Apparatus for loading bulk material

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR LOADING BULK MATERIAL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TOWER, MEANS MOUNTING THE TOWER FOR MOVEMENT BACK AND FORTH ALONG A QUAY BETWEEN PREDETERMINED LIMITS OF TRAVEL, A HOPPER HAVING A BOTTOM OUTLET THROAT MOUNTED AT A SUBSTANTIAL ELEVATION ON SAID TOWER, A HOLLOW ELONGATED DELIVERY MEANS CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE TOWER FOR RECEIVING BULK MATERIAL DISCHARGED FROM THE HOPPER THROUGH ITS OUTLET THROAT, SAID DELIVERY MEANS NORMALLY EXTENDING GENERALLY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOWER TO A LOWER DISCHARGE OPENING AND BEING SWINGABLY CONNECTED TO THE TOWER FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING ITS LOWER DISCHARGE OPENING RELATIVE TO A RECEPTACLE TO BE LOADED, A GATE OPERATIVE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE OUTLET THROAT OF THE HOPPER, A STATIONARY CONVEYOR HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE DELIVERY REACH RUNNING ALONG THE QUAY TOWARD THE TOWER FROM A REMOTE SOURCE OF BULK MATERIAL TO A MOVABLE TRANSFER MECHANISM THEREBETWEEN, A SECOND CONVEYOR RUNNING FROM SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM TO THE HOPPER ON THE TOWER, SAID SECOND CONVEYOR BEING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO SAID TOWER TO CAUSE SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM TO MOVE AS A UNIT WITH SAID TOWER AND SECOND CONVEYOR AND TO CORRESPONDINGLY EXTEND AND RETRACT THE DELIVERY REACH OF THE STATIONARY CONVEYOR, SEPARATE DRIVES FOR SAID CONVEYORS, FIRST MEANS OPERATIVE TO ENERGIZE BOTH OF SAID DRIVES AT PREDETERMINED RELATIVE SPEEDS, SECOND MEANS FOR ENERGIZING ONLY THE DRIVE FOR THE SECOND CONVEYOR WHILE THE DRIVE FOR THE STATIONARY CONVEYOR IS IDLE, THIRD MEANS SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID TOWER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE DELIVERY REACH OF THE STATIONARY CONVEYOR, AND INTERLOCK MEANS PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID TOWER TOWARD THE DELIVERY REACH OF THE STATIONARY CONVEYOR UNLESS SAID SECOND MEANS IS CONDITIONED TO ENERGIZE THE DRIVE FOR THE SECOND CONVEYOR AND SAID FIRST MEANS IS RENDERED INOPERATIVE TO ENERGIZE THE DRIVE FOR THE STATIONARY CONVEYOR.