The 'latest project'...

[Big_Dave]

As you know, my employer has a "one of a kind" lowboy with a conveyor system to load Ag Lime into our TerraGators.

Here's a picture of this system in action;
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/100_6640Liming1.jpg


Currently, our shop is building a new conveyor system from scratch.......everything about it is custom built....from the ground up. Yes, lots of phone calls were made to check specs on 'this and that', but they're not rushing into this blind.

This new conveyor is gonna be made so we can utilize our end dump and 1-3 'live bottoms', hauling Ag Lime to smaller fields.

Since I was asked to run our end dump, I make sure to ask A LOT of questions as to how this 'contraption' is going together, etc..........

Anyways, here's a few pics of the new conveyor being built. I'll add more as progress goes on........and a 'plan comes together'.

Specs that I know of so far:
Overall length - 40'
Belt width will be 5'.
Power - 5 cylinder Deutz air cooled diesel engine rated at 125 hp.
Hydraulics.......the hydraulic pump cost over $2k. :wow:

Anyways, it'll be made so I can back up the end dump (or a live bottom) and dump Ag Lime into the hopper/onto the belt. Our TerraGators can hold roughly 12 tons and the end dump can haul roughly 24 tons. Supposedly, once 1 TerraGator is loaded, I'll be able to dump the rest of the end dump load onto the belt and in the hopper (yet to be made), so I can leave to go reload.

So, without further fanfare........, here 'she' is (so far).
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/NewConveyor002.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/NewConveyor001.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/NewConveyor003.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/NewConveyor004.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/NewConveyor005.jpg

Keep in mind, this is just in the initial building stage!!

[Rockjockey]

Brand new, and you already have a hydraulic leak?

[Big_Dave]

I dunno what that's from. :noclue:

I would presume that it's from when they cracked the lines to remove air from the system. As you can see, the John Deere is hooked up (temporarily) so the guys in the shop can raise the conveyor up when they need to.

[Kranky 1]

That's a nice piece of work, Dave.

I can see that they placed extra rollers where the hopper will be so that the belt doesn't sag between rollers with a full load on it.

How are they going to get the trailer or live bottom up high enough to dump into the hopper? Will there be a ramp to back the trailer up to the hopper?

I see it has wheels, so am I correct in assuming this will be a stand alone unit, not mounted to the lowboy?

.

[Big_Dave]

That's a nice piece of work, Dave.
I'll pass your comment on to the guys building it. They're the same guys that built the folding conveyor system on our lowboy.
I can see that they placed extra rollers where the hopper will be so that the belt doesn't sag between rollers with a full load on it.
At first I wasn't sure if this thing was gonna be a 'folder' (like our other conveyor on the lowboy), or not since nobody had really explained anything about it to me. I got to the shop one afternoon and there were pieces, parts and iron all over the place.
How are they going to get the trailer or live bottom up high enough to dump into the hopper? Will there be a ramp to back the trailer up to the hopper?
From what I'm told, a ramp won't be needed. :noclue:
I see it has wheels, so am I correct in assuming this will be a stand alone unit, not mounted to the lowboy?
See the big 5" square tube tongue? Wall thickness is 1/2" and there's a piece of 4" shoved inside it. They stuck the whole thing in the loader bucket and used the dozer to push it all together. :wow: A lunette eye will be mounted on the end so we can drag it from site to site with one of the TerraGators. It'll have electric brakes also.

[Big_Dave]

Well, the motor showed up at the shop over the weekend. Don't know why I was told it was gonna be a 5 cylinder. :wtf: It's actually an inline 6 cylinder, air cooled Deutz diesel, rated around 100-125 hp.

Yes, it's a reman, from somewhere outta Michigan (I believe it's the same place they got the motor for the lowboy conveyor).

Here's what I saw when I got to the shop this afternoon.......3 of 4 engine mounts had been drilled and the motor partially bolted down (still had 1 to go). They were also working on the fuel tank and hydraulic tank positioning.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/004-3.jpg

[Big_Dave]

A few more pics of the project...........

Inside the 'toolbox' is gonna be the battery, ignition & light switches and a small assortment of tools.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/001-5.jpg

Large fuel tank is for fuel to run the thing, small tank is the hydraulic reservior.....
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/003-2.jpg

Custom bumper / light bar. Hopefully they'll build a pair of round fenders.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/002-3.jpg

[Kranky 1]

Nice!

