Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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r~~TitACT
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~C1N'V»YQR FOIL RAISING LUGS
This invez~ti~ is in the field of equipment far handling logs and in
particalax chain
conveyors for raising logs from one locations to another, such as from a float
pond up and
onto a conveyor.
BACT~GROUND
In pulp rniIls and like log handli~tg facitlitie$ it is often reduired to
transfer logs floating in a
pond onto a conveyor fc~r transfer to another location. Chaixt conveyors are
coznzx~anly used
to accomplish this task. The chain conveyor typically comprises a pair of
spaced apart . r
conveyor chains with conveyor slats attached perpendicularly across the
conveyor chains at
regular intervals and extending out from the conveyer ahauns. The lower end of
the chain
conveyor is below the surface of the pond, and the chain canvc;yar slopes
upward to the
n
uypcr end located just above a belt conveyor oriented substantially
perpendicular to the chain
0
conveyer. ,As the slats move out of the water a 1vg is pickod up such that the
log lie~r; alarig
the slat. The log is carried up to the tap end where it drops onto a conveyor
belt, and is
carried away. -
A problem with these chain conveyors is that the slats are often damaged and
must be
replaced. Typically the slats arc angle irons oriented with the legs against
the chain and the
apex above the chain. In this orientation Ivgs rest aganz~t a leg of the angle
iron and are
carried up the conveyor.
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The edges of the legs do not provide suf~.cicnt surface area to weld iza order
to provide a weld
that will withstand the stresses encountered by the slat when operating. To
provide the
required welding surface, an insert is welded into the hollow V of the angle
iron at locations
corresponding to the sidebars of a single link on each conveyor chain. The
battonn edge of
each insert corresponds to the top edge of each selected sidebar, az~d the
edges are welded
togethez~ to secure the slat. Typically the slats extend well past the
conveyor chair) on each
side, requiring the welder installing the slat to weld under the angle iron on
each side,
necessitating welding at poor angles and with limited visibility_
To replace a slat the original weld must be cut between each insert and
sidebar, again with
difficult access, the link must be ground smooth to fxt the new insert, and
the welding process
completed. A typical labor z~eguirement is over two man.-hours to remove and
replace such a
slat. Often if a single slat is broken, it is just cut offend the chain
conveyor runs at reduced
capacity until the apparatus can be shut down and repaired_ It is possible for
the capacity of a
mill to be limited by the capacity of such a chain conveyor, and so the
capacity of the mill
can be reduced. Shutting down the chain cozzveyar can, mean shutting down the
whole mill
while repairs take place_
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~u><JMMAI~'!~ OLF TAE INVENTION
It is an object of the gz~e$ent invention to provide a log raising chain
conveyor apparatus -
whcrcin the slats can be changed more quickly and economically that is
possible in presently
available chain conveyors.
The invention. provides a slat adapter that is welded lc a link of the
conveyor chain. The slat
is then attached to the slat adapter with a pin, bolt or the like. Thus the
slat can be quickly
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removed and replaced by cutting vff ttxe pin and replacing it with a new slat
and pin. If
desired the slat could also be welded to the adapter at a convenient and
accessible location
where it cauId be readily cut and re-welded. The slat adapter is shaped to
maintain tlzc
proper orientation of tl~e slat with respect to the conveyox chain.
DESCRIPTI~1~ t~F THE DRAWIlY~S: .
While the invention is claimed in the canclndingportions herecaf, preferred
embodiments axe
provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood
in j
coz~jnnetion with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several diagrams
a~ labeled with like numbers, and wk~ere:
Fig. I is a schematic side view of a chain conveyor for raising logs;
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Fig. 2 is a side view showing the conventional attachment of the slats of a
chain
r
conveyor as practiced in the prior xrt;
Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion oftf~e chain conveyar of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a side view showing an cml~odiment of the novel attachment of the
slats of a
chain conveyor of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is are exploded side view of the ernbadiment of Fig. 4;
Fig. ~ is a front view of the embodiment of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a top view of the slat adapter the ezxAbodiment of Fig. 4 with the
slat
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removed;
Fig. 8 is a side view showing an alternate exnbQdiment of the novel attachment
of the
slats of a chain conveyor of the present convention;
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Fig. 9 is an exploded side view of the embodiment of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is an exploded view of another alternate embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 11 is an exploded view Qf yet another altcmate em6odilment of the
invention.
>dETAILED DESCRI>P'TION 4F THE )(X.lGXISTItATED EMB~DDIMENTS:
E
Fi,g.1 illustrates a conventional chain conveyor 1 of the type commonly used
to transfer logs
3 floating xn a pond 5 onto a transfer conveyor 7 far transfer to another
location. The chain
conveyor 1 comprises a pair ofi spaced apart ooz~veyor chains 10 with conveyor
slats 11
attached perpez~di cularly across the conveyor chains l 0 at regular intervals
and extending out
past the conveyor chains 10. xhe lower end of the chain conveyor x is below
the surface of
floe pond 5, arid the chaizt conveyor 1 slops upward to the upper end located
just above the
hansfer conveyor 7 that is oriented substantial 1y perpendicular to the chain
conveyor l . ,As
the slats 11 move out of the pond 5 a log 3 is picked up such that the log
lies along the slat -
i 1. The log ~ i5 carried up to tie top end where it drops onto the transfer
c4nveyor 7, and is
carried away to another location for processing or the life.
Commonly the slats ~ 1 are angle irons 12 oriented as illustrated in Fig. 2.
The conventional
attachment of the angle iron 12 is illustrated iz~ k'ig. 2. An insert plate 14
is welded between
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the legs 13 of the angle iron 12 at locations that align with tlxe s~ideb~s 17
of the conveyor
chains 10. The sidebars 17 can be afthc offset type, as illustrated in Fig. 7,
or straight as
illustrated in Fig. 5_ loth of the types can be used in such chain conveyors
and the insert
plate 14 is fornned to conform to the sidebaz~ 17, whatever its s~e_
Typically the slats 11 are zxaade up with the inset plates 14 welded in place
and then delivered
to the chain cozaveyar 1 far attachment by a welder. As illustrated in Fig. 3
the slats 11 G
extend past the conveyor chains l a on each side making it dafftot~lt to
pr4perly weld the
bottom edge 14A of the insert plate 14 to the top edge 17A of the sidebar 17.
Fig. 4 - 7 illustrate attachzx~,ent of the slats 11 in one embodiment of the
present ~vention.
A slat adapter 20 comprises a short length of adapter angle iron Z2 has
adapter insert plates
24 welded in locations that are aligned with the sidebars 17 ofthe conveyor
chain 10, similar
to those in the conventional slat attachment of Fig. 2. The adapter angle iron
22 extends only
a short distance on either side of the cønveyor chain 10, allowing easy access
to securely
weld the bottom edge Z4A of the adapter insert plates 24 to the top edge 17A
of the sidebars
I ?. The slat adapter 20 includes a bolt hole 2G from one side to the other as
illustrated. '> he
iilastaated bait holes 2G on each side of the adapter angle iron 22 are
jointed by a pipe 28 to
facilitate ca,sy insertion oftha Molt 30. Corresponding slat holes 32 in the
angle iron 12 align
with the bolt hales 26, such that the bolt ~0 can be pushed through the
aligned halt and slat
holes ~.6, ~2 when the slat 11 is put in position on the slat adapters welded
to the conveyor
chains 10 an each side of the ck~ain conveyor 1, as illustrated in Fig. 4. -
Thus in order to replace a slat 11, it is only required t4 remove the bolts 3
0 on each side by
removing or cuttiz~~; off the nut 34. 'The new slat is put itt position and a
new bolt secures
same to the slat adapters 20, In a matter of minutes the slat 11 can be
replaced.
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Fig. 8 and $ illustrate an alternate embodiment of a slat adapter 120. The
adapter angle iron
122 and insertplates 124 are made the same as is the prior embodixnent of
figs. 4 - 7 and the ..
slat adapter 120 is attached by welding to the sidebar 17 in the same manner.
In this
ezxxbodim~ent the attachtncnt of the slat 111 is by a pin 130 extending up
from the apex of the
adapter ar:gle iron 122 through a eorrespondin,~ hale 132 in the apex ofthe
angle iron 112 of
the slat 111. A roll pen 135 is shown through a bolt 137 in the pin 130 to
secure the slat 1 I 1
to the slat adapter 120, and thus to the conveyor chain 10. A, threaded gin
and bolt, or other
conventional fastener could also be used.
1~ig,10 illustrates another alternate embodiment of a slat adapter 220. The
adapter angle iron
222 is truncated. The insert plates 22~ are made the same as in the prior
embodiments and
the slat adapter 22a is attached by welding to the sidebar 17 in the same
manner. In this
etnbacltment the attachment of the slat 211 is by bolts 230 extending up from
each end ofthe
adapter aaxgte iron 222 through corresponding holes 232 in each leg 213 of the
at~.fe iron 212
of the slat 211. A nut 23~ is threaded onto each bolt 230 tc secure the slat
211 to the slat
adapter 220.
In the above embodiments the legs 13 Qf the slat 11 are secured to
corresponding legs ofan
n
adapter angle iron 22 such that the proper orientation of the slat 11 is
maintained during
0
operation. Alternatively Fig. 11 illustrates an embodiment where the slat 311
is maintained
in the proper orientation by flanges, illustrated as rods 322, that bear
against edges ofthe slat .,
legs 13. The slat 311 is attached by a bolt 330 through the slat 311 and
threaded into a nut -
attached to the slat adapter 320_
In all embodiments the slat adapters 20 can be readily welded to the sidebars
17, and lefk iv
place when it is reduired to change a slat. repairs or replacezz~.ont of the
slat adapters 24 can
be readily accomplished as they are fully exposed when the slat 11 is removed.
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ThE foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention. Fuz~th;er,
since ntunex'ous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled
in the 2~it, it is
not desired to list the invention to the exact construction and operation
shown and
described, and accordingly, al.i such suitable changes or modifications in
structure or
oration which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the
claimed
invantian.
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