Patent GB-1121811-A (GB)
Title: Shipboard conveying apparatus
IPC: B65G67/60
Filed: 1965-08-02
Abstract: 1,121,811. Loading and unloading ships; endless conveyers. ORENSTEIN-KOPPEL UND LUBECKER MASCHINENBAU A.G. 2 Aug., 1965 [22 Aug., 1964; 25 Jan., 1965], No. 25997/65. Headings B8A and B8E. Conveying apparatus mounted on a ship comprises a gantry 9, Fig. 1, movable longitudinally of the ship above the holds 7, and a bucket elevator supported on a stiucture 12 carried by the gantry, the elevator including an endless bucket chain 75 extending in a vertical plane, at least a lower part of the elevator being mounted to pivot about a horizontal axis 60 relative to the structure 12 from a lowered vertical position 62 in a hold to a raised position 62c above the holds, the lower part including two straight runs of the chain extending in said plane and in substantially the same direction and the axis 60 extending through or adjacent to a line extending in the said direction centrally between the two straight runs of the chain. The gantry 9 travels on rails 8 and has rails 10, 11 on which runs the structure 12, and the gantry has fixed thereto a driver's cab 13. The elevator includes a support arm 17 pivoted at 60 and moved by a spindle and nut device or an hydraulic device 65. The arm is movable between the positions 62 and 62c, and to positions 62a and 62b when corner spaces of the hold are to be emptied. The arm 17 has pivotally mounted thereon a two-armed lever 69 carrying guide pulleys 70, 71, the lever 69 being adjustable angularly by a spindle and nut device or hydraulic device 72 which is pivotally connected by an adjusting link 73 to the lever 69. The chain 75 extends round three guide pulleys 76, 77, 78 having their axes fixed relative to the structure 12, the pulley 77 being driven by a drive 79. The arm 17 also carries a further guide pulley 80 which moves to the position 80c on movement of the arm 17 to the portion 62c. When the arm 17 is moved between the positions 62 and 62c the guide path for the chain defined by the guide pulleys is not subjected to any significant change in length. The axes of rotation of the pulleys 76, 77, 78 are at the apices of a triangle and the axis 60 extends through or adjacent to the point of intersection of perpendiculars bisecting the sides of the triangle. The chain is driven so that it runs from the pulley 77 to the pulley 78 so that material in the buckets is emptied into a hopper delivering it to a conveyer 26 extending longitudinally of the gantry 9; the conveyer 26 may be displaceable longitudinally of the gantry and a retractable and/or pivotable discharge conveyer (not shown) may be arranged on the gantry for loading and unloading purposes. A further conveyer belt having a mobile belt loop carriage may extend along one side of the ship for receiving material from or loading material on to the conveyer 26. In a second embodiment, Fig. 2, the chain 75 is supported by a circular ring 101 to which the arm 17 is fixed. The axis of the ring 101 which is the axis of rotation is disposed just below the conveyer 26. The drive 79 turns the ring through toothed gearing or a roller chain transmission. The ring 101 is formed of two coaxial annuli, each carried by three rollers 100 mounted on the structure 12, the ring annuli being formed as tracks for the rollers. In a third embodiment, Fig. 3, the chain is formed as a double roller chain 102 and the annuli forming the ring 101 comprise at their outer peripheries guide rails 103 for the rollers of the chain. One chain driving wheel 104 is mounted on the ring 101 and has its shaft 105 adjustable radially in slides 106. The ring 101 is supported by four rollers 100. The lever 69 carried by the arm 17 has at its lower side two guide rails 107 for the rollers of the chain.