Patent Description:
Devices for continuous unloading of non-coherent material are known, intended to collect non-coherent and/or loose material, such as for example coal, coke and loose minerals or material of non-coherent nature, contained in the holds of specific load ships, barges or storage crates. The known continuous unload devices substantially are divided into two types: a first type of continuous unload devices which for the excavation, the loading and the upwards movement of the non-coherent material, take advantage of a single movement unit which absolves all these functions, and the continuous unload devices of the split type in which there is a horizontal foot which generally scrapes the loose material with the aim of conveying it towards an excavating vertical bucket chain elevator assembly, to which the foot is operatively connected and with which it may be in both a fixed and rotatable engaged relationship.

With respect to the devices of the first type, for example European Patent <CIT> is known, in which there is described a single device collecting assembly, in which the excavating foot has a variable geometry according to the height variation of the substantially vertical extension portion of the collecting assembly. In addition to having an intrinsic limitation of the movements in a hold, this type of device does not autonomously allow a complete collection of the loose material from all the areas of the hold and is to be equipped with significantly complex automation devices. With respect to the devices of the second type, it is known in the name of the same Applicant, European Patent <CIT>, in which the continuous unload device consists of a substantially horizontal extension and position scraping assembly, rotatably connected to a vertical extension excavating and elevating assembly, in which the main task of the scraping assembly is the one of nearing the loose material to the action and influencing area of the excavating and elevating assembly. The nearing operation occurs with the loose material that freely moves without any type of guide or containment between the action area of the scraping assembly and the influencing area of the elevating assembly. The known devices are therefore capable of controlling and containing the non-coherent material in the scraping and nearing step to the influencing area of the bucket chain elevator assembly with apparent losses of load and complete lack of containment of the powders generated by the movement of highly powdery material.

Moreover, the known devices have burying problems of the excavating devices due to the possibility of landslides of the walls of the material with substantially non-coherent structure, particularly if significant excavating heights are used. Additionally, the known devices require complex maintenance and fine-tuning operations according to the complexity of the moving elements, the electronic systems controlling the operation and the synchronisation thereof especially if the devices are to operate at increased unload volumes.

It is also not possible to quickly replace the foot elements with the devices of the type disclosed because it would be necessary to implement complex manoeuvres on the counter-weights balancing the whole structure, also outside the hold or storage crate. Further unloading devices of the second type are known from documents: <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>. Further, <CIT> discloses a device according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

In the constant evolution of unload assemblies or systems and devices of non-coherent and/or loose material from the ship holds or storage and collection crates, the Applicant has proposed to resolve the problems of the known systems by making a continuous unload device of the split type, equipped with a horizontal excavating foot assembly, operatively connected with a vertical elevator and rotatably movable with respect thereto, that is more compact and lightweight with respect to the known devices and that simultaneously allows increased overall efficiency of the unloading operations, thus decreasing the losses of transport already from the hold excavating step. It is another object to allow the easy and quick replacement of the excavating elements in the case of maintenance or to provide for the excavation and collection of material with different characteristics. It is another object again to obtain an improved containment of the powders generated by the loose, particularly powdery material during the excavation by confining and managing the powders mainly in the excavating area. Such peculiarity of the present invention is particularly useful in sensitive environments. It is a further object to eliminate the problems of burying the excavating foot due to the typical landsliding of loose material with a non-coherent structure by means of the compactness of the foot and subsequent overall lower excavating height. Accordingly, this also results in an increased efficiency in the overall times of the unloading operations of the holds, with obvious positive effects on the energy savings in managing the systems and final economic advantages in the treatment speed of the loads and the delivery thereof for end use.

A device for continuous unloading of non-coherent material according to the invention is disclosed in any one of claims <NUM>-<NUM>, while a process for continuous unloading of non-coherent material according to the invention is disclosed in claim <NUM>.

The characteristics and advantages will be more apparent from the following description relating to preferred but non-limiting embodiments of a device for continuous unloading of non-coherent material for ship holds, barges, storage crates or the like, according to the present invention.

The description below refers by way of non-limiting example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

With reference to figures from <NUM> to <NUM>, in a first and preferred embodiment of the invention, <NUM> indicates a device for continuous unloading of non-coherent material (not shown), of the split type, equipped with a horizontal excavating foot assembly <NUM> with substantially triangular geometry that can be adjusted. The excavating foot assembly <NUM> is rotatably connected with a lower terminal portion <NUM> of a bucket chain elevator assembly having a vertical axis, indicated as whole with <NUM>, by means of a rotating ring <NUM> operatively connected to an end tubular portion <NUM> of the containment structure of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>.

