SEALLESS SLAT-TYPE RECIPROCATING CONVEYOR

TRANSPORTEUR A LATTES EMBOITEEES

English Abstract

The sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of this invention includes on one side edge of each slat an upwardly extending inverted U-shape portion and on the opposite side edge an upwardly extending substantially straight flange portion configured for reception within the inverted U-shape portion of the adjacent slat to provide a passageway that extends upwardly from adjacent the load-supporting surface of the adjacent slat, thence around the upper end of the flange and downward to the space between adjacent slats.

French Abstract

Dans la présente invention, le transporteur à lattes emboîtées sans joint d'étanchéité comprend une partie en forme de U inversé se prolongeant vers le haut sur le bord d'un côté, et une portion à bride droite se prolongeant vers le haut sur le bord du côté opposé et configurée pour la réception de la portion en forme de U inversé de la latte adjacente, de manière à créer un passage qui se prolonge vers le haut à partir de la surface supportant la charge de la latte adjacente, puis autour de l'extrémité supérieure de la bride, et vers le bas en direction de l'espace entre deux lattes adjacentes.

Claims

1. A sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor,
comprising:
a) a conveyor slat support frame,
b) a plurality of elongated conveyor slats supported
on the frame for longitudinal reciprocation,
c) one longitudinal side portion of each of adjacent
slats having a substantially inverted U-shape cross section
extending upwardly from the load-supporting surface of the
slat,
d) the opposite longitudinal side portion of said
slat having an upwardly extending flange configured for free
reception upwardly into the space within the inverted U-
shape side portion of the adjacent conveyor slat,
e) the terminal end of the inverted U-shape portion
being spaced from the load-supporting surface of the
adjacent slat and the flange portion being spaced from the
inner surface of the U-shape portion for providing a
passageway extending upwardly from the load-supporting
surface of the adjacent slat and around the upper end of the
flange and thence downwardly to the space between the
adjacent slats.



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2. The conveyor of claim 1 wherein the slats are of
unitary construction with the U-shape side portion and
flange side portion formed integral with the intermediate
load-supporting portion.



