Conveyor chute and method of palletizing same for shipment

Abstract

A conveyor chute for conveying objects by gravity from at least one higher floor to at least one lower floor of a building includes a plurality of discrete sections which are joinable to one another to form an elongated conduit having an internal bore. At least one of the sections is of internal dimensions sufficient to permit at least one other of the sections to fit substantially completely inside while other sections are shaped to stack nestably to provide greater packing density and thereby lower shipping costs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A conveyor chute for conveying objects by gravity from at least one higher floor to at least one lower floor of a building, said chute comprising:
 a plurality of discrete sections which are joinable to form an elongated hollow conduit having an open bore through which the objects may fall under gravity, at least one of said sections being capable of fitting substantially completely inside another one of said plurality of sections.   
     
     
         2 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said plurality of discrete sections comprises a nestable section which can be stacked to form part of a nested stack. 
     
     
         3 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one of said plurality of discrete sections comprises an intake section having an intake port which includes an opening for receiving objects to be conveyed, said opening being provided with a door. 
     
     
         4 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said intake section is mounted to a floor frame by way of at least two substantially stair step-shaped clips. 
     
     
         5 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of discrete sections includes at least (i) an intake section having an opening for receiving objects to be conveyed, and (ii) a section which is suspendable from a floor frame by way of at least two hangers, said intake section being mountable to said floor frame by way of at least two substantially stair step-shaped clips, each of said substantially stair step-shaped clips being mounted to at least partially overlap at least a respective one of said hangers. 
     
     
         6 . A conveyor chute for conveying objects by gravity from at least one higher floor to at least one lower floor of a building, said chute comprising:
 a plurality of discrete sections which are joinable to one another to form an elongated hollow conduit having an open bore through which the objects may fall under gravity, said sections including:   (a) at least one intake section having a substantially cylindrical body of a first inside diameter, said body of said intake section having an open top end, an open bottom end and, an intake port communicating with said bore for receiving objects to be conveyed through said bore, said intake port being located between said top end and said bottom end of said body of said intake section, said intake section terminating in a first male connector having a first reduced diameter portion;   (b) at least one tapered section having an open top end of an inside diameter sufficient to receive said first reduced diameter portion of said first male connector of said intake section, said tapered section further having an open bottom end of a smaller inside diameter than said top end of said tapered section, said first reduced diameter portion of said first male connector of said intake section being receivable inside said top end of said tapered section to form a first liquid shedding lap joint;   (c) at least one substantially cylindrical section having a substantially cylindrical body and a maximum outside diameter which is smaller than said first inside diameter of said body of said intake section, said body of said substantially cylindrical section having an open top end and an open bottom end, said substantially cylindrical section terminating in a second male connector having a second radial protrusion and a second reduced diameter portion, said bottom end of said tapered section being telescopingly receivable inside said top end of said cylindrical section to form a second interiorly liquid shedding lap joint;   (d) at least one frustoconical section having an open top end of an inside diameter sufficient to receive said second reduced diameter portion of said second male connector to form a third interiorly liquid shedding lap joint, said frustoconical section having an open bottom end of an outside diameter which is larger than said inside diameter of said top end of said frustoconical section, said frustoconical section terminating in a third male connector having a third radial protrusion and a third reduced diameter portion, said third reduced diameter portion having an outside diameter smaller than said first inside diameter of said substantially cylindrical body of said intake section so that said third reduced diameter portion of said third male connector is receivable inside a said open top end of a said intake section to form a fourth interiorly liquid shedding joint.   
     
     
         7 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said substantially cylindrical section is of a maximum outside dimension sufficiently small to permit said substantially cylindrical section to be received at least partially inside said intake section to increase packing density for shipment. 
     
     
         8 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said substantially cylindrical section is of a maximum outside dimension sufficiently small to permit said substantially cylindrical section to be received substantially completely inside said intake section to increase packing density for shipment. 
     
     
         9 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said at least one tapered section comprises a plurality of said tapered sections which are nestable at least partially inside one another to form a nested stack to increase packing density for shipment. 
     
     
         10 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said at least one frustoconical section comprises a plurality of said frustoconical sections which are nestable at least partially inside one another to form a nested stack to increase packing density for shipment. 
     
     
         11 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein at least one of said first radial protrusion, said second radial protrusion and said third radial protrusion comprises a circumferential bead. 
     
     
         12 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein at least one of said first reduced diameter portion of said first male connector and said second reduced diameter portion of said second male connector and said third reduced diameter portion of said third male connector is corrugated. 
     
