Plant for unloading and handling loose solid material

Claim 2

A plant for handling loose solid material resting on a support comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhand the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets and means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket at least one picking up bucket suspended to said winch to be moved along a vertical path between the support of the material and an upper dumping position, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor and mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of the bucket and adapted to dump the material carried by the bucket in its upper position out of the latter directly into the hopper without any horizontal translational movement of the bucket, said mechanical means collapsing at the end of the dumping of the material thereby to free the vertical path followed by the bucket.

Claim 3

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mechanical means are constituted by a dumping plane adapted to move between a vertical inoperative position to one side of the vertical path of the bucket and an operative position wherein said dumping plane forms a slope extending underneath the bucket in its upper position and the lower end of which registers with the upper end of the feed hopper.

Claim 4

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mechanical means control the rocking of the hopper round an axis extending along its lower edge to make its upper opening lie underneath the bucket in its upper dumping position, said rocking being controlled by the movements of the bucket to set the Hopper in its sloping position whenever the bucket reaches its upper position, the hopper returning into its vertical position after the bucket has been dumped

Claim 5

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mechanical means include a dumping plane pivotally secured in its upper section round a stationary axis lying in parallelism with the axis of the gantry beam outside the vertical path followed by the bucket, a jack adapted to shift the dumping plane angularly out of its vertical inoperative position into an operative position for which it forms a slope extending underneath the bucket in its upper position, and means controlling the jack so that when the bucket reaches its upper dumping position, the dumping plane enters its operative position.

Claim 6

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the beam includes a metal reinforcement, said plant including furthermore winches adapted to shift vertically the beam along its lateral supports.

Claim 7

A plant as claimed in claim 1 intended for erection between a wharf and a float for cooperation with a stocking area, wherein one beam support re sts on an unloading wharf and the beam extends beyond said support to feed directly the stocking area, the other support of the beam resting on the float.

Claim 8

A plant as claimed in claim 1 comprising running gears for the beam to allow its movements alongside a stocking area.

Claim 9

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the beam includes a sloping section adapted to adjustably rock round a pivotal axis on a lateral gantry support.

Claim 10

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heights of the beam supports are different, the shorter support resting on a wall running along a stocking area.

Claim 11

A plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heights of the beam supports are different, the shorter support resting on a wall running along a stocking area, and including two feet for the higher support forming two V-shaped parts lying in oblique planes parallel with the axis of the gantry beam, the apex of each V being pivotally carried by a running gear and the ends of the corresponding upper arms of the V''s being connected together and pivotally secured to the lower surface of the beam.

Claim 12

A plant as claimed in claim 1 including running gears for the beam, the beam supports being provided with slopes extending symmetrically in transverse registry with each other to carry said running gears, thereby to provide the beam with a path oblique with reference to horizontality.

Claim 13

A plant as claimed in claim 1 including running gears for the beam, the beam supports being provided with slopes extending symmetrically in transverse registry with each other to carry said running gears thereby to provide the beam with a path oblique with reference to horizontality, means conveying the material to be handled from the level assumed by the conveyor on the beam onto which the material is dumped down to a lower position.

Claim 14

A plant as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use between a wharf and a float in a harbor for loading and/or unloading ships carrying loose material wherein one beam support includes a running gear allowing it to move along the wharf and the other support rests on the float.

Claim 15

A plant as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use between a wharf and a float in a harbor for loading and/or unloading ships carrying loose material wherein one beam support includes a running gear allowing it to move along the wharf and the other support rests on the float and ballasting means adapted to compensate automatically the modifications in the load of the plant and in the level of the water carrying the float.

Claim 16

A plant as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use between a wharf and a float in a harbor for loading and/or unloading ships carrying loose material wherein one beam support includes a running gear allowing it to move along the wharf and the other support rests on the float and superposed auxiliary beams pivotally secured at one end to the first-mentioned upright and at their other end to thE second upright.

Claim 17

A plant as claimed in claim 1 resting on two floats wherein the supports are carried each by a float and are rigidly interconnected across their upper ends.

Claim 18

In combination with two plants as claimed in claim 1 for cooperation with a stocking area confined by a wall and with transportation means respectively, the provision of a conveyor carried by said wall and adapted to interconnect the two plants.

Claim 19

In combination with two plants as claimed in claim 1 for cooperation with a stocking area confined by awall and with transportation means respectively the provision of a conveyor carried by said wall and adapted to interconnect the two plants, said confining wall being made of reinforced earth.

