US1444174A - Coal chute and apron - Google Patents

Description

2 SHEETS SHEET l H. A, ERNST. COAL CHUTE AND APRoN l F1 LED MAY 17,

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Feb. 6i, 119211 www H A. ERNST. COAL CHUTE AND APRONl FILED MAY I7, 1922A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PMM QL- m Patented Febo t?, IQJ,

HENRI A. ERNST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO ROBERTS AND SCI-IAEFER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COAL CHUTE AND APRON.

Application led May 17,

Y 1o @ZZ wilma. t may concern.'

Re it known that I, HENRI A. ERNST, a citizen of Canada, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coal Chutes and Aprons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in radially movable chutes or sway aprons and means for operating them, for use in connection with storage and supply bins, elevators and the like. It has for its object to provide improvements in the mechanism for controlling the discharge of the contents of such bin, and particularly relates to improved means for controlling the radial apron, chute or feeding means which delivers material discharged from such bin. A particular object is lto provide a sway apron or chute which may be swiveled and which may be used in combination with an undercut gate. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the lower part of Fig. l; and

Figure 4 is a perspective View with parts omitted.

rThroughout the specifica-tion and drawings the same parts are indicated by the same characters.

A is the wall of any suitable bin or storage member, the lower and preferably inclined wall or floor B of which is adapted to direct material therein contained to the delivery spout C, which preferably projects a substantial distance through and beyond the wall A. Pivoted, as at I), to the sides of the spout are the side elements D1 of the undercut gate, the forward portion D2 of which is adapted to close the spout C. The side walls of the spout terminate in arcuate edges to make a snug fit with the arcuate member D2.

Secured to the members D1 are the bars F, F1, of which F1 is vertical throughout substantially its entire length, the bar F having an upper horizontal section F2 which crosses over and connects to the upper portion of F1, the whole structure being braced as 1922. serial No. 561,702.

by the brace element F3. Pivoted to the outwardly inclined top section Ft of F1 is the operating rod Gr, which is preferably joined to it by any suitable universal connection G1. The rod G is provided with a handle G2 and a chain G3, which is secured to the outer end of the radially pivoted chute later to be described.

Secured to F1 isa cord H, which is carried around the sheave Ill and pulley H2 mounted on the frame of the bin and has a depending portion H3 to which are secured the weights H4, which normally tend to hold the undercut gate in closed position.

I, I1 are brackets secured to and outwardly projecting from the frame ofthe bin, one above and the other below the spout C, and lying in a vertical plane about midway between the sides of the spout. Pivoted in any suitable way to these brackets is a frame comprising side elements I2, the bottom elcment I3, the ciossbars I4, the inclined top elements I5 and the horizontal top elements IG, I7 which connect them, and which are pivotally securedlto the bracket I. Pivoted in any suitable manner to the side elements I2, as at Ii, K, is any suitable sway apron or chute K1, the inner edge K2 of which lies substantially beneath and within the end of the chute C. Secured to the outer end of the apron is the yoke L, to which is fastened the cord M, which is brought about the sheave M1 on the bin frame and is secured, as at M2, to the bin. The weights M3 tend to lift the rope M from the yoke L into operative position, or the weights will be balanced merely to permit easy manipulation.

It will be realized that while I have illustrated and described an operative device, still many changes might be made in the number, size, shape and relation of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. wishJ therefore, that my drawings be considered as in a sense diagrammatic.

yIhe use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I have illustrated a form of chute and sway apron with which an undercut gate may be used. For this purpose I employ a bin having an outwardly projecting feed or discharge spout, the end of which is closed by a radial gate which` when open, is rotated to a position beneath the end of i im the spout. To insure a snug fit, the side walls of the spout terminate in arcuate edges co-axial with the gate. rlhe gate is provided with a rod, to which is secured a rope which is carried about sheaves or pulleys and provided with weights which tend to close theY gate. The weights nia-y be so balanced that the gate holds any position in which it is manually placed, thus insuring easy manipulation, The discharge spout and gate project through a frame, waich is pivoted above and below it to the supporting; storage or bin iranicworlz.I This traine rotates about a vertical axis and to its side members is piroted a sway apron] o-r chute, the pivotal connection oi" which with the frame makes virtually a universal joint. The chute is entirely out of connection or contact with the discharge spout and there is sui'licient room between chute and spout for the radial gate to be withdrawn, thusl permitting the use or an undercut gate7 which is hi'hly adyantageousmior example. in coal work, since an overrut gate is easily jammed and7 if struck; with a flat piece oil? slate, as frequently happens in practice, may permit the spilling of fifty or one hundred tons on a locomotive. Like the gate. the chute is` supported by a weighted cable, which either tends to lift it or so balances it as to maire manual manipulation easy. The adjustment of the chute is entirely independent of the position of the gate and may freely be raised or lowered or rotated about a vertical axis. The result is an extremely iexible and eiiicient type of feed chute, which is coupled with a high degree of control of the stream oi material delivered to it by the spout.

l claim:

l. 'The combination with a. storage bin havin(Jv a. downwardly and outwardly inclined spout or' an under-cut gate pivoted upon the end of said spout and adapted, when open, to swing downwardly therebeneath, a chutesupporting element pivoted adjacent said spout on a vertical axis, and a chute pivoted thereupon on a horizontal axis, the distance between the chute and the bottoni oi" the spout being suiiicient to provide clearance for the undercut gate as it swings into open position.

2. The combination. with storage bin having a downwardly and outwardly inclined spout of an under-cut gate pivoted upon the end of the spout and adapted, when open, to swing downwardly therebeneathD a shute supporting frame surrounding said spout pivoted on avertical axis at top and bottoma a chute pivoted upon said irame at the sides thereof, therdistance betweenthe chute and the bottom of the spout being suihcient to provide clearance for the under-cut gate as it swings into open position, the distance between the sides of the frame and the sides of the spout being suicient to permit rotation of frame and chute about a vertical axis.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of illinois, this fourth day of May7 1922.

HENRI A. ERNST.

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