US3578183A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for conveying material
Assignee: A W PERDUE AND SON Inc
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Filing: 1969-03-03
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Granted: 1971-05-11
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Expires: 1989-03-03
Abstract
Abstract Unloading material such as ice from a storage room by gradually moving a vertical conveyor horizontally against a supply of ice to raise portions of the ice and deposit the same at the top of the conveyor into a chute mounted on the conveyor to convey the ice downwardly onto a horizontal conveyor which leads out of the storage room. A plurality of bucket members are secured to vertically movable endless drive members in the vertical conveyor for picking up, raising and then discharging portions of the ice into the chute, the bucket members also having a plurality of prongs for scarifying the ice. The vertical conveyor is moved against the ice by means of an overhead trolley from which the conveyor is suspended, the overhead trolley being movable along a horizontal track under the power of a motor which also is employed to drive the endless members. In one embodiment, an agitating mechanism is mounted on the top of the vertical conveyor to be movable therewith by means of the trolley.
Inventors
- 👤 Nelson N Larger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 13:26
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G65/00; B65G65/02; B65G65/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
In an ice storage room, apparatus for handling ice shavings comprising in combination, a first horizontal conveyor means located generally at the top of the ice room for conveying ice shavings into the ice room, a second horizontal conveyor means located generally at the bottom of the ice room for moving ice shaVings out of the ice room, a vertical conveyor means extending generally between said first and second conveyor and movable horizontally to engage a pile of ice shavings for picking up a portion of ice shavings and conveying the same upwardly to a discharge station generally at the top of the ice room, said vertical conveyor means including a vertical chute extending between the top and bottom thereof for receiving ice shavings at a discharge station and for guiding the same downwardly onto said second conveyor for ultimate deposit out of the ice room.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
In an ice storage room, apparatus for handling ice shavings comprising in combination, a first horizontal conveyor means located generally at the top of the ice room for conveying ice shavings into the ice room, a second horizontal conveyor means located generally at the bottom of the ice room for moving ice shaVings out of the ice room, a vertical conveyor means extending generally between said first and second conveyor and movable horizontally to engage a pile of ice shavings for picking up a portion of ice shavings and conveying the same upwardly to a discharge station generally at the top of the ice room, said vertical conveyor means including a vertical chute extending between the top and bottom thereof for receiving ice shavings at a discharge station and for guiding the same downwardly onto said second conveyor for ultimate deposit out of the ice room.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for conveying material comprising in combination, a first conveyor means for moving the material in a generally horizontal direction, a vertical guide means for depositing material on said first conveyor means to be subsequently conveyed by said first conveyor means in a generally horizontal direction, and a second, vertical conveyor means for raising material and depositing it in the guide means whereby the material is ultimately deposited on said first conveyor means to be conveyed away from the guide means, means for moving the second conveyor means in a generally horizontal direction against a supply of material, said guide means being mounted on said second conveyor means to be movable therewith in a horizontal direction, said second conveyor means including at least one endless member having opposite runs, and article engaging means secured to said runs for engaging and raising material for deposit into said guide means, said guide means being a chute located between the runs and having a discharge outlet generally at its lower end for depositing material on the first conveyor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for conveying material comprising in combination, a first conveyor means for moving the material in a generally horizontal direction, a vertical guide means for depositing material on said first conveyor means to be subsequently conveyed by said first conveyor means in a generally horizontal direction, and a second, vertical conveyor means for raising material and depositing it in the guide means whereby the material is ultimately deposited on said first conveyor means to be conveyed away from the guide means, means for moving the second conveyor means in a generally horizontal direction against a supply of material, said guide means being mounted on said second conveyor means to be movable therewith in a horizontal direction, said second conveyor means including at least one endless member having opposite runs, and article engaging means secured to said runs for engaging and raising material for deposit into said guide means, said guide means being a chute located between the runs and having a discharge outlet generally at its lower end for depositing material on the first conveyor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said article engaging means includes bucket members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said discharge chute has an inlet at the top end thereof and converges downwardly from the open end thereof to the discharge outlet thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The combination defined in claim 1, further including an agitator means mounted generally at the top of said second conveyor means for engaging the material to loosen the same for distribution by said second conveyor means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
145 words
