US1494343A - Ranging truck - Google Patents

Description

' A. CULBERTSON HANGING TRUCK il 28 W22 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwua'niioz NILLIAM A. CULBERTSON. OF CHAMBER-SBURG. PENNSYLVANIA.

HANGING- TRUCK.

Application filed November as, 1922. Serial No. 693,812.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known tl at I, IVILLIAM AUsUsTUs CULBERTSON, a citizen of the United States of rtmerica, residing at Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ranging Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to portable ranging, piling or stacking trucks capable of being manually moved from place to place and positioned for ranging, stacking or piling packaged or boxed commodities.

While any desired kinds of packages may be lifted and discharged for piling, I have chosen to illustrate that form of my invention as embodied in a portable truck intended for ranging or ranking barrels, and more particularly barrels of apples and like commodities, as they are more ditlicult to handle than other packaged commodities in boxes or barrels.

-The invention includes various features, such as loading from one side and discharging at a higher level from the opposite side, automatic discharge to one side of the path of travel, adjustability of the height of discharge, and other features of invention that will hereinafter be more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are similarly designated Figure 1 is a View of the receiving side of a truck embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of one end of the truck showing a barrel about to be discharged.

Fig. 3 is a vertical central section.

Fig. 4. is a view of the opposite end of the truck.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 4 at the motor.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, and

Fig. 7 a section on line ?7 Fig. 6, showing the under side of the latch and bar controlling the elevation of discharge.

In piling, or ranging barrels, as it is customarily called, in warehouses, the bar- 'rels are placed in rows on their bilge.

It is comparatively easy to place barrels in ranges or rows two or three high manually but beyond this it is very arduous work, and men can seldom work a whole day when barrels have to be ranged manually above the third range, and for this reason I have devised a truck that may be readily moved about the warehouse floor in front of the ranges for mechanically lifting and discharging the barrels at the desired levels.

With my device half the number of men can range more barrels than the customary crew.

In warehouses the doors are low, and the ranges may extend above the top of the doorways. For convenience of moving the truck through the doorways the truck is tilted over on its traction wheels, and the workman grasps the handle at the top, or the top rail if'he prefers, and trundles it like an ordinary hand truck from room to room.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings I provide a vertical frame constructed of corner-memhers 10, preferably of small angle-iron. These are connected at the top and bottom at the ends by transverse members 11, and in addition to these members I provide on both ends diagonal braces 12.

Longitudinally of the receiving side of the truck I provide members 13, one at the top and another at the bottom. There being a similar member 1S just above the receiving opening, and diagonal braces 14: above this member.

On the discharge side of the truck at the bottom is a longitudinal angle 15 and a similar one 16 above the level of the angle 13 on the receiving side. The space above this longitudinal member 16 is open for the discharge of the barrels. Diagonal braces 17 extend between this member 16 and the bottom member 15 on the discharge side.

Between the longitudinal angle 16 and the bottom of the angle 15 (Figs. 1 and 5) I provide a pair of vertical, spaced tubes 18 acting as stays, as well. as guides for the barrels and for telescoping guides hereinafter referred to.

Secured to one end of the frame at the bottom is a pair of brackets 19, to which is secured a shait 20 provided with a pair of trundling wheels 21, and above these wheels, supported on brackets 22 is a small electric lamp socket.

electric motor 23 that furnishes the power for raising the barrels.

On the other end, the frame is provided with brackets 24 in which areinounted caster wheels 25, and above these wheels is a handle bar 26 for the purpose of moving the truck along range, or from one position to another in the store-room.

Above this handle 26 is located the electric control board 27 containing the necessary equipment for operating the motor, for eX ample, a rhcostat R, a main switch S and fuses F through which a. lamp cord C is connected and provided, as customary with such cords with a socket connection for an The rheostat R is electrically connected to the motor 23. These electrical apparatus are not new, and form, per se, no part of my invention.

On the bottom of the frame I place a heavy wooden platform 28 28"'29,

3, provided with two longitudinal slots 30 and 31' for the passage of a lifting bar. This bar conveniently may consist of a piece of pipe 32 mounted to rotate on a rod 33 that extends lengthwise of the truck and is secured at its ends. to endless sprocket chains 34.

#Vhile I have shown one lifting flight or bar, it is obvious that more than one may be used, if found necessary to increase the number of barrels lifted to one complete travel of the chains.

Below the platform is a shaft 35, at the opposite ends of which are fastened the lower sprocket wheels 36. The shaft 35 is mounted in bearing brackets 37 that also extend under the middle portion 22 of the platform and support it At the top of the frame on each end I fix bearing angles 38 on which are mounted the stub shafts 39 for the upper sprocket wheels 40 for the chains 34. These upper sprocket wheels are mounted on stub shafts so as to leave space between them for the passage of a barrel, in order to utilize the full height of the truck.

