Keith Manufacturing Co.

Keith Investments, LLC

Kenneth Stout

Randall Mark Foster

John Cook

Raymond K Foster

Michael Kloepfer

Daniel W Jackson

James Prentice Drago

Michael Christopher House

Scott Michael Delamarter

Robert Moore

The invention disclosed here is a moving headboard for use in connection with a reciprocating floor slat system. It is particularly well-suited for use in connection with load-hauling trailers that have built-in reciprocating floor slat conveyors for unloading the trailer. Trailers of this kind are used in lieu of hydraulic lifts and involve inching the load off the trailer. The moving headboard sweeps the trailer floor clean during the unloading process.

Moving cleanout for reciprocating conveyor system

Movable conveyor slats (') have side parts (&#x2032;) which rest on top parts () of bearings (). The bearings () have a generally U-shaped cross section and they fit on wings () which extend outwardly and upwardly from the sides of a fixed conveyor slat (). The movable slats (&#x2032;) have a web () and lower flange portions () which with the side parts () form laterally outwardly opening channels. The wings () and the bearings () are received within the channel spaces.

Reciprocating slat conveyor with moving slats between fixed slats

Opposite end sections () of a piston/cylinder drive unit () are clamped to longitudinally spaced apart transverse mounting beams (), by a fixed clamp parts connected to the mounting beams () and removable clamp parts that are connected by bolts to the fixed clamp parts. The piston rod end sections () include longitudinal passageways having outer end openings that project outwardly from the clamps. Manifolds are secured to the mounting beams () outwardly of the end openings in the piston rod end sections (). A detachable coupling connects ports in the manifold with the end openings in the piston rod end sections (). The piston cylinder drive unit () can be detached from the frame by first detaching the fluid couplings and then detaching the clamps which clamp the piston rod end sections () to the mounting beams ().

Drive/frame assembly for a reciprocating slat conveyor

A base structure () for a reciprocating slat conveyor is formed from a plurality of cellular base sections () that are connected by tongue and groove joints (). Each section is constructed from a lower wall (), an upper wall () placed vertically above the lower wall (), first and second opposite side portions () connected to the upper and lower walls () and a plurality of divider walls () spaced apart between the side portions () and extending vertically between the upper and lower walls (). Each base section () comprises at least one elongated guide beam () that extends upwardly from the upper wall (). The guide beam () has a top () on which an elongated bearing () is placed. The bearing () snaps onto the top () and a conveyor slat () snaps onto the bearing ().

Cellular base structure for a reciprocating slat conveyor

An inflatable bladder () is positioned between the top () of a lower slat () and the top () of an upper slat (). An air supply/exhaust conduit () extends upwardly from a transverse manifold () to the inflatable bladders (). Flanges () on the lower slat () contact flanges () on the upper slat () to stop upward movement of the upper slat ().

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Madras, OR, United States of America

Kenneth Stout