Abstract:
The container of a mobile cargo trailer is provided with a reciprocating slat type conveyor floor in which the elongated slats are supported at their lateral edges on V-shaped bearings which are mounted on Y-shaped supports integral with sub-deck sections on the container bottom and joined together with watertight seals. Three cross beams are connected to different groups of the slats and are coupled to hydraulic cylinders located outwardly of the front end of the container and in horizontal alignment with the slats. The cylinders are coupled to a hydraulic fluid pressure source through an arrangement of control valves to effect movement of the group of slats simultaneously in a load moving direction and sequentially in the opposite, slat-retracting direction, with interengaging abutments on the cross drives arranged for moving one of the cross drives and its slats by hydraulic power applied only to the other two cross drive cylinders.

Description:
This invention relates to reciprocating slat type conveyors, and more particularly to such a conveyor forming a floor of a container of a mobile cargo trailer. 
     Live floor conveyors using reciprocating slats, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,354,875; 4,144,963 4,727,978; and 5,263,573 have been found to allow feeds and fertilizers to filter through the conveyors and onto the ground while the system is in the operating mode. The filtering of chicken feed, for example, to the ground attracts wild birds which in turn contract disease to flocks of young chickens and other fowl. To prevent this, several attempts have been made heretofore to support the edges of the moving slat members on a horizontal bearing member. These also have been found to allow particulate material to filter past the bearing surfaces to the ground. 
     Placing a false floor below the moving slat members prevented such feeds from falling to the ground. However, it was found that feeds would accumulate on the false floor to the extent of causing lifting of the moving slats above the bearings and thereby allowing even greater amounts of feeds to accumulate between the false floor and the moving slats, thereby creating an attractive site for maggots and the like. In some cases the moving slat members would be lifted to the extent of preventing the reciprocating floor from functioning as a conveyor. 
     Connecting the moving slat members to a drive mechanism located below the false floor required large holes to be cut into the floor. The filtering of feeds to the ground is facilitated in this area of the drive mechanism. To overcome this problem, drive systems have been placed at the front of the trailer above the floor and within the cargo area. This arrangement displaced valuable space which would otherwise carry cargo. To minimize the loss of cargo space, the hydraulic portion of the drive has been mounted in front of the trailer, with the cross drive portion of the reciprocating slat system located within the cargo area above the moving slats. This arrangement still took away considerable cargo space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The reciprocating conveyor of this invention forms the floor of a mobile cargo trailer container and the transverse drive beams of the conveyor slats are located in a space of minimum horizontal and vertical dimension at the front end of the container, and the hydraulic drive mechanism for the drive beams is located outside the front end of the container and in direct alignment with the load supporting slats. The slats are configured to effect loading, transport and unloading of particulate and other fluid type farm produce without loss to the ground. 
     The principal objective of this invention is to provide a reciprocating slat type conveyor floor for a mobile cargo trailer container for loading, transport and unloading of particulate materials without loss of such materials to the ground during operation of the conveyor. 
     Another objective of this invention is to provide a reciprocating slat type conveyor of the class described that reduces the amount of space required for the drive mechanism and maximizing the space within the container for cargo. 
     Still another objective of this invention is the provision of a reciprocating conveyor of the class described in which the hydraulic power drive cylinders are located outside the front end of the cargo container, whereby to increase further the space within the container for cargo. 
     A further objective of this invention is the provision of a reciprocating conveyor of the class described in which the hydraulic drive cylinders are properly aligned horizontally with the moving slats, whereby to eliminate abnormal wear on the cylinders and minimizing the power requirements for moving the slats. 
     A still further objective of this invention is to provide the shaped bearings to support the side edges of the reciprocating slat members, whereby to minimize the filtering of particulate material below the slats, and to provide a completely sealed false floor below the moving slat members to completely prevent filtering of particulates to the ground. 
