The present invention relates to an arrangement for load¬ ing manageable material into containers or moulds with the aid of a mechanical shovel or scoop, and particularly, although not exclusively, into so-called large sacks intended for the transportation or storage of the materi¬ al, the arrangement comprising a mechanical shovel which can be attached to a shovel loader in a conventional manner and which has one open side through which the shovel can be filled.

The use of so-called large sacks for transporting and storing various kinds of granular and lump materials, such as agricultural produce, coal and the like, is becoming more and more general. It is also conceivable to use so- called large sacks to transport and to store, e.g., gravel-like materials, potting composts, topsoil, etc. The filling of such sacks, however, is relatively trouble- some and time-consuming when applying present day tech¬ niques. For example, when large sacks are used to distri¬ bute coal to the consumer, the coal, which is normally stacked in high mounds, must first be packed into the sacks by the supplier. This may involve the use of a conveyor belt onto which the coal can be shovelled and carried to a conical-bottom loading hopper for filling the sacks. Subsequent to being filled, it is necessary to transport the sacks, e.g. by truck, to a storage site. The aforedescribed procedure thus comprises a number of separate working stages and requires the mutual coopera¬ tion of several people, i.e. to load the coal onto the conveyor belt, to monitor the function of the belt, to attach the sacks to the bottom of the hopper, to super¬ intend filling of the sacks, and to transport the filled sacks to their destination.

The dust generated when filling the sacks is also liable to create a harmful environment in the near vicinity of the sacks. Furthermore, if the sacks are not filled satisfactorily or to capacity, the at least partially filled sacks are normally too heavy to be lifted manually to the ground and the contents thereof shaken-up so as to compact in the sack.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which, among other things, eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks and which, inter alia, enables large sacks to be filled in a highly rational and efficient fashion by means of a single workman, without requiring risky o harmful procedures to be carried out.

The invention is thus based on a desire to eliminate the loading procedure which entails first transferring coal onto a conveyor belt with the aid of a mechanical shovel or like device, and transporting the coal to a feed hopper or corresponding apparatus, from which the sacks are then filled. This stage in conventional filling procedures has been eliminated in accordance with the present invention, by transferring the coal, or corresponding material from the mechanical shovel directly into the sack.

In addition to being employed to fill large sacks and like containers, the invention may also be applied in other contexts when dealing with loose or pourable materials, e.g. when filling containers or moulds, such as concrete forms and, for instance, when casting concrete footings and concrete plinths, grouting in fence posts, and like work in which it is necessary to transport material be- tween different locations and sites but where only a rela¬ tively small amount of material is utilized at each such location. The inventive arrangement may, of course, also

be used to portion out material in circumstances other than those mentioned.

In accordance with the invention, an arrangement of the kind defined in the introduction is mainly characterized in that the shovel-defining wall which is located opposite the open side of the shovel and which when this open side faces upwards forms the bottom of the shovel is at least partially funnel-shaped; in that the passageway through this funnel-shaped part is provided with closure means; and in that said f nnel-shaped part is configured to co- act with the filling opening of the container to be filled such as to enable a desired quantity of material to be transferred from the shovel to the container. The term funnel-shaped as used here and in the following shall be given a wide interpretation and shall be understood to include all shovel-bottom configurations, shovel inserts or shovel auxiliaries which are operative in facilitating transportation of the material to the shovel outlet opening.

The closure means preferably comprises a throttle valve arranged in the passageway and having the form of an arcu- ately curved plate which moves in an arcuate slot in the passageway defining wall.

The throttle valve is preferably remotely controlled from the driving seat or cabin of the shovel loader, suitably with the aid of hydraulic devices, so as to facilitate dispersement of desired quantities of material.

In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the inven¬ tion, intended for filling so-called large sacks, the arrangement includes a means which enables a sack to be attached to the shovel, with the funnel-shaped part, or an extension thereto, projecting into the mouth of the sack.

The sack attachment means preferably has the form of a sack-suspension device by means of which a filled large- sack can be lifted or held suspended and transported whilst hanging from the shovel.

This arrangement enables the driver of the shovel loader to fill the shovel, or scoop, with the intended material, and then lift and tilt-up the shovel and hang a sack around the discharge orifice of the funnel, whereafter the sack can be filled to the extent desired by remote control of the throttle. In order to fill the sack satisfactorily, or to capacity, the sack, when the need arises, can be lifted up and dropped down onto the ground so as to shake down and compact the material in the sack. When the sack has been filled to satisfaction, the sack can be trans¬ ferred by the loader direct to the intended storage site, with the sack hanging from the shovel. Alternatively, the sacks can be filled on the storage site.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates a shovel loader equipped with a shovel or scoop that has been modified in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates the use of the shovel when filling a large sack; and

Figure 3 illustrates the shovel with the throttle valve open.

