US1624177A - Mechanism for operating ore-bin gates - Google Patents

Description

W. S. OBR

IEGHNISII FOR OPERATING ORE BIII GATES` I mea sopt. e1. 192s 2 Shoots-Shut 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. l2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicEr? WLLIAM S. ORR, OF MASSILLON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO @EEP TRAL ALLOY STEEL CORPORATON, OF MASSILLON, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

IYECHANSM FOR OPERATING ORE-BIN GATES. l

Application filed September 21, 1925.

The presentimprovenilents relate more particularly to means for controlling the discharge of material from bins or hoppers of the type shown for example in U. S. Patcnt No. 702,731 to F. K. Hoover et al., dated June 17, 1902, but it will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to this particular' type of bin or gate any more than it is limited to the handling of any particular kind of material. One object of the invention is to provide means whereby the discharge of material from the bin or pocket, in which it is contained, may be controlled and effected by a car designed to receive such material for the purpose of transporting same. In this way the proper location or spotting of the car is assured and the loading operation may be made more or less automatic. A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for the purpose in hand which will be relatively simple and so free from mechanical troubles, requiring` a minimum amount of attention in its upkeep.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. l is a side elevation with parts shown in section of my improved ore bin gate operating' mechanism, the car whereon such mechanism is in part mounted appearing in end elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such car, the portions of the bin mechanism proper, wherewith the mechanism on the car cooperates, being shown in dotted outline; and Figs. 23 and d are broken front elevations of the bin gate and associated parts.

Only the lower portion of the bin or hopper l, wherein the body of material which is to be transferred to the car 2 is contained, appears in Fig. l. Such bin has converging front and rear walls in combination with a roller 3 journaled below the same and forming a movable bottom wall for the discharge outlet of the hopper. It will be noted that i e. serial No. 57,552. ,my

. the rear wall 4f of the latter extendsnlisubstantially into contact with the periphe ly of roller 3, while the front wall 5 of said'iiopper terminates some distance above),v the roller, and that in the outletopeni gmthus formed, a. series of transverse bars or puvers 6 is mounted. The location of the cylinder or roller 3 relatively to the dischargeubpening of the hopper' is such that whenosaid cylinder' is at rest, the line marking 'thehinderlying angle of repose of the mater al in the hopper falls just within the cy nder and the escape of material by grava .yl is thus checked. The louver bars 6 presenta broken surface for the passage of vmaterialbeing discharged and more or lessagitat'eand break up the latter as well as prevenu the arching of the material in the bottom of the bin which might prevent its free flow downwardly onto the cylinder.

'The mechanism of present interest has to do with the rotation of the roller or cylinder 3 whereby it will thus be seen the discharge of material from the hopper is effected and controlled. The direction of rotation of the cylinder is indicated by the arrow in Fig. l and for the purpose of imparting rotative movement thereto when desired, the cylinder is provided at one end With a large gear 7.

Moreover, in order definitely to stop the discharge of material when a given amount has been received in car 2, which as shown is a scale car designed to weigh and thus measure the quantity Ofsuch material, as is necessary for instance in blast furnace operation, a retarding or guard gate 8 is provided. This gate is intended to extend the` entire length of the drum, being attached to the forward ends of levers 9 that lie beyond the end walls 10 of the corresponding bin and are fulcrumed at points ll adjacent the rear wall d. 'Vhen material is being discharged, the gate will occupy the raised position shown in full lines in Fig. l, but upon disconnecting (as hereinafter described) the gearing provided for rotating the cylinder or roller 3, such gate is dropped into contact with the drum, as shown in dotted outline in said figure.

A scraper 12 is also associated with the roller, being pivotally supported at its respective ends and held in contact with the surface of the roller by means of a tension spring 13.

The mechanism whereby the roller is rotated and the guard gate 8 raised and lowered is located on the scale car. This driving mechanism consists ot a pinion 15 which is adapted to meshv with gear 7, said pinion in turn being driven through an idler pinion 1G, this idler being driven through a train of gears 1T by a motor 18. Pinion 15 is mounted in a supplemental frame or housing 19 that is oscillatory about the same shatt 2O whereon idler pinion 1G is mounted, oscillation ot trame 19 being secured by means ot' a `fluid pressure cylinder 21 provided with a piston 22 that is suitably connccted with said frame. The oscillatory Ytrame 19 also serves to operate the guard gate, being provided to this end with an arm that projects beyond pinion 15 so as to engage with a roller on the lower end oit a link 25, the upper end ot' which is attached to lever 9 forwardly ot the latters tulcrum point 11.. Upward movement ot the trame may bc limited in any suitable way so as to prevent the teeth ot pinion 15 trom meshing too deeply with those of gear T, e. g. by means ot a stop 2G on said trame and a co-operative stop 2T attached to the bin structure or the framework whereby the latter is supported, as will be readily understood.

As a safety precaution, pinion 16 is loose on sha'lt 20 and is located adjacent to a magnetic clutch 3U which when energized grips the pinion and thus transmits power 'l'rom the motor drive to pinion 15. Said clutch will be operated by a push button 31 trom a pulpit 32 or by the lirst point on the controller 33. In place ot such magnetic clutch, any other suitable type ot clutch may 'be employed, the object being to allow the teeth ot pinion 15 and gear 7 easily to slide in mesh. It should be noted in this connection that such teeth will be designed with sharp points so that their ends will not hit in engaging and due to the tact that pinion lo is'loose on. its shatt, said pinion 15 will be tree to revolve enough to adjust itself to the teeth ot the gear 7. The magnetic clutch serves the further purpose ot" permitting slippage in the drive in case the material should in any way lodge against the discharge roller or gate so as to prevent the latter trom turning.

'lhe operation ot the mechanism as a whole may now be briefly set 'tort-h. IV hen the scale car is brought into position beneath the discharge gate ot the bin or hopper. the trame 19 will of course be lowered so that the pinion 15 will not strike the gear T. It will be noted that as shown in Fig. Q, two bins with a corresponding number of operating mechanisms therefor are shown as adapted siniultaneously to discharge into the car, but it ot course is a matter of indill'erence, so 'far as the principle of the ins '8 is raised in the manner hereinbetore indi cated and such pinion thereupon brought into mesh with the gear which it is to drive. AVlotor 1S is then started up and the gate revolved through the magnetic clutch or its equivalent until the proper amount of material has been discharged into the car. li'hen this point is reached, the inverse operation is pertorn'ied, i. e. the air is exhausted trom cylinder 21 so to unmesh the pinion 15 t'rom the gear 7 and the guard gate S is allowed to drop. Thereupon the car may be moved away.

Compressed air is most conveniently employed tor operating the trame 19 on account ol the tact that air will be required tor the purpose ot braking the car and the air cylinder 21 when containing air under pressure will take care ot any misalignment ot track or drooping ot the car due to compression ot the springs thereot by the maf terial being loaded. The. means in question,

in other words, provide a very flexible arrangement and one that makes unnecessary the precise alignment of bin and car. The pinion 15, moreover, will desir-ably have s tace longer than the tace on the gear 'T so as to allow :tor a certain amount of variation in the location of the car.

Other modes ot' applying the principle ot my invention may be .employed instead of the one explained,v change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent ot such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In mechanism ol' the character described, the combination ot a bin having a movable guard and a means whereby material may be discharged from said bin; a car adapted to receive such material when prop- `erly positioned beneath said bin; and means i tor displacing said gua-rd and means for actuating said discharge means carried by and operable from said car;

2. In mechanism ot' the character described, the combination of a bin having a movable guard and a means whereby material may be discharged from said bin; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means tor raising said guard and means for actuating said discharge means carried by and operable from said car.

3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a bin having a lin) movable guard and a means whereby material may be discharged from said bin; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; means tor actuating said discharge means, and means for raising said guard carried by and operable trom said car, said means including a link connected with said guard, and an oscillatory trame mounted on said car and adapted when raised to engage said link and raise said guard.

d. n mechanism of the character described, the combination of a bin having a rotary discharge control whereby material may be discharged from said bin, a movable guard and means carried by and operable from said car adapted successively to raise said guard and thereupon rotate said discharge control.

