Idler construction for earth-moving elevator

Claim 1

In an earth moving elevator for use with an open-fronted, tractor-drawn scraper bowl having a frame including a pair of frame members which extend upwardly and rearwardly at the front of the bowl, and which have means at the upper end for pivoting to the bowl, a pair of endless chains consisting of straight links pinned together and carrying transversely arranged flights, the chains having drive sprockets at the upper end of the frame and trained about rollers at the lower end of the frame so that the flights sweep the soil loosened by the blade backwardly into the bowl, a pair of chain idler wheels mounted upon the respective frame members intermediate the ends thereof, the idler wheels being generally coaxial and aligned with the respective chains for supporting the latter in paths of return movement spaced from the frame members, and means for pressing the idler wheels outwardly with respect to the frame, the improvement whereby relatively small idler wheels, having a radius approximately equal to the distance between chain link pin centers, are employed while minimizing noise resulting from the hammering action of successive links of the chain against surfaces of the idler wheels and while minimizing the resulting wear of said chain and said idler wheels, consisting of each of the chain idler wheels having an endless, relatively thick and cylindrically surfaced rim of durable material having a durometer rating in the region of 75 to 95 on the A scale.