You can tell it ain't from WI, it's got mudflaps!

Dave, in the middle picture look just above the engine. There's 2 "hot" looking trucks parked over there. I didn't think your co. had any vintage iron.

[Big_Dave]

in the middle picture look just above the engine. There's 2 "hot" looking trucks parked over there. I didn't think your co. had any vintage iron.
:rofl: The red one is our 'yard dog'. She's been beat pretty bad. However, she started life as one of our OTR trucks many years ago.

The white one is a recent acquisition.....again. It used to be one of our trucks, then they sold it (before I started here). About 6 weeks ago, they bought it back. They bought it specifically to drag the other lowboy and/or a live bottom trailer. We're gonna rent a live bottom this fall to help me keep the new conveyor fed. If the end dump and the live bottom can't keep up, they're gonna hire out 2 more live bottoms from a company that we've worked with, that also owns the pit where we're stockpiling the ag lime that we've been hauling up outta Gilmore City IA. I think I mentioned it earlier, this new conveyor, the end dump and live bottom will be used on smaller jobs and possibly to help out on large jobs.

I would imagine that once the conveyor is completed, we'll drag it out to a close job (regardless if it's needed or not), and 'break it in' so LG and I can get used to it and so they can find any 'bugs' in the system while it's actually in use (before 'lime season' gets rolling hot-n-heavy).......as opposed to just firing it up in the yard and running it.

[saddletramp]

Dave,
Is this the same outfit that has the black LT Mack you posted a picture of a couple years ago?

I think it was in a parade..................

[Big_Dave]

Dave,
Is this the same outfit that has the black LT Mack you posted a picture of a couple years ago?

I think it was in a parade..................
Yes Sir. That '55 LT is currently out back in the bossman's sons shed.........collecting dust. :rolleyes:

I wish that they'd restore it (it's in kinda rough shape), and put it to work part time locally.

[Big_Dave]

Well, after being surprised by a trip back to the yard today (I was supposedly down in Iowa for roughly 2 weeks), the conveyor looked like this.........

The hopper....See the piece of wood? When it's completed, there'll be hydraulic cylinders there on each side to raise and lower the sides of the hopper (so we can 'shake it').......kinda like a asphalt paving machine that dump trucks dump into. :cool: Currently, it's just 'tack welded' together.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/001-7.jpg

Another view of the hopper. On the end, there's gonna be a 12 inch tall 'rubber wall' (kinda like a loading dock bumper to create a seal), instead of a steel wall. That way it isn't damaged when we back up to it during unloading. They backed the end dump up to it to see just how 'everything fit' and then measured it for the 'rubber wall'.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/002-4.jpg

Fully raised.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/003-3.jpg

[cricket71]

That is cool...HOW long to unload a trl once you back up to it?

[Duster]

Delete post

[Big_Dave]

That is cool...HOW long to unload a trl once you back up to it?
If it works as well as our lowboy does, maybe 10 minutes.

[cricket71]

Not to get off subject, but how is the wind farm work going? I have read your posts about the rain....I was just wondering:yay: how much work was left...

[Big_Dave]

Not to get off subject, but how is the wind farm work going? I have read your posts about the rain....I was just wondering:yay: how much work was left...
I honestly couldn't tell you. The bossman talked to all of us that went down there (and came back on Friday), and he said that they told him that there's 15-18 days of hauling gravel left.

Whether that's the case or not, I have no idea. The reason I say that is, when the project was originally bid, the tonnage of rock was way low. The lady that runs the scale house at the quarry told me a couple weeks ago when we were down there that over 600,000 tons of rock had been hauled already.

[cricket71]

That is a lot of rock...wish i had some for my driveway!!!!

[Big_Dave]

A couple more pics.......

The landing gear.......which will raise and lower hydraulically.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyor001.jpg

Hydraulic cylinder on one of the hopper 'wings'. Once most of the load dumped has been ran up the conveyor and into the TerraGator, grab the lever and 'flip' the hopper wings up and down to shake the remaining ag lime onto the belt........and up into the TerraGator.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyor002.jpg

[Big_Dave]

Here's 7 more pics of the new conveyor. While it may not seem like it, the guys building it got quite a bit accomplished between last Wednesday thru Friday while I was out trucking it up in South Dakota.