The horizontal excavating foot assembly <NUM> consists of a support structure, indicated as a whole with <NUM>, made with a first U-shaped constraining boxed portion <NUM> with two arms <NUM> and <NUM> facing towards and connected with the ring <NUM>, and a second boxed portion <NUM>, substantially in the form of a knee beam, it also U-shaped, and integral with the first portion <NUM>. The second boxed portion defines two arms <NUM> and <NUM> connected on one side with the portion <NUM> and on the other with a first front support arm <NUM> for elements of an excavating device <NUM>.

The whole horizontal excavating foot assembly is therefore fixed to the rotating ring <NUM> by means of the arms <NUM> and <NUM> connected to the lower portion of the ring <NUM> by means of a plurality of constraining elements <NUM> and also by a couple of tie rods <NUM> which connect the arms <NUM> and <NUM> to the upper portion of the ring <NUM>.

The rotating ring <NUM> is equipped at the top with a toothed fifth-wheel <NUM> that engages in a drive, indicated as a whole with <NUM>.

A mobile excavating device <NUM> consisting of a double chain <NUM> which drags a plurality of buckets 20A is provided on board the support structure <NUM>. The double chain <NUM> provides a three-branch path, a first excavating branch <NUM> as such, which is fundamentally horizontal with respect to an excavating level <NUM>, a second branch <NUM> ascending from the excavating level <NUM> and a third oblique branch <NUM> which closes on the branch <NUM> to form a closed path.

The oblique branch <NUM> also transits through the space defined by the arms <NUM> and <NUM> of the second boxed portion <NUM> of the support structure <NUM>.

The second boxed portion <NUM> of the support structure <NUM> houses, at the end of the support arm <NUM> thereof, a first couple of freely moving front base wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' joined by means of an axis 30A, while a second couple of freely moving rear base wheels <NUM>-<NUM>', joined by an axis 31A, is housed on a second rear arm <NUM> of the second boxed portion <NUM> of the support structure <NUM>. This arm <NUM> is facing backwards with respect to arm <NUM>.

The couples of wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' and <NUM>-<NUM>' are housed on the respective arms <NUM> and <NUM> by means of the interposition of chain tensioner devices indicated with <NUM> for the couple of front wheels and with <NUM> for the couple of rear wheels. The movement of the chain tensioners and the subsequent variation of the relative position of the three couples of wheels also defines the adjustment of the overall triangular geometry of the whole excavating foot assembly <NUM>.

A third couple of powered wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' joined by an axis 33A preferably is placed at the top of the first and second couple of wheels. The drive of the wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' is indicated as a whole with <NUM>.

The portion of excavating path <NUM> generally and preferably is horizontal with the axes 30A and 31A respectively of the couple of front wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' and of the couple of rear wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' on the same level, due to the reciprocal positions and inclinations of the arms <NUM> and <NUM>. Indeed, the end positions of the arms <NUM> and <NUM> are at the same level with respect to the excavating level <NUM>. Alternatively, in particular excavating conditions or for collecting material with particular characteristics, it is clear to a skilled expert that by acting on the chain tensioners <NUM> and <NUM>, the angle of incidence of the excavating branch <NUM> may be varied - albeit to a limited extend - with respect to the excavating level <NUM>.

In the motion of the excavating chain <NUM>, the buckets 20A collect non-coherent material (not shown) from the excavating level <NUM> by means of the excavating branch <NUM> to convey it by means of the second ascending branch <NUM> to the upper oblique branch <NUM> where the reversal of the position of the excavating buckets 20A causes the non-coherent material to fall by gravity onto a shaped fixed slide <NUM>.

A closed hopper <NUM> is also integral with the support structure <NUM>, inside this closed hopper the lower terminal portion <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> extends. The closed hopper <NUM> is equipped with a tapping opening <NUM> placed on its bottom wall <NUM>. The bottom wall <NUM> in turn defines a collecting area <NUM> for the terminal portion <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly and a level <NUM> with respect to which the excavating level <NUM> is at a lower height, as shown in <FIG>.

