US2545377A - Self-cleaning conveyer bucket - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 J. T. PARISI f 2,545,377

SELF-CLEANING CONVEYER BUCKET Filed Nov. 1, 1947 l 3 sheets-sheet 1 mawnzegg March 13, 1951 T. PARISI 2,545,377

SELF-CLEANING coNvEYER BUCKET Filed Nov. 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1951 J. T. PARISI SELF-CLEANING coNvEYER BUCKET 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 1. 1947 Patented Mar. 135.1951

Y feierte??? auf y me meer hmieaemsewmw :1, unserem@ *v buckets :md more particule-r1? itc en @sek-meaning conveyor bun-keb. i Y y 3cnveyer buckets auf conventionalfeenetrueteh fo'r conveying granular materiel Lfrem :one

to another fbyiimeansfo een E*en'de'ss conveyor beit, 'to which the buckets :ere -elttaehed do?? Weyer@ ate entirety7 f'setisf'et'riy where fthe :materiel conveyed :ismoist or .retiekyy -he'ceuseczne ef the material sticks to fthe yiottcm and s'ide 'e1ls' ef thebucket whenthebleketiisftippd ing. .This occurs, for example, when reir tional buckets Pare used .for veenveiwit-1;; ding `ing this cleaning .means te --its'iorigirlies' thefbucket-.pe'sses besteed .theadumpingp ,Another Vobject tof the invention isfthe pro vision of la .new andfimp'rovedsew-cleaning con-i.

ve-yor bucket lfor "use 'onfcbnveyr 'bel-.t -s'ys'tms in which the stripper for cleaner, zplateferxns the backlwell vof the Vbucket fand Vis l.lvivetelly movable Y with respect to the other vwells -of ythe ibtleketl te dislodge material :clinging thereto;

A 'further :object Iof `-`the invent-ion e..-lthe pree vision of a new and improved selJf-fcieux'ii1 `gfeon veyor bucket 'for use onfconveyor belt systeme Vin which 'theneed .for separate trippingfih'ech to 4eictuete the cleaner .plate .when 'the' 'bucket reaches a i predetermined `dumping position ei'iminated andv theceaner is neverthleelmifi matically actuated. n

Astil'l further ob'je'ct of the linverit'oh"is "the provision of 'a bucket-oi Vthe oregmgeherecter in which the bucket and cleaner are ffiiie'lis'enu entlv 'securedjto the beit in euch lriferiti'er'fthei't they-assumes tangential position' withfreepec" the 'head wheel when 'passing therecvenlbiteut of phase with "respect te each einer tethu trbe' 'duce relative vmoveuren't between ehe 'iirts that.

results in :the wells ci fthe bucket ib'ein'g :eterne-ee i rag, e is e verticuitrahsverse sectional view',- c the -mproved cor-Mayer lbxzieilxet of the ,pres'etf cens'tifucte accordati e thine ',bfesntQ -inventineecpri Norweger -1 eli:

.'Figegqie-e perspective view one :reduced scie et tarurth-er Ymcdimmun ci the invention; "and 4 axially aligned with the bucket bolts 32 and of sufficient diameter to receive the nuts 3B therein, thus permitting the cleaner plate to rest upon the mounting plate 26 when the cleaner plate is in the retracted position shown in Fig. 3 for carrying a maximum load in the bucket.

Preferably the bolts 32 and 4B securing the bucket shell and combined cleaner and back plate bucket. The side walls I4 of the bucket are of generally trapezium shape to provide straight 'back edges I8 which rest upon .the belt to which the bucket shell is attached when the belt is traveling linearly, bottom edges normal there= to, and leading edges 22 acutely inclined with, j y;

back plateuare held in the maximum load carrying-"'-position shown in Eig. 3 when the belt is respect to the back edges and to the front wall I2.

This front wall extends .wbetween andconnects` the opposite side walls I4 and has its leading edge `inclined outwardly sohthat 'it'imay .function asia scoop for. gathering azload of material` into th'ebucket as `the latter'is movedby thebelt through-.Ya stock. pile whilei-"theftrailing-- edge. of

this-*front wall curves inwardly along the bottom f meunting plate-126 v'isla s'eparate piece welded-to thebackedges of Vthe side vwalls,'itshouldlbe understood that -thel front and` side walls'- may be made as separate parts Welded' together. along theirfront edges. It should alsobe understood that"a reinforcing wear plate (not-shown) may be secured to the 'outside' of, the leading edge of the front wall I2'. Thercombinedfback wall and strippingcleaner plate I'G is formed from aflat rectangularrmetal plateturned outwardly-at its lowerend, ias in dicated at-.28 in' Fig. 3;" so--thatf thehp'eripheral edge of Pthis curved end 28 engages upon the peripheral edge o f thelow'erf'or trailing fend 24 ofiV the `front Awall I 2- ;toforz'znf-'inv eiect, a con-v tinuation cfu-'this' Wall andflthus complete the' bottom of the bucketwhen the parts'ar'e'fvin the position shown `in-Fig.f3'. l

JI-he bucket shell is securedto-a conveyor'belt'l which is indicated at 30 byf'ancliorfmeans comprising a seriesl of bo1ts"32 extending through openings disposed' in 'aligned'frelation transversely ofi the` ybelt and Ithrough -corresponding openingsw inthe mountinglplate 2li. These bolts haveen-` larges 'eat heads `31! which engage against Vthe back side of the belt,l`as"shown infliig'sf'and 45 anduthreaded `tips JVAfor receiving lock-nuts 3S. Lock washers 33 "are preferably interposedfbe`"` tween the nuts '3.6 and the *p latelfl formlockin'g the' nuts in position when' they are' tighten d upon the bolts'. f f l AIn the same manner, and by means rancho ing' bolts 43 similar to'the: .bolts @32,ffthe back or cleanerv plateV I5A independently secured vto l the belt'along aline "inadvance of theI leading edge? of the bucket shell and'als'o'in'advancefof the` une alongwhichthe beeleshe11-isetthe P0 the belt. It willlibeu'noted inlfigl 3'- that a spacnig b a; 42 .o f th Jsame thickness asith'efmounh ing.l plate 2li iis-z'f'interposed betweenV the back or cleaner plate Y thef'beltfand lthat the cleaner.-v

I6 to ther belt are arrangedin staggered relation, as' shown, """so vthat the; belt.v will not,A bepvunduly weakened. The large flatv heads' 'on these bolts prevent the same from tearing through the belt, and engage upon the head wheel or roller of the .conveyor belt Ysystemv when a bucket assembly is passing thereover. The tension in the belt urges the bolts to a normal position with respect to the Ybelt atall times' so that the bucket shell and traveling linearly. However, when the bucket is passing .over the. head wheelY the at heads of thabolts-llil and.32 .engaging upon the circular periphery of the head wheel cooperate with the tensioned belt` to urge the bolts to a'radially extending .positionwith respect Vto the axis of the head wheel. Movement of the bolts 40 and 32 to thisposition causes thecombined cleaner and the.. backplate .land bucket shell I0 to be moved to tangential position. with respect to the head,.;'wheel. and .this :position is maintained throughout thecourse of travel of 'thebucket overl the head wheel.;v Since the plate I is se'- cured in advance'of the .bucket shell I0, its se" curingbo1ts 4..will..engage .the head whee1 in advance of the Vbolts 32 securing the bucket shell sothat the back plate I6 will be moved to tangential 'position/with respect to the head wheel of the system prior: to the time that the bucket shell is moved to a like position; thus producing the relative movement between the parts, which dislodges material on the;walls;.of the bucket shell..- l .'1

