US3703016A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Traversing bridge friction drive alignment control
Assignee: Siemens Water Technologies Holding Corp
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Filing: 1970-10-19
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Granted: 1972-11-21
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Expires: 1990-10-19
Abstract
Abstract Four wheels support a travelling bridge on parallel rails. One wheel at each end is driven by a motor and the power supply driving each motor is separately adjustable. The other two wheels are cylindrical and of the same nominal size and are journalled so that they roll freely in supporting the bridge on the rails. Relative rotation of the two cylindrical wheels indicating bridge misalignment adjusts the two power supplies to correct such misalignment. If the misalignment of skewing is due to an off-centered load encountered by the bridge, the corresponding adjustments of the torque outputs of the motors compensate for such a load. If the overload is too great, the increased skew angle will then reach the limits which shut off the power supply.
Inventors
- 👤 Lester H Schramm
- 👤 John B Rank
- 👤 Melvin R Salkeld
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 13:47
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D21/00; B01D21/18; B01D21/20; B01D21/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
In a gravity separation tank having parallel rails along each side for a reciprocating bridge carrying blades for pushing separated material in one direction, the improvement comprising: a. A bridge having four wheels, two at each end thereof, for operation on said rails; i. One of said wheels at each end being driven, and ii. The other of said wheels at each end being non-driven; b. Two adjustable non-synchronous drive means each for driving a different one of said driven wheels; c. Differential means having two inputs coupled to said nondriven wheels and having an output; and d. Control means responsive to the output of said differential means for controlling at least one of said adjustable drive means, so that the degree of the skew of the said bridge due to an off-centered load is indicated by the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels and effects the relative adjustment of said two drive means to reduce the skew and align the bridge with the rails of the tank.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a gravity separation tank having parallel rails along each side for a reciprocating bridge carrying blades for pushing separated material in one direction, the improvement comprising: a. A bridge having four wheels, two at each end thereof, for operation on said rails; i. One of said wheels at each end being driven, and ii. The other of said wheels at each end being non-driven; b. Two adjustable non-synchronous drive means each for driving a different one of said driven wheels; c. Differential means having two inputs coupled to said nondriven wheels and having an output; and d. Control means responsive to the output of said differential means for controlling at least one of said adjustable drive means, so that the degree of the skew of the said bridge due to an off-centered load is indicated by the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels and effects the relative adjustment of said two drive means to reduce the skew and align the bridge with the rails of the tank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a gravity separation tank having parallel rails along each side for a reciprocating bridge carrying blades for pushing separated material in one direction, the improvement comprising: a. A bridge having four wheels, two at each end thereof, for operation on said rails; i. One of said wheels at each end being driven, and ii. The other of said wheels at each end being non-driven; b. Two adjustable non-synchronous drive means each for driving a different one of said driven wheels; c. Differential means having two inputs coupled to said non-driven wheels and having an output; and d. Control means responsive to the output of said differential means for controlling at least one of said adjustable drive means, so that the degree of the skew of the said bridge due to an off-centered load is indicated by the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels and effects the relative adjustment of said two drive means to reduce the skew and align the bridge with the rails of the tank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a gravity separation tank having parallel rails along each side for a reciprocating bridge carrying blades for pushing separated material in one direction, the improvement comprising: a. A bridge having four wheels, two at each end thereof, for operation on said rails; i. One of said wheels at each end being driven, and ii. The other of said wheels at each end being non-driven; b. Two adjustable non-synchronous drive means each for driving a different one of said driven wheels; c. Differential means having two inputs coupled to said non-driven wheels and having an output; and d. Control means responsive to the output of said differential means for controlling at least one of said adjustable drive means, so that the degree of the skew of the said bridge due to an off-centered load is indicated by the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels and effects the relative adjustment of said two drive means to reduce the skew and align the bridge with the rails of the tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said control means com-prises limit switch means operable to disable said drive means when the skew exceeds a predetermined degree.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 2 wherein said limit switch means comprises a cam-operated switch and a cam driven by the output of said differential means for operating said switch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention of claim 1 wherein said drive means are reversible, and said control means comprises means for reversing the direction of said drive means and for controlling the speed of said drive means in each direction, thereby providing for different reciprocating speeds of said bridge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
124 words
In combination with a traveling bridge supported on spaced parallel rails by a pair of spaced wheels at each end of the bridge, one wheel oF each pair being driven by a separate adjustable speed drive motor and the other wheel of each pair being non-driven; differential means carried by said bridge and having two rotational inputs respectively coupled to said non-driven wheels and having a rotational output; speed control means operatively coupled to said rotational output for adjusting the speed of at least one of said drive motors in accordance with the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels, whereby the speed of one end of the bridge is adjusted to maintain the bridge substantially aligned with its direction of travel on the rails.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
124 words
In combination with a traveling bridge supported on spaced parallel rails by a pair of spaced wheels at each end of the bridge, one wheel oF each pair being driven by a separate adjustable speed drive motor and the other wheel of each pair being non-driven; differential means carried by said bridge and having two rotational inputs respectively coupled to said non-driven wheels and having a rotational output; speed control means operatively coupled to said rotational output for adjusting the speed of at least one of said drive motors in accordance with the relative rotation of said non-driven wheels, whereby the speed of one end of the bridge is adjusted to maintain the bridge substantially aligned with its direction of travel on the rails.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of claim 5, wherein said non-driven wheels are substantially identical cylinders and freely journaled with respect to the bridge.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-11-21 | 1976-05-22 | 1976-11-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-11-21 | 1980-05-22 | 1980-11-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-11-21 | 1984-05-22 | 1984-11-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |