This invention relates to a method and means for loading a container.

5. The invention is not intended to be limited to loading of only containers but has particular value when so applied.

The problem to which this invention has particular application relates to the loading of containers insofar that there is advantage in packing as many goods as is possible into the space of a 10. container.

The type of container referred to is that which is now being typically used for shipping purposes around the world and which is of rectangular proportions and is accessible from one end for loading purposes.

15. With present equipment, if the container is to be loaded from the floor to ceiling, each package typically a bag of wheat, will have to be taken from a delivery elevator which has a fixed position and then "lumped" into a stacked position.

Particular difficulty arises when the bag is to be located close to, 20. or in fact adjacent, a ceiling where an individual can find great difficulty shifting a bag equivalent to a weight of perhaps 100 kilograms into such a confined space from one end only.

The difficulty is self-evident and in practice it is time consuming and therefore expensive to achieve a fully packed container. 25. Many containers are therefore not fully filled with resultant w aste space for transport purposes.

This invention relates to a different means by which materials can be delivered into a container.

It proposes accordingly to provide a loading conveyor which is adjustable in both forward to aft position as well as direction of

5. slew and tilt so that materials whether packaged or not can be directed into a most convenient location.

The invention accordingly can be said to reside in a loading conveyor including a base, a conveyor assembly including an endless conveyor belt extending from an outer end to an inner

10. end and providing for conveying support for materials along that length, the belt being held between end rollers and being supported by a belt support frame, the belt support frame being slidably movable in a forward to aft direction with respect to a second support frame, the second support frame being supported

15. relative to the base by means allowing rotation of the second support frame about a substantially vertical axis, and by me ans allowing for change of inclination about a substantially horizontal axis.

Furthermore, however, it is provided that the loading conveyor 20. can be operated at such a speed that the material will leave the conveyor with a significant horizontal component of trajectory.

This can be achieved with packaged materials of larger weight by providing that there is a separate serving conveyor which will load a package as required from time to time onto the loading 25. conveyor which can then rapidly accelerate the package so that it will shoot at substantial speed from the end of the conveyor.

The actual speed to which the materials should be accelerated will be dependent entirely upon the loading situation, that is, whether the package such as a bag of wheat, is to be located with a tight fit

30. in a uppermost corner position in which it is to be tightly jammed,

or it is to be located simply on the floor as a first of a row or stack of bags.

Each position can be achieved by different speeds but speeds in the order of three to four metres per second as an exit speed will 5. indicate the extent to which an end velocity is required.

In preference, the loading conveyor is supported so as to be rotatable for its slewing direction about a substantially vertical axis and the serving conveyor is adapted to drop the material or package on the loading conveyor in the vicinity of such vertical 10. pivot axis.

In this way, location of the package is most easily achieved for consistently feeding in a proper position onto the loading conveyor.

In preference, the loading conveyor and the associated equipment 15. are supported by a base such that the tray of a truck can pass there beneath.

With bags of particulate material being directed at very great speed into the container, it has been found necessary to provide that there is indeed a workman within the container locating such 20. bags from time to time after being thrust from the loading conveyor.

The danger of such machinery and such high weight bags being directed at high velocity within a very confined space is self- evident, and it is a feature that the loading conveyor has at or 25. toward its end control means connected to control the drive means associated with the conveyor.

In preference, such control means include means to effect a rapid stopping of the conveyor belt of the loading conveyor.

Other features and improvements will be better seen when reference is made to the now following description of a preferred embodiment and to the claims appended to this specification.

Accordingly, a description will now be given of the third 5. embodiment with the assistance of drawings in which -

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing in partly schematic and cutaway form a serving conveyor servicing a loading conveyor partly located within a container;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement substantially as shown in 10. Fig. 1 except that there is included an operator's seat and control panel;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing with further added parts the loading conveyor and serving conveyor;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the .drive assembly for forward to 15. aft position control of the loading conveyor;

FIG. 5 is an underneath perspective view of the arrangement as .shown in Fig. 3, especially showing the slewing control ram and the tilting control rams; and

FIG. 6 is an underneath view of the outermost end of the loading 20. conveyor showing in particular the outermost control means at both sides of an end roller.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and once again noting that Figs. 1 and 2 are schematic, and that Fig. 2 has some added detail which is not shown in Fig. 1, there is shown a loading conveyor 1 25. which is supported on a base 2 in such a way that it can mov e both in a forward to aft direction which can be controlled by

hydraulic motor 3, with respect to a support frame 4, which can be tilted about pivot axis 5 under the control of tilt rams 6 and which can be slewed by being pivotal around the vertical axis 7 under the control of slew ram 8.

5. The base 2 is comprised of a frame which comprises side legs 9 and 10 on one side and 11 and 12 on the other such that the tray of a semi-trailer type vehicle can pass therebetween and indeed beneath the control platform 13.

The control platform 13 includes a control panel 14 with the 10. appropriate hydraulic controls to control the relative positioning of the loading conveyor, the speed of the conveyor and the drive of the serving conveyor 15.

