Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Bucket
Patent
1995-05-25
1997-06-24
Terrell, William E.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Bucket
198792, B65G 1736, B65G 2300
Patent
active
056410573
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a national stage application, according to Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This application claims the priority date of Oct. 21, 1992 for Great Britain Patent Application No. 9222049.0.
The present invention relates to improvements in bucket elevator conveyor systems used for the gentle transport of loose materials and is particularly concerned with the systems that allow for continuous feeding of the loose material into the carrying bucket without spillage and without damage thereto.
Bucket elevator conveyor systems are known in which buckets, in spaced apart relationship, are rotatably supported between two chains that enables them to negotiate corners on a path in one plane, the buckets being arranged to be inverted at a desired discharge station. In order to achieve continuous filling of the buckets, necessary for efficient operation of the system, the chains, in one type of system, have to be collapsed in order to bring the buckets close together and minimise spillage, adequate chain control to produce this effect is difficult to achieve.
Elevators of this type are used for handling a very wide range of materials that are required to be handled gently during production and/or packaging to avoid damage. Such materials include, for example, peanuts, confectionery, milk powder, tile dust, carbon black, precious metal powders, cereals, pasta, chocolate, semi-liquids and delicate or volatile materials.
We have now devised a bucket elevator conveyor system which overcomes the problems associated with known systems such as those described above. In our system there is provided a body housing a track to route at least one chain through an endless circuit, a means for driving the chain and buckets pivotally mounted thereon for movement therewith, the said chain comprising a multiplicity of links connected together by pins pivoting in elongated holes such that the length of a section of the chain increases when in tension compared with its length when in compression, means being provided to cause a said section of the chain to be in compression at one part of the circuit where materials can be continuously loaded (a loading station). The spacing of the buckets is such that when the chain is in this section it is in compression and the buckets are in contact one with another. When the buckets traverse the upper sections of the circuit the chain is in tension and the buckets can be rotated through 360.degree. about the pivotal mountings to discharge their contents at any given part of the circuit, e.g. a discharge station, without colliding with each other.
Preferably the buckets are pivotally suspended between two chains.
Preferably also means are provided for ensuring that when a said section of the chain is in compression it adopts a relatively stiff state. Suitable means for achieving this effect may comprise guide elements surrounding the track on three sides and/or, preferably, adjacent links being provided with interlocking portions that engage when the chain is in compression to reduce the tendency of the chain to buckle and causing it to become rigid in the plane of movement.
The driving means may comprise one or more sprockets driven by an electric motor; the means for bringing a section of the chain into compression at a loading station may comprise a pair of sprockets rotatably mounted at either end of the said loading station and spaced at a distance apart equivalent to the compressed length of the chain in that section. The chain drive should be on the entry side of the said section and may comprise the appropriate one of said sprockets.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a bucket elevator conveyor system according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the loading station of the circuit of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is an exploded diagrammatic illustration of a chain and bucket assembly for use with the system of FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to the
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Materials Handling News, "Bucket Conveyors Keep Coffee Free of Damage," Mar. 1986, p. 49.
Chandler Richard A.
Gough Holdings (Engineering) Limited
Terrell William E.
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