A vertical conveyor for raising material in a generally vertical direction comprising in combination, at least one endless member movable in a vertical plane and means mounting the endless member to extend between a material pickup station and a material discharge station located above the pickup station, article engaging means on said endless member for engaging material at the pickup station and for discharging it at the discharge station, and guide means situated between the runs for receiving material at the discharge station and conveying the material downwardly to a transfer station, said guide means being a chute extending between the upper and lower ends of the conveyor and having an inlet located generally at the upper end of the conveyor for receiving material at the discharge station and an outlet at the lower end of the conveyor for discharging material at the transfer station.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
A vertical conveyor for raising material in a generally vertical direction comprising in combination, at least one endless member movable in a vertical plane and means mounting the endless member to extend between a material pickup station and a material discharge station located above the pickup station, article engaging means on said endless member for engaging material at the pickup station and for discharging it at the discharge station, and guide means situated between the runs for receiving material at the discharge station and conveying the material downwardly to a transfer station, said guide means being a chute extending between the upper and lower ends of the conveyor and having an inlet located generally at the upper end of the conveyor for receiving material at the discharge station and an outlet at the lower end of the conveyor for discharging material at the transfer station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The vertical conveyor defined in claim 6, wherein said article engaging means includes a bucket member having an open end which overlies the guide means at the discharge station to deposit material into the guide means at the discharge station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The vertical conveyor defined in claim 7, further including a second endless member parallel to the first endless member and movable in unison therewith, and wherein said bucket member extends transversely between and is fixed to said endless members with the opposite ends of the bucket member extending beyond the endless members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The conveyor defined in claim 7, wherein said bucket member further includes scarifying means fixed thereto to engage and scarify the material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The conveyor defined in claim 9, wherein said scarifying means are prong members projecting outwardly from a front wall of the bucket member at longitudinally spaced locations throughout The bucket member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The conveyor defined in claim 6, further including agitating means mounted at the top of the conveyor adjacent the discharge station for loosening material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The conveyor defined in claim 6, further including a trolley means for moving the conveyor in a generally horizontal direction, and means connecting the endless member with respect to the trolley means for movement with the trolley means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The conveyor defined in claim 12, wherein said trolley means is located above said discharge station with the conveyor suspended from the trolley means and the trolley means is adapted to move on an overhead track.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The conveyor defined in claim 12, further including a motor and means operatively connecting the motor to the endless member to drive the same in the vertical plane, and means operatively connecting the motor to the trolley means for moving the trolley means in a horizontal plane.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The conveyor defined in claim 12, wherein the runs extend at an angle to a true vertical line.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of unloading a pile of ice shavings from an ice room comprising the steps of; raising portions of the ice shavings to a discharge station generally at the top of the ice room, depositing the ice shavings at said discharge station, and then guiding the deposited ice shavings downwardly onto a horizontal conveyor at the bottom of the ice room and then moving the ice shavings out of the ice room by means of the horizontal conveyor, sequentially picking up and raising new loads of ice shavings as the previously deposited loads are guided to the horizontal conveyor, and wherein a vertical conveyor is moved against the pile of ice to effect the raising and depositing of the ice shavings, and wherein a vertical conduit on the vertical conveyor is employed to guide the ice shavings downwardly onto the horizontal conveyor.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of unloading a pile of ice shavings from an ice room comprising the steps of; raising portions of the ice shavings to a discharge station generally at the top of the ice room, depositing the ice shavings at said discharge station, and then guiding the deposited ice shavings downwardly onto a horizontal conveyor at the bottom of the ice room and then moving the ice shavings out of the ice room by means of the horizontal conveyor, sequentially picking up and raising new loads of ice shavings as the previously deposited loads are guided to the horizontal conveyor, and wherein a vertical conveyor is moved against the pile of ice to effect the raising and depositing of the ice shavings, and wherein a vertical conduit on the vertical conveyor is employed to guide the ice shavings downwardly onto the horizontal conveyor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method defined in claim 16, further including the step of gradually moving the vertical conveyor against the pile of ice as the unloading operation proceeds.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-10 | 1974-11-09 | 1975-05-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-10 | 1978-11-09 | 1979-05-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-10 | 1982-11-09 | 1983-05-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |