Patent CA-2024708-A1 (CA)
Title: Tube conveyor with wheeled containers
Inventor: MARCU MIHAIL L
IPC: G01M99/00
Filed: 1990-09-06
Abstract: Abstract The tube conveyor according with the  invention is  made of:   wheeled  containers  with main rolling  swivel wheels in  form of solid  or pneumatic tires disposed like a bicycle - one  in front and one in the back, also the wheeled containers  have lateral stabilizing swivel wheels; the  said container having rotation  shafts to allow rotation around  a  longitudinal  axis,  this shafts  being supported on some journal bearings resting on the said  main rolling swivel  wheels;  the  wheeled containers  having  a cruise  position   where  the   said  rotation  shafts   are fixed/indexed to the said  bearings by indexing/fixing dogs, these   dogs  being   released/deindexed  by   cams  rigidly associated with  the mobile/rotary part of  the main rolling swivel wheels, by  this being  possible to  rotate the  said containers  around the said rotation shafts by the action of a stationary spatial cam when the container are moving in a curve  or on a some  curved rails, for  this, the containers having in their median part some median rollers  which could engage  the  said stationary  spatial  cam;  also, the  tube conveyor has transfer loop and a transfer and unloading loop made of rails to guide the container and cams or guide rails for  unloading or transfer it from one cube to another; also the  tube  conveyor  has   a  tubular  guideway  for  loaded containers, a  tubular guideway  for unloaded  containers, a loading   unit  based  on   vibratory   or   apron  feeders characterized by  the fact that  the loading is  made either via an  unversed y-shaped two legged  manifold with diverter flap valve or via  a successive set of feeders,  the loading itself  being made  by laying/loading  successive  layers of material to  be transported into the  said containers; also, the  tube  conveyor  having pneumatic  propulsion  means  to propel the wheeled containers along the tubular guideway.    The  way  of  operation  of the  tube  conveyor  is  in principle  as follows:  the  wheeled containers  are rolling inside  the tubular  guideways  by the  effect of pneumatic forces generated by the  pneumatic propulsion means  because of  the swivel  wheels  and  particularly  because  of  the indexed/fixed  shafts  to  the   main  rolling  wheels,  the containers are stable, then  center of gravity bringing them back  to  rolling equilibrium;  at  the end  of  the tubular guideway the containers get  out from it and enter  into the transfer loops, where they are guided/kept in equilibrium by the guiding  rails or  rollers or unloaded by  rotating the body  of containers on the said  notation shafts, this being possible  because  these  shafts  are  deindexed   from  the bearings and because of the action of the spatial cam acting on the  said median rollers; also the wheeled containers are loaded by vibratory  or apron feeders  in motion by  feeding successive layers of material into the containers enter into the tubular guideways and continue the cycle.    The  invention  will  be  apparent from  the  following detailed  description of invention,  reference being made to the accompanying drawings.