On board the support structure <NUM> and supported thereby it is also provided a device for conveying of non-coherent excavating material consisting of a shaped fixed slide <NUM> placed under the bucket chain <NUM>, between a couple of cochleas <NUM> and close to the closed hopper <NUM>. The two cochleas <NUM> on the sides of the fixed slide may have a large diameter and are fed by means of respective mouths 35A with the material that from the buckets 20A reaches the slide <NUM> by gravity. The cochleas <NUM> are independent of each other and are capable of conveying the non-coherent material to the collecting area <NUM> of the closed hopper <NUM> through the couple of inlet openings <NUM>. Alternatively, to the cochleas <NUM>, which in any case are also configured like a horizontal transportation device, the skilled expert may directly recognise the use of alternative horizontal transportation device solutions, such as for example one or more conveyor belts, of the rubber or chain type (not shown), as long as they are capable of collecting the material from the excavating buckets 120A and of conveying it to the hopper <NUM> by means of the inlet openings <NUM>.

The support structure <NUM> provides a first, substantially U-shaped, downwards facing containment bulkhead of the powders <NUM> at the top of the oblique branch <NUM> of the excavating device <NUM>. A second bulkhead <NUM> adapted to contain the powders of the ascending branch <NUM> of the excavating device is provided at the back of the fixed slide <NUM>.

A reinforced protection arm <NUM> of the horizontal excavating foot assembly is mounted in a central position of the arm <NUM> of the support structure <NUM> and extends past the overall volume of the excavating foot assembly <NUM> and is defined by the pair of front wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' about which the buckets 20A transit in the oblique branch thereof. The arm <NUM> allows the excavating foot assembly <NUM> and all the elements on board to be protected from collision and damage in all their related moving displacements, whether rotational and/or horizontal or vertical translation, which are performed inside a hold or storage crates during the normal operating steps of continuous unloading.

Inside the closed hopper <NUM>, the lower terminal portion <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly having a vertical axis provides a couple of freely moving deviation wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' about which load buckets <NUM> transit, coming from the descending branch <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>.

After the passage about the couple of deviation wheels <NUM>, the buckets <NUM> transit in the collecting area <NUM> of the closed hopper <NUM> to collect the non-coherent material coming from the cochleas <NUM>, which is unloaded in the collecting area <NUM> through the couple of inlet openings <NUM>.

The non-coherent material (not shown) collected and loaded in the buckets <NUM> is conveyed upwards and outside a hold or storage area (diagrammatically indicated with <NUM>) by means of the ascending branch <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>.

The descending branches <NUM> and the ascending branches <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> form a closed path for the buckets <NUM>, which in turn are moved by an upper controlled wheel <NUM> activated by a control unit <NUM>. Moreover, the buckets <NUM> of the branches <NUM> and <NUM> transit protected inside the tubular containment structure <NUM>. The buckets <NUM> unload, by gravity, the non-coherent material loaded previously in the collecting area <NUM> onto an unloading slide structure <NUM> close to the controlled wheel <NUM> and at the path reversal (from ascending to descending). The first bulkhead <NUM>, the second bulkhead <NUM>, the closed hopper <NUM> together with the fixed slide <NUM> and the cochleas <NUM> directly connected with the hopper, are all elements which concur to form, solely within the excavating area <NUM>, an effective containment and confinement device of the powders generated in the excavation of particularly powdery material, inside for example a hold or a storage crate.

The powders are further contained due to the fact that the bucket chain elevator assembly having a vertical axis <NUM> is further included within a tubular containment structure <NUM> adapted to further minimize the spreading phenomenon of the excavating powders.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the closed hopper <NUM> is equipped on its bottom wall, with a tapping opening <NUM> from which access may be provided to the hopper <NUM> itself to perform maintenance and also to eliminate water or moisture transported by the non-coherent material and which may accumulate on the bottom of the hopper <NUM> itself.

In the normal operations of the unload device <NUM> according to the present invention, the excavating foot assembly <NUM> that is rotatably connected with a lower terminal portion <NUM> of the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> may rotate by means of the ring <NUM> connected to the end tubular portion <NUM> of the containment structure of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>. The rotating movement allows the excavating foot assembly <NUM> to perform <NUM>° rotations inside a hold so that it reaches all the useful excavating points of the hold, being moved in known manner also horizontally and vertically and in an integral manner with the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>.

During the excavation, the drive <NUM> moves the double bucket chain <NUM> on board the foot assembly to collect non-coherent material from the defined area from the excavating level <NUM> and to convey it to the slide <NUM>.

The slide <NUM> divides the non-coherent material between the couple of cochleas <NUM> which in turn push the material through two inlet openings <NUM> inside the hopper <NUM>.

