Cargo transporter loading assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650113-B2
Application number	US-201414775958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A cargo transporter loading assembly for loading bulk material onto a cargo transporter. The assembly includes a frame carrying a pivotally mounted boom. A distal end of the boom carries a head part encased by a cover and configured to prevent wind and rain ingress into the region between the boom and a cargo hold of a cargo transporter during bulk material loading.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cargo transporter loading assembly for loading bulk material onto a cargo transporter, the assembly comprising:
an upstanding support frame mountable on land or a support structure;
a boom pivotally mounted and projecting outwardly from the frame, the boom having a proximal end positioned at the frame and a distal end capable of being raised and lowered relative to the frame;
a chute arrangement to transport the bulk material along the boom to the distal end;
a first cover extending over the distal end;
a pivoting head part pivotally attached to be suspended below the distal end having a second cover to form a downward extension of the first cover for positioning immediately above the cargo transporter to be loaded with the bulk material, wherein the head part is arranged to pivot below the distal end and be maintained at an angled orientation relative to the boom; and
a front wall projecting downwardly from the head part at a location furthest from the frame relative to a back wall projecting downwardly from the head part at a spaced apart location from the front wall.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one flexible curtain positioned to be lowerable to extend between the front and back wall.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a pair of flexible curtains, each curtain positioned to be capable of projecting downwardly from the head part to extend between the front and back wall such that the front wall, the back wall and the curtains define an enclosed region below the head part.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the front and back wall include respective pairs of retractable wings to extend towards and away from the curtains.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising at least one curtain drive mechanism to actuate raising and lowering the curtains to project downwardly from the head part.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front and/or back wall are movably mounted at the head part.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front and back wall are substantially rigidly mounted at the head part.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a mounting assembly arranged to pivotally mount the head part at the distal end.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the mounting assembly includes a mounting pin connecting the distal end of the boom and the head part.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the mounting assembly includes a mount frame having a slot provided at the distal end and a wedge movably mounted via an actuator to open and close the slot, wherein the mounting pin is provided at the head part and releasably engaged within the slot and locked by the wedge.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a levelling mechanism configured to control an orientation of the head part relative to the boom so as to maintain a desired angle of orientation of the head part relative to the boom.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a loading chute mounted at the distal end having a downwardly projecting section through which the bulk material is capable of falling and a slewing mechanism rotatably mounting an upper region of the loading chute at or towards the distal end to allow the downwardly projecting section to rotate so as to provide adjustment of a position of a lower region of the loading chute to discharge the bulk of material to different locations at the cargo transporter.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a translation mechanism mounting the loading chute at the distal end such that the loading chute is arranged to move in a direction along the length of the boom between the proximal and distal ends.

14. The assembly as claimed in the claim 13 , wherein the translation mechanism includes a rack and pinion arrangement.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a region of the downwardly projecting section is curved along its length.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the slewing mechanism includes an upper shell and a lower shell coupled via an intermediate slew bearing such that the lower shell is capable of slewing relative to the upper shell and wherein the loading chute is mounted to the lower shell.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the upper shell is mounted at the boom via a slewing levelling mechanism configured to maintain at least a region of the slewing mechanism in a substantially horizontal arrangement, such that an axis about which the loading chute is capable slewing is maintained in a substantially vertical alignment.

18. A cargo transporter loading assembly for loading bulk material into a cargo transporter, the assembly comprising:
an upstanding support frame mountable on land or a support structure;
a boom pivotally mounted at and projecting outwardly from the frame, the boom having a proximal end positioned at the frame and a distal end arranged to be raised and lowered relative to the frame;
a supply chute arrangement arranged to transport bulk material along the boom to the distal end;
a loading chute mounted at or towards the distal end having a section to project downwardly from the distal end, the loading chute configured to receive material from the supply chute;
a first cover extending over the distal end;
a pivoting head part pivotally attached to be suspended below the distal end having a second cover to form a downward extension of the first cover for positioning immediately above the cargo transporter to be loaded with the bulk material, wherein the head part is arranged to pivot below the distal end and be maintained at an angled orientation relative to the boom;
a mounting assembly arranged to pivotally mount the head part at the distal end; and
a slewing mechanism rotatably mounted to the loading chute at or towards the distal end, such that the loading chute is capable of slewing about an axis that projects downwardly from the distal end to enable adjustment of a position of a lower region of the loading chute relative to the distal end.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising a slewing levelling mechanism configured to maintain at least a region of the slewing mechanism in a substantially horizontal arrangement, such that an axis about which the loading chute is capable of slewing is maintained in a substantially vertical alignment.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising a translation mechanism mounting the loading chute at or towards the distal end, such that the loading chute is arranged to move in a direction along the length of the boom between the proximal and distal ends.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the section of the loading chute that projects downwardly from the distal end is curved along its length in a downward direction.

Assignees

• Sandvik Intellectual Property

Inventors

• Pletz Rudolf
• Vorauer Joachim
• Hochegger Frank

Classifications

• B63B27/28 Primary

  of chutes · CPC title

• B65G67/606 Primary

  using devices specially adapted for bulk material · CPC title

• B66C19/00

  Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries (B66C17/00 takes precedence; base supporting structures with legs B66C5/00; jib cranes B66C23/00) · CPC title

• B65G67/603 Primary

  using devices specially adapted for articles · CPC title

• B65G67/60 Primary

  Loading or unloading ships (arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers B63B27/00) · CPC title