Back to results
US 8,616,365 B2Granted
Double-sealed, bearingless, reciprocating conveyor with slat-supporting guide trough subdecks
AssigneeHallco Industries, Inc.
InventorsTimothy M. Berthelsen, Brady L. Byers, Gregory P. Danis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reciprocating slat conveyor includes a plurality of laterally and substantially parallel longitudinal trough-like subdecks and a plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent to and parallel to each other. The slats are in a sliding relationship with a pair of adjacent subdecks and cover the longitudinal space between the pair of adjacent subdecks. The subdecks longitudinally support two adjacent slats at or near a slat longitudinal side edge. The subdecks conduct the movement of the slats, preferably without distinct bearing elements therebetween. Some preferred embodiments include raised double-seal system.
Claims19
A reciprocating slat conveyor for use in a load-holding compartment, said reciprocating slat conveyor comprising:
- (a) a plurality of laterally and substantially parallel longitudinal trough-like subdecks made of a first material, said subdecks in a spaced relationship so as to form a longitudinal space between adjacent subdecks;
- (b) a plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent to and parallel to each other, said slats made of a second material dissimilar to said first material, each slat having a slat top surface, a slat bottom surface, a slat first longitudinal side edge, a slat second longitudinal side edge, and a longitudinal middle span corresponding to longitudinal spaces between adjacent subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being unsupported by said subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being more than 30% of the width of said slat;
- (c) each slat centrally located within said load-holding compartment in a sliding relationship with a pair of adjacent subdecks and covering the longitudinal space between said pair of adjacent subdecks, said pair of adjacent subdecks conducting the movement of said slat;
- and
- (d) each subdeck centrally located within said load-holding compartment longitudinally supporting two adjacent slats at or near a slat longitudinal side edge.
2 more elements
A reciprocating slat conveyor for use in a load-holding compartment, said reciprocating slat conveyor comprising:
- (a) a plurality of laterally and substantially parallel longitudinal trough-like subdecks, said subdecks in a spaced relationship so as to form a longitudinal space between adjacent subdecks;
- (b) a plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent to and parallel to each other, each slat having a slat top surface, a slat bottom surface, a slat first longitudinal side edge, a slat second longitudinal side edge, and a longitudinal middle span corresponding to longitudinal spaces between adjacent subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being unsupported by said subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being more than 30% of the width of said slat;
- (c) each slat centrally located within said load-holding compartment in a sliding relationship with a pair of adjacent subdecks and covers the longitudinal space between said pair of adjacent subdecks, said pair of adjacent subdecks conducting the movement of said slat;
- (d) each subdeck centrally located within said load-holding compartment longitudinally supporting two adjacent slats at or near a slat longitudinal side edge;
- and
- (e) a raised double-seal system comprising first seals and second seals:
- (i) said first seals formed when said slat first longitudinal side edge of one slat is substantially coextensive and in sliding relationship with said slat second longitudinal side edge of an adjacent slat;
- and
- (ii) said second seals formed when upward side projections of said subdeck are substantially coextensive and in sliding relationship with the slat bottom surface of the slats supported by said upward side projections.
6 more elements
A reciprocating slat conveyor for use in a load-holding compartment, said reciprocating slat conveyor comprising:
- (a) a plurality of laterally and substantially parallel longitudinal trough-like subdecks, said subdecks in a spaced relationship so as to form a longitudinal space between adjacent subdecks, each subdeck having a subdeck first upward side projection with a first slat engager thereon and a subdeck second upward side projection with a second slat engager thereon;
- (b) a plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent to and parallel to each other, each slat having a slat top surface, a slat bottom surface, a slat first longitudinal side edge, a slat second longitudinal side edge, and a longitudinal middle span corresponding to longitudinal spaces between adjacent subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being unsupported by said subdecks, said longitudinal middle span being more than 30% of the width of said slat, each slat having a downwardly extending pair of legs including a first leg at or near said slat first longitudinal side edge and a second leg at or near said slat second longitudinal side edge;
- (c) each slat centrally located within said load-holding compartment in a sliding relationship with a pair of adjacent subdecks and covers the longitudinal space between said pair of adjacent subdecks, said pair of adjacent subdecks conducting the movement of said slat;
- (d) each subdeck centrally located within said load-holding compartment longitudinally supporting two adjacent slats at or near a slat longitudinal side edge;
- (e) said first slat engager engaging said slat bottom surface and said slat first leg;
- and
- (f) said second slat engager engaging said slat bottom surface and said second leg.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.