     
         13 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said intake port includes an opening for receiving objects to be conveyed, said opening being provided with a door. 
     
     
         14 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said intake section is supportably mounted to a floor frame by way of at least two substantially stair step-shaped clips which are secured to respective exterior portions of said body of said intake section. 
     
     
         15 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said tapered section is mounted suspended from a floor frame by way of at least two hangers. 
     
     
         16 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said hangers are substantially “J”-shaped. 
     
     
         17 . A conveyor chute as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said tapered section is suspended from a floor frame by way of at least two hangers and said intake section is supportably mounted to said floor frame by way of at least two substantially stair step-shaped clips, each of said substantially stair step-shaped clips being mounted to at least partially overlap at least a portion of a respective one of said hangers, each of said hangers engaging said floor frame. 
     
     
         18 . A method of palletizing sections of a conveyor chute, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) mounting on a first pallet a first layer of four intake sections and a second layer of four intake sections, said second layer being disposed above said first layer, each of said intake sections having a substantially cylindrical body of a first inside diameter, said body of said intake sections each having an open top end, an open bottom end, an open bore connecting said open top end and said open bottom end and an intake port communicating with said bore for receiving objects to be conveyed through said bore, said intake port being located between said open top end and said open bottom end of said body of said intake section;   (b) mounting at least partially within said bore of each of at least one of said intake sections a hollow substantially cylindrical section having a maximum outside diameter which is smaller than said first inside diameter of said substantially cylindrical body of said intake section;   (c) mounting on a second pallet (i) at least two stacks of tapered sections and (ii) at least one stack of frustoconical sections, each of said stacks of said tapered sections including a plurality of said tapered sections which are at least partially nested inside other ones of said tapered sections, each said stack of said frustoconical sections including a plurality of said frustoconical sections which are at least partially nested inside other ones of said frustoconical sections, each said tapered section being tubular and having an open top end and an open bottom end, said bottom end of each said tapered section having an inside diameter which is smaller than an outside diameter of said top end of said tapered section, each said frustoconical section having an open top end and an open bottom end, said bottom end having an inside diameter which is larger than an outside diameter of said top end of said frustoconical section.   
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein each said substantially cylindrical body of each respective said intake section has a central longitudinal axis which is oriented substantially perpendicular to a top surface of said first pallet. 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein each said intake port of each respective said intake section faces outwardly of said first pallet. 
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising the step of interposing a sheet of sheet material between said first layer of said intake sections and said second layer of said intake sections. 
     
     
         22 . A method of palletizing sections of a conveyor chute, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) mounting on a first pallet a first layer of four intake sections and a second layer of four intake sections, said second layer being disposed above said first layer, each of said intake sections having a substantially cylindrical body of a first inside diameter, said body of said intake sections each having an open top end, an open bottom end, an open bore connecting said open top end and said open bottom end and, an intake port communicating with said bore for receiving objects to be conveyed through said bore, said intake port being located between said open top end and said open bottom end of said body of said intake section, each said bore of at least one of said intake sections having disposed therein a hollow substantially cylindrical section having a maximum outside diameter which is smaller than said first inside diameter of said substantially cylindrical body of said intake section;   (b) mounting on a second pallet (i) at least two stacks of tapered sections and (ii) at least one stack of frustoconical sections, each of said stacks of said tapered sections including a plurality of said tapered sections which are at least partially nested inside other ones of said tapered sections, each said stack of said frustoconical sections including a plurality of said frustoconical sections which are at least partially nested inside other ones of said frustoconical sections, each said tapered section having an open top end and an open bottom end, said bottom end of each said tapered section having an inside diameter which is smaller than an outside diameter of said top end of said tapered section, each said frustoconical section having an open top end and an open bottom end, said bottom end having an inside diameter which is larger than an outside diameter of said top end of said frustoconical section.   
     
     
         23 . A method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein each said bore of each of said intake sections has disposed therein a hollow substantially cylindrical section having a maximum outside diameter which is smaller than said first inside diameter of said substantially cylindrical body of said intake section. 
     
     
         24 . A method of palletizing a conveyance chute of the type having a plurality of mutually adjoining tubular sections, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming at least a first one of the sections to have an outside diameter at least a second one of the sections, and   (b) placing on a pallet at least said first one of said sections and at least said second one of said sections such that said first one of said sections is disposed at least substantially entirely inside said second one of said sections.   
     
     
         25 . A method as claimed in  claim 24  wherein each of the tubular sections has a longitudinal axis which is oriented substantially perpendicular to a top surface of said pallet.