Radial conveyor undercarriage apparatus, systems and methods
AssigneeSuperior Industries, Inc.
InventorsLafe Grimm, Tyler Hein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Radial conveyors and undercarriages therefor are disclosed. Some embodiments include a wheel assembly with transport and operational configurations. In some embodiments, a wheel of the wheel assembly is selectively aligned with a tail pivot of the radial conveyor.
Claims19
A radial conveyor having a transport configuration and an operating configuration, the radial conveyor configured to pivot about a tail pivot axis along a radial travel path in the operating configuration, the radial conveyor configured to travel along a transport travel direction in the transport configuration, the radial conveyor comprising:
- an undercarriage frame;
- a first pivot arm, the first pivot arm being pivotally coupled to a first side of said undercarriage frame for pivoting about a first vertical axis;
- a first wheel support assembly operably supported by said first pivot arm, the wheel support assembly comprising:
- a first rocking member, said first rocking member being pivotally coupled to said pivot arm for pivoting about a first horizontal axis;
- a second rocking member, said second rocking member being pivotally coupled to said first rocking member for pivoting about a second horizontal axis;
- a first axle support, said first axle support being pivotally coupled to said second rocking member for pivoting about a second vertical axis;
- a first wheel rollingly supported on said first axle support;
- a second wheel rollingly supported on said second rocking member;
- a second axle support, said second axle support being pivotally coupled to said first rocking member for pivoting about a third vertical axis;
- and
- a third wheel rollingly supported on said second axle support.
A method of reconfiguring a radial conveyor having first, second, and third wheels supported on a pivot arm between a transport configuration in which the radial conveyor is transported along a linear transport travel direction and an operating configuration in which the radial conveyor travels along a radial travel direction about a tail pivot, the method comprising:
- using the pivot arm, aligning an axis of the second wheel with the tail pivot;
- aligning an axis of the first wheel with the tail pivot;
- aligning an axis of the third wheel with the tail pivot;
- using a locking arm, locking the pivot arm in position such that the axis of the second wheel is aligned with the tail pivot;
- using a first locking mechanism, locking the first wheel in alignment with the tail pivot and
- using a second locking mechanism, locking the third wheel in alignment with the tail pivot.
A radial conveyor having a transport configuration and an operating configuration, the radial conveyor configured to pivot about a tail pivot axis along a radial travel path in the operating configuration, the radial conveyor configured to travel along a transport travel direction in the transport configuration, the radial conveyor comprising:
- an undercarriage frame;
- a first pivot arm, the first pivot arm being pivotally coupled to a first side of said undercarriage frame for pivoting about a first vertical axis;
- a first wheel support assembly operably supported by said first pivot arm, the wheel support assembly comprising:
- a first rocking member, said first rocking member being pivotally coupled to said first pivot arm for pivoting about a first horizontal axis;
- a first axle support, said first axle support operably supported by said first rocking member, said first axle support being pivotable about a second vertical axis;
- a first wheel rollingly supported on said first axle support;
- a second wheel operably supported by said first rocking member;
- a second axle support, said second axle support being pivotally coupled to said first rocking member for pivoting about a third vertical axis;
- and
- a third wheel rollingly supported on said second axle support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.