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional front shovel loader 1 equipped with a mechanical shovel 5 which is carried by two arms 3 and 4 by means of which the shovel can be

raised and lowered, and with two piston-cylinder devices 6 for tilting the shovel 5. The mechanical shovel has an open side, which in the illustrated position of the shovel faces forward so that the shovel is able to pick up mate- rial, e.g. coal, from a mound 7.

Subsequent to filling the shovel with coal, the shovel is tilted with the aid of the piston-cylinder devices and is raised by the arms 3 and 4 to the position shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 also shows the inventive modification to the shovel, in which the rear defining wall of the shovel, or scoop, i.e. the wall which forms the bottom of the shovel when the shovel faces upwards, is at least partly con¬ figured in the form of a funnel 8 with an associated out¬ feed pipe 9. This enables the driver of the loader, or an assistant, to hang a sack 10 around the discharge ori¬ fice of the outfeed pipe 9. The pipe 9 is provided to this end with hooked members 11 or the like on which the sack 10 can be hung.

In the case of the illustrated embodiment the outfeed pipe 9 incorporates a plate-like arcuately curved throttle 12 which moves in a corresponding slot in the pipe wall. The throttle 12, or corresponding valve means, can be control¬ led from the driving seat of the loader with the aid of a hydraulic piston-cylinder device 13. In the Figure 2 il¬ lustration the throttle 12 has been closed subsequent to filling the sack 10 with the desired amount of material from the shovel 5.

Figure 3 illustrates the shovel 5 with the throttle 12 in its sack-filling open position. The illustrated configura- tion of the throttle enables the throttle to be opened

readily and reclosed with the application of a relatively small force when the shovel 5 has been partially filled with material.

The illustrated arrangement will therefore enable the large sack 10 to be filled with a desired quantity of material directly from the mound 7, or alternatively the material can be transported in the shovel 5 to a storage location for filled sacks 10, or to some other suitable location where sacks can be filled.

The sacks can be filled very easily, by controlling the throttle 12 from the driving seat or cabin of the loader. When it is necessary to shake down the material in the sack 10, in order to utilize the sack to its full capacity, the lifting arms 3 can be readily raised and lowered such as to shake down the material in the sack, and to allow the sack to fall against the ground with a given force so as to compact the material still further. Subsequent to filling the sack 10 with the desired quantity of material, the sack can be transported readily to the storage loca¬ tion for filled sacks and there placed in the desired position. The sack can be released from the shovel 5, by lowering the shovel and swinging the same from side-to- side, thereby obviating the need of manual assistance to remove the sack.

The described filling procedure is highly effective, since one and the same auxiliary device can be used for both shovelling-up material, e.g. from a mound of material, transferring the material to a so-called large sack and optionally compacting the material in the sack, and trans¬ porting the filled sack to a desired location and placing the sack in a given position therein. This procedure is thus effected completely without needing to lift heavy

loads manually and without requiring the presence of personnel or workmen in the vicinity of the dust laden air around the sacks. Furthermore, no special-duty vehicles are required to transport the filled sacks between a filling station and a storage location.

In addition to filling large sacks, the inventive arrange¬ ment can also be used in many other connections where it is desired to dispense material capable of being handled with the aid of a mechanical shovel or scoop. As before- mentioned, such areas of use may include the casting of concrete in small moulds, particularly such moulds as those which are located at a given distance apart, in which case the invention affords the additional advantage of enabling concrete to be transported readily between the various moulds.

When necessary the aforedescribed and illustrated embodi¬ ment of the shovel can be modified in several respects within the scope of the invention, such as to adapt the shovel to the specific use intended. As an alternative to the illustrated embodiment of a funnel-shaped bottom and an outfeed pipe connected thereto, the entire shovel may be given a shape which tapers down towards a small outfeed orifice. The outfeed pipe of the illustrated embodiment may be shortened or omitted totally. In this case, the throttle 12 or corresponding closure valve, such as a pivotal flap, may be arranged directly in the funnel. As will be understood, the sack suspension means or corre- sponding means may be given any suitable form. In addi¬ tion to a funnel-shaped bottom surface, the shovel may be provided with other active or passive elements by means of which the material is advanced towards a small outfeed orifice.