US2389759A - Portable conveyer and loader - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1945. R. H. BLANK ETAL PORTABLE CONVEYER AND LOADER Filed Dec. 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Il WL INVENTOR. H 5L ,4A/K

FF .BLA/wf NOV-l 27, 1.945. R. H. BLANK ETAL 2,389,759

PORTABLE CONVEYER AND LOADER Filed Deo. 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. f/ 5L /l/V/f Patented Nov. 27, 1945 rom-ABLE coNvEYER AND LOADER Rudolph 1I. Blank and Frank F. Blank, Walcott, Iowa Application December 18, 1944, Serial No. 568,699

4 Claims.

The present invention pertains to improvements upon structures of the type shown in Patent No. 2,343,133, issued February 29, 1944, and comprises among its objects the provision of a conveyer of the type indicated which is more readily usable inside of buildings,l particularly corn cribs which are provided through the middle with. a driveway; the provision of a conveyer which is set up for use by one man; the provision of a structure of the character indicated which is inexpensive t manufacture; the provision of a structure of the type indicated which can be elevated to make delivery at various heights and which can have its lower end adjusted to occupy a position near the ground for convenient use; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. While we have disclosed herein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, we desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 represents this conveyer in two positions, the position of use being shown in solid lines and the transport position in broken lines;

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary longitudinal section of the truck or transport section shown at the middle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section approximately along the plane indicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 represents a transverse section substantially along the plane indicated by the lines 5-5, Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

The truck or transporting mechanism is indicated, in gener-al, by the numeral I, and the front and rear wheels thereof by the numerals 2 and respectively. The .front and rear yaxles are connected by a reach I which comprises a pair of interfitting tubular members 5 and 6. Between these tubular members is a space I which is utilized for a purpose to be presently disclosed. Secured to the rear end of the tube 5 is a ring 8 which'slides inside of the tube 5 and guides the reach sections in their relative sliding movement. A ring 9, which is similar to the ring 8, is secured inside of the forward end of the tube 8 and furnishes a guide for the tube 5 as it slides in the tube 5. This construction furnishes a reach which is adjustable in length and which is very rigid when extended.

A cable I0 is secured at its rear end to the\\inner tube 5 andpasses forwardly between the tubes and out through an opening in the outer tube 6, near the forward end thereof. It then passes around a pulley II and back to a, drum I2 about which it is wound so that it will have driving connection therewith. The drum I2 is equipped with a worm wheel I3 which meshes with a. worm Il, and this is driven by bevel gears I5. A crank I6 is provided for operating the gearing to cause rotation of the drum I2. From this drum I2 the cable I0 goes forwardly and is connected to the bracket Il which is attached to the forward end portion of the pipe 5. A small drum or pulley I8 is mounted within a frame I9 and serves, in a sense, to guide the cable I0 and hold it down so that the pull thereof will be substantially longitudinally of the reach.

A supporting frame 20 rises from the front axle and serves as a support for the front end portion ofthe elevator element 23 when it is in lowered position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. Props 2I are pivotally connected to the front axle through a bolster 20a, upon opposite sides of the center of the structure, and these props are also pivotally connected to the elevator element 23 at 22, as shown in Fig. 1. From what has been said it will be understood that, when the crank I6 is turned, the cable I0 will be wound on the drum I2 at one end thereof and unwound from the other end, and that, when this happens, the front wheels and reach section 5 will be moved forwardly or backwardly. If the structure is in full line position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the crank is turned to pull the tube 5 out of the tube 6, the forward wheels 2 will be moved forwardly and the props 2I will move toward the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1. As this happens, the elevator element 23 moves downwardly toward the horizontal position shown in this figure and eventually rests on the supporting frame 20 which moves with the forward axle from the solid line position to the broken line position of this figure. When the crank IB is turned in the opposite direction, the pipe'5 is pulled back into the pipe 6 and this causes the props 2I to raise the elevator element 23 toward the full line position shown in Fig. 1. A

If this machine is to be used in a com crib which has cross beams connecting the cribs upon opposite sides of the driveway, as is often true, the machine can be run into the crib and the elevator element 23 raised so that-it will so up between two o1' these beams, the machine being moved to get the element 23 to deliver into a bin at one side or the other of the driveway, as desired. After the machine has been so positioned that the upper end oi' the elevator element 2l will miss the cross beams, the crank IO is turned enough more to get the delivery spout 24 above the top of the side of the bin so that the grain will be sure to be delivered into the bin.

