Patent GB-403689-A (GB)
Title: A new or improved conveyor apparatus
IPC: B65G17/16
Filed: 1932-06-21
Abstract: 403,689. Endless-chain conveyers. NORTHAMPTON MACHINERY CO., Ltd., COLLIER, J. V., St. Michael's Road, and COLLIER, C. A., Parterre, Weedon Road, both in Northampton. June 21, 1932, No. 17536. [Class 78 (i).] A conveyer apparatus comprises a main structure having two jibs 25, 26, an endless conveyer supported and guided on the main structure and jibs and having grips or grabs adapted to open and close for releasing and picking up baskets or containers, and means for automatically controlling the grips or grabs at the delivery place and the loading place. The apparatus is primarily intended for unloading goods from ships' holds and delivering them on the quay. The main structure comprises a tower 3 having a turntable mounting on an undercarriage C provided with travelling wheels 2. The jibs 25, 26 are pivoted to the tower at 27, 28 respectively so that they can be individually raised or lowered ; the jib 25 carries at its free end a delivery frame structure 29. The endless conveyer comprises two endless chains 31 spaced by distance rods 67 and carried by sprockets on the tower, the jibs, the delivery frame structure and the loading frame structure referred to below ; the sprockets include driving sprockets 32 and vertically adjustable sprockets 42 to enable the chains to be adjusted to the height of the loading position. The endless chains depend from the free end of the jib 26 and carry a loading frame structure 43, enabling the structure 43 to be slung into the loading position. The loading frame structure 43 comprises a superstructure, including brackets 50, 51 supporting the sprockets for the conveyer chains and mounted on a ring 49 adapted to be temporarily attached to the hatch coaming 56, and a loading platform 48 connected to the superstructure by telescopic tie-rods 52 and side members 47. The grabs each consist of a pair of grip members 68, 68a connected by a pin 68b, Fig. 6 and pivotally suspended separately from a central holder 69 on opposite sides of the pin 68b ; the arrangement is such that when the holder 69 is suspended from one of the distance rods 67 the grip members 68, 68a are maintained in basket &c. gripping position by gravity and upward movement of operating arms 70, 70a attached to the grip members respectively is required to open the grip members to receive or release a basket &c. Each arm 70, 70a has a roller 72 thereon for engagement with cams 76, 77, 79 to raise the arms, the cams 76 on the brackets 51 serve to release the empty baskets on the deck at the loading place, the cams 77 on the side members 47 serve to open the grabs for receiving the loaded baskets, and the cams 79 on the delivery structure 29 serve to open the grabs to release the full baskets and for holding the grabs open until they are in a position to pick up the empty baskets on a platform 82 in the structure 29. Instead of the arms 70, 70a being provided on the grip members 68, 68a each grip member may have a substantially horizontal extension fitted with a roller corresponding to the rollers 72 ; in this case the cams must be arranged to press the rollers downwards to open the grabs. To facilitate correct positioning of the baskets on the platforms 48, 82, a recess or locating strips arranged in the form of a V may be provided thereon. A modified form of loading frame structure by means of which the empty baskets may be dropped into the hold instead of on the deck is shown in Fig. 9 and includes a platform 85 and side members 84 supporting cams 90 for operating the grabs and removably attached to a superstructure 86 carrying the sprockets for the endless chains by pins 89 and slots 88, so that the superstructure may be disconnected and lifted away by the chains and jib 26 leaving the loading platform in the hold. The loading frame structure may be supported in the hold entirely by the endless chains or it may be partially or wholly supported in the hold by telescopic members attached to a ring member removably attached to the hatch coaming ; sprockets may be adjustably mounted on this ring member to guide the chains as they pass through the hatchway.