Claim 20

In combination with two plants as claimed in claim 1 for cooperation with a stocking area confined by a wall and with transportation means respectively, the provision of a plurality of longitudinal parallel conveyors carried by said wall and adapted to interconnect the two plants, said confining wall being made of reinforced earth.

Claim 21

In combination with two plants as claimed in claim 1 for cooperation with a stocking area confined by a wall and with transportation means respectively, the provision of a conveyor carried by said wall and adapted to interconnect the two plants and means incorporated with the first plant for loading a ship with the material picked up from the stocking area and conveyed by said longitudinal conveyor.

Claim 22

In combination with two plants claimed in claim 1 for cooperation with two stocking areas, the provision of a wall separating the two stocking areas and comprising a raceway along each edge carrying each one of the supports of the corresponding beam and a plurality of belt conveyors cooperating with the conveyors on each beam to serve transportation means.

Claim 23

A plant as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for reversing the direction of progression of the conveyor.

Claim 24

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin bucks, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, and mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of each bucket and adapted to dump the material carried by the bucket in its upper position out of the latter directly into the hopper without any horizontal translational movement of the bucket, said mechanical means collapsing at the end of the dumping of the material thereby to free the vertical path followed by the bucket.

Claim 25

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin bucks, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, and mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of each bucket and adapted to dump the material carried by the bucket in its upper position out of the latter directly into the hopper without any horizontal translational movement of the bucket, said mechanical means collapsing at the end of the dumping of the material thereby to free the vertical path followed by the bucket.

Claim 26

A plant as claimed in claim 23 comprising two pivoting hoppers, each of them is associated with one bucket, mechanical means controlling the rocking of said hoppers around an axis extending along the lower edge thereof to make its upper opening lie underneath the corresponding bucket in its upper dumping position, said rocking being controlled by the movements of the bucket to set the corresponding hopper in its sloping position whenever the bucket reaches its upper position, the hopper returning into its vertical position after the bucket has been dumped.

Claim 27

A plant as claimed in claim 23 wherein the mechanical means include a dumping plane pivotally secured in its upper section round a stationary axis lying in parallelism with the axis of the gantry beam outside the vertical path followed by the bucket, a jack adapted to shift the dumping plane angularly out of its vertical inoperative position into an operative position for which it forms a slope extending underneath the bucket in its upper position, and means controlling the jack so that when the bucket reaches its upper dumpinG position, the dumping plane enters its operative position.

Claim 28

A plant as claimed in claim 23, wherein the mechanical means include a dumping plane for each bucket, each dumping plane being made of one lower pivoting panel articulated by its lower edge to the upper edge of the hopper and of one upper pivoting panel articulated by its upper edge to the carriage, a jack associated with each panel and adapted to move it synchronously with the movement of the corresponding bucket, both upper and lower panels forming, when put in register with each other, a single dumping plane directing the material falling from the bucket towards the hopper and being adapted to disappear angularly to free the vertical path of the bucket.

Claim 29

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least on lateral support carrying said beam, the beam being adapted to move axially, a winch carried by said beam, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, a portal astride the hopper and from which the buckets are suspended, two pivoting lower dumping panels articulated by their base on the hopper and two pivoting upper dumping panels articulated by their upper edge on said portal, each lower pivoting dumping panel being associated with one of the upper pivoting dumping panels situated on the same side of the hopper, the installation further comprising mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of the buckets and adapted to put both upper and lower panels in register with each other in a substantially common plane so as to form a single disappearing plane disposed underneath the bucket in high position and directing the material falling from the bucket towards the hopper, the lower and upper panels being adapted angularly to disappear so as to free the vertical path of the corresponding bucket.

Claim 30

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least on lateral support carrying said beam, the beam being adapted to move axially, a winch carried by said beam, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, a portal astride the hopper and from which the buckets are suspended, two pivoting lower dumping panels articulated by their base on the hopper and two pivoting upper dumping panels articulated by their upper edge on said portal, each lower pivoting dumping panel being associated with one of the upper pivoting dumping panels situated on the same side of the hopper, the installation further comprising mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of the buckets and adapted to put both upper and lower panels in register with each other in a substantially common plane so as to form a single disappearing plane disposed underneath the bucket in high position and directing the material falling from the bucket towards the hopper, the lower and upper panels being adapted angularly to disappear so as to free the vertical path of the corresponding bucket.