As shown in the patent mentioned above, the lower end of the conveyer or elevator element 23 may be provided with a hopper into which grain or other material may be shoveled or dumped. Such is very useful, if one has a dump truck or wagon so that he can back up to the hopper and open the end gate so as to let his load slide into the hopper and be conveyed quickly by the conveyer to the bin. f

A pair of angle irons 25 are secured to each of the channel members 23, cross-connected at their forward ends by a channel 23a, and constituting a part of the frame of the machine. The flanges of the angle irons furnish guiding means for runners 2l which have a shaft 23 pivotally mounted therein. This shaft 23 furnishes a vertically ad- Justable support for the conveyer trough 23a. The runners 2l can be adjusted vertically by means of the cables 29 which are secured thereto and pass over pulleys 30 mounted upon the tops of the angle irons 25, as shown most clearly in Figs. and 6. These cables 29 pass downwardly around winding drums 3| on a shaft 3 la provided with a crank 32 by means of which the cable may be wound around the drums to raise the runners or unwound therefrom to permit lowering of the conveyer 23. This is useful in locations where it is undesirable to raise the conveyer to the fully elevated position shown in Fig. 1 and yet it is desirable to have the rear end of the conveyer down close to the ground. A pawl and ratchet or other latching means, not shown, are provided for holding the conveyer against undesirable lowering when it has been raised above its lowermost position. The worm gearing I3, I4 constitutes a self-locking means to prevent inadvertent lowering of the front end of the conveyer.

A pair of angles 33 at the two sides of the conveyer and below the conveyer trough 23a, as shown in Fig. 5, normally serve as supporting means for the lower run of the conveyer belt, the upper run of which runs in the trough 23a, and then returns on the angles 33, passing around a roller on the shaft 35 which has a sprocket or belt pulley to be engaged by a chain 34, or its equivalent, utilized in driving the conveyer belt. At its upper end, this chain passes around a sprocket mounted on the shaft 28, which shaft carries a belt pulley 36 at its outer end. A belt passing around this belt pulley also passes around a comparable pulley on the drive shaft of a power unit, such as the power take-oil of a tractor. Further details of the conveyer element 23 are not regarded as essential since they are not involved-in the annexed claims. It will be seen from what has been described that thisstructure is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and that it is capable of use in locations where prior constructions were not adapted to be used.

It will of course be understood that the specific description of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth herein and in the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim: i. In va structure for the purpose indicated having front and rear wheels, axles conneotinl them in pairs, and an extensible reach connecting the axles; a frame supported by the rear axle including uprights rising some distance thereabove, a conveyer pivotally supported by said uprights to be moved from a4 horizontal to an inclined position and returned, said conveyer extending at its lower end well beyond its pivotal connection to the uprightprops connected to the front axle and to a point approximately midway of the length of said conveyer, and means for moving the front axle backwardly and forwardly, whereby to raise and lower the conveyer.

2. A machine of the type indicated comprising front and rear transporting trucks, interengaging reach sections connected to said trucks, said sections being relatively slidable to permit the trucks to separate and approach each other, elevator means having its rear end portion supported on the rear truck for vertical adjustment relative thereto, operable means connecting the rear truck and the elevator means for adjusting vator means having its rear end portion supported on the rear truck for` vertical adjustment relative4 thereto, operating means whereby the trucks may be caused to separate and approach, means connectingl the front truck and elevator means for raising and lowering of the front end of ,the elevator means as the trucks are caused to approach or recede one from the other, and

means for raising and lowering the rear end portion of the elevator means relatively to the rear truck.

4; In a structure of the type indicated having front and rear axles, supporting wheels therefor, and an elevatable conveyer; a transporting truck provided with means for supporting and actuating said conveyer, said means and conveyer being operatively connected, said truck comprising, in part, an extensible and retractible two-section reach, means for relatively shifting the reach sections longitudinally whereby to lengthen and shorten the reach, the last mentioned means comprising a winding drum, a cable partially wound thereon and having one end extending forwardly to the forward end of the forward section of the reach and its other end extending forwardly to the forward end of the rear section of the reach and then rearwardly within the rear section of the reach to the rear end portion of the front section of the reach where it is secured to said front section, and props pivotally connected to the front axle and to the conveyer', whereby to cause raising and lowering of the front end of the conveyer when the reach is shortened or lengthened.

R. H. BLANK. FRANK F. BLANK.

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