Mobile apparatus with plurality of conveyors

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6283697
  • Patent Number
    6,283,697
  • Date Filed
    Friday, May 14, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 4, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
The invention is directed to a mobile bin device having a mobile bin with a first conveyor extending along the bottom of the bin beneath a bin opening to convey material in the bin to one end of the bin. A second belt conveyor has one end pivotally mounted to the one end of the bin to pivot relative to the bin upward and downward and to one side or the other. The second conveyor is slidably mounted in its pivotal mounting to side longitudinally in the mounting to along the one end of the bin beneath the one end of the first conveyor to shorten or lengthen the distance from the outer end of the first conveyor to the outlet end of the second conveyor at the one end of the bin. Power devices are provided to power the upward and downward movement of the second conveyor and the longitudinal movement of the second conveyor.
Description




This invention relates to material handling devices, more particularly, the invention relates to mobile bin apparatus having conveying means for conveying material in the bin to one end of the bin and a second conveying means movably positioned for conveying the material from the end of the bin to a more remote location from the one end of the bin.




It is an object of the invention to provide a novel mobile bin device having a first conveyor means along the bottom of the bin with its conveying outlet at one end of the bin for conveying material in the bin to one end of the bin and a second belt conveying means adjustably mounted at the one end of the bin to receive material conveyed to the one end of the bin and adjustably mounted to pivot an outer end upward and downward about a pivot adjacent said one end of the bin to raise and lower the other end of the second conveyor means with said second conveyor means slidably mounted in said pivotal mounting to the bin to move longitudinally in length along the outlet end of the first conveyor means at the one end of the bin to shorten or lengthen the distance from the outer end of the second conveyor means to the outlet of the first conveyor means at the one end of the bin.




It is another object of the invention to provide a novel mobile bin having a first conveyor for conveying material in the bin to an end of the bin and a second conveyor which has received material from the first conveyor and is adjustable in length to place the material at different lengths from the bin and adjustable in height as well as direction.




It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel mobile bin having a first belt conveyor for conveying material in the bin to one end of the bin and as second belt conveyor for receiving material from the first conveyor with the second conveyor adjustable longitudinally in length and pivotable at one end upward and downward and horizontally relative to the bin with a mechanism for the pivotal and slidable adjustable movement for the second conveyor being adjacent the one end of the bin.




Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a side elevational view of the mobile bin two conveyor invention illustrating a first conveyor along the bottom to convey material from the bin to a second conveyor at an end of the bin, with the second conveyor being adjustable in length with respect to its outlet and the first conveyor outlet.





FIG. 2

is a end view of the invention illustrating the length adjustable second conveyor extended in length laterally away from the bin to its fully extended operative position.





FIG. 3

is an end view illustrating the adjustable in length second conveyor retracted to its closest operating position with respect to the first conveyor.





FIG. 4

is a top view of the invention illustrating the length adjustable second conveyor in its fully extended operative position.





FIG. 5

is an end view taken along line


5





5


of FIG.


2


.





FIG. 6

is a cross sectional view taken along line


6





6


of FIG.


2


.





FIG. 7

is a fragmentary enlarged view similar to

FIG. 4

, with portions cutaway to reveal the hydraulic piston and cylinder construction for pivoting the second conveyor about a vertical axis with respect to the bin of the device.





FIG. 8

is a fragmentary top view similar to

FIG. 4

illustrating in solid lines the second sliding conveyor pivoted to a parallel storage position beside the bin.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Briefly stated, the invention comprises a mobile bin having frame with a bin mounted thereon with wheels for transporting the bin on the ground, a first conveyor is mounted along the bottom of the bin and extends to one end of the bin for conveying material from with the bin to the one end of the bin, a second belt conveyor has a mounting frame which is pivotally mounted at the one end to the one end of the bin to pivot about a vertical axis to pivot the second belt conveyor about a vertical axis beneath the one end of the bin, a channel for slidably receiving the second conveyor is pivotally mounted to the mounting frame to pivot about a horizontal axis and the second conveyor is slidably mounted in the channel, hydraulic power means are provided to slide the second conveyor along the channel to change the position of the second conveyor relative to the first conveyor horizontal beneath the end of the first conveyor, and second hydraulic power means are provided to pivot the channel and second conveyor upward and downward about the horizontal axis and a third hydraulic power means are provided to pivot the mounting frame about its vertical axis.




Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG.


1


,


2


, and


3


the mobile bin invention


20


is illustrated having a bin


21


mounted on a frame


22


and a first conveyor


23


mounted beneath the bin and with a second conveyor


24


slidably adjustable in length and a conveyor receiving frame


25


which frame slidably receives the second conveyor


24


. The sliding conveyor frame


25


is pivotally mounted to the pivot frame


26


by a horizontal pivot pins


25


′ to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to a pivot frame


26


. The pivot frame


26


is pivotally mounted to the bin frame


21


to pivot about a vertical axis relative to the bin, bin frame and the pivot carrier frame


25


by a pivot


27


which is mounted between the frame


21


of the device and the one vertical leg


26


″ of the U shaped pivot frame


26


.




The slidably second conveyor


24


is slidably mounted in the pivotal carrier frame


25


to slide along its length along the pivotal frame. The slidable second conveyor


24


is pivoted by the pivot frame


26


about the pivot


27


to a position beneath outlet end


23


′ of the first conveyor means. When the slidable conveyor is pivoted beneath the outlet end of the first conveyor, the slidable movement of the conveyor relative to the pivot frame acts to adjust the distance of the outer end


24


′ of the second conveyor means to the outlet end


23


′ of the first conveyor means. A first hydraulic piston and cylinder


28


is mounted beneath the carrier or sleeve frame


25


with its cylinder pivotally mounted to the frame


25


and its piston pivotally mounted to the sliding second conveyor


24


whereby telescoping the piston


28


′ in the cylinder


28


″ will slide the conveyor


24


along the sliding frame


25


. The second conveyor


24


is slidable along the carrier frame


25


to slide the second conveyor along the outlet end


23


′ of the first conveyor


23


to move the outlet end


24


′ of the second conveyor toward the outlet end of the first conveyor while the other end of the second conveyor moves away from the outlet end of the first conveyor, and while maintaining the belt


30


along its upper face


30


′ continuously beneath the outlet end of the first conveyor so that a selected upper portion of the belt will always receive material leaving the outlet end


23


′ of the first conveyor with the selected receiving portion of the belt depending upon what selected portion is adjustably located beneath the outlet end of the first conveyor when sliding the sliding second conveyor along the sliding frame.




A second piston and cylinder


32


pivotally mounted between the bin frame and the pivot frame


26


with the cylinder


32


′ pivotally mounted to the frame at


32


″ and the piston


32


″ pivotally mounted to the pivot frame


26


at pivot


42


to pivot the pivot frame


26


, the sliding frame


25


and the sliding conveyor


24


about the vertical axis of the pivot mounting


27


of the pivot frame


26


to the bin frame


21


. A third piston and cylinder


33


acts as a raising and lowering piston and cylinder


33


for the second conveyor, with its piston


33


′ pivotally mounted to the sliding carrier frame


25


and its cylinder


33


″ pivotally mounted to the pivotal frame


26


to pivot about pins


25


′ pivotally mounting the side panels


34


and


34


′ of the carrier frame


25


to the side panels


26


′ and


26


″ of the pivot frame


26


.




The carrier frame


25


has a elongated bottom panel


35


and the pair of side panels


34


and


34


′ formed together to form a U shaped channel. The slidable second conveyor


24


has a pair of elongated side panels


36


and


36


′ and a pair of rollers or drums


31


and


31


′ rotatably mounted at each end of the side panels with the endless belt


30


rotatably mounted about the drums so that powering one of the drums, for example rotates the endless belt


30


.




The conveyor belt


23


is powered by a reversable motor


38


which drives the drum


40


′ which rotates the endless belt


38


which in turn rotates the drum


40


rotatably mounted at the other end of the bin. A motor


44


powers and rotates drum


40


powering the belt in the direction of the other end of the bin will convey the material in the bin to another adjustable belt conveyor which may mounted at the other end


41


of the bin. Overload slip clutches


37


′ are mounted between the motor shaft and drums of the motors powering the belt drum.




Thus, it will be seen that a novel mobile bin has been provided with a conveyor to convey material to one end of the bin a novel second conveyor which is slidably mounted to a channel to slide along its length the channel to change its the portion of the second conveyor positioned beneath the one end of the first conveyor to change the output location of the second conveyor in relation to the first conveyor.




