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Conveyor chute for the interior of a building and method of palletizing same for shipment

  • US 9,534,401 B2
  • Filed: 02/03/2016
  • Issued: 01/03/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A conveyor chute apparatus for installation inside a building for conveying objects within the building by gravity from at least one higher story of the building to at least one lower story of the building, said apparatus comprising:

  • (a) at least one set of discrete sections which, in use, are coupled to one another form an elongated hollow conduit mounted entirely inside the building, said conduit passing completely through an opening which completely penetrates a floor of the at least one higher story of the building, said conduit having an open bore through which the objects may pass through at least one floor of the building and fall in a longitudinal direction, under gravity and inside the building, from the at least one higher story to the at least one lower story of the building; and

    (b) at least one mount for supporting at least one of said sections of each said set in a respective said opening in each said floor of the building through which said conduit passes;

    each said set of sections including;

    (i) an intake section which includes a tubular body and an intake port coupled to said tubular body, said tubular body having a peripheral wall which at least partially surrounds a first passage, said first passage forming a first portion of said bore, said intake port communicating with said first portion of said bore by way of an opening formed in said wall of said tubular body, at least a portion of said intake port protruding exteriorly of said tubular body, said intake section further including a tapered portion which adjoins said tubular body, said tapered portion including a second passage which communicates with said first passage and forms a second portion of said bore, said tapered portion being tapered such that in said longitudinal direction said second passage decreases progressively in transverse cross-sectional area;

    (ii) a first tubular section which, in use, is coupled to said tapered portion of said intake section, said first tubular section including a third passage which, in use, communicates with said second passage and forms a third portion of said bore;

    (iii) a second tubular section which, in use, is coupled to said first tubular section, said second tubular section including a fourth passage which, in use, communicates with said third passage and forms a fourth portion of said bore, said fourth passage being of sufficient length and transverse cross-sectional area to permit at least a terminal portion of said first tubular section to be received within said fourth passage by an adjustable distance in said longitudinal direction to accommodate variations in distance between adjacent ones of said floors inside the building; and

    (iv) a tapered section which, in use, is coupled to said second tubular section, said tapered section including a fifth passage which, in use, communicates with said fourth passage and forms a fifth portion of said bore, said tapered section being tapered such that in said longitudinal direction said fifth passage increases progressively in transverse cross-sectional area;

    said fourth passage of said second tubular section being of sufficient length and transverse cross-sectional area to permit substantially the entirety of said first tubular section to be housed within said fourth passage of said second tubular section during shipment;

    said first passage of said intake section being of sufficient length and transverse cross-sectional area to permit substantially the entirety of said second tubular section to be housed inside said intake section during shipment with said first tubular section being housed concurrently inside said second tubular section.

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