     Another objective of this invention is to provide a reciprocating conveyor of the class described which utilizes hydraulic circuitry which more efficiently utilizes the available power from the hydraulic power source. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front end of a cargo trailer container, the front wall of the container being broken away to disclose the drive mechanism of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the drive mechanism shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the drive mechanism of FIG. 1 coupled to an elongated cargo supporting reciprocating deck slat. 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of a ball and socket coupling between a transverse drive beam and its drive cylinder, taken on the line  4 — 4  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view from the rear end of the container of FIG. 1 showing the conveyor assembly integrated with the container. 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a manner of retaining the bearing members on the bearing supports. 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the underside of a bearing retainer. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the hydraulic system and sequencing control for the drive cylinders of the slat drive beams, the system being shown in the condition for moving all three drive beams toward the right, for moving a load toward the rear end of the container. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 8 showing the hydraulic system in the condition for moving the three drive beams sequentially toward the left, or front end of the container. 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 8 showing the hydraulic system in the condition for moving the three drive beams sequentially toward the right, or rear end of the container. 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 8 showing the hydraulic system in the condition for moving all three drive beams toward the left, for moving a load toward the front end of the container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring primarily to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the cargo container  10  includes a bottom  12 , a front well  14  and opposite side walls  16 . A front wall  18  joins the bottom and side walls. 
     Three hydraulic cylinders  20 ,  22  and  24  are mounted between transverse front beam  26  and rear beam  28  which are clamped together by the elongated bolts  30 . The rear beam  28  is secured to rear support plate  32  by bolts  34 , and the rear support plate  32  is secured to the laterally spaced longitudinally extending support beams  36 . As best shown in FIG. 3, the beams  36  extend rearwardly from the front beam  26 , through an opening in the front wall  18  and into abutment with the transverse box beam  12 ′ forming the front end of the container floor  12 . 
     Extending rearwardly from the hydraulic cylinders  20 ,  22  and  24  are associated piston rods  20 ′,  22 ′ and  24 ′, respectively, for attachment at their rearward ends to associated transversely elongated drive beams. Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated a connection of piston rod  20 ′ to a cross drive connector. For this purpose the rearward end of the piston rod  20 ′ is formed with a reduced diameter end portion terminating in an enlarged ball  38 . The ball is contained movably in a socket half  40  formed in the connecting block half  42 . An associated socket half  44  is formed in the connecting block half  46 , and the block halves  42  and  46  are secured together by bolts  48 . The block half  46  is provided with a rearward extension  46 ′ which serves to connect one of the three cross drives  50 ,  52  and  54  associated with the cylinders  20 ,  22  and  24 , respectively. Similar connections are provided for the other two cross drives 
     It is to be noted from FIGS. 2 and 3 that the cross drives  50  and  52  are disposed on a common horizontal plane, with cross drive  50  positioned forwardly of cross drive  52 . Cross drive  54  is located above cross drives  50  and  52 . Elongated fingers  56 ,  58  and  60  are secured in spaced apart positions on the cross drives  50 ,  52 , and  54 , respectively, and they extend rearwardly for connection to the forward ends of elongated deck slats  62 ,  64  and  66 , respectively, by attaching screws  68  (FIG.  5 ). The fingers are configured to accommodate connection to the slats which are disposed on a common horizontal plane (FIG.  5 ). 
     Referring further to FIG. 5 of the drawings, the floor  12  of the container  10  supports a plurality of longitudinally elongated sub deck sections  70  which are positioned laterally across the transverse dimension of the floor and joined together by liquid tight side seals  72  contained in V-shaped troughs formed by the diverging upper ends of vertical side extensions on adjacent sub deck sections  70 . Extending upwardly from the sub deck sections at laterally spaced apart positions are a plurality of V-shaped bearing supports  74 . Each bearing support mounts an elongated bearing  76  of low friction synthetic resin, such as Delrin. The bearing wraps around the outer ends of the V-shaped bearing supports and follows inwardly along the V-shape of the supports to form an elongated channel. 