It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention. without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein;



Claims
  • 1. In a mobile bin device having a mobile frame with a elongated bin mounted on said frame, said frame having wheels rotatably mounted to said frame to rotatably support said frame, said bin having a remote ends and opposing sides with a bottom with an opening along its bottom; with a first elongated belt conveyor mounted to said frame beneath said bin opening with said first belt conveyor having remote ends, and a second elongated belt conveyor with said second belt conveyor having remote ends;a conveyor channel apparatus comprising a elongated channel and a pivot frame; said channel being adapted to slidably receive and carry said second belt conveyor and enable said second belt conveyor to slide longitudinally in said channel, said pivot frame being pivotally mounted to said channel about a horizontal axis and pivotally mounted to said bin device adjacent one end of said first belt conveyor about a vertical axis, said pivot frame being pivotal about said vertical axis to pivot said channel and said second belt conveyor from a position parallel to and adjacent to one end of said first conveyor to a position extending laterally outward from said one end of said first conveyor and adjacent to said one end of said first belt conveyor with one end of said second belt conveyor beneath said one end of said first belt conveyor; power means to power the pivotal movement of said pivot frame about said vertical axis and thereby pivot said channel and second belt conveyor about said vertical axis from said position parallel in length and beside said first belt conveyor to said position extending laterally outward in length from said first belt conveyor with said one end of said second conveyor beneath said one end of said first belt conveyor; power means to power the sliding movement of said second belt conveyor longitudinally along said channel to enable said second belt conveyor to be extended laterally outward from said one end of said first belt conveyor by said sliding movement a selected distance laterally outward away from said first belt conveyor, while maintaining portions of said second belt conveyor beneath said one end of said first belt conveyor to enable material to be transported from said bin by said first belt conveyor to the second belt conveyor and distributed off the other end of said second belt conveyor a selected distance laterally outward from said first belt conveyor; power means to power the pivotal movement of said conveyor channel about its horizontal pivotal mounting to the pivot frame to thereby pivot the other of said ends of said second belt conveyor upward or downward about the horizontal axis of said channel mounting to the pivot frame.
  • 2. A mobile bin device according to claim 1, wherein said power means to power the sliding movement of said second belt conveyor along said channel comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder mounted between said channel and said second conveyor; and wherein said power means to power movement of said channel about said horizontal axis on said pivot frame includes a second hydraulic piston and cylinder connected between said channel and pivot frame to power said pivotal movement of said conveyor frame about said horizontal axis.
  • 3. In mobile bin apparatus having a mainframe, a elongated bin mounted on said frame, wheels rotatably mounted to said frame for rotatably supporting said frame, with said bin having remote ends and sides and a bottom with an opening in the bottom, a elongated first belt conveyor mounted adjacent said frame beneath said opening in said bin with said first belt conveyor having remote ends with elongated opposing sides; and a second elongated belts conveyor with remote ends;a conveyor carrier apparatus comprising and elongated conveyor carrying frame, a pivot frame pivotally mounted to said carrier frame about a horizontal axis and pivotally to said bin apparatus adjacent one end of the first conveyor to pivot about a vertical axis, said carrying frame being adapted for slidably receiving and carrying longitudinally said second conveyor to enable said second conveyor to slide longitudinally along the carrier frame, said conveyor carrying frame being pivotal on said pivotal frame about said vertical axis to pivot said second conveyor from a position adjacent one end of said first conveyor and parallel and beside said first conveyor on said vertical axis of said pivot frame to a position extending laterally outward from said first conveyor and bin and adjacent said one end of said first belt conveyor with one of said ends of said second belt conveyor below and beneath said one end of said first belt conveyor, a hydraulic piston and cylinder mounted along a length of said second carrier frame and mounted between said second conveyor and carrier frame to power the slidable movement of said second belt conveyor along said carrier frame when said second conveyor is positioned laterally outward from said bin to extend the other end of said second conveyor to selected distances outward laterally away from said first conveyor while maintaining at least a portion of said second conveyor beneath said one end of said first belt conveyor.
Parent Case Info

This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/091305 filed Jun. 30, 1998.

US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
2503129 Pautz Apr 1950
3122251 Gardipee Feb 1964
3863783 Spellman, Jr. Feb 1975
4874283 Hurley, Jr. Oct 1989
5190432 Gerow Mar 1993
5718556 Forsyth Feb 1998
5893262 Harbach Apr 1999
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/091305 Jun 1998 US