Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Conveying Substances such as Grain, Minerals, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Conveying Substances
such as Grain, Minerals, and the like.
I, CHARLES THOMPSON of Bridge End Road, Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Maltster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
--
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus for conveying
substances such as grain, minerals and the like from one point to another and is
particularly adapted for the conveyance of grain from one part of a building to
any other part desired, although the invention may be also used for conveying
coal, stones, boxes, flour or any other substances.
To carry out my invention I construct a trough or conveyor of material suitable
to the purpose for which it is to be used and of a strength in accordance with the
load to be carried.
The conveyor may be of any length, width and depth and covered or uncovered
as desired, and be supported by pillars from the floor or straps or equivalent
depending from the joists above.
At the front end of the conveyor, i.e. the end where the grain or other substance
is discharged therein, 1 mount a crank shaft or equivalent driven by a suitable
rope wheel or pulley and connect the said crank or cranks by means of connecting
rods to the sides or end of the conveyor. It will be obvious therefore, that when
the crank is set in motion the conveyor will have a to-and-fro movement.
To assist in transmitting the grain or other substances along the conveyor, I give
the latter a slight incline. For dry grain an incline of one in twenty-four has
been found an effective declivity but this may be modified to suit the nature of the
substances and the number or revolutions of the crankshaft.
The conveyor may be in one straight length or branch out in any direction
suitable to the nature of the building and be provided with slides or flaps for
discharging or delivering the substances either from the sides or bottom at any
required point. In the case of a grain conveyor a stop placed across at a right
angle thereto may be sufficient to effect the delivery, but with coal and the like
the stop may be fixed at an angle of 45 degrees.
The conveyor may be supported as before mentioned either from below or above
and suitable wheels, rollers or runners provided at certain points in its length in
accordance with the load to assist its easy to-and-fro movement.
It is obvious that at each forward movement of the conveyor the substance
herein will be carried along with it and upon the return movement of the former
he latter will be propelled to a certain degree, still further forward.
Although a smooth to-and-fro movement may be effective for grain and the like,
t may be found desirable for the easy delivery of some substances to impart a
light vibration or oscillation to the conveyor.
Dated the 15th.co.
1005
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
31, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Conveying Substances
such as Grain, Minerals, and the like.
I, CHARLES THOMPSON of Bridge End Road, Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Maltster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
i and hy the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus whereby substances
such as grain, minerals and the like may be (with much less power than heretofore
required) conveyed from one part of a building to any other part; the invention
may be also used for conveying the said and like substances in the open air.
In carrying out my invention the conveyer which consists of an inclined trongh
of suitable material and strength has a reciprocating motion in a straight line
imparted to it by means of suitable mechanism.
Under these conditions at each forward movement of the conveyer the substance
or material therein will be carried along with it and the forward throw of the
substance or material is continued when the conveyer is withdrawn by the return
movement. Furthermore since the load carried is so moved that it is never litted
ns a dead weight the power required to operate the conveyer is very small.
The invention will be fully understood by reference to the drawings accompanying
this Specification, wherein,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conveyer constructed in accordance with this
invention
Figure 2 is a plan of a conveyer showing the receiving end widened out to allow
for any spread of the material or substance for screening purposes, (the screen not
shown) and the crank shaft actuated by a rope wheel.
Figure 3 shows a continuation of the branch shown in Figure 2 with another
branch diverging from same.
Figure 4. is a cross section of the conveyer showing how the anti-friction wheels
or rollers are connected thereto.
Figure 5. is a similar view of one form of hanger or bearing and roller for
supporting the conveyer.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section showing one form of flap.
Figure 7 is a cross section showing a slide for covering a hole in the side of the
conveyer.
Figure 8 is a plan shewing a branch, at a right angle to them in trunk or branch
of the conveyer, and a branch for back delivery.
Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section on the line - of the last figure.
Fig. 10 is a cross section and
Figure 11 a plan of the conveyer showing one method of conveying up the
incline.
Figure 12 is a detail drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 13 is a cross section of a modification.
Like letters of reference indiente like parts in all the figures. A is the bottom,
BB the sides and C the front end of a conveyer which may be made of wood or
other suitable material faced if desired with sheet metal to preserve the surface.
On the underside and near the end are attached blocks D through which pass the
pins or studs D' to receive the ends E¹ of the connecting rods E. The opposite
ends of the said rods E are former in any suitable manner to surround the
cranks on the shaft F, the latter being carried in pedestals or bearings G
attached by bolts G' to the supporting plates or bearers G. In Figures 1 and 2
two connecting rods E are shown, but with narrow conveyers a block D may
be placed central in the end and connected by a single rod E to the crankshaft.

