US1750081A - Differential helical chute - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1930. R. F. WOOD ET AL 7 1,750,081

DIFFERENTIAL HELIGAL CHUTE Filed Sept. 13. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l WWW March 11, 1930. R. F. WOOD ET AL DIFFERENTIAL HELICAL GHUTE Filed' Sept. 13, 1928 2 Sheets-$heet 2 v Z. @ZHeoZler Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED PATENT OFFICE meat essm; EELIQAL GHITTE."

Application filed; September 13, 1923, Serial no, 305,793,

Thisinvention relates to an improved-type of chute designed for the purpose of delivering free flowing materials at designated heights.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a lowering chute designed to permit materials to be taken therefrom atvarious heights and distributedto suitablereceiving bodies.

Another objectof the invention i-s-to provide a substantially helical chute made up of a series of spaced superposed substantially helical leaves in whichthe lower edge of one leaf overlies and is spaced from the upper edge of the next lowerleaf for thepurposeof permittingthe introduction of" one end ofa straight chute at any pointto; facilitate lateral distribution of material, the openings or spaces between the leaves further being effective and allowing the material to run free from the chute in the event that any one of the lower leaves becomes blocked as a re suit of a clogging of the lower lip of that leafi Another object ofthe invention is to provide a lowering chute made up of a series of" spaced superposed: helical leaves in which the pitch or rate of drop of the surface of the leaves is variable as a result of which a proper velocity of deli-very of the material is obtained by selecting a proper rate of change in the pitch of the leaves.

As an example, the top leaf of the series 5 may have a pitch of substantially 45 upwardly.

Thebottomi leaf might havea pitch ofonly the intermediate leaves being graded accordingly between these pitches. A more or less uniformvelocity of the flowing material is "thus maintained;

The i nve-ntion will be best understood from.

a1 consideration of'the; following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawingswforming part ofthis specification, with the understanding, however,

thatthe invention isnotconfine d to any strict conformity with the showing ofthe drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark noinateri-al departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims: i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device constructed in accordance with our. inventlon;

Figure 2 is aplan view of the chute;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of'one of the leaves particularly illustrating the supporting means for the same Figure 4 is a detail section illustratingthe relation of the lower or dischargeed ge ofone chute section with the upper or receiving edge of the next lower section, the position of the ordinary straight chute being illus trated in dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a View of' a blank of material from which the sections are formed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 indicates a verticalupwardly tapering shaft upon which the leaves making up the chute structure are mounted, this shaft being positioned in any suitable location as for example beneath a coal trestle, upon which, at the upper end of the shaft, 7 may be constructed a suitable hopper 2 for directing material downwardly on to the chute structure.

The chute is made up of a series of leaves 3, each of which is of substantially helical design and mounted upon and with the shaft extending through the longitudinal center thereof. These leaves are originally of semicircular design, each being provided with an eccentric recess 4, thus forming a narrow edge or lip. 5. anda relatively wide edge or lip 6.

When the leaves are placed in position upon the shaft in the inanner shown the wide edge of the lip 5 is positioned abovethe narrow edge and as will be readily seen, after a series of these leaves have. been distributed longitudinally on the shaft in superposed spaced relation with the lower or narrow edge of one leaf substantially directly above the wide edge of the next lower leaf, the result is a broken substantially helical chute.

Due to the method of securing the leaves about a tapered shaft it will be readily seen that the pitch of the upper ones of the leaves will be sharper than that of the lower leaves so that a gradual decrease in the pitch of the chute as a whole is obtained.

While the blades may be mounted upon the shaft 1 in a number of different ways, the preferred method of mounting them is by the use of the elongated bolts 7.

These bolts are designed to extend through suitably formed passages in the shaft leaving an extended portion to project along the under face of the blade, at an adjacent edge of the same, the extended portion being suitably secured to the blade as by welding or in any other desired manner.

Due to the method of mounting the leaves, it will be seen that a straight chute of the character indicated by the numeral 8 may have one end inserted between any pair so that material being lowered by the chute may be conducted laterally to a receiver such as a vehicle, a portion of the body of which is shown in dotted lines and indicated by the numeral 9. It will also be seen that in the event that the material clogs the outlet of the lowest leaf, the opening between the same and the next higher leaf will afford an effective outlet for the material, thus assuring positive action and keeping the chute above the clogged point free and in operation.

The leaves are of a shape which it is believed will accommodate the flow and prevent material from spilling over the sides thereof, one of the advantages of this construction being that these leaves may be made in a manner that will not require the extreme refinement of slope which is necessary forthe efiicient operation of a so-called spiral. Likewise the cost of manufacture will be reduced over that of chutes of this approximate form now in use. In practice the slope of any leaf may be readily determined and if not found entirely effective it may be readily adjusted without affecting any of the other leaves making up the complete structure.

' By the use of the tapered shaft, economy in construction is secured as the leaves may be cut uniformly but when placed in position upon the shaft the desired differential of gradient can be secured, that is, the helical curvature of the lower leaves will be less sharp than that of the upper leaves because of the increased'diameter'of the shaft which they must surround.

From the foregoing description, it is believed to be apparent that a'chute constructed not wish to limit ourselves to these details for it is apparent that supporting means may be provided at the outer periphery of the leaves and also that other means may be em ployed for securing the leaves to the shaft. It is also apparent that the leaves may be of variable dimensions and that they may be formed to the required pitch for use upon straight shafts if desired instead of depending entirely upon the shaft tapered for giving the desired pitch to the leaves.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. A chute comprising a series of spaced superposed substantially helical leaves each having a broad end and a relatively narrow end, and means for supporting the same in operative position.

2. A chute comprising a series of spaced superposed substantially helical leaves arranged with the lower end edge of one leaf adjacent and vertically spaced from the upper end edge of the next lower leaf, and means for supporting the leaves in position.

3. A chute, comprising a supporting shaft, and a series of substantially helical leaves carried by and formed about said shaft, said leaves being arranged in superposed relation with the lower end edge of an upper leaf arranged adjacent the upper end edge of a lower leaf.

4. A substantially helical chute broken at intervals to permit of the insertion between certain convolutions of one end of a lateral lead-off chute.

5. A chute of the character described, comprising a vertical shaft, and a series of spaced superposed eccentrically recessed leaves deformed to a substantially helical design receiving the shaft in the recesses thereof, said eccentric positioning of the leaf recess providing the leaf with a relatively broad and a narrow lip, the narrow lip of one leaf dis- 1chafrging on to the broad lip of the next lower 6. A chute of the character described, comprising a vertical shaft, and a series of spaced superposed eccentrically recessed leaves deformed to a substantially helical design receiving the shaft in the recesses thereof, said eccentric positioning of the leaf recess providing the leaf with a relatively broad and a narrow lip, the narrow lip' of one leaf discharging on the broad lip of the next lower leaf, said shaft being ofupwardly tapering formation giving to the leaves pitches of downwardly decreasing sharpness.

7 The herein described method of decreasing the pitch of a series of spaced superposed substantially helical leaves assembled to form a spiral lowering chute consisting in forming a central supporting shaft of upwardly L5 tapering design and securing the recessed straight edges of a series of substantially semi-circular bodies, deformed to a substantially helical design, to the surface of the shaft.

In testimony whereof We hereunto affix ou signatures.

ROBERT F. WOOD. ERNEST A. HECKLER.

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