Patent GB-849161-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to self-contained mobile power driven conveyor systems
Inventor: MOON STERLING C
IPC: E21F13/02
Filed: 1957-01-07
Abstract: 849,161. Endless-belt conveyers. COLMOL CO. Jan. 7, 1957, No. 644/57. Class 78 (1). In a flexible conveyer system for receiving material from a mining machine 60; Fig. 29, and carrying it to an endless belt conveyer 148 which includes a receiving conveyer unit 40, one or more intermediate conveyer units 84 and a discharge conveyer unit 126, the supporting wheels of each intermediate conveyer unit are power driven and adjacent units are connected by universal joint members. The receiving unit 40, Fig. 1, includes a hopper 41 which receives material from the machine 60 and directs it on to a rubber fabric belt 44. Strips 43 of rubber belting at the sides of the hopper outlet overlap the belt 44 and reduce spillage. The unit is connected to the machine by a coupling 57 which can swing about a horizontal axis at one end. The other end of the coupling has a universal joint 61 which is slidable to a limited extend on a horizontal pin 62, Fig. 15, disposed centrally of the unit and rigidly attached thereto. As arm 63 projecting upwards from the joint co-operates with Bowden wire mechanism 64 to control a switch in the circuit of the traction motors of the units, as soon as the machine 60 exerts a pull on the train of units the motors are started. The unit 40 is supported by a single pair of wheels 66 which are mounted for vertical and swinging adjustment and provided with the usual manually controlled steering mechanism 73. Each wheel is mounted in a king pin carried by a bracket on an arm 67 which is fast on a rock shaft 68 provided with an actuating arm 69. This arm is attached to the piston rod of an hydraulic cylinder 70 and to. the piston rod 71 of an equalizing cylinder 72. The rear end of the unit 40 has a steering control coupling 75, Fig. 2, for the following trailing. unit. This coupling comprises a channel 77 which is joined by a horizontal pivot 178 to a steering bracket on the trailer. A flexible steel cable 78 connects the channel to a tension unit 79 comprising a helical spring 81. The cable is guided by pulleys 82. The unit ends in a V- shaped cross piece 83, the apex of which includes a portion of a universal joint type coupling, the other part of which is on the trailing unit 84. Each unit 84 is supported by a pair of wheels 98, Fig. 5, and a pair of wheels 114, Fig. 6, which preferably are interlocked for steering and are controlled by the preceding unit. The wheels 98 are driven by a motor 99. One wheel 98 is driven through bevel gears by a vertical shaft 103 which is connected by chain- and-sprocket gearing to the vertical shaft of a speed reducer 100. The lower end of this shaft is connected by bevel gears to a cross shaft 108 which is provided with the requisite universal joints and drives a vertical shaft 109. This shaft through chain-and-sprocket gearing 110 drives the other wheel 98. The wheels are connected for steering by the linkage 111 which includes a bracket 112 pivoted about a vertical axis to the frame. The bracket receives either the bushing 178, Fig. 2, on the channel 77, or a telescoping unit used to connect two units 84, or an intermediate unit to the discharge unit. The suspension mechanism for each of the wheels 114 includes an arm 115 which is pivoted to a casting 116 forming a rigid part of the frame. An elongated torsion rod 117 extends through a bifurcated portion of each arm 115 and through the casting. The end of each rod 117 is splined to a keeper arm 118 which is bolted to the arms 115. Each rod 117 extends through holes in the axle upon which the wheels 98 are supported and is splined to a keeper arm 119 bolted to this axle. The wheels 114 are provided with steering link mechanism 120 similar to the mechanism 111. These mechanisms are coupled by linkages 122. The coupling 123 is pivoted to the bracket 121 similar to the bracket 112. V-type crossmembers 124, 125 at the ends of the unit have universal joint connection to the corresponding members on adjacent units. The discharge unit 126, Fig. 26, is supported upon pairs of front and rear interconnected steering wheels none of which is driven. The rear part of the unit includes an endless belt conveyer 141 which mounted on the sections 136, 137 of the discharge boom 135. The section 136 is mounted to swing about a vertical axis by pivots 138, 140 and the section 137 is swingable about the horizontal pivot 143.