US3724659A

US3724659A - Transport system for castings including a swingable, perforated transport bucket

Info

Publication number: US3724659A
Application number: US00076477A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Buhrer
Original assignee: Georg Fischer AG
Current assignee: Georg Fischer AG
Priority date: 1969-10-06
Filing date: 1970-09-29
Publication date: 1973-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 1990-04-03
Also published as: FR2064154A1; DK122793B; CH513756A; SE356948B; FR2064154B1; DE2046691C3; JPS508686B1; GB1332906A; DE2046691A1; CA933879A

Abstract

Swingable transport buckets are supported on a track; the buckets have a bottom wall which is perforated and a catch tray is located beneath the bottom wall spaced therefrom to catch sand and the like from the castings as they are being transported in the buckets. The front lip of the bucket extends beyond the front lip of the catch tray so that, upon tipping of the bucket at a discharge station, the castings will fall out of the bucket at a point remote from the sand falling off the tray. The discharge station is formed with inclined surfaces, extending in different directions, to separate the sand and the castings.

Description

United States Patent [191 Biihrer [54] TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR CASTINGS INCLUDING A SWINGABLE, PERFORATED TRANSPORT BUCKET [75] inventor: Erwin Biihrer, Schaffhausen, Switzeriand [73] Assignee: Georg Fischer Aktiengesellschait,

Schaffhauser, Switzerland [22] Filed: Sept. 29, 1970 [21] Appi. No.: 76,477

[30] Foreign Application Priority Date Oct. 6, 1969 Switzerland ..i497s/s9 52 U.S. Cl. ..209/238, 209/259, 209/260 51 Int. Cl ..B07bl/28,B07b1/46 [58] Field of Search ..209/260, 251, 274, 419, 393 P, 209/313,257,421,259,4l8,494, 11,255, 238; 222/108, 160, 166, 455; 34/67 Robbins ..209/393 X 111 enemas 51 Apr. 3, 19 73 3,395,798 8/1968 Erickson ..209/421 1,685,823 10/1928 Mayer ..209/2 60 1,476,134 12/1923 Beardsley 222/ 160 2,814,388 11/1957 Fontein ..209/251 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 16,941 2/ 1 887 Great Britain ..209/260 571,585 5/1924 France ..209/260 346,658 7/ 1960 Switzerland ..222/166 485,090 2/1951 Italy ..222/ 166 Primary Examiner-Tim R. Miles Assistant Examiner-Robert Halper Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [5 7] ABSTRACT Swingable transport buckets are supported on a track; the buckets have a bottom wall which is perforated and a catch tray is located beneath the bottom wall spaced therefrom to catch sand and the like from the castings as they are being transported in the buckets. The front lip of the bucket extends beyond the front lip of the catch tray so that,;upon tipping of the bucket at a discharge station, the castings will fall out of the bucket at a point remote from the sand falling off the tray. The discharge station is formed with inclined surfaces, extending in different directions, to separate the sand and the castings.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR3 L975 3 724 S59 SHEET 1 0F 2 Fig. 1

PATENTEDAFM I975 3,724,659

sum 2 UF 2 Fig. 2

TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR CASTINGS INCLUDING A SWINGABLE, PERFORATED TRANSPORT BUCKET The present invention relates to a transport system for castings and more particularly to a transport system in which castings are placed in transport buckets running along an endless track and passing loading and unloading stations.

Conveyors using swing buckets, or rocker buckets, as known and used to transport castings, usually provide for a track, or a chain, which passes loading and unloading stations at which the buckets are automatically loaded and unloaded. Foundry sand, and core and form sand which may adhere to the castings collects in the buckets. Sand elements and particles are unloaded togetherwith the castings at the unloading station. If the castings are unloaded into containers, more and more sand will eventually collect in the containers. Castings which are loaded into the rocker buckets are usually hot and the time taken for passage of the castings within the bucket is often insuff-icient to provide for adequate cooling of the castings. Additional time is thus required to cool the castings to a degree permitting further handling or machining.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the transport systems forcastings to quickly separate sand from castings and increase the cooling rate.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, the transport buckets are formed with a perforated bottom wall to I permit air circulation therethr ough, while letting sand fall through the openings thereof. A catch tray is located beneath the bucket, spaced therefrom, and having a front edge which is recessed with respect to the discharge edge of the bucket itself. When the bucket is tipped, at unloading, the sand collecting in the tray will be discharged at the place different from the discharge point of the castings themselves. In accordance with a feature of the invention, the discharge station is formed witn inclined slide surfaces, extending in angled directions,-oneslide surface receiving the castings and the other being located to receive the sand from the tray.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rocker basket on the transport system, illustrating, in solid line position the bucket in the transport position and in chain-dotted lines, the bucket in the discharge position; and

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the rocker bucket, on the transport system, in its transport position.

Buckets 1 are supported on a bail 4 which connects to a roller arrangement 2 running on a track 3, as known in the art. Buckets 1 have a bottom wall 7 which is concave to form a depression, or hollow 6, and a pair of side walls 8 and 9. The bottom wall-7 of the bucket 1 is formed with perforations 10. Perforations 10 permit air to pass to castings (not shown) within bucket 1 to provide for cooling of castings received straight from the foundry, and still quite hot. Perforations 10 atthe bottom of the bucket permit sand and other particles adhering to the castings, as received from the foundry, to fall therethrough. They are caught in a tray 12, preferably of sheet metal, secured to the bottomwall 7 of the bucket by suitable spacers l3 and holding brackets 27. The front edge 5, that is the discharge of bucket 1 projects with respect to the front edge 11 of tray 12. Thus, when castings are ejected at a discharge station 22, the castings will slide out of bucket 1 at a point different from the removal of sand from tray 12. Castings will slide out and can be removed over slide 24, whereas sand will fall overslide 25, angled with respect to slide 24.

The brackets 27 hold tray 12 and additionally interconnect the bucket l with a rod 14 which extends over the entire width of the bucket, that is from one side wall 8 to the side wall 9. It is spaced from the lower outer edge 15 of tray 12 by a predetermined distance. Side walls 8 and 9 of the bucket are further provided with stops 16, 17, which, in the transport position of bucket 1, lie against bail 4. Each one of the side walls 8, 9, is connected to stub shaft 18, 19. Stub shafts 18, 19 are journalled in bearings 20, 21 formed in bail 4.

The discharge position of bucket l at, and with respect to a discharge station 22 can be seen by referring to the chain dotted outline in FIG. 1. Each one of the discharge stations has an operating element 23 thereat to swing or rock bucket 1, as well as the aforementioned,

angled slides

24, 25, for the castings and sand respectively.

Operating arm 23 is secured to an operating track 26, and connected, by means known in the art and not shown, with a hydraulic or pneumatically operating cylinder. Upon operation of the cylinder, the track 26 is lowered or raised, for example over a circular path, to tip the bucket from the solid line position into the chain dotted position of FIG. 1. Control of the arm 23,

or track 26, or both, can be obtained either manually,

or automatically, as desired.

The loading station for the transport system is not be removed from slide 24 for further transport or working, as desired. After removal of the castings, the operating arm 23 and with it the track 26 returns the bucket into its full line position and loading of the buckets can be repeated. 2

Sand, still adhering to the castings upon being loaded can thus fall through the perforations so that the castings, upon unloading over the slide 24, will be substantially clean; additionally, the perforations through wall 7 permit air circulation to increase the cooling rate and present castings to slide 24 at less temperature than previously.

The present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a transport system for foundry castings; various changes and modifications can be made within the inventive concept to adapt the transport system to other uses.

I claim:

1. Transport system for hot castings having sand particles adhering thereto comprising an elevated track (3);

at least one transport bucket (I) having walls (7,8,9), at least one of which is formed with perforations to permit air to circulate through the bucket and cool the contents thereof; means (2,4), swingably and movably supporting the bucket from the track (3); and catch means (12) secured to the bottom wall of the bucket to travel therewith along the track, the catch means being located beneath the bottom wall of the bucket with clearance, to be spaced therefrom, to catch sand and the like from said castings by gravity as the bucket is transported along said track, while permitting air circulation past said catch means and through said perforations; wherein said bucket (1) has a forward lip (5) over which the castings are adapted to fall upon tipping of said bucket; and said catch means (12) has a forward edge (11) which is recessed with respect to the forward lip (5) of the bucket. 2. System according to claim 1, wherein said catch means is a sheet metal tray 3. System according to claim 1 in combination with a discharge station (22), located along said track, said discharge station having an operating track means (26) adapted to engage a bucket, and extending substantially parallel to said track (3), a pair of inclined slide surfaces (24, 25) inclined in respective first and second directions, one of said inclined slide surfaces (24) being aligned with the forward lip (5) of said bucket to receive castings and guide the castings in a first direction and the other inclined surface (25) being aligned with the forward edge (11) of said catch means to receive sand and the like from said catch means and guide the sand in the second direction.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein said inclined surfaces extend in opposite directions from each other and transverse to the direction of the track at the station, the inclined surfaces coming together to form an apex at a region beneath the bucket.

5. System according to claim 3 wherein said operating track means (26) engages and tips said bucket when said bucket is at said discharge station, the extent of tilt of the bucket during tipping being set to place said lip,(5) over one inclined surface (24) and the forinclined surface (25

Claims

1. Transport system for hot castings having sand particles adhering thereto comprising an elevated track (3); at least one transport bucket (1) haviNg walls (7,8,9), at least one of which is formed with perforations (10) to permit air to circulate through the bucket and cool the contents thereof; means (2,4), swingably and movably supporting the bucket from the track (3); and catch means (12) secured to the bottom wall of the bucket to travel therewith along the track, the catch means being located beneath the bottom wall of the bucket with clearance, to be spaced therefrom, to catch sand and the like from said castings by gravity as the bucket is transported along said track, while permitting air circulation past said catch means and through said perforations; wherein said bucket (1) has a forward lip (5) over which the castings are adapted to fall upon tipping of said bucket; and said catch means (12) has a forward edge (11) which is recessed with respect to the forward lip (5) of the bucket.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said catch means is a sheet metal tray.

3. System according to claim 1 in combination with a discharge station (22), located along said track, said discharge station having an operating track means (26) adapted to engage a bucket, and extending substantially parallel to said track (3), a pair of inclined slide surfaces (24, 25) inclined in respective first and second directions, one of said inclined slide surfaces (24) being aligned with the forward lip (5) of said bucket to receive castings and guide the castings in a first direction and the other inclined surface (25) being aligned with the forward edge (11) of said catch means to receive sand and the like from said catch means and guide the sand in the second direction.

5. System according to claim 3 wherein said operating track means (26) engages and tips said bucket when said bucket is at said discharge station, the extent of tilt of the bucket during tipping being set to place said lip (5) over one inclined surface (24) and the forward edge (11) of said catch means over the other inclined surface (25).