Top dresser

• US 20050242124A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Isaman, Thomas E., Cress, David V., Ferguson, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,347,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/251
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/122 with moving floor parts

Abstract

A top dresser (10) includes sheeting (70) in the form of an endless belt passing around first and second drums (148, 160) and a bed (166) including a plurality of rollers (106). Continuous V-shaped guides (122) are received in pulleys (120) on the drums (148, 160) for tracking the endless belt. A blocking device (112) in the form of a rod is slid in the mid-frame (102) to prevent the shafts (108) of the rollers (106) from axially sliding against their bias from their operative positions to their installation positions. Ledges (116) having friction reducing strips (118) extend over the shafts (108) of the rollers (106). A compound gear (180) in gearing relation with the second drum (160) and in driving relation with a spindle (82) of a brush (74) is rotatably mounted to an arm (174) pivotally mounted to the second drum (160). The spindle (82) includes two portions (82a, 82b) removably connected by a coupler (76), with the first portion (82a) being cantilevered supported from the side frame (100).

Claims

1. Conveyor comprising, in combination:

a first drum;

a second drum parallel to and spaced from the first drum;

a bed extending between the first and second drums;

an endless belt passing around the first and second drums and over the bed, with the endless belt including an operative surface adapted to transport material and an engagement surface engaging with the first and second drums and the bed;

a first continuous guide formed on the engagement surface of the endless belt; and

a first pulley on each of the first and second drums receiving the first continuous guide of the endless belt for tracking the endless belt between the first and second drums.

2. The conveyor of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

a second continuous guide formed on the engagement surface of the endless belt in a spaced, parallel relation to the first continuous guide; and

a second pulley on each of the first and second drums receiving the second continuous guide of the endless belt for tracking the endless belt between the first and second drums.

3. The conveyor of claim 2 with the bed comprising a plurality of rollers located intermediate and parallel to the first and second drums, with each of the rollers including a shaft defining an axis of rotation, with the shaft extending beyond axial ends of the roller, with the endless belt including opposite edges;

first and second ledges extending between the first and second drums and extending over each shaft beyond the axial ends of the roller, with the ledges including friction reducing strips engaging with the engagement surface of the endless belt adjacent the opposite edges of the endless belt.

4. The conveyor of claim 3 with the bed including first and second frames, with each shaft including first and second ends and being axially slideable within the roller and biased from an installation position towards an operative position, with the first end of the shaft being axially spaced from the roller greater in the installation position than in the operative position, with the first end of the shaft slideably received in an aperture formed in the first frame and the second end of the shaft slideably received in an aperture formed in the second frame;

with the conveyor further comprising, in combination;

a blocking device removably secured to the first frame for abutting with the first end of the shaft received in the aperture of the first frame and in the operative position for preventing the shaft for sliding within the roller to the installation position.

5. The conveyor of claim 4 with the first frame being tubular, with the blocking device being in the form of a rod slid in the first frame in a direction generally perpendicular to the shaft.

6. The conveyor of claim 5 with the bed further including a third frame, with the first frame being intermediate the second and third frames, with the plurality of rollers including first rollers located between the first and second frames and including second rollers located between the first and third frames, with the first ends of the first rollers and the first ends of the second rollers abutting on opposite sides of the rod.

7. The conveyor of claim 3 with the bed including first and second side frames extending in a spaced parallel relation and perpendicular to the first and second drums, with each of the side frames including an inside wall, with the shafts of the rollers extending through apertures in the inside walls, with each of the side frames further including a top wall integrally formed with the inside wall and an outside wall integrally formed with the top wall, with the inside wall, the top wall and the outside wall being integrally formed by folding a sheet of material.

8. The conveyor of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

a spindle parallel to and spaced from the first and second drums, with the second drum including a first gear rotatable therewith, with an arm pivotally mounted to the second drum;

a compound gear rotatably mounted to the arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the second drum, with the compound gear in gearing relation with the first gear, with the compound gear being in driving relation with the spindle.

9. The conveyor of claim 8 with the spindle including a driven sprocket, with a chain extending around the compound gear and the driven sprocket to drivingly relate the compound gear and the driven sprocket and the spindle;

with the conveyor further including an upright secured to the bed, with an elongated slot provided in the upright;

a slide, with the slide including an idler sprocket having an axle extending through the elongated slot and secured to the slide;

a bolt extending through the elongated slot and secured to the slide in a spaced, parallel relation to the axle, with the idler sprocket engaging with the chain, with the slide being biased relative to the upright to tension the chain.

