Abstract: A rotatable auger is disposed within an ice chest to direct ice through an opening into a tubular conduit through which runs a flexible looped cable. Plastic paddles are fixed to the cable at spaced intervals and engage with ice received within the conduit and advance the ice through the conduit to an above-the-counter transparent display segment of the conduit having an outer transparent plastic tube surrounding an inner transparent plastic tube through which the conveyed ice is visible. The ice is conveyed to a discharge opening where a user activated gate valve controls ice discharge. An ice return tube directs undispensed ice back to the ice chest.

Abstract: An asphaltic mix storage system has an improved conveying apparatus including a housing which is upwardly inclined from the horizontal so as to extend from approximately ground level to the top of a storage container. The conveying apparatus also includes a drag-type conveyor in the housing comprising an endless conveyor chain having spaced apart conveying blades carried thereby with the lower edges of the conveying blades in sliding engagement with the lower wall of the housing. The forward faces of the conveying blades and the lower wall of the housing define an acute angle therebetween to prevent carryover of asphaltic mix beyond the discharge chute at the upper end of the apparatus.

Abstract: An elongated drawbar tension element is provided for the conveyor chain of an en masse conveyor. The drawbar includes a hollow hub at one end for receiving an enlargement at the other end of an adjacent drawbar element coupled thereto to form a chain. The side faces of the hollow drawbar hub are formed with tapered dovetail shaped grooves for receiving complementary tapered dovetail shaped tongues formed on the inboard sides of transversely extending conveyor flights. The tapered tongue and groove connection is self-tightening in normal use and the complementary dovetail configuration thereof prevents lateral separation of the conveyor flights from the drawbar hub. An adhesive material may be applied to the self-tightening connection to prevent loosening thereof and separation of the flights from the drawbar elements when the conveyor chain is subjected to vibration, irregular loads or is moving in a downward direction.

Abstract: A conveyor for bulk materials comprising first and second housings, a pair of conduits interconnecting the housings to provide a circuitous path, one of the housings and the conduits having means for feeding material therein, one of the housings and the conduits having means for discharging material therefrom, a sprocket mounted in each of the housings, means for driving one of the sprockets, and a rope assembly including a nylon-coated metallic wire rope disposed in the housings and the conduits, along the circuitous path, and reeved around the sprockets, metallic end ferrules press-fit onto and welded to opposing, exposed end portions of the rope, a plurality of intermediate metallic ferrules press-fit onto the nylon coating of the rope at spaced intervals between the end ferrules, and a plurality of disc assemblies mounted on the rope and received within spaced recesses provided on the peripheries of the sprockets, each of the disc assemblies inlcuding a single boss and a single disc mounted on the rope an

Abstract: An improved conveyor system for machine tool cleaning applications comprises a sump internal to a machine tool, a recirculating system in fluid communication with the sump, a hinge belt conveyor, portions of which are interposed between the sump and the recirculating system for removing coarse solids from the fluid, and a fine filter interposed between the sump and the recirculating system for removing fine solids from the fluid.

Abstract: A collector flight attachment link configured to have increased torsional load bearing ability and for supporting a collector flight on a chain including a plurality of interconnected chain links. The collector flight attachment link comprises an elongated lower link portion adapted to be interconnected with adjacent chain links in the chain. The flight attachment link also comprises a cantilevered collector flight support portion projecting upwardly from the lower link portion and including a paddle plate extending transversely to the link portion and having spaced apart first and second plate sections interconnected at their upper ends by a web section. Stress relief notches are provided between the lower edges of the paddle plate and the lower link portion.

Abstract: An electromagnetically driven conveyor apparatus has an endless enclosure which is made of a non-magnetic material and which has an interior surface which defines an enclosed channel. Within the channel are a plurality of channel partitioning elements which have a magnetic core and which extend to edges which are slidably fitted against the interior surface of the channel enclosure. A prolongation is positioned between each partitioning element for spacing apart each successive partitioning element. At least two electromagnetic drive units, which movably reciprocate between two positions, are positioned adjacent an outside surface of the enclosure to effect transport of the partitioning elements. Infeed and outfeed units are associated with the channel enclosure for, respectively, introducing product to be conveyed into the channel and removing conveyed product from the channel.

