Hydraulically operated blanket batch charger

A blanket charger for feeding raw batch to a glass making furnace, said blanket charger of the type having a main support frame with a raw batch hopper chute thereon and a reciprocable charger plate positioned under the hopper chute for receiving raw batch material therefrom, the improvement comprising:

• fluid driven actuation means for reciprocating said charger plate and for regulating a stroke length and travel speed of said charger plate;
• wherein the fluid actuation means includes first and second limit switch means mounted on the support frame adjacent said reciprocable charger plate and further includes firs and second adjustable striker rod means mounted on said charger plate, each of said striker rod means adapted to engage a respective limit switch at a forward stroke and at a rearward stroke of said charger plate and wherein a desired travel distance of said forward and rearward strokes may be obtained by selective adjustment of said striker rod means;
• and wherein each of the first and second striker rod means comprises a block member secured to the charger plate, said block member having a horizontal bore and a vertical bore formed therein for slidably receiving a rod member in said horizontal bore, said rod member having a plurality of spaced-apart, transverse bores formed therethrough for incremental registry with the vertical bore of said block member, a removable locking pin for placement through said vertical bore of said block member and a selected transverse bore of said rod member to prevent relative movement therebetween, said rod member also having a threaded coaxial bore formed at one end thereof to receive a threaded adjustment rod therein, a striker plate assembly adapted to engage one of said limit switched positioned on said threaded adjustment rod and selectively movable therealong.