US2142687A - Portable truck loader - Google Patents

Description

F. C. ADAMS PORTABLE TRU Jan. 3, 1939.

CK LOADER Filed Dec. 30, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ERA/VA C, ADAMJ mm m a v Q 8 mm ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 3, 1939. F, ADAMS 2,142,687

PORTABLE TRUCK LOADER Filed Dec. 30, 1935 3 Sheets- Sheet 2.

I l I I l I l I IE1 I INVENTOR.

FRANK C. ADAM;

ATTORNEYS 3 Sheds-Sheet 3 Jan. 3, 1939. -F. c. ADAMS PORTABLE TRUCK LOADER Filed Dec. 30, 1935 INVENTOR. FRANK C. ADAMS ATTORNEYS,

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to loading apparatus as used for loading trucks or wagons with sand, rock, gravel and other loose material, and has for its principal object improved portable apparatus of this kind mounted on a motor vehicle and powered by the motor of the vehicle. Important features of the invention comprise the coordinated arrangement of the several major parts in securing a compact easily operated apparatus which may be manipulated to dig or shovel up the material over a considerable area and convey it into an adjacent truck or wagon, yet which apparatus may be folded close to the body of the carrying vehicle without overhanging parts, for transporting to and from the job to be handled. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a side view of my improved truck loader on its motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the vehicle and loader showing its conveyor extended from the.

side in position for loading a truck.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of digging elevator and its mounting.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along the line l-i of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 4 taken along the line 55 thereof.

In further detail the drawings show a motor vehicle i having a fiat platform body portion 2 on which is securely mounted a cylindrical post 3 as by means of a bolting flange 4 and on the upper end of which post is rotatably mounted a casting or head member 5 which is formed with axles 6 extending transversely of the motor vehicle and on which axles is pivotally mounted a rearwardly, or normally longitudinally extending frame or beam I. This frame is preferably made of angle bars and converges toward its rear end which projects considerably beyond the rear end of the vehicle and is there provided with a pair of bearing blocks 8 from which is pivotally suspended a frame 9 of a bucket elevator comprising a chain or chains it fitted with buckets l I and riding over head sprocket i2 and tail sprocket l3, the latter being carried on a shaft l4 passing through lower telescopic extensions 9' of the frame 9 and which are resiliently forced downwardly by springs ll and serve for maintaining proper working tension on the chain.

Frame or beam i also extends forwardly of its pivotal axles 6 and embraces a large counterweight [5 which may substantially counterbalance the weight of the suspended bucket elevator at the extreme rear end. Means is provided for tilting the counterbalanced beam 1 up and down on its supporting axles 6 to thereby bodily raise and lower the elevator along the are 33, and means is also provided for rotating the beam about the post 3 so as to swing the lower or dig ging end of the elevator about a wide swath in order to shovel up the material as indicated by the are 58 in Fig. 3 and dotted position of the elevator, and besides the two motions just mentioned means is provided for swinging the elevator on its pivotal support or head shaft [6 so that its lower end can be held in any position along the dotted arc I! (see Fig. 1).

The means for tilting the beam 1 comprises a downwardly extending lever arm I9 at the side of the fixed post 3, and which arm is rigidly se cured at its upper end to the frame I as at 20,

and is linked at its lower end as at 2| to a crank arm 22 rigidly projecting from a shaft 23 suitably supported and which shaft has affixed to it a gear or worm wheel 24 engaged by a worm 25 which may be revolved by a hand crank 26 mounted'on the worm shaft 21, all as indicated in Fig. 1'. The pitch of the worm being low the beam 1 will be'automatically locked at any elevation to which itmay be adjusted.

The means for swinging the beam 1 about the post comprises a large handwheel'Zt secured to a shaft 29 fitted with a worm 3i! engaging a worm wheel or ring gear segment 3! secured to the post 3 adjacent the lower end of a sleeve or frame 32 which extends downwardly from head casting 5 about post 3 and provided with rollers, blocks or ring 32 bearing against the post to hold the beam from tipping sidewise yet permit revolving movement about the post.

The means for swinging the elevator along are H comprises a pair of rigid lever arms 34 secured to the upper end of elevator frame 9 as by gusset plate 35 and braces 36, and which lever arms are linked at 31 to a crank 38 extending rigidly from a shaft 39 which carries a worm wheel ii! engaged by a worm 41 secured to a shaft 42 turned manually by a handwheel 43. A

The bucket elevator travels in direction of the arrow of Fig. 1 and discharges into a chute 44 carried by the beam l and which guides the material into a large or wide hopper 55 which in turn guides it to a belt conveyor 46 for conveying the material beyond the side of the apparatus supporting vehicle for loading into a cart or truck as indicated by dotted line 41 in Fig. 2. This conveyor is carried on pulleys or rolls .48, 49 and troughing rolls 50 mounted on a frame 5| which extends angularly upward and projects a considerable distance beyond the side of the supporting vehicle I and is angularly braced in such extension by a brace rod 52 from an upright support 53. The overhanging portion of the conveyor is pivoted at 54 to fold up- .ward to dotted position 5| and is held in folded position by brace rod 52 being disengaged from support 53 and hooked or otherwise secured to the upper part of beam 1 as indicated in dotted position in Fig. 2.

Power is transmitted from the engine of the carrying vehicle to operate the bucket elevator and the belt conveyor by any desired means to a shaft 55 fitted with a bevel gear 55 meshing bevel gear 51 on upright shaft 58 within post 3 and carrying at its upper end a bevel gear 59 meshing with bevel gear 60 on a horizontal shaft Bl having bearing support within the bore of axles 6 and from one of which the shaft projects and carries a sprocket 62 which drives a. chain 63 which extends forwardly and around a sprocket 64 secured to the head shaft l6 of the bucket elevator.

The belt conveyor is driven from its lower, or tail pulley, by means of a chain or belt 65 passing over a wheel secured to tail pulley shaft 56 and which chain is driven from a suitable sprocket (not shown) on shaft 55 which extends along centrally of the carrying vehicle.

It is of course understood that a suitable clutch not shown is provided for throwing the power shaft 56 in and out of gear with a suitable power take-off shaft from the vehicle transmission, not shown in the drawings as all being well understood construction in truck motor operated apparatus generally and not claimed herein;

Hopper 45 is made broad enough to receive the discharge from chute 44 at various positions of the elevator as same may be swung about are It, and the chute is provided with an inner telescopic extension 44' which is pivotally connected at 61 with a pair of links 68, 69 respectively pivoted at I0, H to the bucket elevator frame 9 and frame or beam 1 so that as the elevator is swung outward or inward on arc I! the movable section 44' of the chute will always follow the movement of the elevator and thus maintain a minimum clearance between the chute and buckets at the discharge side of the elevator to catch all material thrown outwardly from the buckets and keep it from falling downward between the buckets and the chute.

As a means of assisting or varying the effective weight of the counterweight l5 heavy spiral compression springs 12 may be arranged on a stiff cross-barl3 carried by the post and through which springs extend bolt rods 14 hooked at their inner ends through any of several holes J5 in arm I9 and the outer ends of the bolt rods provided with washers and nuts 16 to screw down against the springs to vary the compression thereof.

Having thus described my improved truck loading apparatus its operation will'be clear from the description, the vehicle being simply backed up in front of a pile of the material it is desired to load and the brakes applied, the belt conveyor is outfolded to extend over the truck to be loaded, as in Fig. 2, the power shaft 55 is thrown into gear with the power take-off shaft transmission while same is in neutral insofar as the vehicle wheels are concerned, and whereupon the elevator may be manipulated by wheels 43, 26, 28, to pick up the material and gradually work into the pile while swinging from side to side. The vehicle is of course backed up a bit from time to time if the pile is large.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a portable truck loader, a road vehicle, a post on said vehicle, a rearwardly extending beam rotatably supported for lateral swinging movement on said post and extending rearwardly beyond the vehicle, a bucket elevator pivotally suspended from the rear end of the beam, and a belt conveyor provided with a frame extending transversely of and beyond one side of the vehicle, and said conveyor arranged to receivethe discharge from said elevator, said belt conveyor projecting a relatively great distance beyond the side of said vehicle, and the projecting portion provided with means adapted to permit folding it over the vehicle by bending of the belt of the conveyor without removal thereof.

2. In a portable truck loader, a road vehicle, a post on said vehicle, a rearwardly extending beam rotatably supported for lateral swinging movement on said post and extending rearwardly beyond the vehicle, a bucket elevator pivotally suspended from the rear end of the beam, and a belt conveyor provided with a frame extending transversely of and beyond one side of the vehicle, and said conveyor arranged to receive the discharge from said elevator, said belt conveyor projecting a relatively great distance beyond the side of said vehicle, and the projecting portion provided with means adapted to permit folding it over the vehicle including a rod bracing the conveyor when outfolded and locking same when folded.

3. In a portable truck loader, a road vehicle, a post on said vehicle, a rearwardly extending beam rotatably supported for lateral swinging movement on said post and extending rearwardly beyond the vehicle, a bucket elevator pivotally suspended from the rear end of the beam, and a belt conveyor provided with a frame extending transversely of and beyond one side of the vehicle, and said conveyor arranged to receive the discharge from. said elevator, a chute guiding material discharged from said elevator to said belt conveyor and provided with a telescopic portion operatively connected with the frame of said elevator to hold it in substantially constant relation thereto as the elevator is swung on its pivotal suspension.

4. In a portable truck loading apparatus of the character described, a beam, a post, means supporting said beam at the upper end of the post for horizontal and vertical swinging movement, and an endless bucket elevator suspended from one end of the, beam, said beam provided with a relatively short portion extending beyond said post and fitted with counterweight to sub-- stantially offset the weight of the elevator and further fitted with springs provided with tension adjusting means arranged to permit modifying the effect of said counterweight.

FRANK C. ADAMS.

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