Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Flight conveyors employing a central chain with
elongated flights extending laterally in opposite directions
from spaced sides of the center chain are extensively used
for the conveying of material. Theqe types of flight
conveyors travel over flat surfaces wherein the laterally
extending flights cooperate with the flat surfaces or
deck to move material therealong. Where such flight con-
veyors are used on loading machines, the flights are
required to move heavy materials, such as large masses of
coal, rock, iron ore, and the like, along the deck plate~.
In such structures the flights travel closely to the deck ~ -
plates in a manner which results in large bending stresses at
the flight connecti.ons to the chain as a result of irregular
surface or sudden jarring as where large chunks of material
drop from above onto the flights. Furthermore, inasmuch
as the flights cantilever outwardly from the chain con- -
nections, such connections are subject to repeated stress
reversals which result in residual fatigue stress within the ~
connecting section. Still further, in instances where the ~`
flight conveyors are used in a longwall mining ~ystem the '-
chain quite often will travel around slight semi-sinusoidal
bends thereby resulting in applied moment in the horizontal ;
direction being directed to the flight connections. In view
of these conditions it is desired that the flight connection
to the chain and the section modulus across the flights be
sufficiently large to resist the applied moment and residual
stresses.
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Prior flight conveyor configurations, for example
as illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 3,103,275, have generally -
connected a pair of transversely spaced flights to the
conveyor chain by two transverse pins extending through the
flight flanges and coaxially aligned chain links. These
configurations have worked adequately in many instances;
however, they often fell short of providing sufficient
section to resist applied moment and residual stresses.
By means of the present invention which includes
a built up flight section at the connection portion in
conjunction with a third connecting pin on an axis vertically
spaced from the lower connecting pins, a flight havin~ a
greater section modulus and increased structural rigidity is
achieved without significantly effecting the operating profile `
of the flight conveyor or creating weak sections at the flight `-;
connection.
Broadly stated, the present invention is de~ined
as an improvement in a flight conveyor having a plura~ity of ;
spaced pairs of axially aligned elongated flights which extend ';
outwardly from opposite sides of a center driven chain connect-
ing portions of a conveyor chain, the improvement comprising: ;
the flights having flight connecting portions adjacen-t the
inner axial ends thereof; a pair of elongated transversely
spaced connecting pins each of which extends in the longitudinal
direction of the flights and communicate between a respectlve
chain connecting portion and the flight connecting portions ;~
of a pair of the flights to secure the pair of flights to
~he connecting portions; the respective longitudinal axes of
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each of the connecting pins in a spaced relationship extenaing
at a common elevation and in a common horizontal plane; a~
least a third elongated connecting pin rigidly communicating
between the flight connecting portions of the pair of the
flights; and the longitudinal axis of the third connecting
portion being parallel to and at an elevation higher than
the axes of t~e first mentioned connecting pins and at an
elevation higher than the uppermost surface of the chain
connecting portions.
These and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will become more readily apparent upon a reading of
the following description and drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a flight conveyor
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention having a pair of flights connected to a pair of
universal joints of a suitable roller chain structure;
Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of the ,
pair of flights illustrated in Fig. l; and
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view across the flight
connecting sectlon taken on lines 3--3 of Fig. 2. '
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Flight conveyor 10 comprises a suitable elongated
conveyor chain 12, of which only the connection joints 14
are lllustrated; and a pair of elongated flights 16 which
extend laterally in opposite directions from transversely
spaced sides of connection joints 14.
Connection joints 14 are of a type quite well
known in the art and as illustrated each joint 14 comprises
two generally cylindrical tubular members 18 and 20 having
laterally spaced parallel axes which extend transversely ;~
of the longitudinal axis of the conveyor chain. The members
18 and 20 each have cooperable laterally extending portions
which are suitably horizontally pivotally connected to- ~-
gether by a vertically extending pin 22. In as~embly,
member 18 is received between a pair of flights 16 in a
manner as described hereinafter, and member 20 is horizon-
tally pivotally connected to adjacent links of conveyor
chain 12 in a well known manner. It is to be noted that
connection joints 14 as illustrated are also known as a
universal joint and is fully illustrated in U.S. Patent ;
No. 3,103,275; however, the invention herein will be
equally applicable to a ~ingle articulated joint 14 of
the type which is illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 2,761,548.
The flights 16 may be of any suitable configura- ;
tion and are illustrated as having a generally "T" shaped
cross section along the major longitudinal extent thereof
with the stem of the "T" extending upwardly and having
the inner end connecting portion 24 thereof of a differing
cross-sectional configuration. Connecting portion 24
includes a main base portion 26 of a generally rectangular
configuration with the elongated or long side thereof
extending in a direction generally transverse to the
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longitudinal axis of the flight 16. Base portion 26 ~`
includes a pair of longitudinally spaced pin receiving
bores 28 therethrough which are each adapted to receive
a flight connecting pln 30 therethrough in a manner as
described hereinafter. The longitudinal axis of spaced
bores 28 are at a common elevation.
A secondary connecting portion32has a generally
triangular cross section and extends upwardly from base
portion 26. The outer edges of portion 32 are coincident
with the respective axial ends of base portion 26 and
portion 32 tapers upwardly and inwardly therefrom in a
manner that the uppermost portion 34 thereof lies at the
apex of the triangular cross section of portion 32 and
is intersected by a plane extending through the longitud~
inal axis of flight 16. The upper most extent of portion ~
34 includes an upwardly open groove 40 therein which -
extends transversely ~hereacross and Is adapted to receive ~;~
an end portion of a secondary flight pin 42 therein in a
manner as described hereinafter.
In assembled position an adjacent pair of tubular
connecting members 18 are positioned intermediate a spaced t
pair of oppositely extending flights 16. The members 18
are then cosxially aligned with respective bores 28 o~
the spaced flights 16 and a pair of connecting pins 28
are then received through the aligned openings and members
18. After reception, the pins 28 are firmly secured into
position with respect to flights 16 in any suitable manner,
for example by welding at axial end points 44 directly to
flight connecting portion 24. The particular connecting
portion arrangement de~cribed hereinabove is generally used
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in prior art; however, the usage ofthe secondary connecting
pin 42 and the secondary connecting portion 32 is the
primary unique feature of this invention. With connecting
members 18 and flights 16 po~itioned as described herein-
above a secondary connecting pin 32 is positioned within
aligned grooves 40 and firmly secured into position for
example by welding at end points 46.
The invention herein relates to an improved
flight connection arrangement and it iB contemplated that
10 those skilled in the art may make changes to the embodiment
described hereinabove without departing from the scope of
the invention, for example: upper portions 34 may have
~- bores therethrough rather than the grooves 40; the con-
figuration of secondary portion 32 may be varied; more than
one secondary pin 42 may be used so long as additional
aligned receiving grooves or bores are provided in portion
:- 32; and the like. Accordingly, the scope of this invention ~ .
is to be defined only by the scope of the claim3 appended
hereto.
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