Hold down member for a reciprocating floor conveyor

• US 4,749,075 A
• Filed: 06/04/1987
• Issued: 06/07/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond K. Foster
• Original Assignee: Raymond K. Foster
• Inventors: Foster, Raymond K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Application Number:
  US07/058,156
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 198/750, 198/773-775, 414/525 R, 52/730, 52/731, 52/738
• US Class Current: 414/525.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 25/065 Reciprocating floor conveyors

Abstract

A floor member (10) of channel form is pushed downwardly to install it onto bearings (72) and hold down members (16) which were previously installed on longitudinal guide tubes (12) which extend in the same direction as the floor members (10). The bearings (72) have sidewall portions which slope downwardly and outwardly to lower edge (96, 98). These sidewalls (76, 78) are connected at their upper portions to the bearing (72) in such a way that they will flex inwardly, into spaces (112, 114) provided for them, in response to a downward "snap on" movement of the floor members (10). The hold down members (16) have hold down wings (50, 52) which slope downwardly and outwardly to lower edges (54, 56). The hold down wings (50, 52) also flex inwardly, into spaces provided for them, in response to a downward "snap on" movement of the floor member (10). Any upward force applied on an installed floor member (10) will move inner edge portions (28, 30) of its bottom flanges (24, 26) into contact with the lower edges (54, 56) of the hold down wings (50, 52) of the hold down member (16). The hold down member (16) in effect functions to connect the longitudinal guide beam (12) to the floor member (10), so that the stiffness of the longitudinal guide beam (12), and its connection to other frame members (14) will help resist upward movement of the floor member (10) off from its support.

Claims

1. In a reciprocating floor conveyor of a type comprising a plurality of elongated floor members, each of which is of channel form and has a top panel, a pair of opposite side panels projecting downwardly from the top panel, and a pair of bottom flanges projecting inwardly from the side panels and defining a space between them, elongated guide beams for said floor members;

slide bearings on the guide beams, wherein in use the floor members are moved in one direction along the guide beams and the bearings, for advancing a load, and are retracted in the opposite direction, and the improvement comprising;

hold down members attached to at least some of the guide beams, each said hold down member comprising;

a pair of opposite sidewalls;

a bottom wall extending between and interconnecting bottom portions of the sidewalls;

two top parts, one of said top parts being connected to the top of one of the sidewalls and the other said top part being connected to the top of the other sidewall, said top parts extending laterally inwardly from the tops of the sidewalls and each having an inner boundary that is adjacent the inner boundary of the other; and

a hold down wing on each side of the hold down member, each hold down wing having a lower edge and each hold down wing sloping downwardly and outwardly from the top part on its side of the hold down member to its lower edge, with the lower edges of the hold down wings being spaced apart laterally a distance that is wider than the space between the bottom flanges of the floor member,

wherein an inner space is defined horizontally by and between the sidewalls, and vertically by and between the top parts and the bottom wall, and at least one guide beam is located in said space, and

wherein when the hold down member is on the guide beam, and a floor member is installed, the lower edges of the wings of the hold down member are situated above the bottom flanges of the floor member, so that if an upwardly directed force is imposed on the floor member, the bottom flanges of the floor member, when attempting to move upwardly, will contact the lower edges of the wings of the hold down member and such hold down member, through the contact of its wings with the bottom flanges of the floor member, will resist upward movement of the floor member off of the bearings and the guide beam.

2. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the bottom flanges of each floor member include upper surface portions bordering the space between the bottom flanges and upwardly extending shoulders outwardly bounding said upper surface portions, said shoulders being positioned to be moved into abutting contact with the lower edges of the wings on the hold down member in response to a predetermined amount of upward movement of the floor member.

3. A conveyor according to claim 2, wherein spaces are defined by and between the wings and the sidewalls of the hold down member into which the wings may swing in response to forces imposed by the bottom flanges of the floor member on the wings of the hold down member as the floor member and the hold down member are being moved relatively together, said spaces allowing the wings to swing inwardly an amount sufficient to allow the bottom flanges of the floor member to move past them, and said wings being stiff enough that they will swing outwardly into positions over the bottom flanges of the floor member following relative movement of the bottom flanges into positions below the lower edges of the wings.

4. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein spaces are defined by and between the wings and the sidewalls of the hold down member into which the wings may swing in response to forces imposed by the bottom flanges of the floor member on the wings of the hold down member as the floor member and the hold down member are being moved relatively together, said spaces allowing the wings to swing inwardly an amount sufficient to allow the bottom flanges of the floor member to move past them, and said wings being stiff enough that they will swing outwardly into positions over the bottom flanges of the floor member following relative movement of the bottom flanges into positions below the lower edges of the wings.

5. A conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beam, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

6. A conveyor according to claim 5, wherein each sidewall of the hold down member includes a single rib spaced upwardly from the bottom wall and situated closer to the bottom wall than to the top parts of the hold down member.