On the receiving side of the truck above the bar 13 I place brackets 41 for holding vertical guides 42 on which a barrel may slide as it ascends. Near the bottom of the truck I place two roller guards 4-3 that converge toward the delivery side, and the function of which is to centre the barrel as it is spun onto the platform.

- The shaft 35 also carries a worm-wheel 44 that is driven by a worm 45 on a shaft 46 provided with a belt-wheel 47, more clearly shown in Fig. 4. This belt-wheel is connected by a belt 48 to a, preferably, smaller beltwheel 49 on the shaft of the motor 23.

I am aware that the motor may be placed much lower and be geared to the wormshaft 46,' but I prefer to use a belt connection for the reason that when used for rang ing barrelled apples, and like dry commodi ties there frequently occurs a barrel with a transversely cracked stave, bulging consid erably beyond the normal barrel contour that may hang on the truck frame as the bar rel is lifted, and would be apt to break some part of the lifting mechanism. By using a belt, the belt will either slip in such an instance, or break its lacing, without damto the machinery.

On the discharge side of the machine,'

above the bar 16 at each side of the truck I provide notched bars 50. Into the notches of these bars latches 51 engage. These latches are pivoted on bolts 52 mounted in a vertically adjustable bar which bar is held in its adjusted position by the latches.

A. spring is curled about the bolt 52, one end of which finds abutment against the angle bar 53 and the other end is bent, as at 55 Fig. 6, and abuts behind the tail of the latch, thus always urging the latch into latching position.

The end of bar or angle 58, Fig. 6, rides back of the corner uprights 10, while the latch 51 is in front of them, whereby the latch tends to hold the bar against these uprights.

The bar 53 has a pair of rods 56 having acutely bent ends 56 Fig. 3, projecting from the delivery side of the truck. The other, vertical, ends of the rods telescope in the tubes 18 and form vertically adjustable e2;- tensions of these tubular guides.

If for any reason the barrel will not automatically discharge over the ends 56" of rods 56, I provide a positive discharging mechanism mounted on the vertically adjustable bar 53, and vertically adjustable with it.

This mechanism comprises, near each end of this bar, the following duplicate lever construction Hinged to the bar 53 a lever arm 57 having a curved end that projects into the path of the carrier flight or bar 32 beyond the barrel ends. This lever arm has a per pcndicular projection 58 that is connected by a link 59 to a short crank arm 60 whose shaft portion 61, Fig. 1, extends along the top of bar 58 and is again cranked to form an ejector arm 62. The portion 61 of this arm is mounted to turn in eyes 63 and sufficiently long to bring the ejector arms 62 into the path of the barrel. The ejector arms 62 are just long enough to clear the lifting flight For trundling the truck I may provide trundling handles 64 at the upper corners, but these may be omitted and the member 11 used for this purpose if desired, which for convenience of engagement by the hands may be a piece of pipe with flattened ends, instead of an angle, as illustrated at 11?, Fig. 4.

It will be noted that the space between the flight 32 and the discharge side. of the truck is slightly greater than the space between this flight and the supply side so that a barrel will, while being lifted, if symmetrically loaded, be raised in unstable equilibrium and while being raised will tend to ride against the telescoping guides 18, 56 at the discharge side.

It will also be noted that the platform por tion 29 at the discharge side is slightly lower than the other portion 2828*' the purpose of which is to prevent the barrel from accidentally rolling out of the truck after it has been placed in it.

The operation is as follows:

The truck is moved by handle 26 to the desired position along the range with the delivery side toward the range. The bar- 53 is grasped at each end by the operator,

who at the same time grasps the tails of the latches 51, pushes these tails toward the bar, and their noses out of the notches in bars 50, and the bar 53 is adjusted to the proper height, the rods 56 telescoping in the tubes The workman spins a barrel onto the platform and it settles between the guides 43 toward the lower side 29. The motor 23 is started and the flight 32 passes through slot 31 in the platform under the barrel and raises it until it is above the adjusted position of bar 53, when it will automatically roll or discharge away from the chain flight over the bar 53 and roll along the projecting rod ends 56.

If the barrel is symmetrically loaded, which will be the case with fuel oil, molasses and other liquids, the discharge will be automatic.

In the case of apples and other fruits, and vegetables the barrel may require a slight lift or impulse to cause it to move over the discharge bar 53. As the horizontal centre of thebarrel rises above the bar 53 the barrel begins to bear away from the lifting flight on which it rests in unstable equilibrium, allowing the ejector arms 62 to rise freely back of the barrel and gradually move it out of the truck onto the discharge rails 56.

The flight 32 as it nears the discharge level engages the actuating arms 57 and raises them. The discharge arms 62 by rea son of the link connections 59 follows the actuating arms 57 and pass the latter before the flight 32 rides past the ends of the actuating arms. The discharge arms 62 engage beneath the barrel and cause it to roll over the discharge bar 03 on the projecting and guiding rod ends 56. The flight 32 con tinues its movement, passes down on the opposite side of the sprocket wheels and through platform slot 30 preparatory to raising the next barrel.