5. In mechanism of the character described, the combination ot a bin having a rotary discharge control whereby material may be discharged Jfrom said bin and a movable guard; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means for actuating said discharge control carried by and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said discharge control, a pinion bodily movahly supported in said car and adapted in one position to mesh Vwith said gear, and a motor connected to drive said pinion.

6. In mechanism ot the character described, the combination of a bin having a rotary discharge control whereby material may be discharged from said bin; a movable guard adjacent the rotary discharge control; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means for actuating said discharge control carri-ed by and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said discharge control, a pinion bodily movably supported in said car and adapted in one position to mesh with said gear, a motor, and gearing including a clutch capable ot slippage connecting said motor with said pinion.

T. In mechanism ot the character described. the combination ot a bin having a rotary discharge control whereby material may be discharged trom said bin; a movable `guard adjacent the rotary discharge control; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means tor actuating said discharge control carried b v and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said discharge control. a. pinion bodily movably supported in said car and adapted in one position to mesh with said gear, a. motor, and gearing including a magnetic clutch capable of slippage connecting said motor with said pinion.

S. ln mechanism ot the character described, the combination ot a bin having a rotary discharge control whereby material may be discharged from said bin; a movable guard adjacent the rotary discharge control ar car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means tor actuating said .discharge control c rried by and operable trom said car, said means including a gear attached to said discharge control, a pinion bodily movably .supported in said car and adapted in one position to mesh with said gear, a motor, and gearing including a magnetic clutch connecting said motor with said pini-on, said 30 clutch being capable ot slippage and being operable trom a distant point on said car.

9. In mechanism of the character described, thecombination of a bin having` a discharge control in the form of a rotary 35 cylinder whereby material may be discharged trom said bin; a movable guard adjacent the rotary discharge control.; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means for actuatingl said discharge control carried by and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said cylinder, an oscillatory trame mounted on one side ot said car, a pinion carried by said trame and adapted in one position thereof to mesh with said gear, means for oscillating said trame, and a motor connected to drive said pinion.

10. In mechanism of the character described, the combination ot a bin having a discharge contro-l in the form ot a rotarv cylinder whereby material may be discharged trom said bin; a movable guard adjacent the rot-ary discharge control; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means for actuating said discharge control carried by and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said cylinder, an oscillatory :trame mounted on one side ot said car, a pinion carried by said 'trame and adapated in one position thereof' to mesh with .sa-id gear, means for oscillating said frame, an idler pinion co-axial with the axis of oscillation oit the latter, and a motor conneet-ed to drive said idler pinion.

1l. ln mechanism of the character dcscribed, the combination of a bin having a discharge control in the form of a rotary cylinder whereby material may be discharged trom said bin; a car adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means tor actuating said discharge control carried by and operable from said car, said means including a gear attached to said cylinder, an oscillatory trame mounted on one side ot said car,

a pinion carried by said frame and adapted in one position thereof to mesh with said gear, a luidpressure avtualed pisl'on for oscillating said frame, and a inolior connected to drive said pinion.

12. ln mechanism ol the Character described, the combination oli a bin having a gate in the ioini of a rotary cylinder whereby material may be discharged vfrom said bin: a movable guard for Said gate; a ear adapted to receive such material when properly positioned beneath said bin; and means carried by and operable from said cai' adapted successively lo raise said Iguard and l'hei'eupon rotate said gal-e, Said means including` ay gear attached to said cylinder, a link depeniilingi from said guard, a veltieall)v oscillatory frame mounted on one side of said ear and adapted when raised to strike said linl; and raise said guard.y a. pinion carried by said 'Frame and adapted in Such raised posit-ion thereof to mesh with vsaid gear, means for oscillating Said frame, and a motor Connected to drive Said pinion."

Signed by me this 18 day of September, lfli.

VILLAM S. OBR.

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