The non-coherent material that is positioned in the collecting area <NUM> of the hopper <NUM> is then collected by the load buckets <NUM> of the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> which transit in the area <NUM>. The buckets <NUM> collect the non-coherent material and lift it from the hopper <NUM>, conveying it according to the ascending branch <NUM> towards the outside of a hold and to the unloading structure <NUM>.

The invention is also illustrated in a second embodiment thereof in <FIG>, in which <NUM> depicts a device for continuous unloading of non-coherent material (not shown), of the split type, equipped with a horizontal excavating foot assembly <NUM> with substantially triangular geometry that can be adjusted. The excavating foot assembly <NUM> is rotatably connected with a lower terminal portion <NUM> of a bucket chain elevator assembly having a vertical axis, indicated as whole with <NUM>, by means of a rotating ring <NUM> operatively connected to an end tubular portion <NUM> of the containment structure of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>.

The horizontal excavating foot assembly <NUM> consists of a complex, U-shaped support structure facing downwards, indicated as a whole with <NUM>, made with a constraining boxed portion <NUM> and with two complex arms <NUM> and <NUM> facing downwards and tapered and adapted to house various components, as seen in the following. The boxed portion <NUM> of the complex support structure <NUM> is fixed, by means of constraints <NUM>, to a side boxed element 114A integral with the rotating ring <NUM> and protruding with respect thereto.

The whole horizontal excavating foot assembly is therefore fixed to the rotating ring <NUM> and is rotatably and solidly connected with it by means of the boxed portion <NUM> and the constraints <NUM>.

The rotating ring <NUM> is equipped at the top with a toothed fifth-wheel <NUM> which engages in a drive, indicated as a whole with <NUM>.

A mobile excavating device <NUM> consisting of a double chain <NUM> which drags a plurality of buckets 120A is provided on board the support structure <NUM>. The double chain <NUM> provides a three-branch path, a first excavating branch <NUM> as such, which generally is in horizontal position with respect to an excavating level <NUM>, a second branch <NUM> ascending from the excavating level <NUM> and a third oblique branch <NUM> which closes on the branch <NUM> to form a closed path.

The ascending branch <NUM> and the oblique branch <NUM> transit through the space defined by the arms <NUM> and <NUM> of the support structure <NUM>.

There are also housed, between the arms <NUM> and <NUM>, from the top downwards, a couple of powered wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' and the relative drive of which only the control axle is diagrammatically indicated with <NUM>; a fixed slide opening <NUM> (<FIG>) for the inlet by gravity of the non-coherent material to a cochlea <NUM> equipped with its own drive (not shown) is located below the beginning of the branch <NUM>. It is to be understood that the cochlea <NUM> may be replaced with any similar horizontal conveyor that the skilled expert might want to use in an alternative solution.

There is provided, below the cochlea <NUM>, a lever <NUM>, hinged between the arms <NUM> and <NUM>, which supports a couple of freely moving rear wheels <NUM>-<NUM>', their axle 131A and an arm <NUM>.

There is fixed, between a median portion of the arm <NUM> and the support structure <NUM>, a hydraulic or pneumatic member <NUM> which may vary the inclination thereof with respect to the excavating level <NUM>. A rigid structure <NUM> for protection against collisions of the excavating foot assembly <NUM> during the excavating and rotating operations is fixed at the front of member <NUM>, again on arm <NUM>, the rigid structure being entirely similar in terms of function and structure, to the one used and described for the first embodiment of the invention. A couple of freely moving front wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' and the respective axle 130A is mounted in the front portion of the arm <NUM> by means of the interposition of a specific chain tensioner <NUM>.

The interposition and the movement of the chain tensioner <NUM> and the movement of the lever <NUM> by means of the activation of the member <NUM> on the one hand allows adjusting the overall triangular geometry of the excavating foot assembly <NUM>, with subsequent variation of the relative position of the three couples of wheels present, and on the other hand, varying the angle of incidence between the excavating branch <NUM> and the excavating level <NUM>. It is clear that the skilled expert may act on the variations of this angle required for particular excavating conditions or for collecting non-coherent material with particular characteristics.

Otherwise, in analogy with the first embodiment of the present invention, the excavating level <NUM> and the excavating branch <NUM> are substantially horizontal and parallel to each other because the couples of front wheels <NUM>-<NUM> and rear wheels <NUM>-<NUM>' are on the same level.

In the motion of the excavating chain <NUM>, the buckets 120A collect non-coherent material (not shown) from the excavating level <NUM> by means of the excavating branch <NUM> to convey it by means of the second ascending branch <NUM> to the upper oblique branch <NUM> where the reversal of the position of the excavating buckets 120A causes the non-coherent material to fall by gravity onto the fixed slide opening <NUM> which puts the material inside the cochlea <NUM>. The cochlea <NUM>, mounted on the complex support structure <NUM>, therefore is rotatably and solidly connected together with the latter with the closed hopper <NUM> inside of which it dumps the non-coherent material by means of an inlet opening <NUM> provided at an end of the cochlea and communicating with the hopper <NUM>, all in analogy with that described relative to the first and preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The lower terminal portion <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> also extends in the closed hopper <NUM>; the closed hopper <NUM> is equipped with a tapping opening <NUM> placed on its bottom wall <NUM>. The bottom wall <NUM> in turn defines a collecting area <NUM> for the terminal portion <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly and a level <NUM> with respect to which the excavating level <NUM> in any case is at a lower height, as shown in <FIG>.

Preferably, the support structure <NUM> provides a first, substantially U-shaped, downwards facing containment bulkhead of the powders <NUM> at the top of the oblique branch <NUM> of the excavating device <NUM>. According to the preferences of the end user, there may or may not be a bulkhead <NUM>. A second bulkhead <NUM> is provided at the side and substantially at the outlet opening <NUM> of the cochlea <NUM>, towards the hopper <NUM>, the second bulkhead also being adapted to contain the powders in the area at the cochlea or at any other horizontal transportation device.

After the passage about the couple of deviation wheels <NUM>, the buckets <NUM> transit in the collecting area <NUM> of the closed hopper <NUM> to collect the non-coherent material coming from the cochlea <NUM>, or from any horizontal transportation device, and which is unloaded in the collecting area <NUM> through the inlet opening <NUM>.

The descending branches145 and ascending branches <NUM> of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> are closed in a tubular structural element <NUM> adapted to contain the noise of the system and also to contain the powders, and form a closed path for the buckets <NUM>, which in turn are moved by activations entirely in analogy with the ones of the first embodiment of the present invention and therefore they are not shown.

Thus, the first bulkhead <NUM>, the second bulkhead <NUM>, the closed hopper <NUM> together with the fixed slide opening <NUM>, the cochlea <NUM> and the tubular structural element - all directly connected to the hopper <NUM> itself - are the elements that concur to form an effective containment and confinement device of the powders and the noises generated in the excavation of any type of material.

In the normal operations of the unload device <NUM>, also according to this further embodiment of the invention, the excavating foot assembly <NUM> that is rotatably connected with a lower terminal portion <NUM> of the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> may rotate by means of the ring <NUM> connected to the end tubular portion <NUM> of the containment structure of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>. The rotating movement allows the excavating foot assembly <NUM> to perform <NUM>° rotations inside a hold such that, when moved in known manner also horizontally and vertically and in an integral manner with the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>, the foot assembly <NUM> reaches all the useful excavating points of the hold.

During the excavation, the drive <NUM> moves the double chain <NUM> and its buckets 120A on board the excavating foot assembly <NUM> to collect non-coherent material from the defined area from the excavating level <NUM> and to convey it to the slide opening <NUM>.

The slide opening <NUM> conveys the non-coherent excavating material by gravity to the cochlea <NUM>, or to any horizontal transportation device, which in turn pushes the material through the inlet opening <NUM> into the hopper <NUM>.

The non-coherent material that is positioned in the collecting area <NUM> of the hopper <NUM> is then collected by the load buckets <NUM> of the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM> which transit in the area <NUM>. The buckets <NUM> collect the non-coherent material and lift it from the hopper <NUM>, conveying it according to the ascending branch <NUM> towards the outside of a hold <NUM>. The vertical movement of the continuous unload device <NUM>, <NUM>, as also the horizontal movement, occur for both the embodiments of the present invention by means of the control of the vertical bucket chain elevator assembly coordinated with the <NUM>° rotating motion of the excavating foot assembly <NUM>, <NUM>.

All the movements of the unload device <NUM>, <NUM> according to the invention are controlled and monitored by a specific control unit that coordinates the movements, the excavating and the taking away of the material collected from a hold or from a storage area.

According to the embodiments and construction solutions of the present invention, a new and particular process is also created, for continuous unloading of non-coherent material in which, in a continuous sequence, there is provided the start of a first continuous excavating step during which the excavating foot assembly starts continuously collecting the non-coherent material, a second step in which the non-coherent material is released to a substantially horizontal transport system, a third step of conveying the non-coherent material from the horizontal transport system to a closed collecting area, a fourth step of collecting, from the closed collecting area, and delivering the non-coherent material to a vertically moving elevator assembly which provides the transport of the non-coherent material from the hold or storage crate to the outside; the first step of excavating being carried out at a height lower than the fourth collecting step.

The unload device <NUM>, <NUM> according to the present invention overall is more compact and lightweight than the known devices, in particular due to the implementation of the excavating foot assembly <NUM>, <NUM> having a geometry that can be adjusted. The whole structure is simpler to construct and maintain, thus avoiding all the movements relative to the known devices having a variable geometry.

Another apparent advantage of an excavating foot assembly <NUM>, <NUM> according to the present invention consists in the possibility of replacing the mobile excavating device <NUM>, <NUM>, without having to resort to complicated operations for compensating for the weights of the structures to be replaced, thus simultaneously allowing the quick replacement of the excavating or bucket elements with others of different type.

Moreover, the simplicity of the structure of the continuous unload device <NUM> advantageously allows an easier synchronisation of the excavating and rotating movements of the excavating foot assembly <NUM>, <NUM> with the ones of the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>, <NUM>, thus significantly simplifying the control logic of the relative control units (not shown).

A further advantage of the present invention is given by the presence of a simple and effective containment system of the excavating powders, which simultaneously also reduces the noise emissions. Indeed, the bulkheads <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, together with the closed hopper <NUM>, the fixed slide <NUM> and the fixed slide opening <NUM> and the cochleas <NUM> or <NUM> directly connected with the hopper, confine both the powders and the noise emissions to a closed environment, in the hold or storage area and close to the area defined by the excavating level <NUM> or <NUM>.

Furthermore, such advantages are even more amplified by the fact that also the bucket chain elevator assembly <NUM>, <NUM> moves inside the tubular containment structure <NUM> or <NUM> (both of the powders and of the noise emissions).

The use of an excavating foot assembly <NUM>, <NUM> equipped with a mobile excavating group <NUM>, <NUM> which performs the excavation by means of a double bucket chain <NUM> or <NUM>, together with the bulkhead system <NUM>-<NUM> or <NUM>-<NUM> and the cochleas <NUM> or <NUM>, forms an assembly of elements which advantageously reduce, up to eliminating, the losses of load of non-coherent material when the non-coherent material is transferred from the excavating area to the hopper <NUM>, <NUM>.

The closed hopper <NUM>, <NUM> in turn and due to its nature, prevents losses of load of the non-coherent material received and advantageously allows the buckets <NUM>, <NUM> of the elevator device to collect all the material and convey it to the outside.

Thus, the further non-negligible advantage is obtained of ensuring the nominal unload capacity generally indicated (t/h) for continuous unload devices and systems made according to the present invention.

Claim 1:
Device (<NUM>; <NUM>) for continuous unloading of non-coherent material, of the split type, provided with a horizontal excavating foot assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) rotatably connected with the lower terminal portion of a bucket chain elevator assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) having a vertical axis,
the horizontal excavating foot assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) is equipped with a mobile excavating device (<NUM>; <NUM>), the excavating device being capable of excavating and collecting non-coherent material from an excavating area (<NUM>; <NUM>) and to convey the same to a collecting area (<NUM>; <NUM>), the mobile excavating device being oriented in a way such that its excavating portion (<NUM>; <NUM>) moves in a direction substantially horizontal in respect to the excavating area (<NUM>; <NUM>) and at a height lower than the collecting area (<NUM>; <NUM>); wherein the mobile excavating device (<NUM>; <NUM>) has an upper oblique portion;
a closed collecting hopper (<NUM>; <NUM>) housing the lower terminal portion (<NUM>; <NUM>) of the bucket chain elevator assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) having a vertical axis,
characterized in that
the horizontal excavating foot assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) is constituted by a support structure (<NUM>; <NUM>) connected by a plurality of constraints (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to a ring (<NUM>; <NUM>) coaxially rotatable about the lower terminal portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the bucket chain elevator assembly (<NUM>; <NUM>) having a vertical axis,
and in that
substantially horizontally moving conveyor elements (<NUM>; <NUM>) and fixed conveyor elements (<NUM>; <NUM>) for the non-coherent material are provided on said mobile excavating device (<NUM>; <NUM>), said elements being capable to move and convey said non-coherent material from the excavating area (<NUM>; <NUM>) to the closed collecting hopper (<NUM>; <NUM>), through the upper oblique portion of the excavating device (<NUM>; <NUM>).