An Improvement in Conveyors of Billets and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Conveyors of Billets and the like.
I, JOHN IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby.
declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by
William Garrett and John Cabell Cromwell, Engineers, both of Cleveland, in
the County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, in the United States of America),
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to a construction of billet conveyors such that the billets
or similar articles are carried upon a series of rollers driven by an endless belt,
wire rope or chain and that the billets may be switched off at any desired point
and by means of a side loop thereof, deposited at any desired point, as will be
described referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are plans of successive portions of the conveyor, the three
when united shewing the entire apparatus. Fig. 1" shews a modification. Figs. 4,
5 and 6 are side elevations of the successive portions shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3
respectively. Fig. is a side elevation of a portion of the conveyor drawn to an
enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a cross section of the part shewn in Fig. 7, and Fig: 9
is a diagrammatic perspective showing the general arrangement of the rope
driving connections.
2 is an engine driving a main shaft 3, having gear connections with the shaft
of the main driving drum 4. 5 is also a driven drum between which and 4 is an
idle drum or roller 6 against which the outer portions of the drum peripheries
bear, thus relieving strains due to the action of the belts which are looped about
these two drums and tightened by the usual travelling tightener 7 mounted on
a wheeled truck 8 which is movable along a track 9 and attached to a suitable
counterweight.
The belt is shewn as a single continuous wire rope, which after being looped
about the drums 4 and 5 and passing over the tightener, extends thence through-
out the entire length of the conveyor, returns to the starting point and thence
is repeated, again extending throughout the conveyor and back to the starting
point where it is joined to the first end, thus giving two parallel portions moving
side by side throughout the conveyor, in the same direction and at the same
speed. The two portions after passing about the tightener extend horizontally
and round a horizontal pulley 10, then at an angle along the line of the con-
veyor over two vertical pulleys 11 which space the rope portions the desired
distance apart. Thence they extend along the conveyor and over a double grooved
pulley 12 and thence over the vertical pulley 13 and under the double pulley 14,
from which they pass over a single pulley 15, then round a large horizontal
pulley 16, again at an angle round the vertical pulleys 17, whence they return
passing round a double loose pulley 18 above and on the same shaft with the
pulley 16, and thence back to the drums 4 and 5.
Above that portion of the belt extending from the double pulley 18 to the
driving drum is provided a frame-work 19 in which are mounted a series of
transverse rollers 20, the bearings of which rest loosely in suitable guides 21
upon the frame, the rollers being held in place merely by their own weight and

page_text: resting upon the ropes. These rollers are preferably grooved as shown to receive
the two rope portions..
To support the rope portions beneath the rollers 20 I mount on the frame
19 pairs of grooved pulleys 22 which support the load as the billets are moved
forwards upon the rollers 20 on which they rest ensuring a close contact between
the ropes and the rollers 20. The upper portion of that branch of the rope which
extends forwards from the double pulleys 11, drives a series of rollers 20' mounted
and driven in the same manner as, the pulleys 20; and transfers the billets from
the main line of the conveyor to this branch, 23 is a pivoted switch which meets
and deflects the billets on to a rotating turn-table 24.
This turn-table is provided with guard plates 25, which constitute extensions
of guard-plates 26 placed above and at the sides of the rollers. The guards: 25
guide the billets on to the rollers 20' which carry them along at an angle to the
main line of the conveyor to points where they may be acted upon by pushers 27
by which they may be moved into a heating furnace 28. The upper part of
the ropes extending.from the pulleys 17 forwards to the pulley 18 drives-a-series
of rollers 20" which are for the same purpose as the rollers.20, this branch being
similarly provided with pushers 27 which move the billets into a furnace 281
For this branch there is a turn-table 24¹ having curved guide-plate portion 26¹
which are partly broken away in Fig. 6, to show the circular guiding flange 29,
upon the turn-table.
It is to be understood that a branch of the conveyor similar to either of those
shown may be formed at any point throughout the line of the conveyor and may
extend at any desired angle thereto so as to convey the billets sidewise to any
desired point at the side of the main line of the conveyor this being effected by
an extension of the conveyor itself and the rollers of the branches being driven
by loop portions of the continuous rope, which may be driven from a single source
of power. It is to be noted that the rollers rest upon the driving rope by their,
own weight and are thus frictionally driven and that the rope bears upon lower"
rollers between the bearings of the upper rollers.
In Fig. 1 is shown a modification, in which for the purpose of increasing the
distance between the billet or other article and the rope, to provide against injury
to the rope a second series of rollers is employed these resting upon and driven
by a lower series of rollers, which are in contact with and are driven by the rope.
The upper rollers carry and move the billets placed on them the cable being
driven to suit the direction in which it is desired to move the billets.
The structure of the driving belt, rope or its equivalent may obviously be varied
as well as the construction and arrangement of the driving mechanism, the guid-
ing pulleys, etc., without departing from this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A conveyor having a driving rope or its equivalent and a series of rollers
which lie directly upon the rope at points between rollers supporting it and are
driven by it, these rollers receiving on their surfaces and moving billets or other
articles substantially as described.
2. The conveyor rope arranged with a loop portion which forms a branch at
an angle to the main portion, and is provided with driven and supporting rollers
and a suitable switch and turntable, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of September 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.