     The bearings are retained against longitudinal displacement relative to the bearing supports  74  by end stop clips  76 ′ (FIG. 6) which frictionally grip the bearing supports. When made of steel or other structural metal, the frictional grip is sufficient to prevent disengagement from the bearing support. When made of synthetic resin, the frictional grip may be augmented by adhesive inserted in a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches  76 ″ (FIG. 7) to interengage the clip and bearing support. 
     The deck slats are configured at their lateral side edges to capture the longitudinal sides of the bearings  76 , the slat being installed by sliding it longitudinally over the elongated bearing  76 . The bearing thus serves to mount the deck slats for easy sliding movement, as well as to capture the slats and prevent upward displacement thereof relative to the bearings. 
     FIG. 5 also shows a small gap between confronting edges of adjacent slats, to allow fluids, small particles and other debris to gravitate downward to the bearings  76 , whereupon reciprocative motion of the deck slats effect movement of the debris longitudinally to the end of the floor. 
     The lateral end sections of the sub deck are provided with outer side bearing supports  78  which receive the outer side bearing  80  for association with the associated end deck slat. An outer side wall extension  82  projects upwardly from the bearing support  78  for abutment against the sides  16  of the container. The assembly of sub deck sections  70  and wall extensions  82  form a substantially liquid tight container bottom. 
     Referring again to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it is to be noted that the cross drives  50 ,  52  and  54  and associated fingers  56 ,  58  and  60 , and supporting beams  36 , are contained within a shallow well provided between the forward floor box beam  12 ′ and the front wall  18 . It is by this means that the drive mechanism is contained within the cargo container but occupies a minimum of longitudinal and vertical space therein. This drive mechanism is confined under a slope plate  84  which is secured to the front and side walls of the container in position to overlie and enclose the drive mechanism. The rearward, downwardly sloping end of the slope plate is fitted with a flexible wiper  86  which slidably engages the upper surfaces of the deck slats, to minimize the entrance of debris into the forward well. 
     Referring now primarily to FIG. 8 of the drawings, there is illustrated therein the hydraulic circuitry for reciprocating the deck slats on a predetermined sequence of movements. The circuitry is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure by means of hydraulic pump  88  provided with a return fluid storage tank  90  and a fluid pressure outlet. One end of an output conduit  92  is connected to the pump outlet and the opposite end is connected to a T coupling  94 . The T coupling communicates at one end with hydraulic valve  96  and at the opposite end with conduit  98  connected to valve  100 . Conduit  102  communicates at one end with valve  96  and at the opposite end with the left end of valve  100 . In similar manner, conduit  104  communicates at one end with valve  96  and at the opposite end with the right end of valve  100 . These conduits  102  and  104  serve to provide hydraulic fluid under pressure to switch the valve  100  to its alternate positions. 
     T coupling  106  interconnects valves  96  and  100 , and conduit  108  communicates the T coupling  106  with T coupling  110 . Conduit  112  communicates the T coupling to tank  114 . The T coupling  110  also communicates through conduit  116  with valve  118 . The opposite end of the valve communicates through conduit  120  with the base of cylinder  22 . 
     Conduit  122  communicates at one end with valve  100  and at the opposite end with T coupling  124 . This T coupling communicates through conduit  126  with the base of cylinder  20  and through conduit  128  to valve  130 . T coupling  132  interconnects valves  130  and  134  and also through conduit  136  to T coupling  138 . Conduit  140  communicates T coupling  138  with valve  142 . The opposite end of valve  142  communicates through conduit  144  with the base of cylinder  24 . Mechanical actuator link  146  interconnects valve  142  and the base of cylinder  24 , for the purpose of actuating the valve  142  when the piston of cylinder  24  reaches the base end thereof. 
     The T coupling  138  also communicates through conduit  148  with valve  150 . The opposite end of valve  150  communicates through conduit  152  with T coupling  154  which communicates through conduit  156  with the base of cylinder  22  and also through conduit  158  to valve  134 . 