In order to move the truck from one room to another the truck is tilted on wheels 21, and the workman holding handles 6& or the pipe member 11*. 'trundles the truck in the usual manner. The operating mechanism being located mainly at the bottom of the truck, the main part of the load will be carried by the wheels 21 during trundling, thus relieving the workman of the weight of the greater part of the load.

I claim 1. In a ranging truck, guides which laterally support the load to be carried between them and a lifting flight engaging the bottom of said load and supporting it in unstable equilibrium as regards the flight.

2. In a ranging truck, a pair of endless chains, a lifting flight extending between them, and guides supporting the load between them during its movement, said lifting flight arranged to engage the load to one side of the centre of the load.

3. In a ranging truck, a pair of endless chains, a lifting flight between them, a platform having an opening through which said flight travels to engage the load, the platform on one side of the opening being at a slightly different level than on the other for retaining the load in the truck.

4-. In a ranging truck, an endless carrier, guides on opposite sides of the carrier between which the article is to be supported, the ends of the guides on one side of the carrier being lower than the corresponding ends of the guide on the other side for discharge over the upper ends of the lower guides.

5. In a ranging truck, an endless carrier, guides on opposite sides of the carrier, the guides on one of the sides of the carrier being lower than on the other side of said carrier and arranged to discharge away from the carrier.

6. In a ranging truck, acarrier chain ight, load confining guides on each side of said flight and means to adjust the length of the guides on one side of the flight.

7. In a ranging truck. an endless carrier having a load-carrying flight thereon, load confining guides between which said flight travels, the guides on one side terminating above the bottom of the truck to permit insertion of the load from one side of the truck and the guides on the other side terminating below tl s top to permit discharge on the opposite side of the truck.

8. In a ranging truck, a platform, guides extending to said platform at its discharge side, said platform having a portion arranged adjacent said guides lower than the remaining portion for holding an article against the guides preparatory to being lifted.

9. In a portable ranging truck, a frame, a platform thereon having two slots, endless carrier chains at each end of the truck, and a lifting flight arranged to successively pass through said platform slots.

10. In a portable ranging truck, a lifting flight consisting of a rod and atube freely rotatable on said rod.

11. In a portable ranging truck, a platform having two slots, an endless carrier having a flight for successive passage through said slots, one of said slots being arranged nearer the loading side than the discharge side of the truck and the other approximately at the middle of the platform.

12. In aportable ranging truck, a frame, a pair of trundling Wheels on one end and a pair of caster wheels on the other end, an endless carrier on the frame, a motor on the frame anddriving connections between the motor and endless carrier, and trundling and handle means at the top of the frame.

13. In a portable ranging truck, a loading side having a loading opening at the bottom and an opposite discharge side having an adjustable discharge opening above the level of the loading opening.

141-. In a portable ranging truck, vertical load guides above a loading opening at the bottom of one side of the truck, vertical telescoping guides on the opposite, discharge side and an adjustable bar to which telescoping portions of said guides are secured, whereby the discharge level may be adjusted.

15. In a ranging truck, a frame having guides between which the article is guided, the guides on one side of the truck extending from a loading opening at the bottom of the truck to the top, telescoping guides on the opposite discharge side comprising stationary tubes at the bottom of said side and rods vertically adjustable in'said tubes, the upper ends of said rods being bent outward to form discharging rails.

16. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, an adjustable bar controlling the height of dis "charge of said flight, and positive discharge mechanism operating to engage the load and move it from said flight during the travel of the latter.

17. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a

vertically adjustable bar controlling the level of discharge, and positive discharge mechanism mounted on said bar and operated by said flight.

18. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a vertically adjustable bar controlling the level of discharge of said flight, and positive discharge mechanism comprising an arm pivoted on said bar extending into the path of said flight, a cranked discharging arm pivoted on said bar and a link between the arms.

19. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a vertically adjustable bar, a positive discharging mechanism on said bar comprising an arm pivoted thereon having a curved end projecting into the path of said flight and a perpendicular projection, a discharging arm having a crank and a link connecting the crank and projection.

20. In a ranging truck, a frame, a vertically adjustable bar controlling the level of discharge, a notched plate on the frame at each end of said bar and a latch at each end of the bar to en age the notches in said plates.

21. In a portable ranging truck, a bar over which the truck discharges means to adjust said bar as to height to control the level of dischar e and positive discharge mechanism on the bar and adjustable therewith.

22. In a ranging truck, a carrier flight for engaging the load to one side of its centre, and vertically adjustable positive discharging mechanism having a load-engaging arm extending substantially beneath the centre of the load and operated by said flight.

23. A portable ranging truck having a loading platform, a pair of trundle wheels for the truck and a pair of caster wheels, lifting means on the truck, mechanism for operating the lifting means, means to permit the automatic dscharge of the truck when the load has been lifted, a handle to shift the truck on all its wheels and means to be grasped by the operator when the truck is moved on its trundle wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

IV. A. CULBERTSON.

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