MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINE

• US 20150151863A1
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sandbags, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sandbags, LLC
• Inventors: BORDEN, Michael D., COLSON, Angus Robert, DOWERS, Dale W., ROBERTS, Regina Whitney, WILLIAMS, Hugh Owen, GALLOGLY, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US14/480,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20150151863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/14 the object being a workshop for servicing, for maintenance, or for carrying workmen during work lifting devices for movable platforms or cabins for workmen B66F11/04
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/108 with a filling, e.g. filled by water or sand
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/121 Devices for applying linings on banks or the water bottom for lining canals E02B5/02

Abstract

Material handling machines of the present technology can be used to bag material, such as sand. The material handling machines can include a hopper and material conveyor assembly, which can automatically fill bags with a predetermined volume of material. The material handling machines can also include production lines that receives filled bags and conveys them to storage sacks for transportation to or use at a desired location.

Claims

1. A material handling machine comprising:

a hopper and conveyor assembly, including a hopper and a material conveyor assembly, wherein the hopper receives a material to be bagged, and the material conveyor assembly includes at least one material conveyor that conveys the material out of the hopper and into a chute provided at an end of the at least one material conveyor;

wherein the hopper includes a material flow gate, the material flow gate including a gate opening and a gate flap, wherein the gate opening and the gate flap define a cross sectional area of the material gate, and the material conveyed through the material gate by the material conveyor conforms to the cross sectional area of the material gate; and

a volume of the material that is dispensed into a bag through the chute is determined by controlling a distance that a conveyor belt of the material conveyor advances and the cross sectional area of the material gate.

2. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a base, the hopper and conveyor assembly being attached to the base.

3. The material handling machine of claim 2, further comprising a storage compartment attached to the base.

4. The material handling machine of claim 2, further comprising a lift gate attached to a back end of the base.

5. The material handling machine of claim 4, wherein the lift gate comprises two vertical rails upon which a platform of the lift gate can be raised and lowered.

6. The material handling machine of claim 4, wherein the lift gate comprises a platform and a fold down fence, the fold down fence having an upright position and a folded down position.

7. The material handling machine of claim 6, wherein the fold down fence comprises at least one driving accessory selected from the group consisting of brake lights, turn signals, license plate lights, and a license plate mounting bracket.

8. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising an air tank and a compressor operatively connected to the hopper and conveyor assembly that are configured to provide air for pneumatically driven equipment.

9. The material handling machine of claim 8, further comprising a compartment that houses the air tank and the compressor.

10. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a power generator operatively connected to the hopper and conveyor assembly.

11. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one material conveyor includes a motor/sensor assembly located on a central axis of a first roller of the material conveyor, wherein a sensor portion of the motor/sensor assembly measures the rotation of the first roller and calculates a distance that a conveyor belt of the material conveyor has traveled based on the amount of rotation of the first roller.

12. The material handling machine of claim 1, comprising two material conveyors.

13. The material handling machine of claim 12, wherein the hopper comprises trough panels that extend upwardly at an angle from spaced points at the bottom of the hopper and meet in a peak between the two material conveyors at a height below a total height of the hopper.

14. The material handling machine of claim 12, wherein the two material conveyors are offset to one side with respect to a centerline of the hopper.

15. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein an upper cross section of the hopper is a quadrangle having two sides and two ends.

16. The material handling machine of claim 15, wherein the hopper comprises bang boards mounted along the top edge of each side of the hopper that extend a length of the hopper.

17. The material handling machine of claim 16, wherein the hopper comprises diverter panels mounted along the top edge at each end of the hopper that extend a width of the hopper, wherein each diverter panel extends from an end of the hopper at an upward angle.

18. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein an inside of the hopper is lines with an ultra high molecular weight polymer sheet.

19. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the material conveyor comprises a plurality of roller modules and a conveyor belt, the plurality of roller modules being located underneath the conveyor belt, and each roller module comprising two angled trough rollers and one horizontal load roller.

20. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the cross sectional area of the material flow gate is adjusted by adjusting the height of the gate flap.

21. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the height of the gate flap is adjusted by rotating a gate handle.

22. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the material flow gate has inward sloping sides and is wider at a bottom than at a top.

23. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a volume chamber that extends from the material flow gate to an end of the material conveyor.

24. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a spout extending beneath the chute, the spout having a top opening attached to the chute that is wider than a bottom opening through which material exits the spout into a bag.

25. The material handling machine of claim 24, wherein the spout comprises at least one proximity detector and at least one bag clamp, wherein the bag clamp closes when the proximity detector detects an operator'"'"'s hand within a proximity of the proximity sensor.