7. A conveyor according to claim 6, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

8. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beam, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

9. A conveyor according to claim 8, wherein each sidewall of the hold down member includes a single rib spaced upwardly from the bottom wall and situated closer to the bottom wall than to the top parts of the hold down member.

10. A conveyor according to claim 9, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

11. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

12. A conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beam, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

13. A conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising transverse support beams situated below and supporting the guide beams, and wherein the slide bearings are positioned on the guide beams at locations where the guide beams sit on the support beams, and wherein the hold down members are attached to the guide beams in span regions between transverse support beams.

14. A conveyor according to claim 13, wherein the bottom flanges of each floor member include upper surface portions bordering the space between the bottom flanges and upwardly extending shoulders outwardly bounding said upper surface portions, said shoulders being positioned to be moved into abutting contact with the lower edges of the wings on the hold down member in response to a predetermined amount of upward movement of the floor member.

15. A conveyor according to claim 14, wherein spaces are defined by and between the wings and the sidewalls of the hold down member into which the wings may swing in response to forces imposed by the bottom flanges of the floor member on the wings of the hold down member as the floor member and the hold down member are being moved relatively together, said spaces allowing the wings to swing inwardly an amount sufficient to allow the bottom flanges of the floor member to move past them, and said wings being stiff enough that they will swing outwardly into positions over the bottom flanges of the floor member following relative movement of the bottom flanges into positions below the lower edges of the wings.

16. A conveyor according to claim 13, wherein spaces are defined by and between the wings and the sidewalls of the hold down member into which the wings may swing in response to forces imposed by the bottom flanges of the floor member on the wings of the hold down member as the floor member and the hold down member are being moved relatively together, said spaces allowing the wings to swing inwardly an amount sufficient to allow the bottom flanges of the floor member to move past them, and said wings being stiff enough that they will swing outwardly into positions over the bottom flanges of the floor member following relative movement of the bottom flanges into positions below the lower edges of the wings.

17. A conveyor according to claim 16, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beam, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

18. A conveyor according to claim 17, wherein each sidewall of the hold down member includes a single rib spaced upwardly from the bottom wall and situated closer to the bottom wall than to the top parts of the hold down member.

19. A conveyor according to claim 18, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

20. A conveyor according to claim 13, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beams, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

21. A conveyor according to claim 20, wherein each sidewall of the hold down member includes a single rib spaced upwardly from the bottom wall and situated closer to the bottom wall than to the top parts of the hold down member.

22. A conveyor according to claim 21, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

23. A conveyor according to claim 13, wherein the top parts of the hold down member each includes at least one downwardly extending rib that makes contact with the top of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam, and wherein the vertical height between the bottom wall of the hold down member and the ribs is less than the vertical height of the guide beam.

24. A conveyor according to claim 23, wherein the opposite sidewalls of the hold down member are spaced apart a distance larger than the width of the guide beam, and wherein each sidewall includes at least one inwardly directed longitudinal rib, said ribs making contact with the sidewalls of the guide beam when the hold down member is installed on the guide beam.

25. In a reciprocating floor conveyor:

a plurality of elongated floor members, each of which is of channel form and has a top panel, a pair of opposite side panels projecting downwardly from the top panel, and a pair of bottom flanges projecting inwardly from the side panels and defining a space between them;

a supporting frame structure including an elongated guide beam for each floor member;

slide bearings on the guide beams of a type that will allow the floor member to be snapped into place from above; and

hold down members attached to at least some of the guide beams, each said hold down member comprising;

a pair of side portions, a top part connected to each side portion, a downwardly and outwardly sloping hold down wing, at each side, and a bottom extending between and interconnecting bottom portions of the side portions;

said side portions, said top parts, and said bottom portion together defining an inner space in which a portion of an elongated guide beam is received when the hold down member is installed on the elongated guide beam;

said hold down wings having lower edges which are spaced apart laterally a distance that is wider than the space between the bottom flanges of the floor members;

said hold down member including open spaces inwardly of the hold down wings, into which the hold down wings can bend, said spaces being of sufficient size to allow the hold down wings to bend inwardly an amount sufficient to allow the bent hold down wings to pass relatively through the space between the bottom flanges in response to a downward snap on movement of the floor member onto the bearing of its guide beam, and said hold down wings being stiff enough so they will swing outwardly into positions over the bottom flanges of the floor member following movement of the bottom flanges into positions below the lower edges of the hold down wing.

26. A conveyor according to claim 25, wherein the support frame further includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart transverse support beams situated below the elongated guide beams, said elongated guide beams sitting down onto the transverse support beams and being connected to them, and wherein at least some of the bearings are positioned on the elongated guide beams where the elongated guide beams sit on the transverse support beams, and

wherein the hold down members are secured to the elongated guide beams in span regions between the transverse support beams.