초록 ▼

A tracked vehicle is tethered so that as it skids on a pile of bulk material, the cleated tracks transfer the material toward the tethered end. The tethering rope hitch point on the vehicle is translatable laterally to effect controlled sideward skiding for sweeping bulk material from a wide area an

A tracked vehicle is tethered so that as it skids on a pile of bulk material, the cleated tracks transfer the material toward the tethered end. The tethering rope hitch point on the vehicle is translatable laterally to effect controlled sideward skiding for sweeping bulk material from a wide area and is located at one end above the vehicle center of gravity so that the vehicle can be lowered by the tethering rope through narrow openings in storage chambers yet come to rest upright. The tracks comprise cleated endless belts coupled to endless wire ropes at the end pulleys by resilient rail members made of two rows of discrete blocks bolted to the belts which are wedged against the wire ropes by grooves in the pulleys so that tension induced in the wire ropes resists the lateral forces tending to cause the belts to creep along the pulleys. The vehicle frame comprises a sealed, structurally rigid, elongated box for each endless track in which the drive motors are protected and channel members extending along the sides and beyond the ends of the elongated box with the end pulleys mounted between the extended ends thereof. In an alternate form, the tethered end of the vehicle trails upward so that it can pile material higher.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle restrained by a tethering rope for moving bulk materials, said vehicle comprising: a frame having a longitudinal axis; traction means mounted to the frame to extend therebelow and to rotate in a plane parallel to said longitudinal axis of the frame; motive means on said frame for r

1. A vehicle restrained by a tethering rope for moving bulk materials, said vehicle comprising: a frame having a longitudinal axis; traction means mounted to the frame to extend therebelow and to rotate in a plane parallel to said longitudinal axis of the frame; motive means on said frame for rotating said traction means; and hitch means, including a hitch member to which the tethering rope is secured, connected to one end of the frame to restrain the vehicle as the motive means rotates the traction means to pull against the tethering rope so that bulk material under the traction means is moved toward the first end of said frame, said hitch means including means to selectively move said hitch member laterally on the frame such that the point at which the tethering rope is connected relative to the frame can be adjusted laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame, to control lateral movement of the vehicle, said traction means and tethering rope providing the sole points of support for said vehicle. 2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said frame is elongated and the traction means is endless track means extending along the elongated frame. 3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said elongated frame includes a lead end pulley and a trailing end pulley mounted to opposite ends of said frame for supporting said endless track means for rotation, and guide roll means mounted to the lower portion thereof between said end pulleys to divide the lower run of said endless track means between said end pulleys into a leading portion which extends horizontally rearward from the lead end pulley to the guide pulley means and a trailing portion which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the guide pulley means to the trailing end pulley. 4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said elongated frame comprises: a sealed, structurally rigid, elongated box; elongated members extending along each side of the box and beyond each end thereof; an end pulley mounted for rotation between the extended ends of said elongated members at each end of said elongated box; wherein said endless track means is mounted for rotation about the end pulleys with said sealed, structurally rigid, elongated box inside the loop formed by the endless track means; wherein said motive means is mounted inside said sealed box and includes means extending through a wall of said box and connected to an end pulley for driving said endless track means; and wherein said hitch means includes means connected to said elongated members and extending around the edges and over the top of said endless track means and drive means mounted inside said sealed box. 5. The vehicle of claim 4 comprising two said frames mounted side by side each with its own endless track means and motive means therefore mounted inside the associated sealed, elongated box. 6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein said motive means includes means to rotate the two endless track means at the same speed and at different speeds such that with the hitch means operated to adjust the hitch point to one side of said longitudinal frame axis and said motive means operated to rotate the endless track means on said one side slower than the other, the plane of the vehicle tilts laterally upward toward said one side to reduce the resistance to lateral movement of the vehicle as the endless track means on the other side digs deeper into a deep layer of bulk material. 7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said hitch means includes an elongated screw mounted transverse to said longitudinal axis of said frame, and said hitch member comprises a traveling nut mounted on said elongated screw to which the tethering rope is connected and said means for moving said hitch member laterally includes means for rotating said elongated screw to cause the traveling nut, and thereby the point at which the tethering rope is connected to the vehicle, to move laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame. 8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein said hitch means is connected to said frame at said one end at a point which is above the center of gravity of the vehicle when the vehicle is on a horizontal surface such that the vehicle may be suspended by said tethering rope but when lowered to a substantially horizontal surface it will assume a position with the traction means contacting the substantially horizontal surface. 9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein said frame is elongated and said traction means is a pair of endless tracks mounted side-by-side and extending along the elongated frame. 10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein said motive means includes means for selectively rotating said endless tracks at the same speed and at different speeds. 11. The vehicle of claim 7 including means attached to said traveling nut and extending into the threads of said elongated screw to clean said threads prior to their passing through said traveling nut. 12. A vehicle restrained by a tethering rope for moving bulk material, said vehicle comprising: an elongated frame having a longitudinal axis; endless track means; pulley means rotatably mounted on the frame near each end thereof for rotation about axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame to support said endless track means for rotation in a plane parallel to said longitudinal axis of the frame with one run of the endless track means between the pulley means extending below the frame; hitch means mounted on one end of said frame to which said tethering rope is connected; and motive means mounted on said frame for rotating said endless track means including pulling against the restraint of said tethering rope to thereby move bulk material under the one run of the endless track means toward said one end of the frame; said endless track means comprising: an endless belt forming a loop and having bulk material gripping means on the outer surface thereof; an endless wire rope inside the loop of the endless belt; and a resilient rail member secured to the inner surface of the endless belt and encircling said wire rope said resilient rail member having its side edges tapered inward toward each other from the inner belt surface, inward, said pulley means having grooves in the surface thereof correspondingly shaped to receive said rail member as the endless belt, endless wire rope and rail member all pass around the pulley means together and said pulley grooves being slightly narrower than said resilient rail member such that the resilient rail member is wedged down into said groove to firmly couple the wire rope to the belt as they pass around the pulley means. 13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said resilient rail member is formed of two longitudinal halves with said wire rope received in longitudinal grooves in the confronting faces of the two longitudinal halves. 14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein each of said longitudinal halves of said resilient rail member comprises a series of discrete blocks. 15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein each of said discrete blocks is secured to the endless belt by at least one elongated fastener that extends through the block and said belt. 16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the bulk material gripping means on the outer surface of said belt comprise cleats extending transversely across the endless belt at longitudinally spaced locations and wherein said cleats are secured to said endless belt at least in part by said elongated fasteners which secure said discrete blocks to said belt. 17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein said endless track means includes a plurality of endless wire ropes inside the loop of the endless belt and two series of resilient block members, secured to the endless belt with elongated fasteners which also secure the cleats to the belt, encircling each of said endless wire ropes to form a resilient rail member and wherein said pulley members include grooves shaped to receive each of said resilient rail members and to wedge them against the wire ropes to firmly couple the wire ropes to the endless belt as they pass around the pulley means together. 18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein said endless track means includes a pair of endless belts, each supported by separate end pulleys and each having a plurality of wire ropes secured thereto by two series of resilient blocks which encircle the associated wire rope and form a resilient rail member and wherein the motive means includes means for selectively rotating said endless belts at the same or different speeds. 19. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein adjacent discrete blocks in each series thereof are provided with meshing fingers. 20. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the second run of said endless belt between said pulley means forms the upper surface of the vehicle and wherein said motive means is operative to rotate the endless track means in one direction to pull against the tethering rope and thereby move bulk material under said first run toward the one end of the vehicle and to rotate the endless track means in the opposite direction to drive said vehicle toward said one end and to carry with it and deposit in front of the vehicle any bulk material which may have fallen onto said second run. 21. The vehicle of claim 20 wherein said frame includes hitch support means near said one end which support said hitch above the second run of said endless track means. 22. The vehicle of claim 21 wherein said hitch support means includes end members extending laterally from each side of said frame near said one end and then upwardly outside said endless track means, and wherein said hitch means includes a threaded rod rotatably supported between said end members, a traveling nut, to which the tethering rope is secured, threadly engaging the threaded rod and drive means for rotating the threaded rod to selectively adjust the location of the point at which the tethering rope is connected to the vehicle laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. 23. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said endless track means includes at least two laterally spaced endless wire ropes inside the loop of the endless belt and a resilient rail member secured to the inner surface of the endless belt and encircling each of said wire ropes and wherein said pulley means have grooves shaped to receive each of said resilient rail members and to wedge the same against the wire ropes to firmly couple the wire ropes to the endless belt as they pass around the pulley means together. 24. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said endless track means includes two parallel endless belts separately supported by end pulleys and each with an endless wire rope and a resilient rail member coupling the wire rope to the associated belt and wherein the motive means includes means for selectively rotating said two endless belts at the same and different speeds. 25. Apparatus for moving bulk material comprising: a vehicle; and flexible tension member means for tethering and hoisting said vehicle; said vehicle comprising: an elongated frame having a top and a bottom; endless track means mounted on the elongated frame for rotation in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame about pulleys adjacent each end of the elongated frame and extending below the bottom of the frame to contact bulk material under the vehicle; hitch means for connecting said flexible tension member means to one end of said vehicle with the connection for hoisting said vehicle being above the plane containing the center of gravity of the vehicle such that when the vehicle is hoisted by the flexible tension member means, it hangs suspended with the bottom of the frame forming an acute angle with the horizontal and when the vehicle is lowered to a substantially horizontal surface, the endless track means extending below the bottom of the frame supports the vehicle on said surface; and motive means for rotating the endless track means to pull the vehicle against the tethering restraint of the flexible tension member means to move bulk material under the endless track means toward said one end of the vehicle. 26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said flexible tension member means comprises a tethering rope and a hoist rope and wherein said hitch means includes means above the plane containing the center of gravity of the vehicle to which the hoist rope is connected and means to which the tethering rope is connected which is selectively adjustable laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. 27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said endless track means comprises a pair of endless track members and wherein said motive means includes means for selectively rotating said endless track members at the same speed and at different speeds. 28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the upper runs of said endless track members run along the top of said frame to form the upper surface of said vehicle, said hitch means includes means extending laterally outward from said one end of the frame and then around the outside of the loops formed by said endless track members and wherein said motive means includes means to rotate said endless track members in a first direction to pull against the tethering restraint of said flexible tension member means to move bulk material under the bottom run of said endless track members toward said one end of the vehicle and to rotate the endless track members in the opposite direction to move the vehicle in the direction of said one end thereof and to carry with it and deposit in front of it, any bulk material which has been deposited on the upper runs of said endless track members. 29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the flexible tension member means includes a tethering rope and a hoist rope and wherein said hitch means includes means above the plane containing the center of gravity of the vehicle which is parallel to the longitudinal and lateral axes thereof to which the hoist rope is connected and means for connecting the tethering rope to the vehicle which is adjustable laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.