US1394699A - van syckle - Google Patents

Description

c. E. VAN SYCKLE. SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR UNLOADER BUCKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1920.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921. T

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. E. VAN SYCKLE. SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR UNLOADER BUCKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY1?, 1920- 7 1,394,699, Patented Oct. 25, 1921 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. E. VAN SYCKLE. SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR UNLOADER BUCKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1920.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- titti? CECIL E. VAN SYCKLE, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T 0 THE WELLMAN-SEAVER- SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR UN LOADER-BUCKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnon. E. VAN SYonLE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Scraper Attachments for Unloader-Bm-kets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a scraper attachment for the buckets of boatunloaders, and has for its chief object to provide a device which can be attached to the bucket and which can be utilized to effectively collect by scraping into piles the ore or-other material which remains in the boat after the bucket without the attachment has removed all of the cargo that it can economically handle.

A further object is to provide a scraper which can be extended so as to give it the proper reach and enable the material under any part of tho decking between hatches or along the sides of the boat to be reached, and which can be collapsed or. reduced in its over-all dimensions so that it can be passed through the hatch openings. In another respect the invention aims to provide means by which the scraper can be extended or collapsed by the movement of the bucket jaws thus doing away with'the necessity of workmen in the hatch either to scrape up the material by hand as heretofore required, or to extend and collapse the scraper.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of con struction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the spe ification and set forth in the appended claims.

Though the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications, and though it can be applied to any of the standard buckets, and may be actuated, 71.6., extended and collapsed by different instrumentalities, in the drawings 1 have shown the preferred form of the scraper, and have shown it applied to buckets of two diflerent types. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a bucket with the scraper attached to one of the jaws, the bucket here shown being of the type known as the telescoping bucket, 6., of the type wherein both jaws can be moved simultaneously in the same direction along the bottom of the leg of the unloader; Fig. 2

13 21 bottom view of the same, omitting much of the bucket operatlng mechanism; Fig. 3 IS a conventional or diagrammatic representation of the bucket of Fig. 1, with the" scraper atta hed to one of the jaws, with the scraper in its collapsed or folded position; F g. 4 a bottom view of the same; Fig. 5 1s a v1ew similar to Fig. 3, with the aws fully telescoped or moved laterally the maximum amount from the center of the unloader leg, and showing the scraper unfolded or extended ready for use; Fig. 6 is a bottom view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a front or face view of the attachment with parts in the unfolded or extended position, the attachment being applied to a bucket jaw; F g. 8 1s a top plan view of the same; Fig. 9 1s a sectional view substantially along the line 99 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 10 is a view showing the invention applied to a bucket of the nontelescoping type, that is to say, to a bucket of the type having jaws which swing relative to each other only, and are not capable of simultaneous movement in one dlrection or the other with reference to the axis of the leg of the unloader.

Large boats carrying ore, coal, and like materials are generally unloaded by a machine known as the Hulett unloader which removes the material from the boat by a grab bucket, generally of many tons capacity, the bucket being supported at the bottom of a vertical leg which at its upper end is connected to a walking beam supported on a trolley movable back and forth at right angles to the face of the dock on a bridge which travels on a runway lengthwise of the dock and of the boat to be unloaded.

In operating this unloader the bucket and the lower part of the leg are lowered into the hatch, with the bucket jaws open. Then the operator who is stationed in the leg causes the bucket jaws to be closed so as to pick up a load, and then the leg is elevated by rocking the walking beam. This is followed by a backward movement of the carriage which carries the walking beam, leg and bucket back over the dock, and then the bucket jaws are opened so as to allow the material to fall into a hopper or chute or other receiving member which delivers the material into conveyers such as cars, or onto a storage pile. These operations are repeat ed until the hatch has been emptied of all but a small amount which cannot be removed economically by the bucket until it has been scraped up into piles. To do this scraping, it has heretofore been customary ror workmen to enter the hatch of the boat and shovel up the remaining material into piles, after which the bucket is again operated to re move this material also.

The scraping of this material into piles by hand labor is expensive and time consuming, and is not altogether economical for these reasons and for the additionalf reason that the unloader is usually idle until this material in the bottom of the hatch being emptied, has been scraped up onto a pile as just stated.

Different kinds of grab buckets are employed with unloaders of this type, but one which has proven to be most satisfactory is known as the telescoping bucket, due to the fact that it is not only constructed so that the bucket jaws may swing relative to each other to pick up or discharge a load, but to the fact that the jaws may be moved simultaneously in a lateral direction, the object of this feature being to enable the jaws to reach material located not only directly beneath the hatch opening, but laterally thereof as far as the sides of the hatch. Buckets of this type have been used for a long period, and are generally of the type substantially as shown in the patent granted in the name of G. H. Hulett, November 18, 1902, No. 713,987.

To accomplish the objects heretofore stated, e. to eliminate hand labor heretofore utilized in scraping up into piles the material in the bottom of the hatch, I propose to utilize the device constituting the subject matter of the present invention, which device is in the nature of a scraper which is attached to one of the bucket jaws and is operated by the movement thereof.

