Conveyor or crane beam of extruded aluminum alloy
AssigneeGorbel, Inc.
InventorMichael K. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beam for a bridge crane or conveyor system is extruded from an aluminum alloy in a configuration that disposes thickened regions at four corners of the beam. One pair of these is along opposite edges of a top flange, and another pair is at opposite lower corners of a bottom channel. The thickened regions are formed with alignment pin dowel grooves that can receive dowel pins for aligning butt joints between beams. The thickened regions also contribute to the strength-to-weight ratio of the beam.
Claims19
A conveyor or crane beam comprising:
- an aluminum alloy extrusion configured to form:
- a. a top flange having a plane top extending for the width of the beam;
- b. opposite side edges of the top flange being thickened so that the side edges are thicker than mid-regions of the top flange;
- c. a vertical web extending integrally from the top flange to a bottom flange that extends laterally to approximately the width of the top flange;
- d. opposite side edges of the bottom flange turning integrally downwardly to form channel side walls and integrally inwardly to form a channel bottom having a central bottom slot arranged so that the channel bottom provides a wheel track on each side of the bottom slot for supporting wheeled elements;
- and
- e. opposite bottom corners of the channel being thickened in a region where the channel side walls turn inwardly to the channel bottom so that the bottom corners are thicker than the channel side walls and the channel bottom.
An extruded aluminum alloy beam having wheel tracks arranged on opposite sides of a bottom slot in a channel for carrying wheeled elements, the beam comprising:
- a. a vertical web extending integrally upward from the top center of the channel for a distance of more than the width of the channel;
- b. a top flange extending laterally across the top of the vertical web to about the width of the channel;
- and
- c. thickened regions of the extrusion being formed along opposite side edges of the top flange and along opposite lower corners of the channel where the thickened regions are spaced as far as possible from a neutral axis of the beam.
A crane or conveyor beam comprising:
- the beam being extruded of an aluminum alloy and configured to form:
- a. an integral channel having an upper wall and a pair of opposed side walls, the side walls turning inward and terminating along an open bottom slot to provide parallel wheel tracks on opposite sides of the slot;
- b. the walls of the channel having thickened regions along opposite lower corners where the side walls turn inward to form the wheel tracks;
- c. a vertical web extending integrally upward from a central region of the upper wall of the channel, the vertical web being taller than the width of the channel;
- d. the vertical web terminating in an integral top flange extending laterally of the vertical web to about the width of the channel;
- and
- e. the top flange having a plane top and thickened opposite edge regions turning downward from the plane top.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.