High-Speed Material Conveyor Having Direct Hydraulic Drive

Abstract

An mobile material placer with a placer conveyor having a high-speed direct hydraulic drive mechanism. The mobile material placer includes a body, a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material, a feeder conveyor coupled to the body, and a placer conveyor pivotally coupled to the body. The placer conveyor includes a frame, at least a drive axle and a secondary axle rotatably coupled to the frame, each axle having at least one roller mounted thereon. An endless belt extends around and frictionally engages the rollers. A direct hydraulic drive mechanism is provided and causes the drive to rotate. The rotating axle causes the rollers to rotate and thereby drive the endless belt at a high-speed. The direct hydraulic drive mechanism is configured to drive the endless belt at a linear velocity of at least 3,000 ft/min.

1 . A mobile material placer comprising:
 a body;   a material hopper coupled to the body and configured to receive and store material;   a feeder conveyor coupled to the body, the feeder conveyor configured to receive material stored by the material hopper; and   a placer conveyor pivotally coupled to the body and having an in-feed end and a discharge end, the in-feed end of the placer conveyor alignable with a discharge end of the feeder conveyor, the placer conveyor including
 a frame, 
 at least a drive axle and a secondary axle rotatably coupled to the frame, each axle having at least one roller mounted thereon, 
 an endless belt extending around and frictionally engaged with the rollers, and 
 a direct hydraulic drive mechanism configured to rotate the drive axle, the rotation of the drive axle causing the rollers to rotate thereby driving the endless belt; 
   wherein the direct hydraulic drive mechanism is capable of driving the endless belt at a linear velocity of at least 3,000 ft/min.   
   
   
       2 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive axle is located proximate to the discharge end of the placer conveyor and the secondary axle is located proximate to the in-feed end of the placer conveyor. 
   
   
       3 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive axle is located proximate to the in-feed end of the placer conveyor and the secondary axle is located proximate to the discharge end of the placer conveyor. 
   
   
       4 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of additional rollers spaced along the length of the frame. 
   
   
       5 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , wherein the direct hydraulic drive mechanism comprises, a hydraulic drive motor coupled to the drive axle, a hydraulic pump, and a hydraulic fluid reservoir, the hydraulic drive motor and the hydraulic pump fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid reservoir. 
   
   
       6 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 5 , wherein the hydraulic motor includes an hydraulic fluid inlet port and a hydraulic fluid outlet port. 
   
   
       7 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , wherein the placer conveyor includes a high-speed hydraulic motor and is configured to rapidly throw material. 
   
   
       8 . The mobile material placer according to  claim 1 , further comprising a remote control system configured to control at least the operation of the feeder conveyor and the placer conveyor. 
   
   
       9 . A method of dispensing material using a mobile material placer, the method comprising:
 loading material into a material hopper;   conveying the material from an in-feed end of a feeder conveyor to a discharge end of the feeder conveyor;   discharging the material from the discharge end of the feeder conveyor to an in-feed end of a placer conveyor, said placer conveyor including an endless conveyor belt frictionally driven about a plurality of rollers;   pumping hydraulic fluid through a direct drive hydraulic motor to cause rotation of an axle coupled to one of said rollers, the rotation of the axle driving the endless conveyor belt at a linear velocity of at least 3,000 ft/min;   conveying the material from the in-feed end of the placer conveyor to a discharge end of the placer conveyor; and   discharging the material from the discharge end of the placer conveyor to a worksite.   
   
   
       10 . The method of dispensing material according to  claim 9 , wherein the drive axle is located proximate to the discharge end of the placer conveyor and the secondary axle is located proximate to the in-feed end of the placer conveyor. 
   
   
       11 . The method of dispensing material according to  claim 9 , wherein the drive axle is located proximate to the in-feed end of the placer conveyor and the secondary axle is located proximate to the discharge end of the placer conveyor. 
   
   
       12 . The method of dispensing material according to  claim 9 , wherein the direct drive hydraulic motor is coupled to the drive axle, a hydraulic pump, and a hydraulic fluid reservoir, the direct drive hydraulic motor and the hydraulic pump fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid reservoir. 
   
   
       13 . The method of dispensing material according to  claim 12 , wherein the hydraulic motor includes a hydraulic fluid inlet port and a hydraulic fluid outlet port. 
   
   
       14 . The method of dispensing material according to  claim 9 , including controlling remotely at least the operation of the feeder conveyor and the placer conveyor.