Abstract: An apparatus for loading bulk material into a ship has a carriage movable alongside the ship, an elongated outrigger tube having an inner end on the carriage and an outer end and provided internally with a longitudinally extending partition subdividing the tube into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, and an elongated tensioning element extending longitudinally above the outrigger tube, connected to the outer end thereof, and supporting the outrigger tube. An endless outrigger conveyor belt has a U-section upper stretch riding in the upper compartment on the partition and a lower stretch riding on an inside wall of the outrigger tube in the lower compartment. The outrigger belt is driven to advance the upper stretch from the inner end to the outer end. A looped endless supply belt deposits bulk material onto the upper stretch of the outrigger belt at the inner end of the outrigger tube.

Abstract: Bulk material is unloaded with a bucket conveyor from a ship floating in a body of water by first positioning the ship in the body of water between a stationary land-fixed location and a float spaced transversely therefrom. An outer intake end of a pivotal bulk conveyor on the float is supported at a fixed height above the body of water adjacent the ship and an opposite inner outlet end of the pivotal bulk conveyor at a fixed height above the stationary location. The pivotal bulk conveyor is swung about a horizontal axis to maintain the heights constant as the level of the body of water changes so that as the water level changes the angle of the pivotal bulk conveyor to the horizontal changes. The bulk material is picked out of the ship with the bucket conveyor, is then passed to the pivotal bulk conveyor and fed along the pivotal bulk conveyor to the outlet end thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously unloading bulk material from a bulk container has a carriage displaceable longitudinally adjacent the bulk container and an outrigger having an inner end pivotable about longitudinal and vertical axes on the carriage and an outer end. A conveyor extends between the ends of the outrigger. An arm has an upper end pivoted about a horizontal axis on the outer outrigger end and a lower end engageable in the container and contains a bucket conveyor. A pair of augers of opposite hand are mounted on the lower arm end and rotate to draw in the bulk material and pass it to the bucket conveyor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an L-shaped bucket conveyor, in particular a ship unloader, that has a vertical conduit and a bucket-conveyor foot movable vertically relative to the conduit and having in turn a generally vertically extending section and a generally horizontally extending section. In order to match ship movements there are vertical and if necessary also tipping cylinders in the bucket-conveyor foot. Hydraulic cylinders tighten and/or balance the tension element. According to the invention tightening of the chain and producing the digging force are done separately and are adjustable by the horizontal as well as the vertical and tipping cylinders and compensating for changes in chain length is achieved between the horizontal and vertical sections via the hydraulic coupling between the horizontal and vertical cylinders. The buckets thus move horizontally, the horizontal section moves about a pivot between the vertical and horizontal sections, and the entire bucket-conveyor foot moves vertically.

Abstract: An apparatus for unloading fish from a hold of a boat adjacent an unloading site has a carriage movable horizontally at the site along the boat, an articulated arm, and an endless conveyor extending along the arm. This arm has a rigid inner section having an inner end pivoted about a horizontal inner axis on the carriage and an outer end, a pivot defining an outer horizontal axis at the inner-section outer end, and a rigid outer section having an inner end pivoted on the inner-section outer end at the pivot and an outer end. An inner actuator braced between the carriage and the inner section can pivot the arm on the carriage about the inner axis and an outer actuator braced between the arm sections can pivot the outer section about the outer axis on the inner section. The conveyor extends along the arm from the inner-section inner end to the outer-section outer end and has a carry stretch on one side of the sections and a return stretch on an opposite side of the sections.

Abstract: An apparatus for unloading bulk material from a ship floating in a body of water has a carriage displaceable horizontally adjacent the ship, a turntable on the carriage, and a generally upright column having a lower end pivoted on the turntable and an upper end. A column-moving hydraulic cylinder has one end pivoted on the column and another arm pivoted on the turntable and an arm pivoted on the upper end of the column has an outer end above the ship and is provided with a conveyor. An arm-moving hydraulic cylinder has one end pivoted on the arm and another end pivoted on the turntable. An outer vertical conveyor pivoted on the outer arm end has a lower end engaged in the material in the ship for extracting the material from the ship and delivering it to the arm conveyor. A conveyor-moving hydraulic cylinder has one end pivoted on the vertical conveyor and an opposite end pivoted on the arm. A controller is connected to all of the cylinders for actuating same to sweep the lower end along the ship.

Abstract: A drive and guide arrangement for an endless conveyor includes a plurality of transport members, at least one drive wheel, and at least one chain of rubber links forming a traction member having respective end regions. The chain is reversible around the drive wheel at at least one of the end regions. The chain includes steel cable traction supports arranged within the rubber links. A first side of the chain faces the transport members and is formed with a plurality of block teeth. At least two of the block teeth have bores formed therethrough separated from one another by a predetermined distance. A second side of the chain opposite to the first side is formed with a plurality of drive teeth for engaging with the drive wheel. A guide is provided having a receiving profile and located adjacent to the chain. A plurality of connecting-and-guide members join the chain to the transport members.

Abstract: Proposed is a bucket mechanism, particularly a ship unloader, which includes at least one rotating traction member with receiving elements fastened thereto. The receiving elements are formed of a stiff supporting member, with an elastically yielding material receiving region disposed therebelow which is preferably composed of an elastically deformable supporting frame of steel leaf springs and a rubber bucket inserted therein.

Abstract: A tubular belt conveyor system includes a conveyor belt having a cross-sectionally closed, curvilinear, tubular configuration including a zone of overlapping edge portions. A plurality of support and guide assemblies for the conveyor are situated along the conveyor path. Each assembly includes a plurality of support and guide rollers held about the cross-sectionally closed conveyor belt in a contacting relationship therewith. In each assembly one roller is in engagement with the cross-sectionally closed conveyor belt at the edge overlap. The closed tubular configuration in each length portion of the conveying path has an oval cross section. The support and guide rollers force the conveyor belt into the closed tubular configuration of oval cross section. The first support and guide roller of each assembly is settable onto the zone of overlapping edge portions.

Abstract: Conveyor belt system for varying the parabola of fall of a conveyed material, has an endless conveyor belt having upper and lower runs supported by and traveling along a belt carrier, and the conveyed material is projected from the conveyor belt at the downsteam end of the upper run. The conveyor belt system also has a support roller carrier having upstream and downstream ends, and a plurality of support rollers for supporting the upper run of the endless conveyor belt. The support roller carrier is pivotably attached at its upstream end to the carrier. There is a return pulley for guiding the endless conveyor belt from its upper to its lower run, and the parabola of fall of the conveyed material is varied by use of a vertically adjustable snub pulley. A pivot arm varies the height of the pulley and is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder.