Improved ejection system for elevator scraper

Claim 2

In an earth-moving machine the combination comprising, a frame, a bowl structure rigidly mounted on said frame including a fixed floor section extending between spaced sidewalls, an earth cutting blade arranged at the forward portion of said fixed floor section, a carriage including an upstanding ejection gate and a floor portion movable along said frame, carriage power means fixedly mounted with respect to said frame and connected to said floor portion and being operable to move said carriage between a rearwardly disposed earth holding condition and a forwardly disposed intermediate earth-expelling condition, carriage guide means on said frame serving to guide the carriage movement between said conditions, said guide means including first strut means disposed rearwardly of said ejection gate and rigid with said frame and extending parallel to the path of carriage movements, and second guide means rigid with said floor portion of said carriage and disposed parallel with said first strut means, means slidably interconnecting said first and second strut means, and ejection gate power means fixedly mounted with respect to said second strut means and connected to said ejection gate and operable to move said ejection gate across the floor portion of said carriage.

Claim 3

The apparatus as in claim 1 and including linkage means comprising a first pair of arms pivotally mounted on said carriage power means and operable therewith, a second pair of arm pivotally mounted on said frame, and a third pair of arms pivotally mounted on said carriage and movable therewith, each said first and third pair of arms being pivotally connected to said second pair of arms.

Claim 4

In an earth-moving machine the combination comprising, a bowl structure including a forwardly disposed fixed floor section, an earth-cutting blade rigidly attached to said bowl at the forward portion of the fixed floor section, an endless conveyor serving to move earth from said blade into said bowl structure, said endless conveyor being mounted with respect to said bowl structure for pivotal movement, earth ejection means serving to expel earth from said bowl structure over said cutting blade and including a movable floor portion shiftable over said fixed floor section and an upstanding ejection gate, said earth ejection means being shiftable forwardly along said bowl from a rearwardly disposed earthholding condition to a forward intermediate earth expelling condition, said ejection gate being shiftable along said movable floor portion from the intermediate earth-expelling condition to a more forward terminal earth expelling condition proximate said blade, conveyor power means on said machine serving to pivot said conveyor such that the lower end portion is moved upwardly from a position proximate said cutting blade to a raised out-of-the-way position, earth ejection power means for shifting said earth ejection means between said earthholding and intermediate earth-expelling conditions, ejection gate power means for shifting said gate between the intermediate and the forward terminal earth expelling conditions, and control means operatively connected to said conveyor, earth ejection, and ejection gate power means, said control means being operable in an earth ejection cycle to first actuate said conveyor power means for moving and holding said conveyor in the out-of-the-way position during the ejection cycle, then to actuate said earth ejection power means serving to shift said earth ejection means including said ejectIon gate and movable floor portion forwardly from the earthholding to the intermediate earth-expelling condition, and then to actuate said ejection gate power means serving to shift said ejection gate forwardly over said movable floor portion from the intermediate to the forwardly disposed terminal earth-expelling condition, said control means being operatable in a cycle to return said machine to an earth-receiving condition, said control means serving first to actuate said ejection gate power means for shifting said ejection gate rearwardly over said movable floor between the terminal and the intermediate earth-expelling condition, then to actuate said conveyor power means for moving said endless conveyor from said out-of-the-way position to a position for moving earth from said earth cutting blade into said bowl permitting earth to be received into said machine while the earth ejection means is returned to the fully retracted condition, and then to actuate said earth ejection power means serving to retract said earth ejection means from the intermediate condition to the rearwardly disposed earthholding condition, said control means including an hydraulic circuit having therein a manually actuatable valve controlling fluid flow in two directions, and wherein said earth ejection power means and ejection gate power means are arranged in the hydraulic circuit to operate in series such that in the earth ejection cycle fluid under pressure is first supplied to said earth ejection power means serving to move said earth ejection means to said intermediate earth-expelling condition and then fluid under pressure is supplied to said ejection gate power means for moving said ejection means to the forwardly disposed terminal earth ejection condition.

Claim 5

In an earth-moving machine the combination comprising, a bowl structure including a forwardly disposed fixed floor section, an earth-cutting blade rigidly attached to said bowl at the forward portion of the fixed floor section, an endless conveyor serving to move earth from said blade into said bowl structure, said endless conveyor being mounted with respect to said bowl structure for pivotal movement, earth ejection means serving to expel earth from said bowl structure over said cutting blade and including a movable floor portion shiftable over said fixed floor section and an upstanding ejection gate, said earth ejection means being shiftable forwardly along said bowl from a rearwardly disposed earthholding condition to a forward intermediate earth expelling condition, said ejection gate being shiftable along said movable floor portion from the intermediate earth-expelling condition to a more forward terminal earth expelling condition proximate said blade, conveyor power means on said machine serving to pivot said conveyor such that the lower end portion is moved upwardly from a position proximate said cutting blade to a raised out-of-the-way position, earth ejection power means for shifting said earth ejection means between said earthholding and intermediate earth-expelling conditions, ejection gate power means for shifting said gate between the intermediate and the forward terminal earth expelling conditions, and control means operatively connected to said conveyor, earth ejection, and ejection gate power means, said control means being operable in an earth ejection cycle to first actuate said conveyor power means for moving and holding said conveyor in the out-of-the-way position during the ejection cycle, then to actuate said earth ejection power means serving to shift said earth ejection means including said ejectIon gate and movable floor portion forwardly from the earthholding to the intermediate earth-expelling condition, and then to actuate said ejection gate power means serving to shift said ejection gate forwardly over said movable floor portion from the intermediate to the forwardly disposed terminal earth-expelling condition, said control means being operatable in a cycle to return said machine to an earth-receiving condition, said control means serving first to actuate said ejection gate power means for shifting said ejection gate rearwardly over said movable floor between the terminal and the intermediate earth-expelling condition, then to actuate said conveyor power means for moving said endless conveyor from said out-of-the-way position to a position for moving earth from said earth cutting blade into said bowl permitting earth to be received into said machine while the earth ejection means is returned to the fully retracted condition, and then to actuate said earth ejection power means serving to retract said earth ejection means from the intermediate condition to the rearwardly disposed earthholding condition, said control means including an hydraulic circuit having therein a manually actuatable valve controlling fluid flow in two directions, and wherein said earth ejection power means and ejection gate power means are arranged in the hydraulic circuit to operate in series such that in the earth ejection cycle fluid under pressure is first supplied to said earth ejection power means serving to move said earth ejection means to said intermediate earth-expelling condition and then fluid under pressure is supplied to said ejection gate power means for moving said ejection means to the forwardly disposed terminal earth ejection condition.