherto employed for mitigating the shocks and jerks in the transfer of the movement to the bucket mechanism, the conveyer-chain,

or the like may of course be dispensed with. More particularly it is admissible to employ chain-wheesl of small diameter, (sixteen teeth and less.) Further, the speed, and thereby the effectiveness, of the bucket mechanism, conveyerchain, or the like may be increased without injury. Further, a modification may be adopted by which for driving very wide bucket mechanisms or the like two driving-cam chains lying side by side may be employed which are driven each from toothed wheels of uniform size mounted on a shaft common to both.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In adriving mechanism for bucket mechanism conveyer-chains and the like, in which the bucket mechanism, conveyer-chains or the like is driven by means of an endless drivingcam chain running parallel to the bucket mechanism conveyer-chain or the like, the drivingcams consisting of elbow-levers 71 mounted on the bolts of the chain one arm 2' of which levers, between the places where the drivingchain runs off one chain-wheel f and onto the other f is guided in straight grooves Z, of the framework and has a driving action while traveling at a uniform speed in a straight line in the direction of the bucket mechanism conveyer-chain or the like (Figs. 1 and 2) substantially as described.

2. The driving mechanism comprising the drums,the chain,arms connected thereto, cams formed on said arms and the portions having grooves therein forming ways for said arms, said grooves being inclined at the running-off or running-on portions of the drums, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO KRELL. Witnesses:

ANDREAS STIOH, OsoAR BOOK.

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