page_text: Only one bearing G is shown in Figure 1, but the crankshaft may have bearings
on each side as shown in Figure 2. The crankshaft F is actuated by a belt (not
shown in the drawing) passing round the pulley F (Figure 1) or a rope and rope.
wheel F3 (Figure 2) may be substituted for the said belt and pulley. A suitable
speed for the said shaft F is 120 revolutions per minute with a crank having a
throw of four inches: but by increasing the revolutions and the crank throw,.
more work is done while a uniform speed may be maintained by the use of a Hy
wheel.
When conveying peas along the conveyer the latter may be moved at a slow
speed to enable sorters to withdraw the defective ones and deliver same through
any convenient opening.
The conveyer is supported by the plates or bearers G³ and anti-friction wheels
or rollers carried in the bearings fl¹ (most clearly shown in Figure 4) the said
wheels or rollers being flanged to prevent side movement and moving along angle
irons H or equivalent guide ways screwed to the supporting plates G or it may
he supported by rollers J carried in the adjustable hangers or bearings J' depending
from the joists or beams above the conveyer, according to the construction of the
building, the said hangers or bearings being adjustable in any convenient way to
keep the conveyer supported at the required incline.
The conveyer may be supported at convenient intervals along its length according
to its strength and the load it has to carry, the wheels or rollers being mounted in.
a line parallel with the crank shaft. In Figure 1 the conveyer is shown with parallel
sides, but in certain cases, such for instance when grain or corn is to be conveyed
it may be desirable to form the front or other part where the grain or corn is received
in plan somewhat of the form shown in Figure 2 to allow of the spread of the
substance for screening purposes, so that the grain or corn shall pass from the said
widened part over the screen at less depth than at the remaining part of the
conveyer. This screening bed may be placed at any point in the conveyer. The
conveyer may be in one straight length, or as shown in Figure 1, branch off in any
required direction such as A', A or at a right angle as in Figure 8 to suit the
construction of the building. In Figure 3 a further branch A is shown leaving
the branch at a right angle to the crank shaft F, supported by rollers or
bearers as before mentioned and having the same fall from side to side as A has
lengthways, and having also a suitable incline. To deliver backwards, i.e. in
relation to the main trunk and in the direction of the arrows (see Figs. 8 and 9) a
branch M may be constructed at any desired point of the main trunk of the
conveyer and at any point in the sides of the branch M an opening M³ may be
made, under which may be placed the end of a trough N connected to the branch M
at M by a connecting rod O and supported by rollers J as before described.
Openings B' provided with a slide 133 held in position by projecting strips B
(see Figure 7) are arranged in the sides 13 of the conveyer at any point for side
delivery, in which case a board or plate M³ is placed across the conveyer to turn
the grain or other substance but if bottom delivery is requisite or desired
openings A are arranged and provided with a flap A hinged at A' as shown
in Figure 6.
When the conveyer is constructed to branch out as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 8
and 9 a board or plate L is pivoted at L' so that it can be turned either way to.
direct the grain or other substance in the required direction.
Any convenient form of reciprocating mechanism may be used and such
mechanisin may be placed at any desired or suitable part along the length of the
conveyer.
In the foregoing Specification I have described my invention for the conveyance
of substances down a slightly inclined plane, but when the substances are in bulk,.
such as grain, coal, and the like or sacks of grain, coal, boxes or packages they may
when required be readily conveyed up the conveyer by pushing with the hand or
any other slight application of power, as the friction between the conveyer when.

page_text: moved as before describe and the substances conveyed, is very slight and much
less power is required than heretofore to effect the result desired.
In the remaining figures of the drawings 1 show conveyers adapted to take
advantage of the great reduction of friction upon substances carried. I provide
a series of flaps P, Figures 10, 11 and 12 pivoted at P to the sides B B of the
It will he mulerstood
conveyer and resting against strips secured to the latter.
that as the grain water or other bodies gees forward towards the down direction of
the conveyer, it strikes against a flap and the rebound from the flap carries the
grain or other body through the next one which opens to let it pass and son
through each flap until the point of delivery is reached. The flaps P P should be
placed apart a distance equal to or slightly less than the crank throw. The said
flaps might also be connected together by a rod 13 and worked by an eccentric
on the crank shaft and the regular and certain working of the flaps thereby
ensured.
In the modification shown in Figure 13 a series of wedge shaped steps Q are
formed in the hottom of the trough and the substance at ench revolution of the
crank shaft strikes against the perpendicular sides Q with sufficient force to send
it up the inclines, when it drops into the hollows and striking against the sides Q
at the next stroke is again carried forward and upward.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sail
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A conveyer which consists of a trough reciprocated lengthwise in a straight
line substantially as described.
2. A conveyer constructed substantially as described with reference to any of
the forms shown in the accompanying drawings and operating as specified.
Dated this 17th day of March 1806.
CHARLES THOMPSON,
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
31 High Holborn, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.