The serving conveyor 15 rises from a side and then turns and indeed has an end 16 which is adapted to place a package of 15. material such as at 17 by locating this at about the position of the pivot axis 7 so that the package is best positioned for acceleration by the loading conveyor 1.

The serving conveyor 15 is adapted to be stopped or started independently of the loading conveyor 1 so that packages of

20. material can be fed one at a time onto the loading conveyor 1 to effect a rapid acceleration to the outer end of the l o adi n g conveyor 1.

The loading conveyor 1 includes a continuous belt 18 which extends to an outer end 19 where it extends around roller 20 and 25. at an inner end or aft, as compared to forward, roller 21 where it extends around and is driven by motor 44.

At the forward or outer end of the loading conveyor 1 are control means 22 and 23 which incorporate electrical switches which are

operable by movement against resilient spring pressure of arm 24 in the one case and 25 in the other.

The position of the respective arms 24 and 25 with an outer end comprising a knob 26 in the one case and 27 in the other, are such 5. that if either of these contact against the side of a container or are pushed by an operator within the container, there is effected through an electrical cable, a stop signal which then requires a re¬ set action by the operator for restarting the drive motor 44 or rams 6 or 8.

10. In this way it is found that there is indeed greater safety for the operator within the container.

There is an outermost roller 28 which is adapted to provide for support of the end of a bag of material, such as a bag of wheat, as this is projected past the end of the belt.

15. The loading conveyor 1 is adapted to be operated so that it has a lateral belt speed over a variable range of speeds, but such that it has sufficient torque to accelerate a bag of wheat which would be of 100 kilograms of weight to a speed such that the exiting speed of the end of the conveyor over the length shown is four metres

20. per second.

Such a speed will ensure that the bag continues after leaving the conveyor end so that it will not drop more than twice its thickness after having travelled twice its length.

As has been said, however, the speed can be varied for 25. appropriate conditions.

Returning to the construction of the apparatus, the position of the loading conveyor 1 is controllable in a forward to aft direction and this is achieved by two chains 29 and 30 being engaged by

sprockets such as at 31 and 32 which in turn are driven through chain 33 by hydraulic motor 34.

Limit switches 35 and 36 operate to limit the extent of forward to aft movement as determined by cams fixed to the chain 29.

5. Such a cam is shown in Fig. 5 at 37.

The loading conveyor 1 is separately supportable on the support frame 4 in such a way that this can be moved forwardly and rearwardly and this is achieved by supporting of this on wheels such as those shown in Fig. 5 at 38 and 39.

10. The support frame 4 includes an outwardly extending arm 40 to which are secured the tilt rams 6 which can therefore follow rotation with the loading conveyor 1.

Rotation about a substantially vertical axis is achieved by supporting the whole assembly on a turntable 41.

15. The serving conveyor 15 is operated by having a plurality of rollers shown typically at 42 each of which are commonly coupled through a chain drive which is not shown but which is within a cowling on the side of the conveyor so that these are in fact driven under the control of a drive motor and, of course, are

20. therefore separately controllable by the operator.

There is provided a seat 43 for an operator so that the operator can sit substantially aligned with the elevator and therefore essentially aim the loading conveyor 1 in the right direction for the next bag to be located.

25. Using apparatus of this type has significantly reduced the time that has been hitherto necessary to load a container such as is shown at 45, and furthermore a container thus loaded can be

loaded fully and tightly packed with packages 46 so that the best volume weight ratio can be achieved where appropriate.

This then describes the preferred embodiment which has been described firstly in respect of schematic drawings and then more 5. detailed drawings from Figs. 3 through to 6.

While reference has been made to the loading of packaged materials, and we have in mind particularly bags of wheat or barley or other cereals, it is clear that the application applies to a large number of materials and can also include the case where the 10. materials are unpackaged.

In this case a loading conveyor supported in the same way as described in the embodiment is however shaped so as to retain a concave cross-sectional shape along its length, and in this manner unpackaged material such as unpackaged wheat or barley or peas 15. can therefore be fed into this, once again at an appropriate location along its length, and accelerated into a confined area within a container or some such device.

Once again, the speed of acceleration is appropriate for the particular materials and the application desired.

20. In a further alternate arrangement, there are proposed means by which there are automatic control means for locating and aligning the loading conveyor.

Accordingly, there are proposed computer means controlling the forward to aft drive motor, the tilt and slewing rams and belt 25. speed such that there are provided a sequential positioning of the loading conveyor in accord with such a program.

Necessarily such a program will require means to establish a reference position of the end of the conveyor and in such an

instance, the control means that have been used to provide a stopping of the conveyor belt can be used, and indeed are used, in such a way as to locate the end of the conveyor against first a one side of the container and then another, whereafter the conveyor 5. will be controlled by the program with these two references controlling the positioning.

The serving conveyor can be appropriately coupled to such a program so as to only load a bag or other material onto the loading conveyor as appropriate.