Claim 31

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the beam rests on two lateral supports, the heights of which are different, the shorter support resting on a wall running along a stocking area the higher support comprising two feet forming two V shaped parts lying in oblique planes parallel with the axis of the gantry beam, the apex of each V being pivotally carried by a running gear and the ends of the corresponding upper arms of the V''s being connected together and pivotally secured to the lower surface of the beam.

Claim 32

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the beam rests on two lateral supports, the heights of which are different, the shorter support resting on a wall running along a stocking area the higher support comprising two feet forming two V shaped parts lying in oblique planes parallel with the axis of the gantry beam, the apex of each V being pivotally carried by a running gear and the ends of the corresponding upper arms of the V''s being connected together and pivotally secured to the lower surface of the beam.

Claim 33

A plant as claimed in claim 28 including means conveying the material to be handled from the level, assumed by the conveyor on the beam onto which the material is dumped, down to a lower position.

Claim 34

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to e picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein said beam comprises running gears, the beam supports being provided with slopes extending symmetrically in transverse registry with each other to carry Said running gears, thereby to provide the beam with a path oblique with reference to horizontality.

Claim 35

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to e picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein said beam comprises running gears, the beam supports being provided with slopes extending symmetrically in transverse registry with each other to carry Said running gears, thereby to provide the beam with a path oblique with reference to horizontality.

Claim 36

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor the plant being adapted for use between the wharf and a float in a harbor for loading and/or unloading ships carrying loose material and wherein one beam support includes a running gear allowing it to move along the wharf and the other support rests on the float, both supports being secured together by two superposed auxiliary beams pivotally secured at one end to the first-mentioned support and at their other end to the second support, both superposed auxiliary beams forming an articulated parallelogram thus allowing the floating support to be firmly secured to the other support yet following the movement of the tide.

Claim 37

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor the plant being adapted for use between the wharf and a float in a harbor for loading and/or unloading ships carrying loose material and wherein one beam support includes a running gear allowing it to move along the wharf and the other support rests on the float, both supports being secured together by two superposed auxiliary beams pivotally secured at one end to the first-mentioned support and at their other end to the second support, both superposed auxiliary beams forming an articulated parallelogram thus allowing the floating support to be firmly secured to the other support yet following the movement of the tide.

Claim 38

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the supports are carried each by a float and are rigidly interconnected across their upper ends and are provided with carrier slopes adapted to make the beam assure a rising and sinking movement, the plant including furthermore an auxiliary outwardly projecting conveyor adapted to make the material dumped by the conveyor on the beam progress towards the lower end of the slope thereby serve transportation means.

Claim 39

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the supports are carried each by a float and are rigidly interconnected across their upper ends and are provided with carrier slopes adapted to make the beam assure a rising and sinking movement, the plant including furthermore an auxiliary outwardly projecting conveyor adapted to make the material dumped by the conveyor on the beam progress towards the lower end of the slope thereby serve transportation means.

Claim 40

A double stocking area comprising two twin plants for handling loose solid material each plant comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhand the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the stocking area is divided in two parts, each of them being served by one plant, by a central wall made of reinforced earth.

Claim 41

A double stocking area comprising two twin plants for handling loose solid material each plant comprising a horizontal gantry beam, two lateral supports carrying said beam and adapted to overhand the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, wherein the stocking area is divided in two parts, each of them being served by one plant, by a central wall made of reinforced earth.

Claim 42

A plant for handling loose solid material resting on a support comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, said winch controlling twin buckets moving synchronously in opposite directions and the weights of which when empty balance each other, said winch including at least two drums controlling each one of the twin buckets, a common driving shaft, a sun and planet gear driven by said shaft and controlling in alternation the movement and the locking of the two drums, at least one picking up bucket suspended to said winch to be moved along a vertical path between the support of the material and an upper dumping position, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor and mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of the bucket anD adapted to dump the material carried by the bucket in its upper position out of the latter directly into the hopper without any horizontal translational movement of the bucket, said mechanical means collapsing at the end of the dumping of the material thereby to free the vertical path followed by the bucket.

