Abstract: This invention relates to an endless fold-over type of conveyor belt for use in conveying relatively-loose bulk material in an enclosed manner to prevent spillage, dusting and contamination of the material and allows belt to operate at steep angles. The belt comprises essentially a rectangular uniform cross-sectional shape having a substantially greater width than thickness. Two similar series of plural closely-spaced longitudinal grooves are located on the load-carrying side of the belt spaced on both sides of the belt medial portion to provide a pair of hinged areas for folding and unfolding the belt. The longitudinal grooves preferably are V-shaped or U-shaped and two to four in number, spaced in an individual array at about one-quarter the belt width from its edges to provide a pair of overlapping edge flaps to cover the medial area when in folded relation.

Abstract: A hinged belt conveyor is provided with spring biased idler compensating rolls for exerting a vertical upward force on the central troughing portion of the hinged belt on the loaded belt flight in relationship to the amount of material being carried by the belt at various locations and in relationship to the tension in the belt for conveying particulate materials along an inclined or declined path. The belt extends between a head pulley and a tail pulley, one of which is power driven. Spaced idler troughing roll sets extend transversely beneath the troughing portion of the belt. Certain of the roll sets include a horizontal roll which is spring biased upwardly into contact with the central portion of the belt by vertically acting springs engaged with the outer ends of the horizontal roll shaft. In one embodiment the horizontal roll is the center roll of a usual three roll set, and in another embodiment the horizontal roll is a single roll extending transversely across and beneath the width of the belt.

Abstract: A support and enclosure system for a hinged belt conveyor includes a frame truss enclosing loaded and unloaded belt flights. The frame truss includes a plurality of vertical risers. The loaded flight rides between a plurality of troughing roll sets and top idler roll sets. The unloaded flight is supported and guided by return idler roll sets. Each of the roll sets is connected distally by a clevis to mounting shafts. The mounting shafts are accepted into mounting brackets. The mounting brackets for the troughing rolls and return idler rolls include a locking bolt for fixing the position of the shafts in the bracket. The bracket for the top idler rolls includes a spring for biasing the top idler mounting shafts outward so as to bias the top idler rolls downward onto the loaded flight. Each mounting bracket incorporates a recess for accepting a first portion of a riser and a pivoting leg for engaging an opposed section of the riser.

Abstract: A device for breaking coal and for separating predetermined size coal particles and impurities therefrom. A supply of coal containing rock, shale and other impurities is dumped in a hopper through a top opening. A zigzag-shaped passageway extends from the top to the bottom of the hopper and has a single double action accelerator rotor or a pair of accelerator rotors mounted therein. The rotors increase the speed of the deposited materials that are moving by gravity through the passageway by striking the material and propelling it in the same direction that it was moving prior to being struck. The coal is split upon impact against splitting grates. Chutes located beneath the splitting grates receive the coal particles which pass through sized openings formed in the grates and deposit it in a collection area. The rotors each include a shaft with a plurality of radially outwardly extending blades.

Abstract: A bulk material handling and reclaiming device of a nature that can be added to or substituted in known reclaiming installations. Bulk material such as coal delivered by a conveyor from a mine normally is delivered by a conveyor in large quantities during the period of mine operation to storage areas where it is stacked in mounds covering circular or rectangular storage areas. The new reclaimer has a cage on which a plurality of sets of buckets are moved in either direction by chains to which the buckets are pivoted, the chains endlessly surrounding the cage. The chains are driven to move in either direction in channel tracks. The cage is nonrotatably supported and bodily moved in straight or arcuate paths in either direction toward one or another end of stacked bulk material in storage areas.