Folding hopper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017197218-A1
Application number	US-201515313710-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2014
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A folding hopper for a bulk material processing machine includes walls that are configured to pivot upwardly and downwardly and to interlock when raised to their uppermost use positions. Interlocking of the wall is achieved exclusively via interlocking hook shaped flanges fixed rigidly to end edges of the hopper walls.

First claim

1 . A folding hopper for a bulk material processing apparatus the folding hopper comprising:
at least one sidewall pivotally mounted to a support frame via at least one first pivot mount; a first power operated mechanism having a first power operated actuator to provide pivoting of the sidewall between a lowered first position and a second raised position; at least one end wall pivotally mounted to the support frame via at least one second pivot mount and extending perpendicular or transverse to the sidewall; a second power operated mechanism having a second power operated actuator to provide pivoting of the end wall between a lowered first position and a second raised position; and first and second mechanical interlock connections provided respectively at the side and end wall such that when interlocked the side and end walls are prevented from being pivoted from the raised second position to the lowered first position, wherein the first or second power operated mechanism includes a third power operated actuator configured to provide a translational movement of the side or end wall in an upward and downward direction such that a locking and unlocking of the first and second interlock connections includes the pivoting and the translational movement of the side or end wall.

2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second interlock connections include flanges having hooked portions that are configured to overlap one another when interlocked.

3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the flanges are positioned at or towards respective end edges of the side and end walls to engage one another as the end edges are mated in touching or near touching contact when the walls are in the raised first position.

4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first power operated mechanism includes a first arm pivotally mounted to a second arm such that the first and second arms are configured to fold relative to one another and the support frame when the sidewall is moved to the lowered first position and to align to form a straightened support brace when the sidewall is in the raised second position.

5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second arm is pivotally mounted to the frame and the first arm is attached to the sidewall such that the first and second arms are configured to fold inwardly towards a position underneath the hopper when the sidewall is moved to the lowered first position.

6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first power actuator is attached at a region of the first arm and a region of the second arm.

7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first power actuator is mounted at the first arm and the second arm such that when the arms are aligned to form the straightened support brace the first powered actuator is isolated from compressive forces transmitted through the support brace from the sidewall.

8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second power actuator is mounted to extend between the frame and the end wall and the third power actuator is mounted to extend between the frame and the second pivot mount to provide a translational movement of the second pivot mount in the upward and downward direction.

9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second pivot mount comprises:
a mount bracket provided at the support frame, the bracket having a first elongate slot; and a first pivot pin about which the end wall is arranged to pivot, the first pivot pin slidably mounted within the elongate slot.

10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the third power actuator is mounted to act on the first pivot pin to cause the first pivot pin to slide in the upward and downward direction within the first slot; and the second power actuator is mounted between the end wall and the bracket to rotate the end wall about the first pivot pin.

11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the third power actuator is mounted at the bracket via a second pivot pin slidably mounted within a second elongate slot provided in the bracket, the third power actuator being configured to move in the upward and downward direction with the translational movement of the end wall.

12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the second power operated mechanism comprises:
a pair of mount brackets, a pair of first pivot pins and a pair of first and second elongate slots; and a pair of second power operated actuators and a pair of third power operated actuators provided respectively at each bracket.

13 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising at least one cover shield pivotally mounted to hang from a region of the end wall to cover the second and third power operated actuators when the end wall is in the raised second position.

14 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , comprising two sidewalls, each wall including a plurality of the flanges at a respective end edge, each flange of the sidewalls being arranged such that each hook portion extends upwardly, and the end wall including a plurality of flanges at each end edge, each flange of the end wall being arranged such that each hook portion extends downwardly, wherein when the flanges are interlocked the respective upward and downward extending hook portions overlap to interlock the sidewalls with the end wall.

15 . A mobile bulk material processing apparatus comprising:
a mainframe; a processing unit supported at the mainframe; tracks or wheels arranged to allow the apparatus to move over the ground; and a folding hopper arranged to contain material to be fed to the processing unit, the folding hopper including at least one sidewall pivotally mounted to a support frame via at least one first pivot mount, a first power operated mechanism having a first power operated actuator to provide pivoting of the sidewall between a lowered first position and a second raised position, at least one end wall pivotally mounted to the support frame via at least one second pivot mount and extending perpendicular or transverse to the sidewall, a second power operated mechanism having a second power operated actuator to provide pivoting of the end wall between a lowered first position and a second raised position; and first and second mechanical interlock connections provided respectively at the side and end wall such that when interlocked the side and end walls are prevented from being pivoted from the raised second position to the lowered first position, wherein the first or second power operated mechanism includes a third power operated actuator configured to provide a translational movement of the side or end wall in an upward and downward direction such that a locking and unlocking of the first and second interlock connections includes the pivoting and the translational movement of the side or end wall.

Assignees

• Sandvik Intellectual Property

Inventors

• Mcdevitt Terry

Classifications

• B02C21/026

  self-propelled · CPC title

• B02C23/02 Primary

  Feeding devices ({for grain mills B02C11/04; for roller mills B02C4/286}; transport devices in general B65G) · CPC title

• B07B1/005

  Transportable screening plants · CPC title

• B60P1/286

  Loading buckets · CPC title

• B02C21/02 Primary

  Transportable disintegrating plant · CPC title