Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Conveying.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Applicati n, 4th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Conveying.
I, JAMES MAPES DODGE of corner Clapier, and McKeen Streets, Germantown,.
in the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 my invention is to adapt endless chain conveyors of that class in
which the buckets are rigidly secured to the chain, to the carriage and elevation
of materials in runs similar to those for which pivoted bucket conveyors have
heretofore been commonly used, and I attain this object by forming and arranging.
the buckets substantially as hereinafter described, so that they may, receive the
material, to be conveyed, upon the lower horizontal run of the chain to which they
are attached, and may, without discharging their contents, be inverted so as to
traverse an upper horizontal run, and may yet be caused to effect that discharge
at any predetermined point upon the said upper run, or may receive material
on an upper run and convey it to a discharge point on a lower run, as described
hereafter.
Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has not been practicable to effect the work
which my invention is mainly designed to accomplish, with conveyors of the fixed
bucket type, except by using separate conveyors for different parts of the run, and
transferring the material from one such conveyor to another, or, where it has been
sought to accomplish the result, by the use of one such conveyor, by twisting the
conveyor chain in the ascending portion of the run, so as to prevent inversion of
the buckets during the upper run."
By means of my present invention, I am enabled to accomplish the result aimed
at, by the use of one conveyor, of the fixed bucket type, and without twisting the
conveyor chain at any part of its journey, or employing any means to prevent
"reversal" of the buckets.
My invention further relates to sundry improvements in details of construction
hereinafter particularly described, whereby a conveyor of the fixed bucket type
having the capacity hereinabove set forth, may be made capable also of continuous
operation and of being continuously fed without the employment of the customary
valves and trips.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating one form of conveyor made in accordance with:
my invention, shewing the buckets charged and carrying the loads from the
charging point on the lower run to the discharging point on the upper run;
Figure 2, is a sectional view of one of the buckets detached;
Figure 3, is a plan view of a series of the buckets coupled together;
Figure 4, is a sectional view on the line 4-4 Figure 3;
Figure 5, is a perspective view shewing two of the buckets coupled together;
Figures 6 and 7, are views of modifications of the bucket; and,
Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating another form of my improved conveying
apparatus, in this instance the buckets are charged on the upper run and carry
material to a discharge point on the lower run.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, each bucket consists..
of what, for convenience of description, I will call a bottom carrying section a and
an.upper carrying section a', connected, in the particular form. of bucket shown' in

page_text: Figure 2, by an end section a² and side plates a. The bottom section a of the
bucket, is that on which the material to be conveyed is received and carried upon
the "lower run," Figure 1, the upper section a' becoming the bottom or carrying
section, when, upon the upper run, the buckets are inverted, this section a¹ being,
as clearly shewn in Figure 1, of such length and shape, that the buckets can be so
reversed, without discharging the material being conveyed.
The links B of the conveyor chain are attached to the side plates at of the
buckets, as shewn in Figures 3, 4 and 5, and are coupled together by pivot rods C,
which, in the present instance, extend entirely across the structure, between the
buckets, and carry, at their outer ends, wheels c c, adapted to travel on the guide
rails of the conveyor system.
A portion a³ of the bottom section a of each bucket, extends forwards so as to
overlap one of the pivot rods C, and this forward projection of each bucket is
overlapped by a rearward projection a' of the upper plate a', of the bucket
immediately in advance. By this construction, leakage of material fed to the
buckets is prevented, and the apparatus becomes capable of being continuously
operated, and continuously fed, and the valves and trips necessary to accomplish
this result in the ordinary pivoted bucket conveyor are dispensed with.
The side plates at of the bucket extend some distance above the opening i
thereof and form, with the inclined portion as of the section a¹ of the bucket,
and the upper and forward end of the portiou a³, thereof, a hopper I (see
Figure 4).
The part as of the upper section a' of each bucket, is inclined in a direction
opposite to the inclination of the part a of said section, and acts as a portion of
the hopper of the next succeeding bucket,, directing into the latter such portions
of the continuously fed material, as, in the continuous travel, of the apparatus,
fall upon the said part a. The upper and lower carrying sections are substantially
V-shaped so as to carry the load.
Figure 6, illustrates a modified form of bucket in which the upper, bottom and
end sections are formed upon a curved line, a form which may be preferable in
some instances, as allowing the necessary shifting of the material from one position
to another within the bucket, in its travel, to occur more easily, and with less wear
and tear upon the bucket or material.
Figure 7, illustrates a bucket in which the end section a³, of the particular form
of bucket shewn in Figure 2, is dispensed with.
The buckets may be made of sheet metal and the plates composing the same,
connected by means of angle plates, as shewn in Figure 5. It will also be noted
that in the form of bucket shewn in said figure, and also in Figure 3, the side
plates a of one bucket overlap the side plates of the next adjoining bucket, for
the prevention of leakage from the "hopper" portion of the buckets.
In the diagram Figure 1, I have shown a system in which the buckets travel
continuously along a track D of the lower run, in the direction indicated by the
arrow, receive material continuously from a chute d and are guided by rails d' to
sprocket wheels D' driven in the direction of the arrow; from which wheels the
buckets are received and guided by the rails D2 of the upper run.
It will be seen that as each bucket is thus carried and elevated, it is gradually
turned, and the material therein gradually shifted, until on the upper run, the
bucket is completely inverted and the load shifted from the bottom section a to
the upper section a', which is of a length and shape to receive and retain the load,
when the bucket is in this position.
To discharge the load, the conveyor is guided by rails d' over wheels D³, and as
each bucket commences to descend and be turned beyond the point of complete
inversion, after passing over these wheels, the material therein is at once discharged
into any suitable receptacle. The conveyor and buckets are then guided by
rails d downward onto the rails D2 again, and from these rails pass around guide
wheels D and around rails d' onto the rails D of the lower run.
The wheels D³ are, in the present instance, carried by a truck E which also

