US3752334A — Industrial bulk material transportation

Claim 1

Independent Claim 360 words

Industrial bulk material transportation apparatus comprising: a. remotely separated train loading and unloading stations and a main railway track extending betwEen them, the track at the unloading station being progressively tilted edgewise from a normal plane through an arc sufficient to tilt the cars of a train designed for use therewith through an angle sufficient to discharge the contents thereof and then progressively tilted back to a normal plane, said tilted portion of the track being several car lengths in extent so that different cars of a train are tilted at different angles at the same time, b. a train movable along the track comprising several individual wheeled cars coupled for relative rotation about their longitudinal axes whereby cars of a train moving on said tilted track may be tilted to a different angle than the one ahead or behind, the cars being also pivotally connected for relative movement about an axis parallel with the axes of the cars across their width, c. each car of the train having a body and a frame on which the body is secured, the car having a drive strip extending therealong substantially the full length thereof on that side of the car which is the lower one when the car is being tilted to discharge its contents, the frame having at least one pair of wheels thereon arranged to roll on said track, d. spaced drive stations positioned at intervals along the track, each station having a power-driven resilient friction element arranged to engage the drive strips of the successive cars of a train to thereby propel the train from one drive station to the next, e. said edgewise tilted section of the track at the unloading station having roller means at intervals there-along positioned to engage the drive strips on the cars as they are moving and supporting the cars against side slip toward the lower side of the track while the cars are tilted, and other means at intervals along the high side of the track arranged to engage the upper surfaces of the car frames while they are so tilted for holding the wheels of the cars against the track.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 360 words

Industrial bulk material transportation apparatus comprising: a. remotely separated train loading and unloading stations and a main railway track extending betwEen them, the track at the unloading station being progressively tilted edgewise from a normal plane through an arc sufficient to tilt the cars of a train designed for use therewith through an angle sufficient to discharge the contents thereof and then progressively tilted back to a normal plane, said tilted portion of the track being several car lengths in extent so that different cars of a train are tilted at different angles at the same time, b. a train movable along the track comprising several individual wheeled cars coupled for relative rotation about their longitudinal axes whereby cars of a train moving on said tilted track may be tilted to a different angle than the one ahead or behind, the cars being also pivotally connected for relative movement about an axis parallel with the axes of the cars across their width, c. each car of the train having a body and a frame on which the body is secured, the car having a drive strip extending therealong substantially the full length thereof on that side of the car which is the lower one when the car is being tilted to discharge its contents, the frame having at least one pair of wheels thereon arranged to roll on said track, d. spaced drive stations positioned at intervals along the track, each station having a power-driven resilient friction element arranged to engage the drive strips of the successive cars of a train to thereby propel the train from one drive station to the next, e. said edgewise tilted section of the track at the unloading station having roller means at intervals there-along positioned to engage the drive strips on the cars as they are moving and supporting the cars against side slip toward the lower side of the track while the cars are tilted, and other means at intervals along the high side of the track arranged to engage the upper surfaces of the car frames while they are so tilted for holding the wheels of the cars against the track.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 78 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of the roller means that engage the drive strips when the cars are tilted are power-driven for moving the train and wherein there are also rollers at intervals along the lower side of the track at the unloading station which are arranged to engage the upper surface of the tilted car frames along the lower sides thereof and confine the wheels on the lower sides against the tracks.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the car frames have generally trough-like bodies thereon which have outwardly-flaring sides, each frame having a structural section along each side which is substantially the full length of the car, and hold-down rollers spaced along the higher side of the tilted track at the unloading station so positioned that they are received in the space above the frames of the cars and the flaring sides of the bodies and roll on said structural section to confine the wheels of the cars against the rails, said structural sections also having the said drive strip secured thereto.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the cars are each constructed with an axle and wheels attached directly to the frame without springs whereby the said structural sections and drive strips of the several cars are at the same level when the train is on a level track irrespective of variations in the loads in the cars.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the drive strips are on the exterior side faces of said structural frame members at each side of each car.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 56 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which the drive stations each have a power-driven wheel that is resiliently urged against the said drive strips, there being at each drive station other means engaging the drive strip on the opposite sides of the cars to oppose the lateral thrust of the driven wheel against the cars.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 73 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the several cars of the train have a horizontal strip therealong extending laterally thereof on at least one side, the driving station having upper and lower friction Wheels arranged to resiliently engage the upper and lower surfaces of said strip with the upper friction wheel opposing any upward thrust exerted by the lower friction wheel against said strip, and means for driving said friction wheels.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 85 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the main track at the unloading station has a movable secondary track section thereon with the main track extending continuously under the movable secondary track section, said movable section being arranged to effect the tilting of the cars and the restoring of them to normal position, said movable section being so arranged that the train will move up onto it from the main track and then return to the main track after the cars have been dumped.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 117 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the unloading station comprises a mobile unit that may travel back and forth along the main track, the track extending continuously under the mobile unit, the mobile unit having a ramp engaged with the rails of the main track to and from which the train may move from the main track onto the ramp and from the ramp back to the main track, the mobile unit itself having the track thereon progressively tilted edgewise from a starting position of maximum tilt and back to normal for dumping the cars after the train moves up the ramp and before it moves down the ramp to return to the main track.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 251 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the main track has two branches side-by-side and the unloading station comprises a self-propelled unitary vehicle that has endless tractor treads to move over the earth unsupported by the main track, said vehicle having a structural framework supported thereon and extending upwardly above it, the structural framework comprising an inclined ramp that slopes downwardly and rearwardly with two parallel tracks thereon and a looped track support, the looped track support having a generally semi-circular looped track thereon connecting the upper ends of the two tracks on the ramp, said looped track being gradually tilted outwardly edgewise from a normal plane to a substantially vertical plane and then tilted in the reverse direction to a normal position at the other end of the loop, said looped track having means at intervals thereabout arranged to provide a rolling support bearing against said drive strips on the lower sides of the tilted cars and other means along the looped track on both the high and low sides for holding the car wheels on the looped track when the cars are tilted to an angle to discharge a load therefrom, said ramp terminating with one of its two parallel tracks extending up from one branch of the main track and the other extending up from the other branch of the main track so arranged that a train may move from one track up the ramp, around the loop and down the ramp to the other main track.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 59 words

The invention defined in claim 10 wherein the dual branches of the main track adjacent the unloading terminal are provided with double switches so arranged that the direction of travel of a train up the ramp and around the loop may be selectively reversed to change the position where the dumping area of the cars begins to take place.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 223 words

Apparatus for dumping a train of open top cars connected for universal relative movement that are propelled along a main track comprising: a. a movable elevated track section having an inclined ramp portion with a two-rail track thereon that extends from the elevated track to the two-rail main track, the rails on said ramp slidably engaging the rails of said main track whereby the movable track section may be moved along the main track and the train may travel up or down the ramp, b. the said movable elevated track being twisted edgewise to a substantially vertical position during a portion of its length whereby cars of the train moving along the tilted elevated track are tilted sideways through an arc sufficient to discharge the contents of the cars to one side of the elevated track, c. hold-down means at spaced intErvals along the elevated tilted track section at the high side of the tilted track each comprising a roller arranged to bear against a member extending along the upper longitudinal edges of the cars to hold the cars against the track, and roller means at intervals along the lower side of said section positioned to engage a member extending along each of the cars at their low sides to restrain the cars from side slip while they are being tilted and dumped.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 223 words

Apparatus for dumping a train of open top cars connected for universal relative movement that are propelled along a main track comprising: a. a movable elevated track section having an inclined ramp portion with a two-rail track thereon that extends from the elevated track to the two-rail main track, the rails on said ramp slidably engaging the rails of said main track whereby the movable track section may be moved along the main track and the train may travel up or down the ramp, b. the said movable elevated track being twisted edgewise to a substantially vertical position during a portion of its length whereby cars of the train moving along the tilted elevated track are tilted sideways through an arc sufficient to discharge the contents of the cars to one side of the elevated track, c. hold-down means at spaced intErvals along the elevated tilted track section at the high side of the tilted track each comprising a roller arranged to bear against a member extending along the upper longitudinal edges of the cars to hold the cars against the track, and roller means at intervals along the lower side of said section positioned to engage a member extending along each of the cars at their low sides to restrain the cars from side slip while they are being tilted and dumped.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 20 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said elevated tilted track section is supported on and carried by a vehicle.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 26 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said elevated track section is mounted on and slidable along a straight reach of the normal two-rail main track.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 63 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the cars are springless and the loading station comprises a resiliently-supported track span of at least one car length interposed between two fixed track ends with connections between said span and the track ends which permit vertical movement of the span while effectively maintaining the continuity of the track from one track end to the other.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein there is a loading device over said resiliently-supported track span arranged to drop bulk material into cars moving along said span.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 134 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each drive station comprises an upright frame structure at one side of the track, a laterally-extending frame pivotally hung in the upright frame for rotation in a vertical arc, a cradle hung from the laterally-extending frame in which is set a combined motor, brake and speed-reducing gear, the speed-reducing gear having a vertical driven shaft with a friction wheel thereon, said motor and reducing gear being so positioned in the cradle with reference to the axis about which the laterally-extending frame pivots that the wheel is yieldably biased by the combined weight thereof to bear against the drive strip of a car positioned on the track alongside the wheel, and spring means for increasing the biasing pressure of the wheel against a car which is so positioned.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 105 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the body and frame of each car are substantially coextensive and the body is of a trough-like section open at the top, only the front and rear cars having transverse end walls for the body, the bodies of the intermediate cars being open-ended, each car except one end car having a flexible trough-like apron fixed thereto at one end only that extends into the trough-shaped open end of the adjacent car for support but to which it is unattached whereby the cars provide a substantially continuous trough-like material-receiving space from one end of the train to the other.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 361 words

Bulk material transporting apparatus for use in open pit mining comprising: a. a railway track extending from within the pit to separated unloading stations, one of which is at an ore processing plant, another at a dump, and another at a leaching bed area, the track having switches for selectively directing a train into or out of any one of said areas, b. the track in the mine having branches leading to different loading stations in the mine with switches for selectively directing a train to or from any one of said loading stations, c. a train movable over said track comprising a connected series of cars, each car having a frame and a body, each car having a drive strip along each side edge thereof, each car having a trough-like body on the frame open at the top, d. train driving stations at intervals along the track having drive units comprising power-driven friction wheels that resiliently bear against and engage the drive strips on the cars for propelling the train, said units being also arranged with brakes for retarding down-grade travel of the trains or stopping them, e. each unloading station comprising an elevated track section having a portion of its length arranged to progressively twist a train moving therealong sideways To successively turn the cars from a normal upright position sideways through an arc sufficient to discharge from each car in turn all of its load and then return the cars to an upright position, f. the unloading station at the leaching bed area having the said elevated track section on a mobile support that may travel on the earth at the end of the track that leads to said leaching bed area whereby said mobile unit may travel back and forth relative to said track end to progressively build up a leaching bed, the track on the mobile unit being engaged with said track end through an inclined ramp the lower end of which is adjustable vertically to accommodate the change in height of the leaching bed as it is built up, the ramp having track means thereon extending between said track end and said elevated track section.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 361 words

Bulk material transporting apparatus for use in open pit mining comprising: a. a railway track extending from within the pit to separated unloading stations, one of which is at an ore processing plant, another at a dump, and another at a leaching bed area, the track having switches for selectively directing a train into or out of any one of said areas, b. the track in the mine having branches leading to different loading stations in the mine with switches for selectively directing a train to or from any one of said loading stations, c. a train movable over said track comprising a connected series of cars, each car having a frame and a body, each car having a drive strip along each side edge thereof, each car having a trough-like body on the frame open at the top, d. train driving stations at intervals along the track having drive units comprising power-driven friction wheels that resiliently bear against and engage the drive strips on the cars for propelling the train, said units being also arranged with brakes for retarding down-grade travel of the trains or stopping them, e. each unloading station comprising an elevated track section having a portion of its length arranged to progressively twist a train moving therealong sideways To successively turn the cars from a normal upright position sideways through an arc sufficient to discharge from each car in turn all of its load and then return the cars to an upright position, f. the unloading station at the leaching bed area having the said elevated track section on a mobile support that may travel on the earth at the end of the track that leads to said leaching bed area whereby said mobile unit may travel back and forth relative to said track end to progressively build up a leaching bed, the track on the mobile unit being engaged with said track end through an inclined ramp the lower end of which is adjustable vertically to accommodate the change in height of the leaching bed as it is built up, the ramp having track means thereon extending between said track end and said elevated track section.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 48 words

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein there is a central control area in the pit for routing empty trains to selected loading areas and loaded trains to a selected unloading station, said trains being controlled entirely from said control station with no crew being required on any train.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-08-13	1977-02-12	1977-08-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-08-13	1981-02-12	1981-08-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-08-13	1985-02-12	1985-08-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Industrial bulk material transportation

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