Grate conveyor

Claim 2

A grate member for use with a grate conveyor of the type which moves material being processed through a substantially horizontal path of travel, said grate member comprising a material supporting main body portion and a head portion, said grate member being adapted to be pivotally mounted at said head portion thereof for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis upon a support means carried by and movable wiTh the conveyor, said material supporting main body portion of said grate member extending on one side of said axis for the major part of the length of said grate member measured lengthwise of the conveyor, and an anti-flip leg forming part of and carried by said grate member at said head portion of said grate member, said anti-flip leg extending on the other side of said pivotal axis opposite said one side, said anti-flip leg being directed downwardly and adapted to engage a stationary skid bar mounted in a substantially horizontal plane in underlying relation to the path of travel of said anti-flip leg, said antiflip leg being adapted to engage the skid bar at a point of engagement on said other side of said pivotal axis to thus limit upward pivotal movement of said main body portion of said grate member, whereby to maintain said main body portion of said grate member in a generally horizontal material carrying position.

Claim 3

A grate member as defined in claim 1 in which the path of travel of the grate conveyor includes for at least a portion of the length thereof an updraft region and the stationary skid bar is mounted in a substantially horizontal plane in the updraft region in underlying relation to the path of travel of said anti-flip leg through said updraft region, whereby engagement of said anti-flip leg with the skid bar is effective to maintain said main body portion of said grate member in a generally horizontal material carrying position while passing through said updraft region.

Claim 4

In combination, a grate conveyor for moving material being processed through a substantially horizontal path of travel, said path of travel including for at least a portion of the length thereof an updraft region, said conveyor comprising a grate member including a material supporting main body portion and a head portion, said grate member being adapted to be pivotally mounted at said head portion thereof, support means carried by and movable with said conveyor for mounting said grate member for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis, said material supporting main body portion of said grate member extending on one side of said axis for the major part of the length of said grate member measured lengthwise of the conveyor, whereby the updraft may tend to swing said main body portion upwardly about said axis, and an anti-flip leg forming part of and carried by said grate member at said head portion of said grate member, said anti-flip leg extending on the other side of said pivotal axis opposite said one side, a stationary skid bar mounted in a substantially horizontal plane in said updraft region in underlying relation to the path of travel of said anti-flip leg through said updraft region, said anti-flip leg being directed downwardly toward said skid bar and being adapted to engage said skid bar at a point of engagement on said other side of said pivotal axis to thus limit upward pivotal movement of said main body portion of said grate member, whereby to maintain said main body portion of said grate member in a generally horizontal material carrying position while passing through said updraft region.

Claim 5

In combination, a grate conveyor for moving material being processed through a substantially horizontal path of travel, said path of travel including for at least a portion of the length thereof an updraft region, said conveyor comprising a grate member including a material supporting main body portion and a head portion, said grate member being adapted to be pivotally mounted at said head portion thereof, support means carried by and movable with said conveyor for mounting said grate member for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis, said material supporting main body portion of said grate member extending on one side of said axis for the major part of the length of said grate member measured lengthwise of the conveyor, whereby the updraft may tend to swing said main body portion upwardly about said axis, and an anti-flip leg forming part of and carried by said grate member at said head portion of said grate member, said anti-flip leg extending on the other side of said pivotal axis opposite said one side, a stationary skid bar mounted in a substantially horizontal plane in said updraft region in underlying relation to the path of travel of said anti-flip leg through said updraft region, said anti-flip leg being directed downwardly toward said skid bar and being adapted to engage said skid bar at a point of engagement on said other side of said pivotal axis to thus limit upward pivotal movement of said main body portion of said grate member, whereby to maintain said main body portion of said grate member in a generally horizontal material carrying position while passing through said updraft region.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 3 in which said conveyor comprises a plurality of contiguous grate members, with an end of the main body portion of each grate member overlapping the head portion of a corresponding contiguous grate member.