Portable radial stacking conveyor

• US 5,515,961 A
• Filed: 08/11/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Superior Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Superior Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Murphy, Richard B., Schmidgall, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US08/288,995
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 198/300, 198/302, 198/306, 198/315, 198/317, 198/318
• US Class Current: 198/302
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 41/008 frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02

Abstract

A portable radial stacker having improved stability during radial travel and operation and improved highway transport characteristics is disclosed. Existing material handling conveyor components may be retrofitted to embody the invention. The invention enables operators to transport portable radial stackers over public highways in most states without the requirement of using an escort because the maximum overall width in the transport configuration is 11 feet-6 inches. In addition, the width extends to more than 22 feet when configured for stacking operation and radial travel which provides greater stability than previous conveyors. Hydraulic fold-down outriggers convert the system between the transport configuration and the stacking configuration in only a few minutes which affords a great savings in time and labor. Transport wheels are equipped with air brakes and the radial travel wheels can be fitted with hydraulically actuated direct drive. Other safety features include check valves on all hydraulic cylinders, tandem axle, dual wheels on each axle configured on a walking beam. Radial movement is accomplished using underslung rocking spindle, dual flotation radial travel wheel and tire assemblies; operator controls for all hydraulic functions are provided at a single location.

Claims

1. A portable radial stacking conveyor comprising:

an elongated belt moving assembly having a tail section and a head section;

a radial pivot plate having a center pivot for pivotably supporting the tail section proximate to the ground;

an anchor pivot for pivotably connecting the tail section to the center pivot;

elongated means for elevating the head section with respect to the tail section, said means for elevating being disposed between the belt moving assembly and;

a carriage further comprised of;

an elongated member having two ends and oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the elongated belt moving assembly;

at least one transport wheel attached to each end of the elongated member;

a support attached to and extending vertically upward from the elongated member for supporting the belt moving assembly during transport and storage;

at least one attachment point proximal to each end of the elongated member to which the means for elevating is pivotably attached;

at least one elongated outrigger having an inner end pivotably attached proximal to each end of the elongated member and an outer end;

means for selectively extending the outriggers distally from opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the belt moving assembly generally horizontally along the axis of the elongated member;

at least one radial travel wheel rotatably attached to the outer end of each outrigger and selectively engageable with the ground by extending the outriggers, each radial travel wheel being oriented with its axis of rotation generally along the radius extending from the center pivot to the radial travel wheel;

means for transferring the weight of the belt moving assembly to the radial travel wheels;

means for moving the radial travel wheels radially about the center pivot;

means for selectively transferring the weight of the belt moving assembly to the transport wheels by retracting the outriggers and thereby raising the radial travel wheels;

a hitch for connecting the carriage and belt moving assembly to a transport vehicle.

2. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for selectively extending each outrigger is further comprised of a hydraulic cylinder having one end pivotably connected to the upper portion of the support and the other end pivotably connected to the outrigger.

3. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 2 wherein the outrigger pivotal axes are horizontally oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

4. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 3 wherein the means for transferring the weight of the belt moving assembly to the radial travel wheels also transfers the weight of the carriage to the radial travel wheels and is further comprised of

a first hydraulic cylinder, having one end pivotably connected to the upper portion of the support and the other end pivotably connected to a first outrigger, and

a second hydraulic cylinder having one end pivotably connected to the upper portion of the support and the other end pivotably connected to a second outrigger situated oppositely from the first outrigger.

5. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a rocker spindle extending longitudinally from the outer end of each outrigger;

a cross-axle having a radial travel wheel at each end thereof pivotably attached to the rocker spindle so that the radial travel wheels are oriented with their axes of rotation generally along the radius extending from the center pivot to the radial travel wheels.

6. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 5 wherein the rocker spindle is underslung.

7. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 6 wherein at least two transport wheels are attached in tandem to each end of the elongated member by means of a walking beam assembly.

8. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein the walking beam assembly axles are underslung.

9. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 8 having a width of not more than 11 feet-6 inches when the outriggers are retracted.

10. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 9 having an overall width at the radial travel wheels between 17 feet and 34 feet when the outriggers are extended.

11. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 10 wherein the transport wheels are equipped with brakes.

12. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 11 wherein said transport wheels are comprised of tandem dual wheels equipped with air brakes.

13. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 12 wherein the means for elevating the head section, the means for moving the belt moving assembly radially about the center pivot, and the means for extending and retracting the outriggers are hydraulically operated from a common hydraulic fluid reservoir and pumping system.

14. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 13 wherein the means for applying motive force to the elongated member in a direction tangential to the arc described by motion of the radial travel wheels about the center pivot is comprised of a direct drive hydraulic motor interposed between at least one pair of radial travel wheels.

15. A radial stacking conveyor as defined in claim 14 wherein said belt moving assembly is extendable to an operational length of greater than 100 feet and contractible to a transport and storage length of less than 100 feet.

16. A carriage for moving a radial stacking conveyor comprising:

an elongated member having two ends and oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the elongated belt moving assembly;

at least one transport wheel attached to each end of the elongated member;

a support attached to and extending vertically upward from the elongated member for supporting the belt moving assembly during transport and storage;

at least one attachment point proximal to each end of the elongated member to which the means for elevating is pivotably attached;

at least one outrigger having an inner end pivotably attached near each end of the elongated member and an outer end;

means for selectively downwardly pivotally extending the outriggers on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the belt moving assembly generally horizontally along the axis of the elongated member;

at least one radial travel wheel rotatably attached to the outer end of each outrigger and selectively engageable with the ground by downwardly pivotally extending the outriggers, each radial travel wheel being oriented with its axis of rotation generally along the radius extending from the center pivot to the radial travel wheel;

means for transferring the weight of the belt moving assembly and carriage to the radial travel wheels;

an attachment fixture for connecting means for moving the belt moving assembly radially about the center pivot;

means for selectively retracting the outriggers and raising the radial travel wheels thereby transferring the weight of the belt moving assembly to the transport wheels.

17. A method of converting an elongated conveyor so that it is portable or radial stacking comprising the steps of:

attaching the first end of an elongated means for elevating having a first end and a second end to the conveyor;

connecting the second end of the means for elevating to an elongated member disposed below the conveyor and oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor;

attaching at least one transport wheel to each end of the elongated member;

attaching to the elongated member a support that extends vertically upward from the elongated member for supporting the conveyor during transport and storage;

pivotably attaching the inner end of an outrigger having an inner end and an outer end to a location proximal to each end of the elongated member;

rotatably attaching at least one radial travel wheel to the outer end of each outrigger, the radial travel wheels being oriented with their axes of rotation generally along the radii extending from the center pivot to the radial travel wheels;

linking the outriggers to the support with means for

selectively pivotally extending the outriggers downwardly generally horizontally along the axis of the elongated member thereby causing the outrigger wheels to selectively engage the ground and transfer the weight of the conveyor and carriage to the radial travel wheels, and

selectively upwardly pivotally retracting the outriggers to a generally vertical orientation perpendicular to the axis of the elongated member thereby causing the outrigger wheels to disengage from the ground and transferring the weight of the conveyor and carriage to transport wheels;

providing a means for moving the radial travel wheels radially, and;

fitting a hitch to the conveyor for connection to a transport vehicle.

18. A method for converting a radial stacking conveyor from a transport configuration to an operational configuration comprising the steps of:

placing a conveyor having a hydraulic pump at the desired location;

starting the hydraulic pump;

lowering outriggers hydraulically so that radial travel wheels attached to the outer ends of the outriggers approach the surface of the ground;

securing, in their longitudinally extended positions, all extendable conveyor sections;

connecting the conveyor tail section pivotably to a pivot plate center pivot;

raising the conveyor to the desired height, and;

lowering the outriggers further to engage the radial travel wheels with the ground and disengage the transport wheels from the ground.

19. A carriage for moving a radial stacking conveyor comprising:

an elongated member having two ends and oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor;

at least two transport wheels attached in tandem to each end of the elongated member by means of an underslung axle, walking beam assembly;

a support attached to and extending vertically upward from the elongated member for supporting the conveyor during transport and storage;

at least one attachment point proximal to each end of the elongated member to which the means for elevating is pivotably attached;

at least one pivotable outrigger having an inner end pivotably attached near each end of the elongated member and an outer end, the pivotal axis being generally horizontal and located above, and generally perpendicular to, the longitudinal axis of the elongated member;

a hydraulic cylinder pivotably linking each outrigger to the upper portion of the support to selectively pivotally extend, generally horizontally along the axis of the elongated member, and pivotally retract, generally vertically, the outriggers;

a rocker spindle extending longitudinally from the outer end of each outrigger;

a cross-axle pivotably attached to each rocker spindle and having a radial travel wheel rotatably attached to each end thereof so that the radial travel wheels are oriented with their axes of rotation generally along the radius extending from the center pivot to the radial travel wheels when the radial travel wheels are engaged with the ground by pivotally extending the outriggers downwardly;

means for causing the conveyor to move radially about the center pivot, and;

means for selectively transferring the weight of the conveyor to the transport wheels by retracting the outriggers thereby raising the radial travel wheels.

20. The carriage defined in claim 19 wherein the means for moving the conveyor radially about the center pivot is comprised of a direct drive hydraulic motor interposed between a pair of radial travel wheels with its axis of rotation parallel to the cross-axle.