Patents Examined by Kohi H. Tran
  • Patent number: 6401912
    Abstract: A conveyor pan assembly, and a corresponding conveyor line, for an armored face conveyor is provided wherein each pan assembly has a replaceable upper deck plate fabricated of wear-resistant steel. A lower support plate of mild steel is mechanically attached, such as by structural welds, to spaced tabs projecting inwardly from opposed parallel sidewalls. The lateral edges of the deck plate mate with grooves formed in the adjacent sidewalls above the projecting tabs. One or more slots formed in the underside of the support plate receive structural welds that assist in holding the deck plate in place. No structural welds holding the upper deck plate in place are exposed to wear created by the flights, coal or other aggregate material moving along the conveyor feed path. The sidewalls remain separated by the lower support plate when the deck plate is removed during replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Inventor: Clarence L. Bandy, Jr.