US3876260A — System equipment and process for retrieving solid…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 410 words

A mechanical system for retrieving a quantity of solid particulate material disposed within a defined area and comprising, in combination, carriage guide rail means disposed adjacent to, and extending the length of, one side of said defined area, said carriage guide rail means comprising an elongated angle iron having one leg thereon upright, carriage means adapted to being propelled and guided by traction along the lengths of said carriage guide rail means, said carriage means comprising a movable platform having a base which has a front and rear face and a first and second side face, and a hollow tube running through the base thereof from said front face to said rear face, traction wheel means mounted on said first side face of said platform and adapted to provide traction between said movable platform and one side of the upright leg of said angle iron, traction wheel drive means mounted on said movable platform and adapted to drive said traction wheel means so as to move said movable platform along said angle iron, and clamp wheel means mounted on said first side face of said movable platform and adapted to provide clamping action between said movable platform and the second side of the upright leg of said angle iron while said movable platform is moving along said angle iron, pneumatic sweeper means pivotally mounted on said carriage means and adapted to mechanically and pneumatically sweep said particulate material from said defined area in a sweep path that traverses the width of said defined area, said pneumatic sweeper means comprising an elongated pneumatic tube having a flexible inlet end and a flexible exhaust end and wherein said flexible exhaust end is coupled to said hollow tube in the base of said movable platform at the front face thereof in fluid flow communication therewith, and said flexible exhaust end is pivotally supported from the said front face of said movable platform so as to enable said pneumatic sweeper means to move horizontally and from side to side, sweeper drive wheels mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube between the flexible inlet end and the flexible exhaust end thereof and adapted to move said elongated pneumatic tube from side to side, drive motor means having forward and reverse speeds and mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube between the flexible inlet end and the flexible exhaust end thereof, and drive shaft means connecting said drive motor means to said sweeper drive wheels in drive relationship.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 410 words

A mechanical system for retrieving a quantity of solid particulate material disposed within a defined area and comprising, in combination, carriage guide rail means disposed adjacent to, and extending the length of, one side of said defined area, said carriage guide rail means comprising an elongated angle iron having one leg thereon upright, carriage means adapted to being propelled and guided by traction along the lengths of said carriage guide rail means, said carriage means comprising a movable platform having a base which has a front and rear face and a first and second side face, and a hollow tube running through the base thereof from said front face to said rear face, traction wheel means mounted on said first side face of said platform and adapted to provide traction between said movable platform and one side of the upright leg of said angle iron, traction wheel drive means mounted on said movable platform and adapted to drive said traction wheel means so as to move said movable platform along said angle iron, and clamp wheel means mounted on said first side face of said movable platform and adapted to provide clamping action between said movable platform and the second side of the upright leg of said angle iron while said movable platform is moving along said angle iron, pneumatic sweeper means pivotally mounted on said carriage means and adapted to mechanically and pneumatically sweep said particulate material from said defined area in a sweep path that traverses the width of said defined area, said pneumatic sweeper means comprising an elongated pneumatic tube having a flexible inlet end and a flexible exhaust end and wherein said flexible exhaust end is coupled to said hollow tube in the base of said movable platform at the front face thereof in fluid flow communication therewith, and said flexible exhaust end is pivotally supported from the said front face of said movable platform so as to enable said pneumatic sweeper means to move horizontally and from side to side, sweeper drive wheels mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube between the flexible inlet end and the flexible exhaust end thereof and adapted to move said elongated pneumatic tube from side to side, drive motor means having forward and reverse speeds and mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube between the flexible inlet end and the flexible exhaust end thereof, and drive shaft means connecting said drive motor means to said sweeper drive wheels in drive relationship.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 36 words

A mechanical system as in claim 1 in which said defined area is elongated and said carriage guide rail means is disposed adjacent to, and extends the length of, an elongated side of said defined area.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 22 words

A mechanical system as in claim 2 in which said sweep path defines an arc across the width of said defined area.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

A mechanical system as in claim 1 which further comprises pneumatic transfer means adapted to pneumatically transfer said particulate solid material from said pneumatic sweeper means to particulate material receptacle means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 53 words

A mechanical system as in claim 1 in which said pneumatic sweeper means further comprises, at the inlet end of said elongated pneumatic tube, a downwardly projecting pneumatic intake nozzle which is in fluid flow communication with said elongated pneumatic tube, and comb means positioned across the inlet of said pneumatic intake nozzle.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

A mechanical system as in claim 5 in which said pneumatic intake nozzle is T-shaped with the crosshead member of such T-shape being perpendicularly positioned with respect to said elongated pneumatic tube.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 69 words

