Improvements in Apparatus for Elevating, Conveying, and Delivering Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Elevating, Conveying, and
Delivering Material.
I, WILLIAM BURROUGH BULLEN, of 159 Queen Street, Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Warehouseman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the unloading of vessels, or the
elevation of material from one level to another when said material is granular or
of a kind which can be gathered up by a chain of endless buckets.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings I show by
Figure 1. a side elevation of the apparatus; by
Figure 2. a plan view, and by
Figure 3. an end sectional elevation of the discharge portion on the line X X iu
Figures 1 and 2.
In these figures A represents an endless chain of buckets mounted on a frame B
having rollers at each end and between the onds in the manner well known in
like mechanism. The frame is slotted longitudinally as shown by C, and fitting
this slot is a block D on which the frame may slide longitudinally. This block
has through it an axle E which is journaled in bearers resting on any suitable
movable platform G and trolly to allow turning in any required direction.
The machinery is worked by any suitable motor as engine H which drives the
said axle E by means of toothed wheels I. In the position shown on the drawing
the buckets are supposed to be raising material. The chain of buckets A is driven
by an endless chain J (see Figure 2) which is carried around by a sprocket wheel K
fixed on the axle E. The line of contact between the wheel K and the chain J
is increased as may be desired by means, of two pulleys L which are journaled
at the side of the block D. To cause A to move longitudinally thero is provided
a clutch M on one end of the axle E by which when the clutch is engaged with
a toothed wheel N (which sits loosely on the axle E) circular motion is imparted
to said wheel which then works a rack O fixed on one side of frame B. During
this operation the upper part of the chain J is lifted free from the sprocket
wheel K by mechanism moving in connection with the clutch lever P which will
be well understood and is not claimed aud not shown in the drawing.
The angle of inclination of the chain of buckets can be made adjustable by
providing well known mechanism which therefore need not be shown. The essential
feature of the invention remains to be described and cousists of an arrangement
for automatically weighing the material raised by the buckets and then discharging
the same.
The material drops into a hopper Q which stands centrally above another hopper R
of greater discharge orifice, which is opened or closed by the shutter S the spindle
of which forms one arm of a bell crank lever pivoted at T. When the shutter is
open the material will drop through the hoppers into the scoop U, which fills until
its load is sufficient to overcome the weight V which is carried on the shank of a
fork W the legs of which are pivotally connected at Y to the respective sides of the
scoop. The said fork is provided below its level with an axle Z which is journaled

page_text: in suitable bearings. Each time the load is tipped out of the scoop the same is
automatically recorded on register or counter 1 by means of connections 2.
To render the counting effective it becomes necessary to close the hopper R
each time the scoop begins to tip and this is effected by connecting the aforesaid
bell orank lever T with the rear of the scoop, by means of links 3. The dotted
lines in Figure 3 show the positions of various parts when the scoop is tipped.
It will be observed that as soon as the material is emptied out of the scoop, the
scoop, the weight, and the shutter resume the position shown by firm lines in
Figure 3 of the drawing.
claim only the exclusive right to the mechanism hereafter mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and combination with an apparatus for unloading
vessels or elevating material by means of a chain of buckets, of the parts for
receiving the material upon a scoop, tipping it therefrom when it reaches a given
weight and recording each tip substantially as set forth and illustrated in the
drawings.
2. The combination of the parts Q, R, S and T substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the parts TUY WV aud Z substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of the parts T, 1, 2, 3 and U substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.