Feedback conveyor system

Claim 2

A material handling conveyor system for use in cooperation with shear equipment, said conveyor system including means for attaching said system to the rear of the shear equipment, said conveyor system comprising conveyor means having a top surface, said top surface having at least two vertical positions for receiving said material cut by said shear equipment and for returning said material to said shear equipment for further shearing operations, said conveyor means further having top surface means at the top surface thereof for conveying sheet material thereon, and means for controlling the direction of travel of said top surface means whereby the sheet material being conveyed is selectively directed away from said shear equipment or back to said shear equipment.

Claim 3

A material handling conveyor system for use in cooperation with conveyor equipment, said conveyor system comprising conveyor means having a raised position and a lowered position and having a top surface, said conveyor means further having top surface means at the top surface thereof for conveying sheet material thereon, means for moving the conveyor means between said raised position and said lowered position to support the sheet material while it is being sheared by the shear blade, whereby said top surface of the conveyor means follows the cut blade of the shear in the lowering process, and means for controlling the direction of travel of said top surface means whereby the sheet material being conveyed is selectively directed away from said shear equipment or bacK to said shear equipment.

Claim 4

A material handling conveyor system for use in cooperation with conveyor equipment, said conveyor system comprising conveyor means having a raised position and a lowered position and having a top surface, said conveyor means further having top surface means at the top surface thereof for conveying sheet material thereon, means for moving the conveyor means between said raised position and said lowered position to support the sheet material while it is being sheared by the shear blade, whereby said top surface of the conveyor means follows the cut blade of the shear in the lowering process, and means for controlling the direction of travel of said top surface means whereby the sheet material being conveyed is selectively directed away from said shear equipment or bacK to said shear equipment.

Claim 5

The material handling conveyor system of claim 2 wherein the means of moving the conveyor means between the raised and the lowered positions are hydraulically operated.

Claim 6

The conveyor system of claim 3 wherein said conveyor means comprises frame means, a conveyor chain assembly mounted on said frame, said chain assembly comprising a plurality of endless chains, said chains being of varying width, drive sprocket wheels for driving said chain assembly, and hydraulic motor means for driving said sprocket wheels selectively toward or away from said shear equipment.

Claim 7

The conveyor system of claim 4 wherein said frame means comprises tubular means for minimizing the weight of said base assembly.

Claim 8

The conveyor system of claim 4 wherein said means for moving the conveyor means between said raised and lowered positions comprises hydraulic cylinder means pivotally mounted at one end to the frame means, said hydraulic cylinder means having movable pistons extending from the unmounted ends, said movable pistons being coupled to axle control members, said axle control members fixedly connected to axle means, said axle means being pivotally coupled to the frame and affixed to roller control members, roller means rotatably affixed to said roller control members, said roller means being juxtaposed to cross members extending below said conveyor chains, whereby the raising and lowering of the conveyor bed is accomplished responsive to the position of the pistons in the cylinders.

Claim 9

The conveyor system of claim 6 wherein the entire shear end of the conveyor is vertically movable and only one side of the other end of the conveyor is vertically movable.

Claim 10

The conveyor system of claim 7 wherein there are at least a first and a second cylinder at opposite sides of the shear end of the conveyor and one cylinder at the vertically movable side of the opposite end of the conveyor, and wherein control means are provided for adjusting the flow of hydraulic fluid to the pistons so that the conveyor lowers in a manner to follow the lowering of the shear blade and provide constant support for sheet material being sheared.

Claim 11

The conveyor system of claim 8 wherein electrically controlled hydraulic valves are used for controlling the operation of the hydraulic cylinder means.

Claim 12

The material handling conveyor system of claim 9 wherein means are provided for the raising and lowering of the conveyor independently of the operation of the shear blade.

Claim 13

The material handling system of claim 9 wherein contact means are provided for lowering the conveyor responsive to the lowering of the shear blade, said control means comprising: first flow control means for operating the piston of the first cylinder on the shear end of the conveyor that is on the side of the conveyor adjacent to the lowest portion of the movable shear blade at a higher speed than the piston of the second cylinder, and second flow control means for operating the piston of the cylinder at the opposite end of the conveyor concomitantly with the operation of the piston of the first cylinder.

Claim 14

The material handling system of claim 11 wherein said flow control means comprise needle valve means adjusted so that the flow of hydraulic fluid to the cylinders provide for the lowering of the conveyor in the required order

Claim 15

A material handling conveyor means for use in cooperation with shear equipment, said conveyor system comprising a conveyor having a top surface, means for normally maintaining the top surface slightly above the top of the fixed blade of the shear equipment, said conveyor means including endless chain means for conveying sheet material thereon, and means for controlling the direction of the travel of said conveyor means for selectively transporting sheet material on the conveyor surface away from said shear equipment or back to said shear equipment.

Claim 16

A material handling conveyor means for use in cooperation with shear equipment, said conveyor system comprising a conveyor having a top surface, means for normally maintaining the top surface slightly above the top of the fixed blade of the shear equipment, said conveyor means including endless chain means for conveying sheet material thereon, and means for controlling the direction of the travel of said conveyor means for selectively transporting sheet material on the conveyor surface away from said shear equipment or back to said shear equipment.

Claim 17

The materIal handling conveyor system of claim 13 wherein means are provided for controlling the speed of movement of said endless chain means.

Claim 18

The material handling conveyor system of claim 13 wherein hydraulic motor means are provided for moving said endless chains, means for selectively operating said hydraulic motor clockwise or counterclockwise, sprocket wheel means coupled to said motor for operating said chains responsive to the operation of said motor, and means for selectively operating said motor at a high speed or at a low speed.

Claim 19

The conveyor system of claim 15 wherein said means for selectively operating said motor at a high speed or at a low speed comprises a first hydraulic path to said motor, a second hydraulic path for providing greater hydraulic flow to said motor, speed control valve means for normally closing off the second hydraulic path, and coil means in said speed control valve means energized for operating said speed control valve to enable the greater flow of hydraulic fluid through said motor to thereby provide a higher speed of said endless chain means.

Claim 20

The conveyor system of claim 13 wherein controls are provided to prevent the return operation of said endless chain means when the top surface of said conveyor is not at the normally upraised position.

Claim 21

The conveyor system of claim 13 wherein back gauge means are provided for use in measuring the length of the sheet material to be cut in the conveyor.

Claim 22

The material handling conveyor system of claim 18 wherein means are provided for automatically moving said back gauge from a position adjacent to the shear end of the conveyor system to a position a fixed distance away from the shear end of the conveyor, means for raising said back gauge to obstruct the sheet material on the conveyor, and means for returning said back gauge to its normally lowered position below the endless chains to enable the passage thereover of the sheet material.

Claim 23

The material handling system of claim 19 wherein the means provided for moving said back gauge comprises: back gauge hydraulic motor means, back gauge directional valve means for selectively operating said hydraulic motor in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation, threaded rod means rotated by said back gauge hydraulic motor means, traveling nut means on said threaded rod means for traveling along said threaded rod means as said threaded rod rotates, and said back gauge being mounted on said traveling nut means whereby responsive to the rotation of said motor and said coupled threaded rod the traveling nut moves either toward or away from said shear equipment.

Claim 24

The conveyor system of claim 20 wherein means are provided for selectively running said back gauge hydraulic motor at a first or a second speed, said first speed being the normal speed and said second speed being the higher level speed, and said means for varying the speed comprising electrically controlled back gauge speed control hydraulic valve means, said back gauge speed control valve means in the unoperated position enabling a first amount of hydraulic fluid to flow through said hydraulic motor, and in the operated position enabling a greater amount of hydraulic fluid to flow to the hydraulic motor.

Claim 25

The conveyor system of claim 18 wherein means are provided for lowering said back gauge responsive to the lowering of said conveyor.