Boom mounted conveying means

Abstract

Conveying means is mounted on an extensible boom of a wheeled vehicle in such manner that one end of the conveyor system is adapted to receive materials such as concrete or the like from a delivery truck and the other end is adapted to discharge the materials, as through a tremie, into a wall form or the like. The arrangement is such that the boom of the wheeled vehicle can be extended and retracted, inclined and swung from side to side during a continuous materials delivery operation so that the tremie can follow the outline of the wall form for evenly distributing the materials therein. The extension, elevation and wing of the boom can be effected by the operator without interrupting the flow of materials, and the form filling job can therefore be completed in a minimum of time.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. Apparatus for conveying concrete, said apparatus comprising a crane-type vehicle having a boom-supporting column with a substantially vertical axis, a load-supporting cantilever boom mounted on said column and having first and second portions, said first boom portion being mounted for rotation and angular elevation with respect to said vehicle axis, said second boom portion being extensively carried by said first boom portion, endless-belt conveyor means having a fixed section and a moving section wholly supported by said boom, first, second and third support means cooperating to support said conveyor means on said boom, and quick disconnect means provided for said first, second and third supporting means so that said conveyor means is readily connected to or disconnected from said boom. 
     
     
       2. Means for conveying concrete comprising: a crane-type wheeled vehicle;   an extensible, load supporting, cantilever boom pivotally mounted for rotation and angular elevation on said vehicle and comprising telescoping sections;   extensible outrigger means mounted on said vehicle for stability when the boom is in operation;   a first conveyor mounted on said boom;   a second conveyor mounted on said boom above the boom and beneath said first conveyor, said second conveyor being longitudinally movable with one telescoping section and having its inner end disposed with respect to the outer end of said first conveyor to receive concrete therefrom;     each of said conveyors being wholly supported by said boom and comprising a frame with an endless belt mounted thereon;   a first support extending upwardly from said boom for the inner end of said first conveyor;   a second support on-said boom spaced outwardly from said first support for at least partially supporting the outer end of said first conveyor;   a third support for said second conveyor mounted on a movable telescoping section of said boom;   additional support means including track and roller means extending between the frames of said first and second conveyors to further support said second conveyor by suspension from said first conveyor and to permit said longitudinal movement of said second conveyor with respect to said first conveyor;   hopper means mounted on and above said first conveyor; and   a supply conveyor associated with said first conveyor for delivering concrete into said hopper means.   
     
     
       3. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 2 wherein said boom has a nonextensible portion, and first and second movable telescoping sections, said first support being positioned adjacent the inner end of said nonextensible boom portion and the inner end of said first conveyor and connecting them together, said second support comprising three supporting elements, a first supporting element at the outer end of said first extensible boom portion and coacting with the track means of said second conveyor, and the second and third ones positioned inwardly and outwardly of said first supporting element, one of said second and third ones having coaction with the tracks means of said first conveyor and the other thereof having coaction with the track means of said second conveyor, and said third support being located at the outer end of said second telescoping section and having coaction with the track means of said second conveyor. 
     
     
       4. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said first, second and thrd supports has .[.quickly.]. .Iadd.quick .Iaddend.disconnect means for said conveying means with respect to said nonextensible and telescoping sections of said boom. 
     
     
       5. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 2 wherein said supply conveyor has an intake end adjacent ground level, and an elevated discharge end at said hopper means. 
     
     
       6. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 5 wherein the lower intake end of said supply conveyor is provided with caster wheels for transport of said concrete conveyor by operation of said wheeled vehicle. 
     
     
       7. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 6 wherein means is provided for locking said caster wheels against castering during such transport. 
     
     
       8. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said first, second and third supports has a quickly disconnectable connection with said boom. 
     
     
       9. Means for conveying concrete comprising: a crane-type wheeled vehicle having outriggers;   an extensible load-supporting, cantilever boom pivotally mounted for rotation and angular elevation on said vehicle and comprising telescoping sections;   a first belt conveyor mounted on and above said boom;   a second belt conveyor, spaced intermediate said boom and said first conveyor, supported for longitudinal movement by supports extending upwardly from the extensible telescoping sections of said boom and downwardly from said first conveyor,   said second conveyor being coupled to one of said extensible telescoping sections to move therewith;   a hopper mounted on and above said first conveyor;   a supply conveyor having its discharge end disposed above said hopper and its intake end adjacent ground level; and   funnel means at the discharge end of said second conveyor for directing the flow of concrete from the conveyor.   
     
     
       10. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 9 wherein said hopper is pivotally mounted for maintaining a vertical attitude independently of the angle of elevation of the boom and the first conveyor on which the hopper is mounted. 
     
     
       11. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 10 wherein said hopper mounting carries rollers for longitudinal movement of said hopper along said first conveyor. 
     
     
       12. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 10 wherein said hopper pivotal mounting includes a carriage support, wheels for the carriage and a track extending longitudinally of said first conveyor on which said wheels ride. 
     
     
       13. Means for conveying concrete in accordance with claim 9 wherein a tremie extends downwardly from said funnel and supporting means is provided for said tremie which releases the tremie in response to an accumulation of concrete in said tremie reaching a predetermined weight. 
     
     
       14. The concrete conveyor of claim 9 in which the telescoping boom sections have smooth platelike external surfaces. .Iadd. 15. A self-propelled crane having an extendable boom and an extendable conveyor system, comprising in combination: a. a self-propelled crane having a main boom and at least one extendable boom extendable and retractable parallel to said main boom;   b. a main conveyor connected in spaced relationship above said main boom, said main conveyor having a flexible endless belt driven by at least one motor;   c. a feed conveyor movably attached to said main conveyor at one end thereof and adapted to convey materials from a loading point onto said main conveyor, said feed conveyor having an endless conveyor belt;   d. an extension conveyor connected at one end to an extendable and retractable boom, and said extension conveyor having a flexible endless belt driven by at least one motor;   e. said main conveyor being spaced above said main boom sufficiently to allow said extension conveyor to move between said main boom and said main conveyor during extension and retraction of said extension conveyor by said extendable and retractable boom extending and retracting; whereby materials are adapted to be placed over an area defined by the extension and retraction of said extension conveyor;   f. said feed conveyor being adapted to discharge materials onto said main conveyor and said main conveyor being adapted to discharge materials onto said extension conveyor and said extension conveyor being adapted to discharge said materials from said conveyor apparatus; and   g. said crane boom being rotatable for rotating said main conveyor on said vehicle for extending the area of placement of materials by said   
     
     
        apparatus. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16.  The apparatus in accordance with claim 15 in which said feed conveyor is adapted to be placed on top of said main conveyor for transportation between locations, said feed conveyor being movably attached to said main conveyor by wheels riding in channels on said main conveyor. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The apparatus according to claim 16 in which each said extension conveyor is adapted to be retracted between said main boom and said main conveyor for transportation between locations, and said extension conveyor having a pair of channels riding on wheels, said wheels being rotatably connected to wheel supports attached to said extension boom. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. The apparatus according to claim 17 in which said extendable boom has two telescoping elements telescoping into and out of said main boom and one said telescoping element telescoping into the other intermediate telescoping boom element and the main boom having one end of the main conveyor attached thereto with the other end riding on wheels in channels on said extension conveyor and said extension conveyor having its wheel support attached to said intermediate boom element and said extension conveyor being attached to said one telescoping element. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which said feed conveyor has a flexible joint located between the ends thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 20. A self-propelled apparatus for conveying concrete having a load supporting, cantilevered boom and an extendable telescoping conveyor system mounted above and wholly supported by said boom comprising in combination: a. a self-propelled crane having positioned thereon a load supporting, cantilevered boom, said boom adapted to rotate, elevate and telescope relative to a vertical axis and having a fixed section and at least one extendable section extendable and retractable relative to the fixed section;   b. a top conveyor positioned in spaced relationship above the fixed section of the boom;   c. means for supporting said top conveyor above said fixed section of the boom;   d. a bottom conveyor positioned above the extendable and retractable section of the boom;   e. means for supporting siad bottom conveyor above said extendable and retractable section of the boom;   f. said top conveyor being spaced above said fixed boom section a distance sufficient to permit said bottom conveyor to move between the fixed boom section and said top conveyor during extension and retraction of said bottom conveyor whereby concrete can be discharged from the top conveyor onto the bottom conveyor over an area defined by the extension and retraction of said bottom conveyor below said top conveyor;   g. a feed conveyor having a discharge end, said discharge end pivotally connected to the top conveyor; and   h. said feed conveyor being adapted to convey materials from a loading point for discharge onto said top conveyor. .Iaddend.