26. The material handling machine of claim 25, wherein the spout comprises at least two proximity detectors and at least two bag clamps.

27. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the chute comprises guides that extend downwardly into the chute at an angle to guide material towards the center of the chute.

28. The material handling machine of claim 1, wherein the hopper includes a cover grate having a lowered position and a raised position.

29. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a production line including a production conveyor extending from the chute.

30. The material handling machine of claim 29, the production line further comprising a sewing station at a distal end of the production conveyor from the chute.

31. The material handling machine of claim 29, the production line further comprising an inclined conveyor extending from the production conveyor.

32. The material handling machine of claim 31, wherein the production conveyor and the inclined conveyor have a stored position on open frame rails that retain the production conveyor and the inclined conveyor within a framework of the base.

33. The material handling machine of claim 31, the production line further comprising a shuttle conveyor at an end of the inclined conveyor.

34. The material handling machine of claim 33, wherein the shuttle conveyor has two ends and is positioned crossways with respect to the inclined conveyor.

35. The material handling machine of claim 33, wherein the shuttle conveyor comprises a reversible conveyor belt.

36. The material handling machine of claim 35, wherein the reversible conveyor belt is attached to a trolley that shifts the reversible conveyor belt from side to side so that each end of the reversible conveyor belt extends over and shifts across an interior of a storage sack.

37. The material handling machine of claim 33, wherein a storage sack is located at each end of the shuttle conveyor.

38. The material handling machine of claim 37, wherein each storage sack is supported on a storage sack stand.

39. The material handling machine of claim 38, wherein each storage sack includes loops that secure the storage sack to a storage sack stand.

40. The material handling machine of claim 38, wherein each storage sack stand comprises:

a plurality of horizontal braces that slidably mate with each other so that the length and width of the storage sack stand can be adjusted; and

a plurality of vertical braces that include at least two slidably mated portions so that the height of the storage sack stand can be adjusted;

wherein at least two horizontal braces are foldably attached to each vertical brace.

41. The material handling machine of claim 40, each storage sack stand further comprising a plurality of hangers, each hanger being slidably received by a vertical brace.

42. The material handling machine of claim 1, further comprising a tower attached to the base, the tower comprising a shaft and a head.

43. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the shaft of the tower is pneumatically raised and lowered.

44. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the head of the tower comprises a cellular antenna that allows the control systems of the material handling machine to be operated remotely.

45. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the head of the tower comprises a camera.

46. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the head of the tower comprises a weather station that monitor aspects of weather.

47. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the head of the tower comprises at least one light.

48. The material handling machine of claim 42, wherein the head of the tower rotates relative to the shaft.

49. A material handling machine comprising:

a base;

a power generator attached to the base that provides electrical power;

an air tank and a compressor attached to the base that are configured to provide air for pneumatically driven equipment; and

a hopper and conveyor assembly attached to the base, including a hopper and a material conveyor assembly, wherein the hopper receives a material to be bagged, and the material conveyor assembly includes at least one material conveyor that conveys the material out of the hopper and into a chute provided at an end of the at least one material conveyor;

wherein the material conveyor comprises a plurality of roller modules and a conveyor belt, the plurality of roller modules being located underneath the conveyor belt, and each roller module comprising two angled trough rollers and one horizontal load roller.

50. A material handling machine comprising:

a hopper and conveyor assembly including a hopper and a material conveyor assembly, wherein the hopper receives a material to be bagged, and the material conveyor assembly includes at least one material conveyor that conveys the material out of the hopper and into a chute provided at an end of the at least one material conveyor; and

a production line including a production conveyor extending from the chute.

51. The material handling machine of claim 50, the production line further comprising a sewing station at a distal end of the production conveyor from the chute.

52. The material handling machine of claim 50, the production line further comprising an inclined conveyor extending from the production conveyor.

53. The material handling machine of claim 52, wherein the production conveyor and the inclined conveyor have a stored position on open frame rails that retain the production conveyor and the inclined conveyor within a framework of the base.

54. The material handling machine of claim 52, the production line further comprising a shuttle conveyor at an end of the inclined conveyor.

55. The material handling machine of claim 54, wherein the shuttle conveyor has two ends and is positioned crossways with respect to the inclined conveyor.

56. The material handling machine of claim 55, wherein the shuttle conveyor comprises a reversible conveyor belt.

57. The material handling machine of claim 56, wherein the reversible conveyor belt is attached to a trolley that shifts the reversible conveyor belt from side to side so that each end of the reversible conveyor belt extends over and shifts across an interior of a storage sack.