US3905496A — Unloader elevator with energy means to return the…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 337 words

Unloading apparatus comprising: a rigid frame including spaced upright posts, a laterally troughed load-receiver tray guided for free descent within the space between said posts from an elevated position within said space adjacent an upper portion of said frame, said tray having a load-receiving end at one side of said space and a load-departure end at the opposite side of said space, said tray including a floor and a lateral hinged flap, said tray being suspended by a pair of cables each having one end attached to said tray and its other end attached to said frame adjacent said upper portion thereof, each of said cables defining a pendent looped portion, an obstruction block on one of said posts for stopping the descent of only the load-receiving end of said tray at an elevation adjacent a lower portion of said frame so that the load-departure end of said tray may descend to an elevation lower than said elevation whereby said tray is tilted for unloading, and means for holding said flap elevated relative to the floor of said tray, and means to render said flap flush with said floor when said load-departure end of said tray descends to said lower elevation, pneumatic means for storing sufficient energy generated by descent of said tray when loaded to return it to said elevated position within said space upon loss of its load, said pneumatic means comprising: a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod having said piston on one end thereof, a pair of idler pulleys mounted on the other end of said piston rod, each idler pulley being suspended by the pendent looped portion of a respective one of said pair of cables, a compressed air reservoir, and a pipe connection between one end of said cylinder and said compressed air reservoir, said pipe connection including a regulator valve through which air proceeds from said cylinder to said reservoir and a self closing valve through which air may proceed freely from said reservoir to said cylinder.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 337 words

Unloading apparatus comprising: a rigid frame including spaced upright posts, a laterally troughed load-receiver tray guided for free descent within the space between said posts from an elevated position within said space adjacent an upper portion of said frame, said tray having a load-receiving end at one side of said space and a load-departure end at the opposite side of said space, said tray including a floor and a lateral hinged flap, said tray being suspended by a pair of cables each having one end attached to said tray and its other end attached to said frame adjacent said upper portion thereof, each of said cables defining a pendent looped portion, an obstruction block on one of said posts for stopping the descent of only the load-receiving end of said tray at an elevation adjacent a lower portion of said frame so that the load-departure end of said tray may descend to an elevation lower than said elevation whereby said tray is tilted for unloading, and means for holding said flap elevated relative to the floor of said tray, and means to render said flap flush with said floor when said load-departure end of said tray descends to said lower elevation, pneumatic means for storing sufficient energy generated by descent of said tray when loaded to return it to said elevated position within said space upon loss of its load, said pneumatic means comprising: a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod having said piston on one end thereof, a pair of idler pulleys mounted on the other end of said piston rod, each idler pulley being suspended by the pendent looped portion of a respective one of said pair of cables, a compressed air reservoir, and a pipe connection between one end of said cylinder and said compressed air reservoir, said pipe connection including a regulator valve through which air proceeds from said cylinder to said reservoir and a self closing valve through which air may proceed freely from said reservoir to said cylinder.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pair of pulleys are mounted on said piston rod by a clevis, an abutment block on which said clevis rests, and means for adjusting the height of said abutment block whereby said abutment block is height-adjustable and retainable in selected adjustment.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 140 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for holding said flap elevated and to render said flap flush relative to the tray floor comprise: a rotatable shaFt which extends laterally of said tray which has said flap mounted thereon, a latching disc respectively mounted on each end of said shaft, each latching disc having a stepped and flattened peripheral gap formation, resilient loading means for biasing said discs to keep said flap elevated, a pair of trip levers fulcrumed on said tray, each trip lever having a nose portion engageable with said peripheral gap formation of a respective one of said latching discs, resilient loading means for biasing said nose portions into engagement with said gap formations, and a pair of obstruction lugs on said frame for displacing said trip levers when said tray descends to said lower elevation.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein one of said obstruction lugs comprises a spur forming part of a treadle lever fulcrumed on said frame, and said treadle lever is connected to a resilient loading means for biasing said spur into a depressed position, and a locking lever for holding said treadle lever stationary relative to said frame.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

Unloading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said ports comprise four upright posts spaced to define a rectangular space therebetween through any horizontal cross-section of the frame.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 49 words

Unloading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a pair of obstruction blocks including said block, each one of said pair of blocks being mounted on a respective one of a pair of said posts, and said blocks being mounted on said posts at substantially the same elevation.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 45 words

Unloading apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein: said cylinder and said piston rod extend substantially vertically, said piston is on the lower end of said piston rod, and said pipe connection is between the upper end of said cylinder and said compressed air reservoir.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 41 words

Unloading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: flanges on said posts, guide rollers mounted on said frame adjacent each of said ends thereof, said rollers being adapted to ride in said flanges to guide said tray for free descent.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 59 words

Unloading apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein: one of the guide rollers on the load-receiving end of said tray is engageable with said obstruction block for stopping the descent of the load-receiving end whereby when said roller engages said obstruction block said tray tilts about a tilt hinge point formed by said roller and said block engaged therewith.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-09-15	1979-03-17	1979-09-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-09-15	1983-03-17	1983-09-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-09-15	1987-03-17	1987-09-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Unloader elevator with energy means to return the elevator to its loading position

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