In Figs.; 1 and =2is` shown diagrammatically, by way 'of illustration, an endless conveyor belt system provided with aseries of conveyor buckets o the type -describedvabove i' .Such a system may be installed withf'its loadingiend in a bin 4'5 Vor th'elike", inwhich-afstock pile of the material to beamoved is'contained and the system includes aiendless conveyor belt 30, a driving member 48 for' the belt operatively connected to a suitable sou-reeY 'oflpo'wer- 50,'1-such as .an electric motor. A-he'ad'wheelEZ isfdisposed at the place where thev material to .be moved'isto be dumped'which is illustrated as a horizontal conveyor belt in Figl, and all of these parts? are suitably mounted so that the driving Vmember 48 and head wheel 52 defirie'the limits of va path or orbit "over which the "belt travels.' Y Y*"lfiseries of buckets Ill-of the'self-cleaning type, above 'desnribed aresecured tov the'belt, as de` sj'cribedy'at intervals sufficiently Vspaced 'so that only one bucket at a time is 'at the dumping pn'isiti'orl'. i' y, Referring to'Fig 2, it will be noted that the dmbined. cleaner and back plate IGof the buckets disposedalong lthe portion of the belt which is movingflnearly are .in retracted position so that tl'iejbucketwillv carry av maximum load. This is true,'both *onv thepupside and the downside ofthe belt,-ra5*3indicated at IIJ1 and Ias a result of the; cooperative action between-bolts 32 and 40v andgth'e' tautbelt. The load in the buckets on the I upside of the belt of course additionally insures,

viens-.embodiments of .the invention.; iI- lbis form of;the,invention has another advantage where it is to be usedonpa conveyor beltsystem which the buckets are relatively closely spaced, Y,Il rsuch a systemgeach cleaner can vbe secured tothe belt under the bucket VVirrimediately in advance thereof v, somthat one/of the rowsof bolts vI6 securing the buckets l may also vserve to secure a cleaner tothe belt, Thus, inFig 10. there is shownga construction identical to that of Fig-9, except the crosspiece 80 is secured Yto the belt 30 by the Vbottom row of bolts 'lbv of the leading bucket VSill, While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention.- l', therefore, desire by the following claims to include within the scope of the invention all such Vvariations and modifications by which substantially the results of my linvention may be obtained through; the use of vsubstantially the same `or equivalent means.

j lclaim: Y

1. A bucket for a conveyor system including a conveyor belt and a head wheel over which the belt passes, comprising ashell having opposite endwallsand a bottom and a front wall extending between said end walls and cooperating therewithto denne Va bucket, acleaner for said bucket including apart extending into said bucket from the forwarduend thereof, said cleaner having a substantially flatl portion at its forward end extending transverselyof the belt in substantially parallel,relationv thereto, and means independently to secure the bucket and cleaner to the belt including bolts having enlarged heads to engage the back side of the belt and cooperating with the cylindrical periphery of the headwheel whenv the bucket passes over the same to Ycause said bucket and cleaner to assume a tangential position relative to thehead wheel when thebucket is moving over the same, said bolts securingsaid bucket and the bolts securing said cleaner being disposed inspaced relation longitudinally of the belt so that oneY of said parts is rocked relatively to tangential position before the other forcausing the cleaner to dislodge material in the bucket.

2. A self-cleaning conveyor bucket as defined in claim 1, wherein the Vopposite* end, bottom and front walls dene a bucket open at its leading end only and wherein the cleaner comprises aegenerally U-shaped heavy wire or bar stock frame extendingrinto said bucket shell with the sides ofwsaid frame in close proximity to the end walls of said bucket and the free end of said frame in close proximityto the rear end of said bucket, said end of the frame closely following the `contour of the saidfront wall when said cleaner and` bucket are rocked relatively.

. 3. A self-cleaning conveyor bucket as defined in claim l, wherein the cleaner and the front wall of said bucket include cooperating portions adapted to be brought into abutting engagement upon relative movement of said bucket and cleaner to limit such relative movement. Y

4. A bucket for a conveyor system including a conveyor belt and a head wheel over which the belt passes, comprising a shell having opposite end walls with bottom edges, a bottom wall in the plane of-said bottom edges and a front wall, said bottom and frontwalls extending between said end walls and cooperating therewith to deine a'buckethaving an open back, a cleaner for said bucket including a part extending into said bucket foroclosina Seidl Lopen-checkt. Said @leaner Y having arsubstantially fiat portion at its for-l 'lil warlwend extending transversely` of the belt;in substantially parallel relation thereto, and means independently towsecure the bucket andfcleanerw to the belt including bolts having enlarged headev to engage the back side of the belt and cooperating with thecylindrical periphery of thevhead wheel lwhen the bucket passes over the same to cause said bucket and cleaner to assume a tangential position relative to the head wheel when the bucketA is moving over the same, said bolts securing said bucket and the bolts securing said cleaner being disposed in spaced relationlongitudinally of the belt so that one of said parts isrocked relatively to tangential position before the other for causing the cleaner to dislodge material in ,the bucket, Y .1 5. In a`con`veyor system including a head wheel having a cylindrical periphery over which al conveyor -beltmpassesy in combination, va conveyrz bucketyincluding substantialy flat back wall str-ucv-` ture, la series of bolts disposed in laligned relation transverselyY of the belt and extending through said belt and back wall structure tosecure said bucket to said belt, a cleaner for vrsaid bucket including a substantially flat portionto. extend transversely of saidbelt in substantially parallel relation thereto, and a series of bolts-extending through said belt and the said flat portion of the cleaner and disposed in aligned relation'transversely of the belt for securingthe cleaner to the belt, said bolts securing said bucket and cleaner to said belt having enlargedflat heads engaging the .back side of the beltand cof operating with the cylindrical periphery of Said head wheel when the bucket andk cleaner jarej moved to a predetermined position relative to the head wheel by movement of the belt to tip said cleaner and bucket relative to the belt, and said two series of bolts being disposed in spaced relation longitudinally of the belt so that one of said parts is tipped before-the other. e

6L A self-cleaning conveyor bucket for use in conveyorfbelt systems or the likeehaving a head wheel over which the belt moves comprisingl a bucket shell having rigid front, bottom and side walls andan Open back, means rockably toanchor the back of the said bucket to said belt, a back plate within said bucket shell to close the open back thereof, means to anchor said back plate to said belt lfor rocking movement relative to the bucket, said anchor means for the bucket and back plate including a part fixed relative to the l belt and bucket cooperating with'the beltv to hold the bucket and back plate yin maximum load car.. rying position when the belt is moving linearlyand another part on the back side of said belt= conformed to cooperate with the belt and head wheel to rockrsaid bucket and cleaner relatively toV another position for dislodging material in the bucket when the latter is moved to a predetermined position relative to the head wheel by movement of the belt. Y

'7. Ina conveyor belt system which includes-.a head wheel over which a conveyor belt passes, in combination, a plurality of conveyor buckets of,l duplicate construction secured to said belt in equally spaced relation longitudinally thereof,- each of said buckets comprising a shell having end walls, a rear wall and iront and bottom wall structure extending between said end walls and cooperating therewith to define a bucket, a cleaner for each bucket having a ilat forward Yend extending transverselyof thebelt substantially paranenthereto and a tramaspart 'adaptedtc 'Extend intai said shell,.:anchor im'eans '.tda secure andfsaid rearrwall of theswhell @Pd QJWWM- end of the cleaner, `said; boltshavingfrelatively large flat heads to engage the back side of said belt and to cooperate with the cylindrical periphery of the head wheel when the buckets pass over the same for causing said buckets and cleaners to assume a tangential position relative to the head wheel when they move over the same whereby the material in each bucket is loosened by the cleaner secured to the bucket leading it as the latter bucket starts to ride over the head wheel. .V 8. A bucket for a conveyor system including a conveyor belt and a wheel over which the belt passes, the bucket being attached to the belt and adapted to pick up material therein and discharge said material when that portion of the belt to which same is attached is passing over the wheel, said bucket comprising end Walls and abottom and a front wall defining the same, a cleaner for the bucket including a part extending into the bucket at the rear` thereof and having a relatively stiff cross-member rigidly supporting said part and attached transversely of the belt independently of the bucket, said bucket being secured to said belt in spaced relation longitudinally thereof relative to the said stili cross member, fastening devices for said cross member and bucket extending through said b-elt and clamping same to the belt and including bearing areas on the back side of the belt adapted to engage and cooperate with the cylindrical periphery of the wheel causing the cleaner and the bucket to assume circumferentially spaced tangential positions oneafter the other when the belt is passing over the wheel whereby to rock the cleaner and bucket one relative to the other for dislodging said material from the bucket.

