Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 The present invention relates to an apparatus for
emptying bulk material in a cargo or storage chamber comprising
at least one raking device which is arranged to move the bulk
material in one of the main directions of the chamber and which
is movable vertically and transversely of the direction of motion
of the bulk material.
A device of this type is shown for instance in French
Patents 1,343,751 and 911,594. By the use of such devices, for
instance in a ship, for unloading the ship, it will be necessary
to move the bulk material up an inclined plane to one or more
band conveyors running transversely of the direction of the
bulk material is being moved by the raking devices. The band
conve~ors take up space and thus reduce the net cargo volume
of the room. Furthermore, since the band conveyors are placed
near the bottom of the ship, access for repair and maintenance
work is difficult.
In certain shipboard uses, especially in larger ships,
frames, reinforcing plates and webs often protrude into the cargo
space, thus making it impossible for the raking devices to
remove the bulk material adjacent to the outer walls of the
cargo space. Furthermore, the raking devices will not be able
to cover the entire cross section of the cargo space should the
cargo space have varying width in the vertical direction since
the guiding beams of the raking devices are dependent upon verti-
cal guides.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus foremptying a cargo or storage chamber of the above type which over-
come the deficiencies and drawbacks mentioned above.
~ In accordance with the invention, there is provided an
apparatus for emptying bulk material from a storaqe chamber, said
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1 apparatus comprising rake means in said storage chamber for
transporting material in the chamber in one direction therein for
external discharge from said chamber, a guide beam in said chamber
extending transversely with respect to said one direction, means
supporting said rake means on said guide beam for slidable movement
thereon means supporting said guide beam for vertical movement
thereof said guide beam including means for varying the length
thereof for adapting the length of the guide beam to varying width
of the storage chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the
drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a transverse cross section throuqh the cargo
space of a ship in which emptying apparatus according to the
invention is installed without a bulky horizontal band conveyor
in the lower part of the cargo space;
Figure 2 is a cross section of a cargo space having varying
widtn in the vertical direction;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section through the
cargo space of the ship with the apparatus according to the
invention;
Figure 4 shows a part of the apparatus according to the
invention in Figure 1 on a larger scale; and
Figure 5 shows the device in Figure 4 viewed in the direc-
tion of the arrows V-V in Figure 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In Figure 1 is shown a cross section of a ship hull 1
with a cargo space 2 in which is installed a raking device 3.
The raking device is able to move bulk cargo in the longitudinal
3~ direction of the ship, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the
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1 ship, and the raking device 3 is transversely movable relative to
the longitudinal direction of the ship along guidinq beam 4 w~ich
in turn is movable vertically in guides (not shown) at its ends.
Furthermore, at one end of the raking device 3, a similar raking
device 5 is arranged extending at an angle relative to the raking
device 3, preferably transversely i.e. perpendicularl;y to the
latter as shown. The transverse raking device 5 is able to move
the bulk cargo towards a vertical transporting device 6 placed,
for instance, near one side of the cargo space. In the embodiment
shown, the vertical transporting device 6 is in the form of a bucket
conveyor delivering bulk cargo upwardly to a band conveyor 7 on
the deck of the ship. Instead of a bucket conveyor, a screw conveyor
or any other suitable vertical transporting device may be used.
The transverse raking device 5 may be divided into two or more
raking devices delivering bulk cargo to the same or separate vertical
transporting devices. The transverse raking device is movable ver-
tically, for instance by means of suspension members 8 of variable
length. The transverse raking device is preferably held at a some-
what lower level than the main raking device 3 so that a certain
slip angle is obtained from the latter. Thus, the material falls
under the action of gravity, resulting in energy savings.
By using a transverse raking device together with a
vertical transporting device, a higher degree of filling of the
cargo space is obtained since the dead volume beneath inclined
planes leading to the transverse band conveyors, is avoided.
Furthermore, repair and maintenance work becomes easier because the
rakes at all times may be situated above the cargo.
Figure 2 shows how a raking device is installed in a
~ cargo space 2 with substantially varying width in the vertical
direction. The raking device 3 with the guide beam 4 are shown
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1 in solid lines in the upper position and in broken lines in a lower
position. The lower position illustrates how the guide beam 4 is
constituted by two outer sections 4' telescopically arranged in
middle section 4". The outer sections 4' of the guide beam are
equipped at their outer ends with rollers 9 or the like gliding
in guides 10 which generally follow the sidewalls of the cargo space.
The middle section 4" of the guide beam is shorter than the smallest
distance between the guides 10.
The middle section 4" of the guide beam may alternatively
be arranged floating on the two outer sections 4' in order for it
to be movable with the raking device 3 all the way out to the guides
10 even when the guide beam 4 is located in a lower position. There-
by, possible problems are avoided since the raking device 3 does not
have to be moved from the middle seciton 4" to one of the outer
sections 4', or vice versa.
Figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross section through the
cargo space 2. Therein it is seen that the main rake 3 moves bulk
material in the longitudinal direction of the cargo space, to trans-
verse rake 5 which in turn moves the material to the vertical trans-
porting device 6. The main rake 3 is equipped with an excavatingarm means 11 which is movable and pivotably arranged on the rake~ By
means of the excavating arm means 11, bulk material may be extracted
from between frames 12 and stiffening plates 13 so that the main
rake 3, and the transverse rake 5 may respectively move the material
towards the vertical transporting device. Since the excavating arm
means 11 is movable on the rake, it is able to reach all remaining
material between the frames or protrusions so that the vessel in
most cases may be completely unloaded without further equipment.
Figure 4 shows in greater detail an especially suitable
embodiment of the transporting device 6. It is constituted by a
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1 band conveyor with buckets 14 attached to a number of endless chains
15 running over upper and lower driving and turning wheels 16,
of which only the lower one is shown.
That part of the bucket conveyor which at any time lies
below the level of the surrounding bulk material, is protected by
plates 17 which are attached to chains which run over lower turning
wheels 19. The plates 17 and the chains 18 together form a roll-
front type device whose upper edge 20, as is best shown in Figure 5,
may be lowered to expose the bucket conveyor as the level of the
bulk material is reduced. The upper edge 20 of the roll-front
device is at all times held somewhat lower than the transverse
rake 5 so that the bulk material may slide from the end of the rake
down into the buckets 14 of the conveyor.
The expression "vertical transporting device" used in the
preceding description is not meant to be restricted to a transport-
ing device arranged absolutely vertically in the space, but may
comprise any suitable transporting device able to move the bulk
material from a lower to a higher level. Furthermore, move than
one vertical transporting device may be arranged in a single space
where this may be deemed expedient.
Although various embodiments have been described herein
in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit
of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