In order that a scraper suitable for this purpose may have a sufficient reach to scrape up material located under the decking, it is necessary, or at least desirable, that the scraper be collapsible and extensible so that it can be attached to a bucket jaw outside of the boat and lowered through the hatch opening, and may then be extended.

To accomplish these objects, scrapers which may be extended and collapsed in different ways may be provided, though I prefer a construction wherein the scraper is composed of hinged sections which can be folded and unfolded by a swinging motion. This embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings wherein the scraper is composed of a central or main section 10, preferably somewhat longer than the face of the bucket. as illustrated in Fig. 7, and swinging end sections 11 connected to the ends of the middle section 10 by hinges 12. The

mechanism or means for attaching the scraperto a bucket jaw may depend at least to some extent on the type and size of bucket, but with buckets of ordinary construction the attaching means preferably consists of a pair of castings or forgings 12 which are secured to the inner side of the central section 10 and are provided with slots which are adapted to receive the lower or digging edge of the open jaw which is designated 13 (see particularly Fig. 9) and the attaching means further comprises a strap 14.- adapted to be hooked over the upper or outer edge of the jaw, as shown at 15, and connected by links or equivalent means 16 to the top of the middle section 10 of the scraper. As shown in Fig. 7, and other figures, when the scraper is attached it extends across the face of the open jaw of the bucket, and when the scraper is extended, the wings or end sections 1111 extend laterally outward a considerable distance beyond the jaw.

In order that a scraper of this kind may have maximum efiiciency, it is very desirable that it be extended and collapsed by the movement of the jaws of the bucket. This I find can be done effectively both with buckets of the telescoping and non-telescoping types, and though it can be accomplished in different ways which differ in the specific arrangement and manner of connecting and reeving operating ropes I have shown simply one embodiment of this part of my invention for the telescoping bucket, and one for the non-telescoping bucket, the former being illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the latter in Fig. 10. In Fig. 1 the lower part only of the leg which supports the bucket is shown at 17, and though I have shown the jaws 13 and part of the leg 17 in some detail I have not attempted to show the jaw operating mechanism either for swinging the jaws relative to each otherto open or close them, or to move them laterally simultaneously in either direction, since the present invention does not reside in the details of construction, of the jaws of the bucket, or the manner in which the jaws are swung relative to each other or given the socalled telescoping movement, and it will be understood without further illustration and discussion of this part of the mechanism, particularly in view of the Hulett patent already referred to, that suit-able means will be provided to open and close the jaws and to give them the telescoping movement, that is to say, to move them laterally simultaneously with reference to the center of the leg 17.

Reverting again to the mechanism for extending or collapsing the scraper, it will be seen that I utilize for this purpose four ropes two on each side of the bucket. Two of thse ropes, designated 18, and located respectively on opposite sides of the bucket are connected each to one of the wings or end sections 11, as shown 19 and from the latter extends past the jaw to which the scraper isattached, to and around a cross pin 19 of the opposite jaw, and then is anchored at 20 to the lower part of the leg 17. The other two ropes 21 which are likewise located on opposite sides of the bucket, have their inner end anchored at 22 to the lower part of the leg 17, and extend direct to the scraper, their outer ends being connected at 23 to a pair of segment shaped sheaves 2a which are attached to the inner top portions of the two end sections or wings 11 of the scraper. in the ropes 21, coil springs 25 are provided, the purpose of which will be subsequently explained.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the relative position of the parts when the end sections of the scraper are folded inwardly at right angles to the main or middle section. The parts occupy these relative positions when the scraper is attached to the bucket and is inserted through the hatch opening. To extend the scraper the operator has only to impart the telescoping movement to the jaws, or to move them simultaneously in a lateral direction away from the center line of the leg to the positions indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Inasmuch as this movement of the jaws creates a direct pull on the ropes 21,

and since the outer ends of these ropes pass around the segment sheaves 24, which sheaves occupy the position shown in Fig. 4 before the telescoping movement of the jaws, it is obvious that the pull on these ropes 21 during the telescoping movement will rotate the two end sections to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the coil springs 25 then stretching a predetermined amount. During this movement of the jaws the ropes 18 do not prevent this swinging movement of the sections 11 of the scraper since these ropes are looped around the cross pin 19 of the opposite bucket jaw, and therefore the lower part of the cable is moved forwardly substantially twice the distance that the cross pin 19 moves.

In a similar manner, when the two bucket jaws are moved simultaneously in the opposite direction, the ropes 18 pull the end section 11 of the scraper back to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, andby full lines in Figs. 3 and 1, the effective length of the cables 21 then being shortened by reduction in the tension and length of the coil springs 25.

If a non-telescoping bucket iseinployed, the parts of the scraper can be moved from collapsed to extended position, or vice versa, by connecting the ropes as shown in Fig. 10. in which event the ropes are made efi'ective to extend or collapse the scraper by precisely as in the first instance.

swinging the jaws relative to each other a predetermined amount. To extend the end sections of the scraper, two ropes 26 will be employed, these ropes being anchored at 27 on opposite sides of the leg and extending about and bein connected to the sheaves These ropes are provided with coil springs 28 similar to the springs 25 of the arrangement first described. To fold the end sections of the scraper inwardly, two ropes 29 are utilized, these ropes having their outer ends connectet at 30 to the sections 11 of the scraper, and after being looped about a cros pin 81 of the jaw to which the scraper is attached, extending upwardly to and being anchored at 32 to the leg.

When the scraper is applied to the jaws the bucket will not be opened its maximum amount. but the jaws will be in substantially the position shown by .full lines in Fig. 10. Then to extend the scraper the jaws will be swung relative to each other to the position hown by dotted lines. When this movement of the jaws takes place the relative movement between the cross pin 31 of the bucket and the relatively fixed anchorage points 82, allows the ropes 29 to pay out, so to speak, so as to permit the tension of the springs 28 to pull the sections 11 of the scraper to extended position. and when the bucket jaws are swung from the dotted lint position to the full line position of Fig. 10, the pull exerted through the cables 29 by the virtual shortening of these ropes through the action of the cross pin 31 of the jaw pulls the end sections 11 of the scraper inwardly alongside the jaw. and in o doing. stretches the spring 28. giving it the tension required to extend the scraper when the jaws are opened as previously explained.

In the use of my invention. the scraper will be applied outside of the boat, and when applied, the jaws will be at least-partially open and the scraper will be folded or collapsed 50 that the bucket and scraper can be lowered through the hatch opening. Then the operator, whose station is in the upright portion of the leg 17, causes the scraper to be extended either by imparting the telescoping movement to the jaws, if a telescoping bucket is employed, or by swinging the jaws relatively as described in connection with Fig. 10 if a non-telescoping bucket is employed; then with the scraper operating directly on the bottom of the hatch the operator by moving the carriage of the unloader back and forth, will shift the unloader leg and bucket and cause the scraper to scrape up the material into a pile.

After the material in the bottom of the hatch has been scraped up into a pile, the scraper will be collapsed, and then the bucket will be lifted out of the hatch, whereupon the scraper will be removed by an attendant on the outside, and the bucket will then be lowered into the hatch, and the material thus craped up will be removed so that all the material which was previously in the hatch is removed by the bucket without requiring any hand labor in the hatch either to scrape up the material or to adjust the scraper.

It has been found in practice that by the present invention a considerable saving in time and labor is effected in removing all the material from the different hatches of the boat so that both the time and cost of unloading the boat are decreased and the eliiciency of the unloader as a whole is enhanced.

l'laving described my invention, I claim:

It. In combination with a bucket of a boat unloader, a scraper adapted to be applied to one of the jaws of the bucket for scraping into a pile the niaterialat the bottom of a boat hatch by shifting the bucket with the scraper. attached thereto, and means for attaching the scraper to one at the bucket jaws.

in combination with a grab bucket of a boat unloader, a scraper adapted to be secured to the bucket, said scraper being composed of relatively movable sections which enable the scraper to be extended or to be collapsed so that when applied to the bucket it can be passed through a hatch o iiening; which is narrower than the length of the scraper when extended.

3. In combination with an unloading and conveying bucket, a scraper attachment comprising a scraper composed of hinged tions adapted to be swung relatively so as to extend or collapse the scraper, and means for attaching the scraper to the bucket.

i. In combination with an unloading and conveying bucket having jaws adapted to be opened and closed, a scraper composed of relatively movable parts and having means by which it may be attached to the bucket, and means operated by movement of the jaws for relatively shitting said part:

of the scraper to increase or decrease the span or reach of the same.

In combination with an unlo ding and c-OD. 'ing bucket, a scraper attachment comprising scraper members adapted "to be applied to the bucket, said members being relatively movable to extend and collapse the sci-per, and means connected to movable members of the scraper for extending or collapsi the letter when the jaws are given a predetermined movement.

(3. In combination with a bucket of a boat unloader, a scraper adapted to be applied to one ot the jai of the bucket and C0111- prisin g middle section and end sections ada'ited to be folded inwardly alongside the jaw to collapse the scraper and to be swung outwardly into substantial alinement \"ith the middle section to extend the 4. In combination with a bucket of a boat unloader, a scraper adapted to be applied to one of the jaws of the bucket and comprising a middle section and end sections adapted to be folded inwardly alongside the jaw to collapse the scraper and to be swung outumrdly into substantial alinement with the middle section to extend the scraper, and means for swinging the end sections of the scraper.

8. In combination with a bucket of a boat unloader, a scraper adapted to be applied to one of the jaws ot the bucket and COI11- prising a middle section and end sections adapted to be tolded'inwardly alongside the jaw to collapse the scraper and to be swung outwardly into substantial alinement with the middle sect-ion to extend the scraper,

and means connected to the end sections of V the scraper for swinging them relative to the middle section when a predetermined movement is imparted to the jaws of the bucket.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afix my signature.

CECIL E. VAN SYCKLE.

Images