Reentrant driving arrangement for scraper elevator

Abstract

An elevator for loading a scraper bowl, the elevator having a frame which extends upwardly and rearwardly from a scraper blade and which has a set of flights mounted on endless chains. At the top of the frame is a chain drive shaft powered by a speed reduction gear box driven by an electric motor. The gear box is of flat, elongated configuration extending downwardly from the shaft in a position nested closely against one of the elevator frame elements, with both the inlet connection and the outlet connection of the gear box facing inwardly of the frame and with the motor occupying a 'reentrant' position extending into the unused space between the runs of the conveyor chain. In the preferred form of the invention the elevator frame members are rigidly interconnected by tubular cross member, the tubular cross member being open-ended and the motor being telescoped therein occupying a fully recessed position protected from physical abuse and shielded from the soil and debris elevated by the flights. The thickness of the gear box is such that it extends outwardly beyond the flights only by an amount which is on the order of the thickness of the bowl side sheets, so that the gear box does not project substantially beyond the side sheets while nevertheless permitting the ends of the elevator flights to extend almost into engagement with the side sheets for efficient filling of the bowl and avoidance of leakage. In the preferred form of the invention the motor is rigidly mounted to the gear box, permitting the gear box and motor to be easily and quickly removed as a unit from the elevator frame when servicing is necessary.