The switches and gauges. Notice that there's 3 switches. These 3 will most likely include a 'ignition switch', a 'light switch' (spot lights and marker lights so we can 'light it up' when it's placed in a field with the TerraGator unhooked from it), and a 'glow plug' switch. Gauges include the Voltage meter, Hour meter and Oil Pressure gauge.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics001.jpg

The hydraulic valves and control box (where the switches and gauges are located). The entire unit still has to be wired and plumbed (hydraulic lines installed).
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics002.jpg


The landing gear with the hydraulic cylinders installed. They just have to run the hydraulic lines and bleed the system.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics003.jpg

The 'drive roller'. This is what the conveyor belt rides on and what drives the belt.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics004.jpg

The hydraulic pump unit that will attach to the motor.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics005.jpg

The upper end of the hopper.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics006.jpg

Paying attention to detail. Gotta keep the 'legs' greased to ensure that the conveyor moves up and down when needed.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/conveyorpics007.jpg

[Big_Dave]

6 more pics...........

A fender (not mounted, just sitting on the tires), and the hydraulic pump mounted on the motor.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics001.jpg


Battery box / tool box and the control panel. They were in the process of wiring the entire conveyor. Note the 'red button'. That's a bypass valve for the hydraulic system......to prevent damage to the hydraulic system when starting the motor.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics002.jpg

Hydraulic flow control valve. This valve will allow the conveyor belt to be reversed if needed. Note the bolt.....to keep the valve position from being 'flipped' to the wrong position by accident.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics003.jpg

Hydraulic schematic.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics004.jpg

Hydraulic filtering system. Primary and secondary filter housing w/ inlet and outlet.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics006.jpg

Skirting, to keep ag lime from falling through, past the edge of the conveyor belt.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics007.jpg

[cricket71]

I am enjoying watching this project ...thank you for taking the pictures dave

[Big_Dave]

For the past week or so, progress has been kinda slow on the conveyor. The 'head unit' had to be sent out for some custom machining.

The guys in the shop have plumbed all they hydraulics and ran the wires for the controls and lighting.

The bossman's brother came in 2 evenings last week and primed the whole thing and will be painting it today from what I was told.

Late Friday afternoon, they picked up the head unit from the machine shop and yesterday, they started installing it.

The gear drive has a 16:1 ratio. There will be a hydraulic motor mounted to the end of the gear drive on each side of the head unit.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics001-1.jpg

The 'silver collar' is the custom machined parts that had to be made to adapt the gear drive to the roller unit. Also, note the rubber pads on the drive roller. That's for traction so the drive roller doesn't slip under a load. They used the loader to raise up the lower end so they could work on the head unit.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics002-1.jpg

The landing gear extended.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics003-1.jpg

[Big_Dave]

Well, guess whose camera has dead batteries. :rolleyes:

They painted it yesterday and the belt came today. Tomorrow, they'll install the belt and I'll have new batteries in my camera.

[cricket71]

Wow..its really coming along.....any guess what you think they may have in it??$$$$

[Big_Dave]

any guess what you think they may have in it??$$$$
Maybe $20K. :noclue:

I took 8 more pics today and am downloading them into Photobucket right now. It'll take a while to get them all loaded since I have to do them 2 at a time with this f*%@ing dial-up internet.

I'll post them once they've all been downloaded.

We had it running and it seems to run pretty good. There's a little bit of 'fine tuning' that needs to be done yet, so the guys in the shop are doing that this afternoon and tomorrow. If they can get it all squared away by tomorrow evening, we'll most likely be using it on Saturday.

[Kranky 1]

Dave, does your camera do video?

A video of that machine in operation (with sound) would be cool.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Big_Dave]

Dave, does your camera do video?

