US889699A - Loading apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 999,699. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1909. W. 9. LIPSGOMB.

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLBspsBPT. 19, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATBNTED JUNE z, wos.

W. C.`LIPSGOMB. LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-13, 1907.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 17550622 Zoff" glafcow @tra 'il WILLIAM o.` LIrscoMB,

OF 'CROGKETT, TEXAS.

nonnina APPARATUS.

no. seance.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 2,1908.

Application filed September 13, w07. Serial No. 392,654.

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, WiLLrAM C. LirsooMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crockett, in the county of Houston and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.l

My present invention relates to improvements 1n devices for loading material of various kinds either in bulkor in other conditions preparatory to its'handling for the purpose of transferring it from' one point to another, and it has for its object primarily to rovide a loader of this character embodying ilexible load engaging members whichV are composed of jointed sections that permit the relative opening and closing of the members in order that they may readily close upon the material to 'be handled, and when released they will immediately straighten and permit the dumping and discharge of the material being handled.

Another object of the invention is to provide devices for flexing the sections for-the purpose of effecting the opening and closing movements of the members.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts. all as will be hereinafter more novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the 'end'of the specification.

In the drawings-Figure i is an end elevation of 'a loader constructed in accordance With the present invention, the load engaging members being shown in open position 5 F ig. 2 is a view similaito Fig. 1 showing the load engaging members in closed relation; F-ig. 3 1s a side elevation of the loader shown in Fig. l, a portion thereof being shown in section; Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of theload engaging members detached from the loader; Fig. .5 is a sectional view of the load engaging members shown in Fig. 4;; Fig. G represents a 'vertical section through one of theload engaging membc liig. '7 .represents a scction through the axes of the joints connecting the several sections to one of the flexible 1nembers; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one oi the sections detached; and Fig. J is a perspective view of a sectionof the chain which serves to link together 'the several sections of each member.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several figures. Loading devices constructed in accorde ance with my present invention, are capable of being constructed in various forms in order that they may be ada )ted for use in the handling of loose material, such as dirt or coal, or the like, and they may be also modified. to adapt them for use in the handling of solid material in the form of lumps or blocks'I such 'as coal, stone or the' like.

l have shownthe invention inv its present embodiment as applied to a loader that is adapted for use generally in connection with crane or other hoisting device for the purpose of handling material in bulk, the'loader in .this instance comprising generally a supn porting frame l having the load engaging members arranged at the opposite sides thereof, the frame being provided with means for attaching it to a crane or other hoisting or transferring device. These load engaging members .2 and 3 are each composed in the present instance of a pair of flexible arms 4 and 5, the latter embodying sets of jointed sections '6 which are so connectedthat they permit flexing of the arms for the purpose of accomplishing the opening and closing movements of the load engaging members. The uppermost section of each arm is rigidly attached to the supporting frame by means of straps '7, and the several sections composing each arm are united by a link construction which permits the requisite pivotal movements thereof to-e'fi'ect the flexing of the arm. Any suitable link construction may be employed for this purpose, that shown in the present instance embodying a chain comprising two sets of links 8 and Q which are arranged at opposite sides of the sections and extend longitudinally of the arm, and a set of connecting-boltsor equivalent devices 1() which join the links of the two sets and pass `between the joints of the sec-- tions. These connecting boltsare ireferably surrounded by'sleeves 1l, and the latter rest in segmental grooves 12 formed in the proxi- 1n atc sides of the several sections. In order to permit relativo pivotal movement of the sections about the connecting bolts as axes, the proximate surfaces of the sev; ral'sections are beveled or otherwise formed to form cle arance spaces i3, these spaces being so constructed that the material cannot collect therein to such an extent as to interfere with the flexing of the arms. The lowermost section 14 of each arm is preferably pointed and 'directed inwardly as shown; in -order to facilitate its entrance into thematerial to be loaded, and the several arms are of` such a length that they will engage or rest in close proximity to one another when the load engaging members are in closed position.

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the arms to open and close them, a pair of flexible tension devices and 16 bein employed in the present instance whic may be composed of cords, wires or chains, and they extend through sets of openings 1'7 and 18, extendin through the several sections at opposite si es of the connecting bolts which serve as axes of movement, andthe lowei` ends of these flexible members areanehored to the lowermost section 14, as at 19 and 20. vWith the tension membersso connected, a tension on one of them would obviously cause the several sections to rock about the connectin bolts as axes, the arm being thereby flexe so as to perform either an opening or a closing'movement. In the present instance the tension membersv of the two arms' at one end of the loader are wound u 'on a pair of differential drums 21 and 22, t e outer members 17 being Woundupon the larger drum, while the inner members 18 are connected to` the smaller drums. The loadershown is adapted to handle a considerable quantity of material at each load, and for this reason each'load engaging member is composed of a pair of flexible arms, the arms being connect d b cross pieces 23 which are attached tot ein ividual sections and rovide a lining which serves as a bottom for t e'loader when the membersfare in closed position,'and the llowermost,sections 14 of each member are connected by a blade 24, the lower edges of these blades being referably sharpened or pointed to enable It em to readily dislodge the load and thereby facilitate its entrance between the members. ln handlin .loose material, such as earth, sand or the ike, it is preferable to rovide end pieces 25 which are secured to t e opposite ends of the supporting frame and havean outline-corresponding substantially to the curvature of t e coperating members when the latter are in closed position, these end pieces preventing spilling of the material between the ends of the members.

ln practice, the loading device is lowered while the members 2 and 3 are in open or vertical position as shown in Fig. l, the drums controlling the flexible operating elements being rotated in an appropriate direction to relieve the tension on the inner members 18, the formation of the lower ends of these members enabling them to enter the material to be loaded. While the members are thus embedded, the drums controlling the flexible operating members are rotated to produce e tension on the inner flexible members i8, and this will cause the lowermost sections 14 of' 65 the respective members to turn inwardly,

arms that the directly engage beneath and seaeee and the consequent shortening of these inne'i' flexible members will flex the members until they assume a closed position, as shown in Fig. 2. ln o erating the loader from a crane, it may'be a vantageous to operate the load engaging members from a distant point, and this maybe accomplished by a chain or other means operatively connected to the drums, a pair of sprocket wheels 26 being provided for that purpose in the present instance.

The gripping members in the present embodiment coperate to form gates which open and close to load and discharge the material, the 'cross pieces connecting the 'ointed or articulated arms serving to engt en the gates according to the desired capacity of the loader. Obviouslykin using relatively long gates, one or more intermediate articulated arms may be provided for the purpose of reinforcing the cross ieces, and 1n some cases such as in the hand ing of lumpy coal, blocks of stone and similar' shapes, it may be advantageous to omit the cross pieces connecting the arms and to so arrange the articulated at the sides o the object to be handled, the arms being grouped in a set of two or more connected for simultaneous operation, and in such constructions, the arms may be mounted to operate in various planes relatively to one another so that' they may oo." erate at. two or more sides of the object andl thereby insure security of the hold they obtain.

By omitting the end sections of the rece tacle, the device may be used advantageous y 10o for the handling and loading of corn stalks and other relatively long objects, and, 'moreover, it will be clear that a loading device om? bodying the general features of the invention may be made, either with or without modii- Acation, so as to adapt it for use in loading, hoisting, transferring and dumping materials of various kinds and in different conditions. Moreover, in some constructions, it may be'- advantageons to so joint the several sections in order to permit flexing of each arm or sections in several directions in addition to the plane of movement in opening and closing, universal joints between the sections permitting such movements and in those cases a suitable additional number of traction or op` erating cordsor chains would be employed for the purpose of effecting the desired movements. In this way, a wiggling motion ma?r be imparted to the several arms that' wi l 1-20 facilitate their introduction into lumpy sub` stances, such as coal, ore, stone and the like, the connecting cross pieces and the knives or sharpened edges in those cases being preferably omitted. t will be understood, of course, that loading and dumping devices constructed in accordance with the present invention may be adapted for use on aerial cables, or they may bemonnted on wheels for use va's dumping 13'0 i Wagons, and in fact they are capable of use in various connections wherein it is desirable to trans ort material from one point to another.

I c almas my invention- 1. A loader Vembodying a pair of o positely mounted articulated arms eapabl) being flexed to engage and disen 2. A loader embodying artieu ated arms oppositely mounted for movement in substantially the same plane and connected for simultaneous flexing action for loading.

3. A loader embodying eoperativey arranged arms com osed of jointedsections, and devices for exing the arms to proxi mate and separate their free ends to receive and discharge aV load. i l

4. A loader embodying coperatively arranged arms capable of a flexing action for loa( ing and discharging and having llexible' tension members connected thereto for flexing them, and` drums cooperating with the tension members to Wind one member and unwind another member for flexing thel arms.

5. A loader embodying a pair of coperatively arranged arms composed of jointed4 sections, a air of flexible operating members for eac i arm, and drums of differential,

diameters cooperating with the respective operating members of each arm.

6. A llexible arm for loaders of the character described composed of a set of sections pivotally connected to permit ilexingol' the arm, and a pair of flexible, .operating members extending longitudinally oi" the 1i-m at opposite sides of' the pivots ot' the sections` 7. An arm Jfor loaders of the charaeterdescribed composed of a set ol pivotally connected sections having longitudinally extending openings -iat opposite sides ol the pivots, and llexible operating members extending through the said o enings and having their ends attached tot e section at one end of the arm.

8, Aloader embodying a supporting frame, and a pair of coperatively arranged articulated members adapted to open and close the bottom of the frame by a relative llexing movement of the members, and means car-Y ried by the frame for flexing the members.

9. An arm for loaders vot the characterdescribed embodying a set of sections having channels in their proximate faces, ivots engagingin the channels between adaeent sections, and links extending longitu( inally oi the arm and connected to the pivots.

10. A loader comprising a. supporting frame, coperatively arranged load engaging members lmounted thereon, yeach embodying a plurality of articulatedl arms, means for flexing the arms, coperating knife blades at the lower ends of thearms, and cross ieces connecting the arms and forming a liottom forthe frame.

l1. In an apparatus for handling materials for loading and dumping the same, the combination with a suitable supporting frame, .of coperatively arranged members jointed to permit flexing thereof tov open and close the bottom of the frame, and pivoted on opposite sides of the latter and devices operable. to proximate and separate the free ends of the members for ell'eetmg the opening and closing ol the members.

In testimony whereof' l have hereunto set my hand inpresence ol` two subscribing wit-

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