page_text: carries the two sets of rails d², d³, and this truck travels on the rails D' so that
by merely shifting the position of the truck, the buckets can be caused to
discharge at any desired point on the upper run.
When it is required to construct the apparatus to carry material from the upper
run to a point on the lower run, I reverse the buckets, as shewn in Figure 8, so
that the mouths of the buckets will be uppermost on the upper run and the
buckets can be charged with material on said upper run and will carry the
material down to and along the lower run without discharging until turned beyond
the point of complete inversion, either by the mechanism shown in the drawings
or at the end of the lower run as the buckets ascend.
It will be understood, of course, that the diagrams herein referred to, are
merely illustrative, and that in practice, apparatus embodying my invention will
be capable of operation in "runs varying greatly in extent and details:
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 :-
1st. An elevator bucket consisting of upper and lower carrying sections
connected at sides and rear, and having a loading and discharge opening in front.
and adapted to carry the load until turned beyond the point of complete inversion,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. As an improvement in endless chain conveyors, a conveyor bucket having
upper and lower carrying sections, the lower section carrying the material on the
lower run and the upper section carrying the material on the upper run of the
conveyor, substantially as herein before described.
3rd. The combination with the chain of an endless chain conveyor, of buckets
rigidly attached thereto and having upper and lower carrying sections, said buckets
being adapted to receive and carry a load in the lower section on the lower run, and
to retain and carry the load in the upper section when inverted, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4th. An elevator bucket consisting of upper and lower carrying sections
connected at sides and rear, and having a loading and discharge opening in front,
the upper carrying section being so formed as to retain and carry the load when
the bucket is turned in one direction to the point of complete inversion, but to
discharge said load when turned beyond said point, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5th. The combination with the chain of an endless chain conveyor, of buckets
rigidly attached thereto, said buckets having upper and lower carrying sections,
and adapted to be charged on the lower run of the chain, and to retain and carry
their load, when inverted on an upper run, and means for turning the buckets into
discharging position at any pre-determined point upon said upper run, all substan-
tially as herein before described.
6th. A conveyor bucket consisting of top and bottom sections, each substantially
V-shaped in cross section, connected at their sides and rear ends and having
between them at their forward ends, an opening for the reception or discharge of a
load, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
7th. A conveyor bucket having top and bottom carrying sections, the bottom
section having its forward end inclined and extending beyond the line of the
forward end of the top section, and adapted to receive the material to be conveyed
and direct it into the body of the bucket, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8th. A conveyor bucket consisting of bottom and top carrying sections connected
together at the sides and rear end, and having an inclined forward portion adapted
to receive material and direct it into the bucket, all substantially as hereinbefore
described.
9th. A conveyor bucket consisting of bottom and top carrying sections connected

page_text: together at their rear ends, the lower section carrying the material on the lower
run and the upper section carrying the material on the upper run, said bucket
having an opening at its forward end, and side plates connecting said top and bottom
sections, and extending above said opening, all substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
10th. A conveyor bucket having a top carrying section substantially V-shaped
and adapted to carry material when the bucket is inverted, substantially as herein-
before described.
11th. In an endless chain conveyor, the combination with a series of pivotally
connected links, of a series of buckets each rigidly secured to one pair of links and
having inclined upper sections, the upper section extending rearwardly so as to
overlap the pivotal axis between its links and the links immediately in the rear
thereof substantially as herein before described.
12th. The combination in conveying and elevating apparatus, of a conveyor chain,
guides adapted to carry and direct the chain in two horizontal runs and in connecting
runs, buckets rigidly secured to said chain, each bucket having a bottom section and
a top section, the bottom section extending in advance of the top section, the said
bottom section carrying the load on the lower run, and the top section carrying the
load on the upper run when the buckets are reversed, and means for turuing the
buckets into a discharging position, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of August 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.