Claim 43

A plant for handling loose solid material resting on a support comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, said winch controlling twin buckets moving synchronously in opposite directions and the weights of which when empty balance each other, said winch including at least two drums controlling each one of the twin buckets, a common driving shaft, a sun and planet gear driven by said shaft and controlling in alternation the movement and the locking of the two drums, at least one picking up bucket suspended to said winch to be moved along a vertical path between the support of the material and an upper dumping position, a belt conveyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor and mechanical means operating in synchronism with the movements of the bucket anD adapted to dump the material carried by the bucket in its upper position out of the latter directly into the hopper without any horizontal translational movement of the bucket, said mechanical means collapsing at the end of the dumping of the material thereby to free the vertical path followed by the bucket.

Claim 44

A plant as claimed in claim 34 wherein said winch comprises four drums controlling respectively the rising and sinking movement of one bucket, the rising and sinking movements of another bucket, the opening and closing movements of the one bucket and the opening and closing movements of the other bucket, a driving shaft and sun and planet gears through which the driving shaft constrains the drums to be driven and locked selectively.

Claim 45

A plant as claimed in claim 34 wherein said winch comprises four drums controlling respectively the rising and sinking movements of one bucket, the rising and sinking movements of another bucket, the opening and closing movements of the one bucket and the opening and closing movements of the other bucket, a driving shaft and sun and planet gears including each a planet carrier rigid with the corresponding drum and a first sunwheel controlled by the driving shaft and locking means associated with each other sunwheel and with each drum and controlled so the locking of each other sunwheel is associated with the release of the corresponding drum and conversely.

Claim 46

A plant as claimed in claim 34 wherein said winch comprises four drums controlling respectively the rising and sinking movements of one bucket, the rising and sinking movements of another bucket, the opening and closing movements of the one bucket, and the opening and closing movements of the other bucket, a driving shaft, two speed reducing toothed wheels driven by the driving shaft in diametrically opposed positions with reference thereto and sun and planet gears including each a planet carrier rigid with the corresponding drum and a first sunwheel controlled by the toothed wheel corresponding to the pair of drums to be considered and locking means associated with each other sunwheel and with each drum and controlled so that the locking of each other sunwheel is associated with the release of the corresponding drum and conversely.

Claim 47

A plant as claimed in claim 34 wherein said winch comprises four pairwise aligned drums controlling respectively the rising and sinking movements of one bucket, the rising and sinking movements of another bucket, the opening and closing movements of one bucket and the opening and closing movements of the other bucket, a driving shaft and sun and planet gears through which the driving shaft constrains the drums to be driven and locked selectively.

Claim 48

A plant as claimed in claim 34 wherein said winch comprises four drums controlling respectively the rising and sinking movements of one bucket, the rising and sinking movements of another bucket, the opening and closing movements of the one bucket and the opening and closing movements of the other bucket, a driving shaft, two speed reducing toothed wheels driven by the driving shaft in diametrically opposed positions with reference thereto and sun and planet gears including each a planet carrier rigid with the corresponding drum and a first sunwheel controlled by the toothed wheel corresponding to the pair of drums to be considered and remotely controlled brakes associated with each other sunwheel and with each drum and controlled so that the locking of each other sunwheel is associated with the release of the corresponding drum and conversely.

Claim 49

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt convEyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a movable hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, mechanical means controlling the shifting of the hopper along a line parallel with the axis of the beam between an operative position lying underneath the bucket in its upper dumping position and an inoperative position lying out of vertical registry with the vertical path followed by the bucket, said shifting being controlled in unison with the movements of the bucket to set the hopper in its operative position whenever the bucket reaches its upper position and to return the hopper into its inoperative position away from said vertical path after the bucket has been dumped.

Claim 50

A plant for handling loose solid material comprising a horizontal gantry beam, at least one lateral support carrying said beam and adapted to overhang the material to be picked up, a carriage adapted to move alongside said beam, a winch carried by said carriage, twin buckets, means whereby the winch controls the movements of each of the two buckets synchronously and in opposite directions with reference to the other bucket, a belt convEyor extending in parallelism with the beam, a movable hopper fed by each bucket in its upper position and feeding the belt conveyor, mechanical means controlling the shifting of the hopper along a line parallel with the axis of the beam between an operative position lying underneath the bucket in its upper dumping position and an inoperative position lying out of vertical registry with the vertical path followed by the bucket, said shifting being controlled in unison with the movements of the bucket to set the hopper in its operative position whenever the bucket reaches its upper position and to return the hopper into its inoperative position away from said vertical path after the bucket has been dumped.