Patent US3885332A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3885332A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Elevating belt loader and excavation apparatus with material flow control
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-04-26
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Granted: 1975-05-27
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Expires: 1994-04-26
Abstract
Abstract A horizontal platform supported between trailing and leading prime movers supports a rearwardly inclined, transversely extending, horizontal excavating blade at the leading end of the platform, defining a horizontal cutting edge. A first longitudinally disposed endless belt conveyor has its leading end disposed below and adjacent the trailing edge of the horizontal blade to receive excavated earth which moves upwardly and rearwardly along the platform. A second transverse, endless belt conveyor positioned to the rear and slightly below the discharge end of the longitudinal belt conveyor transports the excavated earth to the side of the platform, for discharge into an underlying haul unit. The rear end of the platform is coupled to the track center of the trailing prime mover by paired booms which pivot about the horizontal axis passing through the trailing prime mover. A hydraulic cylinder independently raises and lowers one side of the platform coupled to the trailing prime mover boom closest to the discharge end of the transverse endless conveyor to adjustably tilt the discharge end of the transverse conveyor to permit the loader and excavation apparatus to conform to the vertical dimensions of the haul unit. A transverse gate which is convex in lateral cross section facing the blade is mounted to the platform above the horizontal excavation blade and pivots about a horizontal axis as the rear of the gate to vary the size of the throat formed between the gate and the horizontal blade. The variable throat directs the excavated material onto the blade and controls the rate of flow of excavated material over the blade and onto the conveyor. A hydraulic cylinder carried by the platform and operatively coupled to the gate pivots the gate to vary throat size and gate surface attitude.
Inventors
- 👤 Francis H Holland
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:47
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02F; E02F3/00; E02F3/04; E02F3/76; E02F3/7695
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
291 words
In an excavation and conveying apparatus which includes a horizontal loader platform movable relative to a stationary earth formation and supported between leading and trailing prime movers with said platform having fixedly secured thereto at its leading end, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined, rectangular, excavation blade defining a horizontal cutting edge with the blade extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the platform, the improvement comprising: a first upwardly and rearwardly inclined, longitudinal endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation on said platform with its leading end underlying the trailing edge of the horizontal cutting excavation blade, a second transverse endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation below and to the rear of the raised trailing end of the first endless conveyor belt for receiving excavated material and for transporting said material transversely to a position to one side of the platform and above an underlying haul unit, paired booms extending forwardly of, and being mounted to said trailing prime mover for pivoting about a horizontal axis passing through the prime mover track center and being loosely coupled respectively, at their forward ends, to the sides of the platform, and a hydraulic cylinder operatively coupled to the boom on the same side of the platform as the discharge end of the transverse endless conveyor belt, and to the same side of the platform at a point above the coupling connection of that boom to said platform, whereby; extension of the hydraulic cylinder piston rod causes pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis extending through the boom on the opposite side of the platform to effectively swing the discharge end of the transverse conveyor in a relatively large arc to allow the apparatus to adapt itself to haul units of varying height.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
291 words
In an excavation and conveying apparatus which includes a horizontal loader platform movable relative to a stationary earth formation and supported between leading and trailing prime movers with said platform having fixedly secured thereto at its leading end, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined, rectangular, excavation blade defining a horizontal cutting edge with the blade extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the platform, the improvement comprising: a first upwardly and rearwardly inclined, longitudinal endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation on said platform with its leading end underlying the trailing edge of the horizontal cutting excavation blade, a second transverse endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation below and to the rear of the raised trailing end of the first endless conveyor belt for receiving excavated material and for transporting said material transversely to a position to one side of the platform and above an underlying haul unit, paired booms extending forwardly of, and being mounted to said trailing prime mover for pivoting about a horizontal axis passing through the prime mover track center and being loosely coupled respectively, at their forward ends, to the sides of the platform, and a hydraulic cylinder operatively coupled to the boom on the same side of the platform as the discharge end of the transverse endless conveyor belt, and to the same side of the platform at a point above the coupling connection of that boom to said platform, whereby; extension of the hydraulic cylinder piston rod causes pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis extending through the boom on the opposite side of the platform to effectively swing the discharge end of the transverse conveyor in a relatively large arc to allow the apparatus to adapt itself to haul units of varying height.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
208 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform includes an extension portion overlying said trailing prime mover, said platform extension portion supporting a source of motive power for said conveyor belts to the side of said first longitudinal endless conveyor belt opposite to that facing said haul unit, said second transverse endless conveyor belt being mounted such that one end of the same extends beyond the side of The first endless conveyor belt facing said motive power source, said endless conveyor belts being mounted by way of respective drive rollers carried on said platform extension portion at the discharge end of said first endless conveyor belt with said belt trained thereabout, and at the inboard end of said second transverse endless conveyor belt with said second belt trained thereabout and being generally in line with said power source, shaft means extending from said power source, and transmission means operatively coupling said drive shaft to respective drive rollers for said belts to effect belt movement, whereby, the position of said motive power source and said belt drive transmission means generally overlies said horizontal pivot axis for said platform to reduce the power requirements in swinging of said discharge end of said transverse conveyor belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
65 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: a gate extending transversely across said platform and being pivotably mounted above said blade about a transverse horizontal axis so as to form with the underlying horizontal excavation blade, a variably sized throat for controlling passage of excavated material over said blade and onto said leading end of said longitudinal endless conveyor belt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
