Patent Application
20120048674
Embodiments herein relate to the field of excavation, for instance systems for processing dirt and debris, and more specifically, to conveyor systems for processing dirt and/or debris mixtures.
Various systems are used for processing dirt and/or debris mixtures, which may include rocks, concrete pieces, wood pieces, stones, discarded hardware, and other types of dirt and/or debris. That processing may include conveying material to create or form one or more stockpiles. Systems may form any suitable type of stockpiles, such as circular stockpiles, radial stockpiles, etc. Examples of systems for processing dirt and/or debris mixtures, including systems that convey material to create one or more stockpiles, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,135,614; 5,390,777; 5,515,961; 5,833,043; 6,360,876; 7,284,947; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007/0029170 and 2008/0101910. The complete disclosures of those patents and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.
The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of disclosed embodiments.
The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “NB” or in the form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, and C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “(A)B” means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.
The description may use the terms “embodiment” or “embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may include systems for conveying bulk material, for instance dirt, rocks, debris, aggregate, sand, coal, wood chips, grain, and similar materials.
In various embodiments, the opposite end of conveyor system 100 may be supported by wheels 14, for instance for movement over the ground. As described in greater detail below, wheels 14 may be configured to be movable between at least two orientations: generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of conveyor system 100 as illustrated in
In various embodiments, one or more proximal legs 12 may be extended to support conveyor system 100 and lift one or more wheels 14 off the ground surface G so that wheels 14 may be moved between transport and working positions.
In some embodiments, conveyor system 100 also may include a suspension system 400 configured to absorb shocks transmitted to support assembly 200 from the plurality of wheels 14. In some embodiments, suspension system 400 may include at least one shock absorber 28 and/or one or more airbag 30. For instance,
In various embodiments, conveyor assembly 300 may include any structure configured to transport material from feed inlet 20 to discharge outlet 22. In some embodiments, conveyor assembly 300 may include an elongate frame 34, end rolls 36, rollers (not shown), and a conveyor belt 38. Conveyor belt 38 typically moves in a direction from feed inlet 20 to discharge outlet 22 and may be made of any suitable material configured to flex and remain operatively connected to conveyor assembly 300 when all or a portion of conveyor assembly 300 is pivoted around plural axes, as further discussed below. Any suitable drive system may be used configured to move conveyor belt 38.
A pair of elongate skirt boards (not shown) may be mounted along elongate frame 34 in some embodiments. These skirt boards may have lower edges adjacent the upper belt run of conveyor belt 38, and may extend upwardly from the lower edges and incline outwardly to terminate in upper edges. In some embodiments, such skirt boards may help to maintain material suitable located over conveyor belt 38 as the material is carried forwardly by the belt.
In various embodiments, support assembly 200 may be configured to move conveyor assembly 300 between a storage or transport position in which conveyor assembly 300 is at least substantially horizontal (see, e.g.,
In one example, as shown in
In various embodiments, a pivoting connector assembly 52 may allow conveyor assembly 300 to fold back on itself by pivoting about a stowing axis B. For example, as illustrated in
Some embodiments of the conveyor system 100 also may include a power source 50 such as a motor or generator, for instance for powering the conveyor system 100. In some examples, power source 50 may be a diesel power unit. In some examples, power source 50 may power one or more jacks or telescoping cylinders 18, 32, 54 in order to orient wheels 14, lift or lower conveyor assembly 300, or move conveyor assembly 300 between a storage or transport position and a working position.
Although the pivotal connections illustrated include hinges and rotary connections, any suitable pivotal connection configured to allow adjustable conveyor system 100 to pivot around plural axes may be used. Additionally, although the pivoting connector assemblies illustrated may include radial swinging or telescoping cylinders and drive systems, any suitable pivoting connector structure configured to allow conveyor system 100 to pivot around plural axes may be used. For example, rotary hydraulic cylinders, rotary pneumatic cylinders, servo motors, and rotary turntable systems may alternatively, or additionally, be used. Moreover, although the pivoting connector assemblies illustrated all have similar structures, any combination of similar or different structures may be used for the pivoting connector assemblies of the adjustable conveyor system. Furthermore, although several pivoting connector assemblies have been illustrated, the conveyor system 100 may have more or fewer assemblies configured to allow that system to pivot around plural axes, including the axes disclosed above.
As discussed above, in various embodiments, when conveyor system 100 needs to be moved or relocated, the system may be adjusted to an inoperative or travel position. First, conveyor assembly 300 may be pivoted to a lower position, such as is illustrated in
In some embodiments, conveyor system 100 may be supported at one end by a pivot 24, for instance when in use, by an extendable leg 26, for instance a hydraulic leg for positioning conveyor system 100 for transport, or by a vehicle (not shown) via hitch component 16 adjacent feed inlet 20, for instance for transport. In some embodiments, hitch component 16 may be connectable with a suitable hitch structure at the rear of a drawing vehicle or tractor, for instance to ready the vehicle for movement as a trailer over a road or highway. In other embodiments, conveyor system 100 may be supported by any suitable structure configured to enable the user to relocate or move conveyor system 100 to a desired location. For example, conveyor system 100 may be mounted on any mobile screening system, which may or may not be on a vehicle, and which may be wheeled or tracked.
Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments may be implemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