A mechanical system as in claim 5 in which said pneumatic sweeper means further comprises, mounted above said intake nozzle, sensing means for detecting predetermined limits of the path of the sweep of said pneumatic sweeper means and of signaling said drive motor means to reverse its direction of speed when one of said limits is reached by said pneumatic sweeper means and is detected by said sensing means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 64 words

A mechanical system as in claim 7 in which said sensing means comprises, magnetic sensor means adapted to signal said drive motor means to reverse its speed, and hinged paddle means adapted to being deflected towards said magnetic sensor means when a limit of said path of sweep is reached and of thereby causing said magnetic sensor means to signal said drive motor means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 338 words

Pneumatic sweeper means adapted to being used in combination with aa movable platform having a base which has a front face and a rear face, said base having a hollow tube running through the length thereof from said front face to said rear face, and comprising, in combination, an elongated pneumatic tube having a flexible inlet end and a flexible exhaust end, said flexible exhaust end being adapted to being coupled to, and in fluid flow communication therewith, the hollow tube in the base of said movable platform at the front face thereof, and said flexible exhaust end being adapted to being pivotally supported from the front face of said movable platform so as to enable said elongated pneumatic tube to move horizontally, and from side to side, sweeper drive wheels mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube intermediate said flexible inlet end and said flexible exhaust end and adapted to move said elongated pneumatic tube from side to side, drive motor means having forward and reverse speeds and mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube, intermediate said flexible inlet end and said flexible exhaust end, drive shaft means connecting said drive motor means to said sweeper drive wheels in drive relationship, said flexible inlet end having a downwardly projecting pneumatic intake nozzle which is in fluid flow communication with said elongated pneumatic tube, and mounted on said pneumatic intake nozzle, sensing means adapted to detect predetermined limits of an arcuate sweep path for said pneumatic sweeper means and to signal said drive motor means to reverse the direction of speed thereof when one of such limits is reached by said pneumatic sweeper means and detected by said sensing means, said sensing means comprising magnetic sensor means adapted to signal said drive motor means to reverse the speed thereof, and hinged paddle means adapted to being deflected towards said magnetic sensor means when a limit of said sweep path is reached and of thereby causing said magnetic sensor means to signal said drive motor means to reverse the speed thereof.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 338 words

Pneumatic sweeper means adapted to being used in combination with aa movable platform having a base which has a front face and a rear face, said base having a hollow tube running through the length thereof from said front face to said rear face, and comprising, in combination, an elongated pneumatic tube having a flexible inlet end and a flexible exhaust end, said flexible exhaust end being adapted to being coupled to, and in fluid flow communication therewith, the hollow tube in the base of said movable platform at the front face thereof, and said flexible exhaust end being adapted to being pivotally supported from the front face of said movable platform so as to enable said elongated pneumatic tube to move horizontally, and from side to side, sweeper drive wheels mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube intermediate said flexible inlet end and said flexible exhaust end and adapted to move said elongated pneumatic tube from side to side, drive motor means having forward and reverse speeds and mounted on said elongated pneumatic tube, intermediate said flexible inlet end and said flexible exhaust end, drive shaft means connecting said drive motor means to said sweeper drive wheels in drive relationship, said flexible inlet end having a downwardly projecting pneumatic intake nozzle which is in fluid flow communication with said elongated pneumatic tube, and mounted on said pneumatic intake nozzle, sensing means adapted to detect predetermined limits of an arcuate sweep path for said pneumatic sweeper means and to signal said drive motor means to reverse the direction of speed thereof when one of such limits is reached by said pneumatic sweeper means and detected by said sensing means, said sensing means comprising magnetic sensor means adapted to signal said drive motor means to reverse the speed thereof, and hinged paddle means adapted to being deflected towards said magnetic sensor means when a limit of said sweep path is reached and of thereby causing said magnetic sensor means to signal said drive motor means to reverse the speed thereof.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

Pneumatic sweeper means as in claim 9 which comprises rigid pipe means intermediate, and in fluid flow communication with, said flexible inlet end and said flexible exhaust end.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

Pneumatic sweeper means as in claim 10 in which said pneumatic intake nozzle is suspended from said rigid pipe means so as to provide said pneumatic intake nozzle with vertical movement.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

Pneumatic sweeper means as in claim 9 which further comprises comb means positioned across the inlet of said pneumatic intake nozzle.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-04-07	1978-10-07	1979-04-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-04-07	1982-10-07	1983-04-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-04-07	1986-10-07	1987-04-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System equipment and process for retrieving solid particulate material

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