Counterbalanced Elevating Conveyor

摘要

An elevating conveyor is mounted to a pivoting bridge so that the elevating conveyor can be shifted by a 22 degree rotation between a lowered position in engagement with a loading floor and an elevated storage position where the conveyor is out of the way of the loading floor. A counterweight arrangement is mounted to the bridge to bias the conveyor toward the loading floor when it is in a lowered position, and to bias it toward the elevated storage position when it is in the up position. The conveyor may be readily moved between the positions with a moderate application of force. The force may be applied by an operator standing on the loading floor or by a liner actuator mounted between the bridge and a fixed structure.

主权项

1. A pivoting elevating conveyor apparatus, positioned to transfer items from a lower loading floor, the apparatus comprising:
an upper platform spaced from the loading floor at a level of pedestrian traffic on the lower loading floor; an elevated conveyor mounted to the upper platform; a bridge, pivotally mounted about a pivot to the upper platform, wherein a vertical plane passes through an axis of the pivot; a stop mounted to the upper platform for engagement with the bridge; an elevating conveyor mounted to and supported on the bridge and arranged to pivot with the bridge, the elevating conveyor having an upper end arranged to discharge articles on to the elevated conveyor, and a lower end; a support leg mounted in an extended position to the lower end of the elevating conveyor, the support leg arranged to support the elevating conveyor on the loading floor; wherein the bridge and the elevating conveyor mounted thereto are pivotable on the pivot about an angle 0° to 26° between a substantially horizontal storage position with the bridge engaged with the stop, and a position engaged with the loading floor; wherein the bridge has a first portion on a first side on the pivot which extends beyond the pivot to a counterweight bracket on which a counterweight is supported, and a second portion which supports the elevating conveyor on a second side of the pivot opposite the counterweight; wherein the first portion of the bridge, the counterweight, and the counterweight bracket have a first mass and a first center of gravity, and wherein the elevating conveyor, the support leg and the second portion of the bridge have a second mass, and a second center of gravity, and the first mass and the second mass together define a total mass which pivots, and the total mass which pivots has a total center of gravity; wherein in the horizontal storage position the total center of gravity is spaced away from the vertical plane defined by the pivot toward the first part of the bridge and applies a force of a first selected value to hold the bridge and the elevating conveyor mounted thereto to the stop mounted to the upper platform; and wherein the counterweight bracket supports the counterweight so that when the bridge rotates away from the horizontal to lower the elevating conveyer to engage the loading floor the first center of gravity moves more toward the vertical plane than the second center of gravity moves toward the vertical plane, so that the total center of gravity is located spaced from the vertical plane toward the second part and applies a force of a selected value to hold the second part of the of the bridge and the elevating conveyor mounted thereto in engagement with the loading floor with a second selected force.