9. A bucket for a conveyor system including a conveyor belt and a. wheel over which the belt passes, the bucket being attached to the belt and adapted to pick up material therein and discharge said material when that portion of the belt to which same is attached is passing over the Wheel, said bucket comprising a shell having an open back engaged against the belt and having a forward scooping edge for directing material into the shell, a cleaner member for the bucket including a plate-like part extending into the shell and of substantially the same width as the inside of the shell arranged to cover said' open back thereof, the cleaner member being secured to said belt and pivotally movable within the shell relative thereto between the back and front thereof, the bucket and cleaner member being sethe belt adapted to engage and cooperate with the cylindrical periphery of the wheel causing the cleaner member and bucket to assume circum-ferentially spaced tangential positions one periphery of the head wheel to rock the cleaner plate.

when thgbeltfis. passi-ng over-fthe lwv ee wherebyatorrock the cleaner member and orifrela-tive'to lthe' other for dislodging said material from the bucket.

10. A bucktfc'nstiutioii a's'd'e'scribed in claim the-.Salengro beek.. 0f thellellfhas a rigid plate extendingacross 4the sameg Aand, the said fastening devices extend through the said bend therein directed away from said rigid plate Y to clear the said bolt heads.

12. A bucket construction as described in claim 10 in which the fastening devices have bolt heads on the said plate, Vand the plate-like part of the cleaner member extends into the shell and overlies the said plate, and hasv perforations therein aligned with the bolt heads to permit the heads to enter therein and enable the said plate and plate-like part intimately to engage.

13. In combination with a conveyor belt passing over a head wheel, a self-cleaning bucket comprising a scoop shell anchored to said belt substantially along a line transverse of the belt so that the belt may bend relative to the shell ahead of and behind the line, a cleaning member having one end similarly anchored to the belt, albeit along a transverse line spaced from the rst-mentioned line and having a scraping free end disposed within the shell and capable of rocking relative thereto to disengage material from the interior thereof, the cleaning member and the shell both having parts rigidly connected respectively therewith and extending through said belt at the respective transverse lines and presenting planar surfaces onw the backside of the belt to the periphery of the wheel whereby the cleaning member and shell will be forced to assume positions tangential to the belt one after the other as the belt passes over the Wheel, thereby rocking one relative to the other to dislodge material in the shell.

14. A self-cleaning conveyor bucket for use in conveyor belt systems or the like having a head wheel over which the belt moves comprising a bucket shell having a rigid front, bottom and side walls, means rockably to anchor said bucket shell to said belt including a rigid member on the front of the belt and i'lxed` relative to said belt and bucket cooperating with the belt to hold the bucket in maximum load carrying position when the belt is moved linearly and second rigid member on the back of the belt, connected to the rst rigid member and conformed to cooperate with the periphery wof the head wheel to rock the bucket relative to the belt as the bucket passes over the head wheel, a cleaner within the bucket shell normally at the back thereof while the bucket is moving linearly and means to anchor the cleaner to the belt independent of and for vrocking movement relative to the bucket including a third rigid member on the front of the belt and iixed relative thereto linearly spaced from said first rigid member and having a fourth rigid member on the back of the belt connected thereto and also conformed to cooperate with the relative to the belt, said cleaner and belt rocking relative to one another during passage over the head wheel by virtue of the linear spacing between the first and third rigid members, whereby the cleaner will nieve from the back to the Yfront Number of the bucket te dislodge material ijn saidbucket. 377,917 JULES T. PARISI. 414.829 I Y f V 1,167,869 Y 5 1,5@3633 l The following referentes are of recd in the 118501364 le of Vthis patent: 11912343 Y UNITED STATESPATENTS N' bj i 10 um er Number Name Date 187,115

v,263,924 1pr-d sept. 5, 1882 1.12 Name Date Underwood Feb.' 14, 1888 Walden Nov. 12, 1889 Wolfe Jan. 11,1916 `White June 15, 1926 Vaughn Mar. 22, 1932 Vaugh June 6, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 19, 1922

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