Abstract: A conveyor elevator system having an endless conveyor belt in which guide rollers are provided to contact and guide the side edges of the belt to prevent lateral shifting thereof. A discharge plate is provided at the lower end of the vertically upwardly moving reach of the conveyor belt for receiving particulate material that escapes from the upwardly moving reach of the belt and falls downwardly. The discharge plates guide the escaped material into the carrier plate passage so that the escaped material is recycled. The skirt plates that define the sides of the carrier plate passage having seal elements that cooperate with projecting elements on the conveyor belt to form a labyrinth passage to reduce the amount of material that escapes.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying materials behaving substantially as fluids through ducts comprising a cable having a plurality of radially protruding spaced elements molded on it in such a way that each incorporates the protruding ends of a pin radially passing through the cable. The pins act, in cooperation with a swelling of the cable due to the penetration of the pin, to prevent the elements from sliding along the cable. The molded elements are also provided, with tapered extensions in the axial direction of the cable to avoid sharp variations in the rigidity of the cable.

Abstract: A conveyer for particulate or comminuted material having flighting carried by a belt rather than a chain or cable. The flat belt is oriented with its broad sides in a substantially vertical plane and is driven and supported by pulleys at each end of the trough.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding fluidized particulate material at a uniform preselected flow rate includes a reservoir for receiving the material from a supply inlet, a device for maintaining material in the reservoir in a state of flux, a chain type carrier for continuously removing and transporting uniform quantities of the fluidized material at variable speed from the reservoir along a predetermined path configured to prevent premature discharge of the uniform quantities, and a control system to detect the quantities of material being transported along the predetermined path to regulate the speed of the carrier according to the desired preselected flow rate, such that the fluid particulate material is discharged at the desired flow rate at the end of the predetermined path.

Abstract: A safety device (6), particularly for chicks in automatic poultry feeders with feed troughs (10), in which a feed chain (5) runs in an endless loop. The safety device is designed for placing in those sections of the poultry feeder where the feed chain (5) enters a device such as a feed machine or a corner piece (12), or if one is provided, a food cleaner. The safety device (6) comprises a down-stream roller (1) relative to the direction of travel (R) of the feed chain (5), and an up-stream roller (2). The down-stream roller (1) is driven by the feed chain (5) and transmits, in turn, rotation to the up-stream roller (2), for the purpose of ejecting any chicks up and out of the feed troughs (10).

Abstract: A conveyor flight for a conveyor assembly has an overlayment of a non-elastomeric flexible member on its front or loadbearing surface, which flexible member has a memory such that it recovers to its unloaded reference condition, thus assisting in discharge through an underlying chute or port of the materials transported by the conveyor and avoiding recycling material through the conveyor assembly. The flexible member recovery dislodges adherent material, such as compactible earth, from the conveyor flights. A cleaner assembly may optionally be provided downstream of the discharge port to insert a cleaner blade in proximity to the conveyor flight front surface to dislodge any particularly adherent residual materials that might still be attached to the front surface of the flexible member.

Abstract: A chip conveyor moves material through a conduit using plates of substantially oval shape, the axis of symmetry of which coincides substantially with the axis of the drive chains. The plates consist of two identical half-plates joined together and mounted on the drive chain. The conveyor is especially useful for transporting chips from machine tools.

Abstract: A railroad undercutter economizes both weight and space requirements through the use of a single continuous chain which carries ballast from beneath a railroad track to a track supported conveyor with the chain entering beneath and exiting from beneath the track on the same side and turning through a vertical arc of approximately 130.degree. to move above the track.

Abstract: A scraper conveyor comprising a conveyor chain or wire provided with a plurality of transverse scraper discs and passing along a closed path at least partly defined by a stationary conveyor channel or a tube extending from a material inlet station and past at least one receiver station, in which the material is dispensable through outlet openings in said channel or tube. The conveyor chain or wire is driven by a driving wheel engaging the transverse scraper discs, with the driving wheel being a circumferentially substantially smooth wheel having an outer cross sectional shape which conditions a frictional engagement between the wheel and the wheel periphery engaging portions of the outer edges of the scraper members. A tightener is provided for tightening the moved element of the conveyor about the driving wheel sufficiently to ensure a firm frictional engagement between these parts.

Abstract: The apparatus for transmitting a rotary movement with at least one drive and at least one power take-off and closed, flexible chain guides arranged between the same uses force transmission takes place by an endless chain, which can be subject to push and pull and which substantially corresponds to the total length of the chain casing in the inoperative state, i.e. the length of the chain channels in the guide casings of the drive and the power take-offs and the flexible chain guides between the same. The flexible chain guide comprises a hose bendable in all spatial directions, whose inner space is used as a chain channel. According to another embodiment, the flexible chain guide part running from the drive to the power take-off and the flexible chain guide part running from the power take-off to the drive are formed by a twin hose bendable in all spatial directions, whose two inner spaces are used as chain channels.

Abstract: A ski comprising a guide pipe (2) guiding a string of elements that transmit a towing force to any conventional towing device attached to the string at suitable intervals. Instead of being a tension element like a wire, a rope or the like, which is conventional in known ski tows, the string consists of separate pressure elements (7), each having at either end an end face contacting the opposed end face of an adjacent element, whereby the towing force is transmitted by pushing the string, which is accordingly subjected to a compression force.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing and filling tubular bag packages includes a shaping mandrel, about which a sheet of packaging material is shaped into a tube and an open end of the tube is filled with one portion of a product at a time and separated from the formed tube. For sending the portions of the product gently and quickly through the hollow shaping mandrel, a feed apparatus is disposed in the mandrel. The feed apparatus has a plurality of spaced flaps pivotably connected at equal intervals to two synchronous belt drives. In a feed conduit of the shaping mandrel, these flaps define downwardly moved chambers which receive portions of the product and transport them to the lower end of the shaping mandrel, and then, through a relatively narrow return conduit in the shaping mandrel, the flaps return upward again in an upright position by the belts.

Abstract: A conveyor system for delivering feed to a plurality of animal cages arranged in rows said system comprises an endless conduit extending along a conduit run past at least one of the rows of cages and through a feed trough disposed adjacent the faces of the row of cages. An elongate, continuous, endless material moving element extends through the endless conduit run and is longitudinally movable therethrough, and a driver element advances the endless material moving element along and through the conduit run. The material moving element comprises an elongate helical member defining a longitudinal helix axis and bendable about this axis for following the endless conduit run. Cooperating structure on the driver element and on the helical member rotates the helical member about the helix axis thereof while simultaneously axially advancing the helical member along and through the conduit run.

Abstract: An en-mass conveyor for vertically or steeply lifting bulk material has two, primary, flat, endless belt conveyors which are vertical or steeply-inclined throughout facing, correspondingly-progressing, material-conveying runs thus forming a belt shaft. One of the primary belts has flights or similar impellers which extend to the other belt in the belt shaft. Two, secondary, endless, flat belts laterally close the belt shaft along with one or two side or closure walls which are vertically immovable and provided with an opening for laterally feeding of the bulk material into the belt shaft for conveyance.

Abstract: A bulk-handling belt conveyor has a flat belt having reinforced edges which cooperate with guides in such a way that the conveyor belt is formed at least into a trough and preferably a tube of circular cross section. A twisted, or spiral undriven, belt which is entrained within the trough or tube of the driven conveyor belt through frictional or interlocking engagement therewith. In this way, a belt conveyor is provided which is suited both for horizontal conveying and for conveying over inclined paths that are steeper than the angle of repose of the bulk material, has high handling capacity and results in little attrition of the bulk material.

Abstract: This invention comprises a conveyor chain linkage which is especially well adapted for tubular type bulk handling conveyors wherein it is very important that the linkage be very strong but take up as little space as possible in order not to diminish the volumetric capacity of the conveyor and also be very accurate in pitch dimensions so as to operate properly on the sprocket which drives the chain. Structurally the preferred form of the invention comprises a rod, each end of which has a slightly increased diameter area which is threaded and a ball having a central opening threaded to fit onto a threaded area and a ball so threaded on each end of the rod.

Abstract: An endless loop transporter for a linear pocket feeder especially for metering powdered coal from a reservoir at atmospheric pressure to a supply duct to a gas turbine compressor at a substantially higher pressure, the transporter including a flexible wire core, a plurality of primary discs loosely received on the core, a plurality of small spacer rings tightly received on the core in compression between the primary discs to form with the discs a plurality of closely spaced transport annuli, and a plurality of secondary discs substituted for a corresponding number of primary discs at uniform intervals along the transporter. The secondary discs carry seal rings which slidably seal against the surface of a tube between the reservoir and the supply duct to form an outside pressure seal between the areas of high and low pressure.

Abstract: A conveyor for bulk materials comprised of an endless cable to which a pllity of disk-shaped elements are fixed at equal spacing, a sprocket type drive wheel for driving the cable and affixed disks and a duct for receiving at least a portion of the driven cable and disks. The duct has a cross-sectional shape complementary to the disks and forms a track way along which the material may be transported. The disks have a trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration whereby they have a smaller modulus of elasticity in the plane of their faces than in the perpendicular direction for ready deflection of the periphery thereof for release of particles of material jammed between the disk and the duct. The sprocket drive wheel has a plurality of recesses for receiving the disks and intermediate bearing surfaces for guiding and engaging the cable.

Abstract: A conveyor system of a type including a tube, a cable having discs rigidly attached to and equally spaced along the cable for conveying granular or powdery materials within the tube is characterized by having an improved drive unit for causing and controlling the movement of the cable and discs through the tube.

Abstract: A conveying device for conveying liquid from a supply well features an upright wall having one major surface and extending into the well, conveying means comprising a disk rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis and a plurality of separations connected to the disk about the axis, the wall abutting the separations, a portion of the surface of the wall, the separations and the disk defining cells for conveying the liquid along at least part of the wall surface, and an output channel defined in the wall and intercommunicating with at least one of the cells when in a position near the top of the disk for emptying liquid from the cells as they reach the position;Whereby, when the disk is rotated, it will move the separations into the liquid and the cells will substantially retain their liquid contents until they reach the position.

Abstract: A closed loop conveyor for viscid material is provided with a plurality of spaced, planar conveying flights within a material conveying conduit. The flights are mounted on an endless transporting chain and are moved from one or more charge stations where material is loaded into the conduit to one or more gravity discharge stations where the material falls out of the conveyor. At the discharge station the planar conveying flights are scraped clean by a rotatable assembly. The assembly preferably comprises a circular plate mounted for rotation in a generally vertical plane adjacent to the conveying path and about a substantially horizontal axis. A number of scraper blades are mounted on the circular plate substantially uniformly, peripherally spaced from one another and extend away from one side of the plate in a generally horizontal direction toward a conveying path defined by movement of the flights.

Abstract: A closed conveyor for transporting finely divided solids, such as grain and the like, comprising feed and discharge sections interconnected by a transport conduit and a return conduit. Sprockets are provided in the feed and discharge sections and a cable is trained about the sprockets and through the two conduits. The cable is equipped with material-engaging flights of area less than the cross-section of the conduit. Each sprocket is provided with material-engaging blades which serve to stir, fluidize and impart movement to the material being transported to render it as a fast-flowing dilute suspension. Lugs are provided on the cable between the flights and are positioned to be engaged by complemental lug-engaging elements on the sprockets. Each pair of lug-engaging elements on the sprockets fits between but in contact with a pair of lugs on the cable. The sprocket elements are notched to accept the cable lugs.

Abstract: A conveyor system for delivering feed to a plurality of animal cages arranged in rows said system comprises an endless conduit extending along a conduit run past at least one of the rows of cages and through a feed trough disposed adjacent the faces of the row of cages. An elongate, continuous, endless material moving element extends through the endless conduit run and is longitudinally movable therethrough, and a driver element advances the endless material moving element along and through the conduit run. The material moving element comprises an elongate helical member defining a longitudinal helix axis and bendable about this axis for following the endless conduit run. Cooperating structure on the driver element and on the helical member rotates the helical member about the helix axis thereof while simultaneously axially advancing the helical member along and through the conduit run.