Patent GB-566854-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic loaders for coal and granular material
IPC: B65G65/00
Filed: 1943-02-23
Abstract: 566,854. Conveyers; loading machines. NAYLOR BROS., Ltd., and NAYLOR, W. Feb. 23, 1943, No. 2983. [Classes 78 (i) and 78 (iv)] A machine for automatically loading coal, coke, grain, &c., and particularly for transferring coal from the broken-down face in a mine to a separate belt conveyer, comprises a carriage supporting endless chains 4 spaced apart in vertical planes and carrying a number of spades 6 straddling the space between adjacent chains which are driven from a power source on the carriage to cause the spades to lift material in the path of the carriage and deposit it on a lateral conveyer 10 mounted on the carriage, the conveyer extending at one end into the space enclosed by the chains. As shown, a frame 1, mounted. on wheels or endless tracks 2, has guideways 3 for the chains 4, the spades 6, which have extensions 7 carrying rollers 8 engaging the guideways, being mounted on the pivots 5 of spaced links in the chains so that as the chains move around the front end of the carriage, the spades are moved from substantially horizontal positions to positions in which they engage under the material 9. On further movement of the chains, material is lifted and carried by the spades until they are moved back into positions substantially parallel with the chains when the material is dropped on the conveyer 10 which deposits it on an independent conveyer 12. The chains may be driven from an electric motor or a pneumatic motor 14 having a pinion drive 15, 16 to a countershaft 17 connected by worm gearing 18, 19 to a second countershaft 20 which has a worm-wheel connection 21 with a main driving shaft 22. On the shaft 22 are mounted sprockets 23 carrying the endless tracks 2 and sprocket wheels 24 for the chains 4. An independent drive may, however, be provided for the chains 4 and tracks 2. The countershaft 20 is connected by gearing 25, 26, 27, 28 and a clutch to a shaft 29 which in turn is connected by gearing 30, 32 and clutch 31 to pinions 33 which drive the supporting drums 11 of the conveyer 10. In use, the machine is driven until a shoe or floor plate 34 is forced under the material to be removed when it is picked up by the spades 6 and deposited on the conveyer 10 which delivers it through a shoot 41 to the conveyer 12. Large lumps of material may be broken up by a cutter 35 driven by an endless chain 37 from the shaft 29. To prevent material on the plate 34 from passing back beneath the machine, automatic gravity plate valves may be provided in the path of the lifting spades which fall behind the spades to seal the space between one spade and the next. A clutch handle 43 may be provided at one or both sides of the machine to control the lateral conveyer and other handles may be provided for the other clutches so that the machine may be displaced on its tracks 2 or the chains driven with the tracks stationary or both driven together. In a modification, the machine co-operates with a two-part elevating conveyer supported by the machine or independently thereof. Feeler arms adapted to operate controls for the displacement of the tracks 2 may be provided on the machine frame so that if the machine tends to foul an object such as a pit prop, the drive is immediately arrested. The machine may be steered by providing independent clutches for the tracks.