US3768628A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Elevator-hopper-feeder-assembly
Assignee: Pennwalt Corp
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Filing: 1972-03-27
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Granted: 1973-10-30
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Expires: 1992-03-27
Abstract
Abstract An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly has a hopper-feeder subassembly which is guidably supported for vertical movement by four hollow corner posts. Each corner post has a jack-screw rotatably mounted therein, each of the jack-screws being threadably connected to the subassembly by means of brackets extending through a vertical slot formed in each post. A prime mover mounted to the frame of the assembly is utilized to turn the jack-screws by means of a roller chain supported within the frame, and consequently raise or lower the subassembly. The subassembly includes a hopper which discharges articles onto a feeder pan, and a vibrator which vibrates the toward the to move the articles toward an inclined feed chute, the latter guiding the articles into a receptacle. To prevent any of the articles from becoming accidentially lodged or trapped within the posts during operation of the assembly, the structure confined within the posts is formed to have inclined surfaces which permit any articles entering the posts to slide outwardly toward the slots.
Inventors
- 👤 C Bross
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:20
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G65/00; B65G65/30; B65G65/34; B65G65/40; B65G65/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly for feeding a plurality of articles to a desired location, said assembly having a frame comprising a plurality of upright posts, each of said posts being hollow And having a vertical slot formed therein; a hopper-feeder subassembly comprising a hopper having a discharge opening formed therein, a generally horizontally disposed feeder pan having an open end, said feeder pan being mounted beneath said opening, means for vibrating said pan whereby articles discharged through said opening and onto said pan are moved along said pan toward said open end, and bracket means fixedly connected thereto, said bracket means extending through said slots and being quidably mounted within said posts; means including a prime mover mounted on said frame for raising and lowering said subassembly, said raising and lowering means including a rotatably mounted jackscrew disposed within each of said posts, and means operatively connecting each of said jack-screws with said bracket means, whereby upon rotation of said jack-screws, said subassembly is vertically moved; said assembly being mounted on a plurality of rollable members to permit movement of said assembly; and means for preventing said articles from becoming accidentally lodged within said vertical posts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly for feeding a plurality of articles to a desired location, said assembly having a frame comprising a plurality of upright posts, each of said posts being hollow And having a vertical slot formed therein; a hopper-feeder subassembly comprising a hopper having a discharge opening formed therein, a generally horizontally disposed feeder pan having an open end, said feeder pan being mounted beneath said opening, means for vibrating said pan whereby articles discharged through said opening and onto said pan are moved along said pan toward said open end, and bracket means fixedly connected thereto, said bracket means extending through said slots and being quidably mounted within said posts; means including a prime mover mounted on said frame for raising and lowering said subassembly, said raising and lowering means including a rotatably mounted jackscrew disposed within each of said posts, and means operatively connecting each of said jack-screws with said bracket means, whereby upon rotation of said jack-screws, said subassembly is vertically moved; said assembly being mounted on a plurality of rollable members to permit movement of said assembly; and means for preventing said articles from becoming accidentally lodged within said vertical posts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly according to claim 1 wherein said hopper includes a generally funnel-shaped portion formed on the lower end thereof, said opening being located at the bottom of said portion, and further including valve means for controlling the discharge of said articles through said opening and onto said pan.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
An elevator hopper-feeder assembly according to claim 2, wherein said subassembly includes a feed chute disposed adjacent the open end of said feeder pan, said chute being pivotly mounted to said frame so as to be movable to either an inclined feed position in which it is disposed so as to receive the articles moving over the open end of said feeder pan, or to a retracted upright position, and counterweight means fixedly connected to said chute to assist in moving said chute to said retracted position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly according to claim 3 wherein there are four said upright posts, said raising and lowering means including a roller chain operatively connecting said prime mover to each of said jack-screws.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
150 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly for feeding a plurality of articles to a desired location, said assembly having a frame comprising a plurality of upright posts, a hopper-feeder subassembly comprising a hopper having a discharge opening formed therein, said subassembly being quidably mounted to said posts, means including a prime mover, mounted on said frame for raising and lowering said subassembly, said assembly being mounted on a plurality of rollable members to permit movement of said assembly; each of said posts being hollow and having a vertical slot formed therein, said subassembly mounting means including bracket means fixedly connected thereto, said bracket means extending through said slots and being quidably mounted within said posts, said raising and lowering means including a rotatably mounted jack-screw disposed within each of said posts, means operatively connecting said jack-screws to said bracket means, and means for preventing said articles from becoming accidentally lodged within said posts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
150 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly for feeding a plurality of articles to a desired location, said assembly having a frame comprising a plurality of upright posts, a hopper-feeder subassembly comprising a hopper having a discharge opening formed therein, said subassembly being quidably mounted to said posts, means including a prime mover, mounted on said frame for raising and lowering said subassembly, said assembly being mounted on a plurality of rollable members to permit movement of said assembly; each of said posts being hollow and having a vertical slot formed therein, said subassembly mounting means including bracket means fixedly connected thereto, said bracket means extending through said slots and being quidably mounted within said posts, said raising and lowering means including a rotatably mounted jack-screw disposed within each of said posts, means operatively connecting said jack-screws to said bracket means, and means for preventing said articles from becoming accidentally lodged within said posts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
141 words
An elevator-hopper-feeder assembly according to claim 5, wherein the lower end of said hopper includes a plurality of generally funnel-shaped portions, there being one of said discharge openings at the bottom of each funnel-shaped portion, said sub-assembly including a generally horizontally disposed feeder pan having an open end, said feeder pan being mounted beneath said opening, means for vibrating said pans so as to move said articles toward said open ends, a single feed chute disposed adjacent the open ends of said feeder pans, said chute being pivotly mounted so as to be movable to either an inclined feed position in which it is disposed so as to receive the articles moving over said open ends, or to a retracted generally upright position, and counterweight means fixedly connected to said chute to assist in moving Said chute to said retracted position.
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) | 1976-10-29 | 1977-04-30 | 1977-10-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-29 | 1981-04-30 | 1981-10-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-29 | 1985-04-30 | 1985-10-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |