Coupling device for a scraper conveyor tub

Claim 1

A coupling device between two adjacent tubs of a scraper conveyor for mines, in which each tub comprises side members each having two superimposed lateral branches which are turned towards the inside and have between them an externally open longitudinal groove and which are arranged symmetrically relative to the vertical median plane of the tub, being joined together along a central longitudinal zone by a median plate and which have a preferably inverted M or sigma-shaped profile, said coupling device being of the type comprising a male connecting member integral with one of the ends of a side member, a female connecting member integral with the other end of the same side member, each of said connecting members being equipped with a retaining partition, a longitudinal slot and a lateral access opening issuing into said slot, a connecting spindle having two abutment flanges and which can be inserted into or removed from the slots via the access openings of the said members when the latter are at least approximately aligned and brought adjacent with one another, a recess for one of the abutment flanges located to the rear of the corresponding retaining partition, as well as locking means for preventing the spindle from unexpectedly moving out of the slots of the said connecting members, whereby the flanges of said spindle serve to bear against the corresponding retaining partition so as to permit the transmission of tensile stresses between two adjacent tubs, the male connecting member having a male guidance member or projecting portion which longitudinally projects beyond the corresponding side member and the female connecting member has a female guidance portion such as a connecting cavity serving to receive said male member, wherein the recesses for the abutment flanges are also laterally accessible, like the said access openings, the retaining partition of the male connecting member is located behind the projecting portion of the said member, the cross section of the connecting spindle has, at least during the fitting of said spindle in the slot and during its removal from the said slot different dimensions in at least two directions which are preferably perpendicular to one another, with regard to the retaining partition the width of the access opening of each connecting member is less than the maximum dimension but more than the minimum dimension of the cross section of said spindle and the locking means of said spindle are arranged in such a way as to prevent the spindle from appearing in front of the access opening in a position in which the small dimension of its cross section coincides with the width of the said access opening wherein the locking means of the connecting spindle comprises retaining grips formed in the retaining partitions in the vicinity of the access openings thereof and the rear faces of the retaining partitions each serves as a supporting face against which can bear one of the abutment flanges, and wherein the connecting spindle has a cylindrical shape and, on the one hand, is provided with two parallel flats, spaced from one another by a distance less than the minimum height of the lateral opening and, on the other hand, has a diameter which is at least slightly less than the maximum diameter of the locating slot, but greater than the minimum height of said lateral opening and the locking means of the joining member are arranged in such a way that it is maintained in an angular position relative to the edges of said access openings.