     The base of cylinder  24  communicates through conduit  160  with valve  162  which, in turn, communicates through conduit  164  with the base of cylinder  20 . Mechanical actuator link  166  interconnects the valve  162  and cylinder  20 , for operation of the valve by the piston of cylinder  20 . 
     Conduit  168  communicates valve  100  with T coupling  170  which, in turn, communicates through conduit  172  with the head of cylinder  22 . This cylinder head communicates through conduit  174  with valve  176  which is manually operable by the mechanical actuator link  78  interconnecting the valve and the head of cylinder  22 , for actuation by the piston therein. Valve  176  also communicates through conduit  180  with the head of cylinder  24  which, in turn, communicates through conduit  182  with valve  184 . Mechanical actuator link  186  interconnects the valve  184  and the head of cylinder  24  for operating the valve by the piston of said cylinder. 
     Valve  182  also communicates through conduit  188  with T coupling  190  which communicates through conduit  192  with the head of cylinder  20  and through conduit  194  with valve  196 . This valve communicates through conduit  198  with T coupling  170 . Mechanical interconnect  200  joins the valves  130 ,  134  and  196  for simultaneous actuation. 
     Trigger  202  is mounted on cross drive  50  and trigger  204  is mounted on cross drive  52  for selective engagement with abutment  206  projecting from the elongated actuator rod  208  which mechanically engages valve  96  to effect selective switching thereof. Mutual abutments  210  are provided on cross drives  50  and  54 , and mutual abutments  212  are provided on cross drives  52  and  54 , for operation in the manner described hereinafter. 
     The operation of the system described hereinbefore is as follows: 
     Referring first to FIG. 8 of the drawings, the configuration illustrated effects movement of all three cylinders and hence all of the deck slats in unison toward the right. Oil under pressure leaves the pump  88  and flows through coupling  94  where it branches down through the pilot valve  96  and around to the left end of valve  100 . Oil is exhausted from the right side of valve  100 , back through valve  96  and couplings  106  and  110  to tank  114 . This holds valve  100  in the position shown. 
     From coupling  94  oil flows up through valve  100  and coupling  124 . The oil cannot flow up conduit  128  from coupling  124  because valve  130  is blocking flow. This forces the oil from coupling  124  into the base of cylinder  20 , applying force to its piston. The oil can flow out of the base of cylinder  20  through valve  162  and into the base of cylinder  24 , applying force to the associated piston. Oil leaving cylinder  24  is blocked by valves  130  and  134  and by the check valve  150 . Accordingly, cylinder  22  does not receive any oil pressure from the pump. Oil is exhausted from cylinder  24  through valve  184  and coupling  190  where it is joined by oil exhausting from cylinder  20 . It then travels up through valve  196  into coupling  170 , then over and down through valve  100 , couplings  106  and  110  to tank  114 . This causes cylinders  24  and  20  to extend. 
     The forward motion of cylinder rods  24 ′ and  20 ′ through their cross drives  54  and  50  and abutments  210  and  212  pull cylinder rod  22 ′ out with them. This causes the oil in the head of cylinder  22  to exhaust through coupling  170 , valve  100 , couplings  106  and  110  to tank. As cylinder rod  22 ′ is drawn out, oil is pulled from the tank  114  through connection  110 , thence through valve  118  and into the base of cylinder  22 . This allows the base of cylinder  22  to fill with oil. The three groups of slats thus have been moved simultaneously toward the right, to effect moving a load on the slats toward the right. When the cylinders reach the end of their travel, trigger  202 , which is on cross drive  50 , connects with the mechanical linkage  206  and  208 , drawing it forward and causing valve  96  to shift to its other position. This causes pilot oil that flows through valve  96  to be applied to the right end of valve  100  and allows pilot oil to be exhausted from the left end of valve  100  through pilot valve  96  to tank  90 . This causes valve  100  to shift to its other position shown in FIG.  9 . 
     Oil from the pump  88  now is directed through valve  100  up through coupling  170  and conduit  172  into the head of cylinder  22 , then through valve  176  into cylinder  24 . Oil then flows through valve  184  and coupling  190  where it is joined by oil that is coming down from coupling  170  through valve  196 , from whence it travels into the head of cylinder  20 . All three cylinders now have pressure on the head side of their pistons causing them to try to retract. However, the oil in the base of cylinder  24  is blocked by valves  130 ,  134  and  150 , or by valve  162 . 
     Cylinder  22  cannot retract because the oil in its base is blocked by valves  130 ,  134  and  142 , or by valve  118 . However, Cylinder  20  can retract because the oil in its base can exhaust through conduit  126  and coupling  124 , thence through valve  100 , couplings  106  and  110  to tank  114 . When cylinder  20  reaches the end of its stroke, it mechanically opens valve  162  through link  166  which allows oil in the base of cylinder  24  to exhaust through valve  162 , and then through the base of cylinder  20  and on through coupling  124 , valve  100 , couplings  106  and  110  to tank. 
     When cylinder  24  reaches the end of its stroke, link  146  mechanically opens valve  142  which allows the oil from the base of cylinder  22  to travel back past valve  150 , coupling  138  through the opened valve  142  into cylinder  24  and on to tank through the same path. When cylinder  22  finally reaches the end of its stroke, trigger  204  which is connected to cross drive  52  contacts the abutment  206  which mechanically pushes valve  96  back to its original position in FIG.  6 . All three groups of slats thus have been retracted sequentially toward the left. This starts the cycle all over again, to effect stepwise movement of a load toward the right. 
     If valves  96 ,  130  and  134 , which are ganged together by mechanical interconnect  200 , are mechanically shifted to the position shown in FIG. 8, oil still flows through the pilot  96  as before. Oil from coupling  94  travels up through valve  100 , through coupling  124  and fills the base of cylinder  20 . Oil then flows back through valve  162  to the base of cylinder  24 . Oil flows out of the base of cylinder  24 , back through valve  142  and couplings  138  and  132  where it is joined by oil flowing from coupling  124  through valve  130 , then through valve  134  and into the base of cylinder  22 . 
     Oil cannot leave the base of cylinder  22  because it is blocked by valve  118 . This causes all three cylinders to try to extend. The oil in cylinder  20  is blocked from exhausting because of valves  184  and  196 . Cylinder  24  cannot extend because it is blocked by valve  176 . However, oil in cylinder  22  can exhaust up through conduit  172  and coupling  170  back through valve  100  to tank  114 . 
     When cylinder  22  reaches the end of its stroke, link  178  mechanically opens valve  176  allowing the oil from cylinder  24  to exhaust. When cylinder  24  reaches the end of its travel, it opens valve  184  and allows the oil from cylinder  20  to exhaust through valve  184 . When cylinder  20  reaches the end of its stroke, completing the stepwise retraction of all three groups of slats, trigger  202  and rod  208  mechanically shift valve  96  to its other position which, in turn, causes valve  100  to shift to the position shown in FIG. 9, wherein all three cylinders are traveling back to the front together. 
     Oil from valve  96  from the pump  88  travels through valve  100  up through coupling  170  into the head of cylinder  22 , thence through valve  176  into the head of cylinder  24 , through valve  184  and into the head of cylinder  20 , to retract all three cylinders simultaneously and move all slats simultaneously and move a load toward the left. Oil in cylinder  24  can exhaust directly back through coupling  124  and valve  100  to tank. Oil in cylinder  24  can exhaust by traveling back through valve  142  and coupling  138 , up through coupling  132  and thence through valve  130  back through coupling  124  to tank. Oil that is still in cylinder  22  can exhaust by traveling up through coupling  154 , through valves  134 ,  130  and coupling  124 , thence through valve  100  to tank. When cylinder  22  reaches the end of its stroke, trigger  204  and rod  208  mechanically shifts valve  96  back to its original position, which in turn switches valve  100  and returns to the configuration of FIG. 8, where the cycle starts all over again. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the size, shape, type, number and arrangement of parts described hereinbefore without departing from the spirit of this invention.