89 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said gate comprises a metal plate curved convexly in transverse cross section facing said blade, such that the throat narrows toward the center of the blade from the cutting edge of said excavation blade and widens from the center of the blade towards the trailing edge of the blade to restrict material input to the conveyor belts but allows the controlled flow of material to ride freely over the blade trailing edge and onto the first conveyor belt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: a pair of diverging deflecting panels fixed to said platform and extending forwardly from a position to the rear of the leading end of the first longitudinal endless conveyor belt and terminating at a forward position beyond the horizontal excavation blade, said panels being fixed respectively to each side of said horizontal excavation blade and acting in conjunction with said blade and said gate to form said variably sized throat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
136 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: a pair of depending ears are fixed to respective sides of said plate, adjacent the deflecting panels and depend from said plate, and said means for pivotably mounting said plate to said platform comprises pins fixed to respective deflecting plates and being pivotably received by respective ears, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a hydraulic cylinder fixedly mounted to said platform and centered relative to said gate, said hydraulic cylinder including an extendable and retractable piston rod fixed at its outboard end to said gate, forward of the pivot axis and being movable under applied hydraulic fluid pressure to selectively adjust the angular position of said gate to vary the size of the throat formed between said plate, said excavation blade and said deflecting panels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a gate extending transversely across said platform and being pivotably mounted above said blade about a transverse horizontal axis so as to form with the underlying horizontal excavation blade, a variably sized throat for controlling passage of excavated material over said blade and onto said leading end of said longitudinal endless conveyor belt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said gate comprises a metal plate curved convexly in transverse cross section facing said blade, such that the throat narrows toward the center of the blade from the cutting edge of said excavation blade and widens from the center of the blade towards the trailing edge of the blade to restrict mAterial input to the conveyor belts but allow the controlled flow of material to ride freely over the blade trailing edge and onto the first conveyor belt.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a pair of diverging deflecting panels fixed to said platform and extending forwardly from a position to the rear of the leading end of the first longitudinal endless conveyor belt and terminating at a forward position beyond the horizontal excavation blade, said panels being fixed respectively to each side of said horizontal excavation blade and acting in conjunction with said blade and said gate to form said variably sized throat.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
136 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein: a pair of depending ears are fixed to respective sides of said plate, adjacent the deflecting panels and depend from said plate, and said means for pivotably mounting said plate to said platform comprises pins fixed to respective deflecting plates and being pivotably received by respective ears, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a hydraulic cylinder fixedly mounted to said platform and centered relative to said gate, said hydraulic cylinder including an extendable and retractable piston rod fixed at its outboard end to said gate, forward of the pivot axis and being movable under applied hydraulic fluid pressure to selectively adjust the angular position of said gate to vary the size of the throat formed between said plate, said excavation blade and said deflecting panels.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
179 words
In an excavation and conveying apparatus which includes a horizontal loader platform movable relative to a stationary earth formation and supported between leading and trailing prime movers and wherein said platform has fixedly secured thereto at its leading end, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rectangular excavation blade defining a horizontal cutting edge with the blade extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the platform and said platform further comprises at least one upwardly and rearwardly inclined, endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation on the horizontal platform with its leading end underlying the trailing edge of the horizontal excavation blade to move excavated material deposited thereon away from said horizontal excavation blade, the improvement comprising: a gate extending transversely across the platform and above the blade, said gate comprising a metal plate pivotably mounted to said platform for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis near its rear edge and forming with the underlying horizontal excavation blade, a variably sized converging throat to press the excavated material downward onto the blade and towards the leading end of said endless conveyor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
179 words
In an excavation and conveying apparatus which includes a horizontal loader platform movable relative to a stationary earth formation and supported between leading and trailing prime movers and wherein said platform has fixedly secured thereto at its leading end, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rectangular excavation blade defining a horizontal cutting edge with the blade extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the platform and said platform further comprises at least one upwardly and rearwardly inclined, endless conveyor belt mounted for rotation on the horizontal platform with its leading end underlying the trailing edge of the horizontal excavation blade to move excavated material deposited thereon away from said horizontal excavation blade, the improvement comprising: a gate extending transversely across the platform and above the blade, said gate comprising a metal plate pivotably mounted to said platform for rotation about a transverse horizontal axis near its rear edge and forming with the underlying horizontal excavation blade, a variably sized converging throat to press the excavated material downward onto the blade and towards the leading end of said endless conveyor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
91 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said metal plate is convex in lateral cross section facing the blade such that the throat narrows at the center of the blade from the cutting edge and widens from the center towards the trailing edge of the blade to restrict material input to the conveyor, force the excavated material onto the blade as the apparatus moves forward and permit the controlled flow of material to freely ride over the blade trailing edge and to fall onto the conveyor belt.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
71 words
The excavation and conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a pair of diverging deflecting panels fixed to the platform and extending forwardly from positions on respective sides of the conveyor belt to a point extending beyond the leading edge of said horizontal excavation blade and acting in conjunction with said blade to facilitate deposition and controlled flow of excavated material onto the leading end of said endless conveyor.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |