Transfer bridge for coarse bulk materials
AssigneeThyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (USA), Inc.
InventorMartin S. Lurie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A material handling machine for transferring discrete loads of excavated, uncrushed waste from an excavator or other excavation equipment to a dumping location beyond the reach of the excavator. The material handling machine may include a mobile bridge supported by two or more crawlers. The material handling machine may further include at least one skip that is selectively moved between a first end and a second end of the mobile bridge. The at least one skip may receive material from excavation equipment at the first end and deposit the received material proximate the second end. When the material handling machine includes two skips, one skip may be positioned above the other skip, or the skips may be positioned to be side-by-side.
Claims23
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- a mobile bridge including a first end and a second end distal the first end;
- a conveyance mechanism operatively joined to the mobile bridge and configured to move materials between the first end and the second end of the mobile bridge;
- and
- an intermediate transfer mechanism configured to receive materials from excavation equipment and discharge materials to the conveyance mechanism,
- wherein for each load of materials received from the excavation equipment, the intermediate transfer mechanism discharges said load of materials to the conveyance mechanism,
- wherein the intermediate transfer mechanism discharges each load of materials to the conveyance mechanism at a controlled rate.
A method of operating a material handling apparatus, the method comprising:
- receiving a first load of material from excavation equipment into an intermediate transfer mechanism disposed at a first end of a mobile bridge;
- discharging the first load of material from the intermediate transfer mechanism to a conveyance mechanism that is operatively joined to the mobile bridge at a controlled rate;
- moving the first load of material from the first end of the mobile bridge to a second end of the mobile bridge via the conveyance mechanism;
- and
- configuring the intermediate transfer mechanism in a state where the intermediate transfer mechanism is ready to receive a second load of material from the excavation equipment.
A material handling apparatus comprising:
- an intermediate transfer mechanism configured to receive materials from excavation equipment and to discharge materials;
- a foot element that is movable between a lowered position where the foot element rests on the ground and supports the intermediate transfer mechanism at least when the intermediate transfer mechanism receives materials from the excavation equipment, and a raised position where the foot element is spaced apart from the ground at least when the intermediate transfer mechanism is moved from a first location to a second location, wherein a movement from the lowered position to the raised position comprises a shearing movement or a sliding movement of the foot element relative to the ground;
- and
- a shock-absorbing mechanism disposed between the intermediate transfer mechanism and the foot element, wherein the shock-absorbing mechanism transfers an impact load from the intermediate transfer mechanism to the foot element in the lowered position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.