10. The conveyor of claim 9 with a threaded rod being fixed relative to the upright and parallel and spaced from the elongated slot, with a spring sandwiched between the slide and a nut threadably received on the threaded rod.

11. The conveyor of claim 9 with the spindle including a drive shaft, with the driven sprocket mounted on the drive shaft;

first and second collars held in a spaced relation by braces, with each of the collars mounting a bearing for receiving the drive shaft, with the driven sprocket located between the first and second collars, with the drive shaft having an axial end extending axially beyond the first collar and being cantilevered supported by the first and second collars, with the spindle including a driven shaft, with the driven shaft being removably axially coupled with the drive shaft.

12. The conveyor of claim 1 with the first drum including a shaft having opposite axial ends, with each of the ends of the shaft received in a bearing mounted in a slide, with the slide being slideably mounted on a rail, with the rail including a lug, with a threaded rod secured to the lug and received in a bushing received in the slide, with a spring located around the threaded rod and sandwiched between the slide and a nut threadably received on the threaded rod to adjust the tension of the endless belt between the first and second drums.

13. Conveyor comprising, in combination:

a first drum;

a second drum parallel to and spaced from the first drum;

a bed extending between the first and second drums;

an endless belt passing around the first and second drums and over the bed, with the endless belt including an operative surface adapted to transport material and an engagement surface engaging with the first and second drums and the bed, with the bed comprising a plurality of rollers located intermediate and parallel to the first and second drums, with each of the rollers including a shaft defining an axis of rotation, with the shaft extending beyond axial ends of the roller, with the bed including first and second frames, with each shaft including first and second ends and being axially slideable within the roller and biased from an installation position towards an operative position, with the first end of the shaft being axially spaced from the roller greater in the installation position than in the operative position, with the first end of the shaft slideably received in an aperture formed in the first frame and the second end of the shaft slideably received in an aperture formed in the second frame; and

a blocking device removably secured to the first frame for abutting with the first end of the shaft received in the aperture of the first frame and in the operative position for preventing the shaft for sliding within the roller to the installation position.

14. The conveyor of claim 13 with the first frame being tubular, with the blocking device being in the form of a rod slid in the first frame in a direction generally perpendicular to the shaft.

15. The conveyor of claim 14 with the bed further including a third frame, with the first frame being intermediate the second and third frames, with the plurality of rollers including first rollers located between the first and second frames and including second rollers located between the first and third frames, with the first ends of the first rollers and the first ends of the second rollers abutting on opposite sides of the rod.

16. The conveyor of claim 15 further comprising, in combination:

first and second ledges extending between the first and second drums and extending over each shaft beyond the axial ends of the roller, with the endless belt including opposite edges, with the ledges including friction reducing strips engaging with the engagement surface of the endless belt adjacent the opposite edges of the endless belt.

17. The conveyor of claim 15 with each of the second and third frames including an inside wall, with the shafts of the rollers extending through apertures in the inside walls, with each of the second and third frames further including a top wall integrally formed with the inside wall and an outside wall integrally formed with the top wall, with the inside wall, the top wall and the outside wall being integrally formed by folding a sheet of material.

18. Conveyor comprising, in combination:

a first drum;

a second drum parallel to and spaced from the first drum;

a bed extending between the first and second drums;

an endless belt passing around the first and second drums and over the bed, with the endless belt including an operative surface adapted to transport material and an engagement surface engaging with the first and second drums and the bed;

a spindle parallel to and spaced from the first and second drums, with the second drum including a first gear rotatable therewith, with an arm pivotally mounted to the second drum; and

a compound gear rotatably mounted to the arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the second drum, with the compound gear in gearing relation with the first gear, with the compound gear being in driving relation with the spindle.

19. The conveyor of claim 18 with the spindle including a driven sprocket, with a chain extending around the compound gear and the driven sprocket to drivingly relate the compound gear and the driven sprocket and the spindle;

with the conveyor further including an upright secured to the bed, with an elongated slot provided in the upright;

a slide, with the slide including an idler sprocket having an axle extending through the elongated slot and secured to the slide;

a bolt extending through the elongated slot and secured to the slide in a spaced, parallel relation to the axle, with the idler sprocket engaging with the chain, with the slide being biased relative to the upright to tension the chain.

20. The conveyor of claim 19 with the spindle including a drive shaft, with the driven sprocket mounted on the drive shaft;

first and second collars held in a spaced relation by braces, with each of the collars mounting a bearing for receiving the drive shaft, with the driven sprocket located between the first and second collars, with the drive shaft having an axial end extending axially beyond the first collar and being cantilevered supported by the first and second collars, with the spindle including a driven shaft, with the driven shaft being removably axially coupled with the drive shaft.