A video of that machine in operation (with sound) would be cool.
My camera does do short video clips. Unfortunately, it does not have a 'sound' feature. The wife's camera does longer videos and does have 'sound'. Unfortunately, the camera only works when it feels like it. :rolleyes: Her and the kids must've dropped it one too many times in the past. :wtf:

I spent today helping the guys in the shop and working on the conveyor. Basically I helped out finishing up minor things that needed to be done. I also spent some time working on the truck that's gonna drag the end dump (supposedly my 'new ride'). What a POS!!! It's got more 'warning lights & icons' lit up on the dash than my freakin' Christmas tree has lights!!!

The air system was full of water (evidently the air dryer isn't working properly), so when I flipped the PTO switch, I got showered with oily water. Also, there was so much dried, caked on mud underneath that the PTO pump (to raise and lower the box), wouldn't move enough to engage. After seeing all the shit wrong with this truck, I'd rather drag a live bottom instead. From what one of the other drivers told me, that's what the bossman is thinking about having me do instead of the end dump thing.

Anyways, here's 8 more pics. These were taken with the conveyor running a little higher than normal idle speed.

The Head Unit;
Notice the roller underneath and how far 'around' the drive roller the belt wraps? This is also to help prevent belt slippage.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08001.jpg

The Hopper;
In the folded position. Once the trailer is empty, we'll be able to 'flip' the sides of the hopper up and down to shake the remaining ag lime onto the belt. Notice that the lower end hasn't been built / installed yet. We have to get it up and running good, then back the end dump up to it, raise the box and take plenty of measurements before the guys in the shop can fabricate the end.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08002.jpg

Tongue and Hitch;
The tongue and hitch. The hitch is mounted on one of the TerraGators. The conveyor is equipped with electric brakes and the TerraGator has an electric brake controller mounted under the dash.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08003.jpg

Rear View of the Conveyor;
Notice the support rollers underneath?
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08005.jpg

Side View;
Couldn't fit the entire conveyor in the pic from where I was standing in the shop.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08004.jpg

The Belt;
The belt is 5' wide. You can see the seam where the belt is connected together. The whole conveyor is about 38' long, not counting the tongue.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08006.jpg

The Head Unit;
Believe it or not, from the outside edge of each hydraulic motor, it measures right at 8' wide. Notice the belt isn't centered on the drive roller. That's one of the minor problems we're having that needs to be 'fine tuned'.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08007.jpg

The Hydraulic Pump;
Mounted on the engine, lines plumbed. The pump itself cost over $2000.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics10-9-08008.jpg

Once the conveyor is truly 'up & running', I'll take some pics of it in action and try to talk one of the guys into shooting a short video of it with his phone. I'll also try to get the wife's camera working too.

[Big_Dave]

Originally Posted by cricket71 http://www.truckstopusa.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.truckstopusa.com/forums/showthread.php?p=250214#post250214)
any guess what you think they may have in it??$$$$
Maybe $20K. :noclue:
Boy! Was I ever off with my guess. :wow:

Asked the bossman's son yesterday how much he figured they had in it. His reply was, "I went through the invoices and time sheets the other day. Pretty close to around $30K in parts and $20K in labor." :yikes:

[Rockjockey]

That number makes more sense to me. In my experience with moving that type of machinery for various people, $100,000 is a starter machine. Of course, doing it yourself saves a lot of money.

[Big_Dave]

It's up & running! We used it yesterday on a job for the first time. :cheers: Overall, it worked fine! :cheers: There's a few small bugs that need to be worked out of the system, so we quit early so the guys in the shop could work their magic and have it ready to go in the morning.

Here's 3 pics of it in action. We tried it with the gates open several ways.

The bossman brought out the guy that built most of it so he could be there in case anything didn't work right (that's Kenny leaning on the shovel). The test runs in the yard went flawlessly. Once all the bugs are worked out, I should be able to open the rear gate all the way (like in the first pic) and dump my loads that way.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics006-1.jpg

Dumping out of the live bottom trailer that I now drag.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics008.jpg

Up and away.......
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/Big_Dave_2006/moreconveyorpics009.jpg

Once they get it 'tweaked', I'll be able to load the TerraGator and once he takes off to spread, I'll be able to dump the remainder of my load in the hopper and take off to go reload.

If more than 1 TerraGator is on the job and empty at the same time, I could unload 24 tons in 5-8 minutes.

[Kranky 1]

Looks good, Dave.

Pass along my congratulations to Kenny and the rest of the guys involved in the project.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers: