Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a harvester having a portion for strikingly engaging a substance on a plate for removing the substance from the plate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a harvester constructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing a suspended plate operatively positioned with respect to the harvester.

Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the tool and guard portions of the harvester shown in Figure 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

In an electrolytic process for producing manganese dioxide, manganese dioxide was deposited on anodes in an electrolytic cell. The deposited manganese dioxide was a hard, dense grayish-black deposit. The plates or anodes were removed from the cell and suspended from a track. Individuals then stood in front of the suspended anodes and repeatedly struck the depos¬ ited manganese dioxide with large hammers causing the deposited manganese dioxide to break and fall from the anode.

This manual method of harvesting the manganese dioxide resulted in fragments of broken manganese dioxide flying from the anode and, in some instances, striking the individual resulting in injury. Also, this manual method, resulted in fatigue and strain on the part of the individuals.

The present invention provides a means for harves¬ ting manganese dioxide from anodes in a safer, more efficient and more economical manner, and in a manner

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which results in less fatigue and strain on the part of the individual operators.

The present invention is not limited to removing deposited manganese dioxide from anodes. The present invention can be used to remove any substance from any plate where the substance can be removed by repeatedly striking the substance.

Shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a harvester 10 which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. The harvester 10 generally comprises a tool 12 and a frame assembly 14 for supporting the tool 12.

The tool 12 has a strike end 16. In an on condition of the tool 12, the strike end 16 is moveable repeatedly back-and-forth in the tool 12 in a reciprocating motion. The strike end 16 of the tool 12 repeatedly is extended from the tool 12 in a striking motion in the on condition of the tool 12.

The tool 12 is connected to an air supply (not shown) for conditioning the tool 12 in the on condition when operatively connected to such air supply. The tool 12 includes a manually operated valve 17 (shown in Figure 2) for operatively connecting the air supply to the tool 12 for conditioning the tool 12 in the on condition.

Tools which are adapted to function in a manner like that described before with the tool 12 are commercially available such as a tamper, model 441A2 commercially available from Ingersoll-Rand. The strike end 16 is a redesign of the standard butt normally provided with tool 12 and is manufactured from 4130 crome-moly steel. This particular tool is pneumatically operated.

The tool 12 extends through a central portion of a guard 18. The tool 12 is connected to the guard 18. The guard 18 generally is rectangularly shaped and has an upper end 20, and a lower end 22 (shown in Figure 2) _r a forward face 24 and rearward face 26. The guard 18 is constructed of a substantially transparent material.

The _. guard 18 includes reinforcing plate 28, 30 and

32 (the reinforcing plates are shown in Figure 2) . The reinforcing plates 28, 30 and 32 are secured to a central portion of the guard 18 for reinforcing the guard 18. The frame assembly 14 includes opposite sides, an upper end 34 and a lower end 36. The lower end 36 of the frame

14 is rollingly supported on spaced apart rails 38 and 40 via wheels 42, 44 and 46 (one of the wheels supporting the frame 14 not being shown in the drawings) . A bin 48 is disposed generally within the frame assembly 14. The bin 48 includes a receiving space 50 formed in a portion thereof.

The cable assembly 52 comprises a cable 56 and a balancer 58. One end of cable 56 is connected to chain sling 71 (shown in Figure 2) and the opposite end of cable 56 is operatively connected to the balancer 58. The balancer 58 is movably connected to the track 54 so that the cable assembly 52 and the guard 18 connected thereto can be moved on the track 54 in directions 60 and 62. The balancer 58 is adapted to support the guard 18 and the tool 12 connected thereto so that the cable 56 can be extended from the balancer 58 thereby moving the guard 18 and tool 12 connected thereto in a downwardly direction 64 or so that the cable 56 can be withdrawn into the balancer 58 thereby moving the guard 18 and tool 12 connected thereto in a generally upwardly direction 66.

Balancers capable of operating in a manner just described with respect to the balancer 58 are well known in the art and commercially available. One balancer which is suitable for use is the balancer 58 is commer¬ cially available from Ingersoll-Rand and is a swivel type of balancer, Ingersoll-Rand model BHD56, for example. As shown in Figure 1, a plate 68 which may be the anode having the manganese dioxide substance deposited thereon is supported generally over and partially within

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the receiving space 50 of the bin 48. The plate 68 has a forward surface 70 and a rearward surface (not shown in the drawings) . In the particular example given before, manganese dioxide is deposited on the forward surface and the rearward surface (not shown) of the plate 68.

The guard 18 with the tool 12 connected thereto is positioned generally in front and near the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 to a position wherein the strike end 16 of the tool 12 is disposed generally adjacent a portion of the forward surface 70 of the plate 68. In this position, the operator actuates the valve 70 thereby causing the strike end 16 of the tool 12 to be reciprocatingly moved for repeatedly striking the substance deposited on the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 thereby causing the deposited substance to be broken from the plate 68 and dropped into the receiving space 50 of the bin 48. In the particular application of harvesting manganese dioxide, it has been found that the striking of the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 also results in the manganese dioxide deposited on the rear¬ ward surface of the plate 68 to be broken from the plate 68 and deposited within the receiving space 50 of the bin 48.

The operator moves the guard 18 and the tool 12 connected thereto from side-to-side generally between the opposite sides of the frame assembly 14 in directions 60 and 62 and up-and-down generally between the upper and lower ends 34 and 36 of the frame assembly 14 in direc¬ tions 64 and 66 to position the strike end 16 of the tool generally adjacent different portions of the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 and for strikingly engaging different portions of the substance deposited on the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 with the strike end 16 of the tool until all of the substance deposited on the forward surface 70 of the plate 68 has been removed therefrom and deposited generally within the receiving space 50 of the bin 48.

During the operation of breaking the deposited substance from the plate 58, the operator operates the tool 12 from a position standing near the rearward face

26 of the guard 18 so that the guard 18 is positioned generally between the operator and the strike end 16 of the tool 12. The guard 18 protects the operator from fragments of the deposited material hitting the operator as the deposited material is being broken from the plate

68. The guard 18 is transparent so the operator can see the tool 12 striking the deposited substance on the plate 68 and so the guard 18 does not interfere with the operator effectively operating the tool 12 to remove the substance from the plate 68.

Changes may be made in the construction and opera- tion of the various components and assemblies described herein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

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