Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Bucket
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-04-24
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Bucket
C198S815000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220425
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES
None.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains generally to bulk material handling equipment, and particularly concerns boot-driven bucket elevator apparatus as distinguished from head-driven bucket elevator apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bucket elevator apparatus utilized for lifting granular bulk materials such as food grains for storage or for other processing may be generally classified as being either head-driven or boot-driven in their principal mode of operation. Each elevator category typically includes a vertically-oriented endless belt which co-operates both with an upper pulley and with a lower pulley, and to which are attached multiple, spaced-apart, material-carrying bucket elements. The elevator primary drive is operatively connected to the upper pulley in the case of head-driven bucket elevators and to the lower pulley in the case of boot-driven bucket elevators. A suitable housing with supply and discharge openings encloses the bucket elevator pulleys, endless belt, and attached material-carrying buckets.
Heretofore, the type of bucket elevator preferred in the United States has been the head-driven type with the apparatus primary drive being operatively connected to the elevator upper pulley. However, in instances when large vertical-movement distances are involved and the apparatus primary drive is located at a substantial height above ground, accessibility to the drive mechanism for maintenance servicing or replacement is significantly reduced and is to be avoided.
With respect to boot-driven bucket elevator apparatus, substantial belt slippage, belt tensioning control, and belt-to-pulley alignment problems have heretofore been encountered, especially when high rates of material movement (e.g., 32,000 bushels of grain per hour) or large vertical material-movement distances (e.g., 300 vertical feet) are involved. One known, albeit unnecessarily complex, apparatus resolution to such bucket elevator needs is the boot pulley hydraulic drive with included creep-drive and belt take-up features that is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,584 issued in the name of Hartsuiker, et al.
Accordingly, a principal objective of the present invention is to provide a bucket elevator having a boot pulley with a boot pulley primary drive with a take-up that obtains simplified belt tensioning control and consequential reductions in belt slippage and belt slippage heat generation, belt wear, belt-to-pulley misalignment, cost of elevator manufacture, and cost of elevator drive maintenance servicing and replacement.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the descriptions, drawings, and claims which follow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bucket elevator apparatus of the present invention is basically comprised of an upper or head pulley element, a lower or boot pulley element, an endless belt element having attached spaced-apart material-carrying bucket elements and co-operating with both pulley elements, a housing enclosing the foregoing elements, and a primary drive operatively connected to the lower or boot pulley element. The primary drive includes an electric motor, a coupling mechanically joining the output shaft of the electric motor to the shaft of the apparatus boot pulley element, floating bearing elements supporting the shaft of the boot pulley element, a boot fulcrum element, and a platform-like boot lever element co-operating with the boot fulcrum element, the electric motor element, and the floating bearing elements in a manner whereby the weight of the electric motor element continuously applies gravitational tensioning forces to the drive floating bearing elements, the boot pulley element, and the apparatus endless belt element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2494165 (1950-01-01), Diebold
patent: 2588864 (1952-03-01), Mercier
patent: 4033451 (1977-07-01), Kelsall
Baker, Jr. Thomas S.
Bidwell James R.
The Essmueller Company, Inc.
LandOfFree
Bucket elevator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Bucket elevator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bucket elevator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2520240