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US 4,380,288 AGranted
Conveyor
AssigneeJoy Manufacturing Company
InventorsTheodore B. Bodimer, Joseph S. David, Alexander W. Calder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elongated conveyor having conveying and return traverses formed by an endless conveying element orbitally movable through a closed horizontally extending loop, the length and direction of which may be varied.
Claims5
A conveying apparatus comprising:
- an elongated frame including an elongated, endless guide means;
- a conveying means coextensive with said guide means and including an endless, troughed conveying element and a support means;
- said conveying means being orbitally movable with respect to said guide means through an elongated endless path located laterally adjacent said guide means in such a manner that seriatim portions of said conveying element traverse, in sequence, at least a first elongated portion of said endless path, a discharge portion of said endless path and a second elongated portion of said endless path, wherein a major extent of said first and second elongated portions of said endless path extend longitudinally adjacent the respective laterally opposite sides of said frame, said support means being cooperable with said guide means and said conveying element for cantilever support of said conveying element with respect to said guide means at least during movement of said conveying means through said first elongated portion of said endless path;
- and said support means including a portion thereof cooperable with said guide means and said conveying element to provide support for said seriatim portions of said conveying element with respect to said guide means during traverse thereby of said elongated and said discharge portions of said endless path and to effect movement of said seriatim portions of said conveying element from a first orientation thereof to a second orientation thereof for discharge of material from said seriatim portions during traverse thereby of said discharge portion of said endless path.
1 more element
A support means for supporting an endless, troughed conveying element, said support means comprising an elongated frame including an elongated intermediate portion extending longitudinally intermediate a pair of terminal end portions of said frame;
- said frame including endless guideway means extending longitudinally adjacent the laterally opposite sides of said intermediate portion and around said terminal end portions of said frame;
- a plurality of spaced apart support bracket means cooperably engageable with said guideway means and extending laterally outward therefrom for cantilever support of respective seriatim portions of such a conveying element with respect to at least a major longitudinal extent of said guideway means in a respective longitudinally extending portion of an endless path defined laterally outwardly adjacent said guideway means;
- and said support bracket means being orbitally movable with respect to said guideway means for guiding the respective seriatim portions of such conveying element for orbital movement thereof about such an endless path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.