Side discharge conveyor assembly

• US 4,461,378 A
• Filed: 07/20/1981
• Issued: 07/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Alldredge
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Alldredge
• Inventors: Roth, Francis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williamson, Dennis J.
• Application Number:
  US06/285,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 198/365, 198/369, 198/631, 198/715, 198/713, 198/839, 198/802, 198/820, 198/821, 198/822, 198/706, 198/364
• US Class Current: 198/370.04
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/02 comprising a load-carrying belt attached to or resting on the traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/04 Bulk
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/945 tilting endless surfaces, e.g. belts

Abstract

A conveyor assembly follows a pathway defined by a supporting framework, wherein the pathway may include serpentine portions. The framework supports a transport mechanism for movement along the pathway, and a belt assembly is carried by the transport mechanism. The belt assembly includes a continuous belt having flexible convolutions permitting the belt to follow serpentine portions of the pathway and also permitting the belt to locally laterally tilt for side discharge without requiring the transport mechanism to similarly tilt. A pivotal member between the transport mechanism and belt assembly permits the belt to tilt laterally, such as on a hinge point laterally offset from the center of the conveyor pathway. An actuator causes a selected portion of the belt to tilt on the hinge point. A suitable actuator includes a camming member located on the opposite lateral side of the supporting framework from the hinge point, and the belt assembly may include a tiltable arm extending over the camming member for interacting contact. The camming member may be longitudinally movable for varying the longitudinal position of discharge and also be vertically movable for varying the degree of tilt imparted to the arm and, in turn, to the belt assembly. The inverted return run is provided with a retaining rail to prevent the belt assembly from tilting under force of gravity.

Claims

1. An improved side discharge conveyor assembly capable of discharging its carried load in a wind row, wherein the conveyor assembly is of the known type having a support framework defining a generally longitudinal pathway for conveyor operation;

a transport means carried by the support framework for relative motion along the longitudinal pathway defined by the support framework and including a plurality of carriages joined to a pulling chain; and

a conveyor belt assembly carried by the transport means for motion therewith along the pathway defined by the support framework, the belt assembly being of the type forming an endless conveyor belt from a plurality of segments that are joined together to define the belt, each segment having a central transverse flexible convolution with a shelf extending longitudinally from each of the two opposite longitudinal faces of the convolution, each shelf being attached to a joining leg near the end edge of the shelf for uniting adjacent segments, wherein the improvement comprises;

(a) a first hinge arm connected transversely to the longitudinal pathway of the belt assembly at a joining leg, a first portion of said first hinge arm extending laterally of the conveyor belt on a first side thereof for receiving tilting forces during side discharge operations, and a second portion of the first hinge arm extending laterally of the conveyor belt center line in opposition to said first portion thereof;

(b) a hinged joining means connected to a carriage and receiving said second portion of the first hinge arm in pivotal connection supporting the belt assembly for local tilting by force applied to said first arm portion of the first hinge arm;

(c) actuator means positionable in the longitudinal pathway of the first arm portion for inducing lateral local tilting of the belt assembly with respect to the transport means to side discharge, in use, at the local tilted portion of the belt assembly; and

(d) means for longitudinally moving the actuator means with respect to the support framework to longitudinally vary the local position of side discharge on a continuous basis for permitting deposit, in use, of the discharged material in a wind row.

2. The conveyor assembly of claim 1, wherein said transport means is of the type having a pulling chain lying approximately in a vertical plane through the longitudinal center line of the conveyor pathway and further comprises a bracket having a channel shaped portion adapted to receive said first hinge arm, said bracket being joined to the joining means at a point laterally offset from the pulling chain.

3. The conveyor assembly of claim 1, wherein said support framework is of the type defining both an upper operational conveyor run and a lower, return conveyor run along the conveyor pathway, and wherein the belt assembly includes an endless belt carried in inverted, non-load carrying position along the lower run with respect to its position along the upper run, further comprising retaining means for preventing the belt assembly from tilting while traveling along the lower run, wherein the retaining means comprises a longitudinal rail contacting said first hinge arm extension on the first side of the belt.

4. The conveyor assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator means comprises a camming member and a height adjusting means for permitting height variation of the camming member with respect to the supporting framework for varying the degree of tilt of the belt assembly during side discharge.

5. The conveyor assembly of claim 4, wherein said height adjusting means is offset toward a lateral side of said support framework and comprises means for moving the camming member acutely upwardly and laterally toward the conveyor pathway.