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Description

' CA 02435704 2003-07-18
SEALLESS SLAT-TYPE RECIPROCATING C~N~TEY~R
This invention relates to reciprocating conveyors of
the slat-type for conveying particulate materials, and more
particularly to a slat-type reciprocating conveyor which
requires no seal between adjacent slats.
Slat-type reciprocating conveyors of the prior art for
conveying particulate materials generally are characterized
by the use of seals between adjacent slats to minimize the
loss of particulates through the space between the slats.
Sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyors provided
heretofore are designed primarily to avoid the cost of seals
and the installation and replacement thereof. Such prior
art conveyors provide structure for the discharge of.
particulates that pass through the unsealed space between
the slats. Representative of such conveyors is that
disclosed in Patent No. 6,257,396 wherein it is disclosed
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CA 02435704 2003-07-18
that particulate material entering the unsealed space
between adjacent slats is cleared away during the conveying
process and/or routine maintenance. In either case the
removed particulate material represents a loss of product.
SU'MI~ARY' UE THE INVENTIOI~T
In its basic concepts the sealless slat-type
reciprocating conveyor of this invention is produced by
configuring the cooperating overlapping side edges of
adjacent conveyor slats to form an upwardly extending narrow
channel section leading to a downwardly extending channel
section terminating at the bottom of the slats.
It is the principal objective of this invention to
provide a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the
class described which inhibits passage of particulates
through the space between adjacent spots.
Another objective of this invention is the provision of
a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class
described in which the omission of a seal between adjacent
slats is achieved by forming in one longitudinal edge of a
slat an upwardly projecting inverted U-shaped section and in
the confronting edge of an adjacent slat a longitudinal
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CA 02435704 2003-07-18
upwardly projecting flange section configured for free
reception within the space formed by the U-shaped section.
Still another objective of this invention is the
provision of a sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of
the class described which avoids the costs associated with
seals by minimizing the loss of particulate material from
the conveyor.
A further objective of this invention is to provide a
sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor of the class
described which is of simplified construction for economical
manufacture, maintenance and repair.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this
invention will appear from the following detailed
description, taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings of preferred embodiments.
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in transverse section of a
support frame mounting a corresponding portion of a sealless
slat-type reciprocating conveyor embodying the features of
this invention.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a second configuration of
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sealless slat-type reciprocating conveyor embodying the
features of this invention.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a fragmentary end view
showing a structural configuration of overlapping side edges
of adjacent slats which require no seal to prevent the
escape of particulate material carried on the conveyor
assembly. The structural configuration is similar to that
shown in applicant's earlier Fatent N~. 4,184,587 wherein
Fig. 5 shows the structural configuration illustrated herein
in Fig. 1.
Thus, elongated slat guide beams 10 are secured to an
underlying frame 12, such as the bed of a semi-trailer. The
beams 10 may be secured in laterally spaced apart position
by bolts, rivets. welding, or other suitable means, and they
extend the full length of the frame 12.
Anti-friction bearings 14 are secured to the
longitudinal slat guides 10 in the manner disclosed in
detail in the aforementianed patent, to provide sliding
support for longitudinally extending reeipz~ocative slats 16,
18. Another slat 20 usually is provided to form a 3-slat
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CA 02435704 2003-07-18
group which is repeated across the width of the frame 12 to
form the complete conveyor support for a particulate load.
This invention involves the cooperative configuration
of the opposite side edges of each conveyor slat by which to
eliminate the need of a sliding seal to prevent the escape
of particulate material downward between adjacent slats.
Thus, one longitudinal side edge portion of each slat is
offset upwardly, thence laterally outward and thence
downward, forming an inverted U-shape trough 22. The
~0 opposite lateral side edge of the slat is formed with an
upwardly extending flange 24 configured to be received
freely within the trough 22 and spaced from the inner
surfaces of the trough. This provides an unrestricted
channel between them, extending from above the upper, load-
~5 supporting surface of the slat, upwardly and thence downward
around the flange 24 and communicating with the space
between the spaced side edges of adjacent slats.
The outer end of the downward section of the U-shaped
trough is spaced slightly upward from the adjacent load-
20 supporting surface of the slat, so that no frictional
abrasion occurs between those confronting surfaces. This
spacing and the spacing between the inner surfaces of
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CA 02435704 2003-07-18
the U-shape trough 22 and flange 24 thereby significantly
extends the operating life of the slats while eliminating
the costly production, assembly, replacement and resulting
operational downtime of the conveyor system.
It is the upward portion 26 of the spacing between the
overlapping sections 22 and 24 of adjacent slats, that
inhibits the upward migration and consequent escape of
particulate material from the load supporting surface of the
conveyor system. Whatever minute amount of particulate
fines that may work upward through the space 26, will drop
vertically downward to the frame 12 from which it may be
removed during periodic maintenance of the conveyor system.
Experience has shown no significant accumulation.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal key slot 28 which also is
shown in Fig. 5 of the aforementioned patent. Although the
patent discloses the necessity to utilize the key slot to
support a seal to resiliently engage the confronting side
wall of the adjacent slat, it has been found that the
inverted U-shape 22 and flange 24 of this invention
effectively eliminates the need for any seal.
Fig. 2 of the drawings illustrates a modified
configuration of reciprocating slat-type conveyor similar in
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general construction to that shown in applicant's presently
pending patent application Serial No. 09/707~540 filed 6
November 2000~ and in applicant's earlier Patent No.
5~088,595. In this embodiment the elongated slats 30, 32,
34 are supported by upstanding Y-shaped guides 36 on lateral
extensions 38. The guides also support.a plurality of
spaced apart, correspondingly configured anti-friction
bearings 40. However, the side sections of each slat are
configured in the same manner as in Fig. 1, providing the
inverted U-shape trough 22 lapping and spaced from the
flange 24 on the opposite side edge of an adjacent slat.
This provides the upwardly extending vertical space 26 which
inhibits the upward migration of particulate fines, as
discussed hereinbefore.
The structural configurations illustrated in Figs. 1
and 2 merely represent two of the many other structural
configurations for supporting slats of a reciprocating
conveyor system. ~ther configurations may be found in a
variety of earlier patents, including applicant's patents
Nos. 4,727,978 and 4~856~645. The basic concept of this
invention is retained, however, in the configuration of the
inverted U-shape trough 22 and flange 24 on opposite side
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edges of each slat, providing the unsealed space ~6 between
them.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various other modifications and changes may be made in the
size, shape, type, number and arrangement of parts described
hereinbefore. For example' although the slats are shown to
be formed as an extrusion of aluminum or other suitable
metal or synthetic resin, other manufacturing technologies
may be employed. This and other changes may be made, as
desired, without departing from the spirit of this invention
and the scope of the appended claims.
I claim:
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Representative Drawing