Transportation device

Claim 2

Apparatus for conveying particulate material from a lower level to a higher level comprising a first conveyor combination including a casing and a spiral drive element arranged rotatably in said casing, a second conveyor combination coupled to said first conveyor combination and including a casing inclined upwardly with respect to the casing of said first conveyor combination and a shaftless spiral drive element comprising a spiral screwblade arranged rotatably in said casing, said casing of the first conveyor combination having a discharge opening located axially of the first casing, said second casing having a boundary wall provided with a feed opening communicating with the discharge opening of the first casing, said spiral drive element of the first conveyor combination having a terminal end closely adjoining a region through which said screw blade of said shaftless spiral drive element of the second conveyor combination passes when said spiral drive element rotates, said casing of the second conveyor combination including a portion having a cross-section defining a corner.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spiral, drive element in said first casing comprises a shaftless spiral.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 comprising an elongated body coaxially arranged with respect to the shaftless spiral in the first conveyor combination in a region adjoining a free end of the shaftless spiral.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said screw blade of the second conveyor combination has a width representing 20 to 40% of the diameter of the blade.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the width of the screw blade is between 25 to 35% of the diameter of the blade.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said casing of the second conveyor combination has a discharge section of substantially circular cross section.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a third conveyor combination including a substantially horizontal casing and a shaftless spiral drive element comprising a spiral screw blade rotatably arranged in said casing, means coupling said casing of the third conveyor combination to a discharge section of the second casing, the third casing having a downwardly facing feed opening communicating with the discharge section of the second casing, said shaftless spiral drive element of the third conveyor combination extending adjacent to said feed opening, said casing of the third conveyor combination having a discharge section provided with at least one discharge opening through which the material is discharged.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the means which couples the second and third casings includes a rotatable coupling which provides a rotation of said third casing around said second casing such that the position of the discharge opening of the third casing can be adjusted.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rotatable coupling permits rotation of said third casing around an axis coincident with the second casing.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the second casing is vertical.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said feed opening of the third casing and the discharge section of the second casing remain in communication during rotation of said third casing with respect to said second casing.

Claim 13

Apparatus for conveying particulate material from a lower level to a higher level comprising a first conveyor combination including a casing and a spiral drive element arranged rotatably in said casing, a second conveyor combination coupled to said first conveyor combination and including a casing inclined upwardly with respect to the casing of said first conveyor combination and a shaftless spiral drive element comprising a spiral screwblade arranged rotatably in said casing, said casing of the first conveyor combination having a discharge opening located axially of the first casing, said second casing having a boundary wall provided with a feed opening communicating with the discharge opening of the first casing, said spiral drive element of the first conveyor combination having a terminal end closely adjoining a region through which said screw blade of said shaftless spiral drive element of the second conveyor combination passes when said spiral drive element rotates, said casing of the second conveyor combination including a portion having a cross-section with a substantially longitudinally extending internal rib.

Claim 14

Apparatus for conveying particulate material from a lower level to a higher level comprising a first conveyor combination including a casing and a spiral drive element arranged rotatably in said casing, a second conveyor combination coupled to said first conveyor combination and including a casing inclined upwardly with respect to the casing of said first conveyor combination and a shaftless spiral drive element comprising a spiral screwblade arranged rotatably in said casing, said casing of the first conveyor combination having a discharge opening located axially of the first casing, said second casing having a boundary wall provided with a feed opening communicating with the discharge opening of the first casing, said spiral drive element of the first conveyor combination having a terminal end closely adjoining a region through which said screw blade of said shaftless spiral drive element of the second conveyor combination passes when said spiral drive element rotates, said casing of the second conveyor combination including a portion having a cross-section with a substantially longitudinally extending internal rib.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said spiral drive element in said first casing comprises a shaftless spiral.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 comprising an elongated body coaxially arranged with respect to the shaftless spiral in the first conveyor combination in a region adjoining a free end of the shaftless spiral.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said screw blade of the second conveyor combination has a width representing 20 to 40% of the diameter of the blade.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the width of the screw blade is between 25 and 35% of the diameter of the blade.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said casing of the second conveyor combination has a discharge section of substantially circular cross section.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a third conveyor combination including a substantially horizontal casing and a shaftless spiral drive element comprising a spiral screw blade rotatably arranged in said casing, means coupling said casing of the third conveyor combination to a discharge section of the second casing, the third casing having a downwardly facing feed opening communicating with the discharge section of the second casing, said shaftless spiral drive element of the third conveyor combination extending adjacent to said feed opening, said casing of the third conveyor combination having a discharge section provided with at least one discharge opening through which the material is discharged.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the means which couples the second and third casings includes a rotatable coupling which provides a rotation of said third casing around said second casing such that the position of the discharge opening of the third casing can be adjusted.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said rotatable coupling permits rotation of said third casing around an axis coincident with the second casing.

Claim 23

Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the second casing is vertical.

Claim 24

Apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein said feed opening of the third casing and the discharge section of the second casing remain in communication during rotation of said third casing with respect to said second casing.