Hi folks
Im finally getting around to building an operating ore tipple on my Addledoo Bush Tramway. The tipple will be the sort that has raisable sluices off to the side to load wagons.
Im looking for any tips and tricks to help me with the hopper construction and in particular, the gate mechanism to control the flow of ore down the loading sluice. Ive toyed with a few ideas such as swinging or sliding gates, but can forsee problems with both jamming or being hard to operate with the weight of ore behind them. BTW The ore will be ~5-6mm (1/4") rounded gravel so should flow easily enough.
I did a quick search of the forums here but dont have the time to read through the 1180 hits on "Tipple"
Can anyone point me in the direction of any relevant articles on this, or other forums.
Not sure where to send you for info, other than to share my 'fails & partial sucess'. Swing gates: opening in, too much weight to function; opening out hard to close more than 95%. Verticle sliding gate: After adding a long 'U' shape copper wire from top of gate through the sluice floor and hanging several ounces of lead weights. This gave enough weight strength to close the gate,
My win came when 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' suggested replacing the crushed coal with clay kitty litter. She gave me a 5# bag of litter and a box of black fabric dye with instruction to bake it dry in the oven. After crushin the kitty litter it worked much better than the crushed coal I had been using. She broke out the measuring cup and kitchen scales, 1/4 cup of crushed coal weighs almost as much as 3/4 cup of kitty litter. DISADVANTAGE: must be stored in a warm dry location when not in use. At first sign of clumping must be bake dryed again (twice a year for me).
Design hint; 1/4 inch (or there about) drop from bin internal floor to the sluice floor.
Tom Trigg
Not part of your question but just a hint. The model train show here in San Diego has a 'junk & trash' vendor. I picked up 3 Lionel conveyor belt machines for fifty cent each, and a complete working one for $2.50. A little fiddeling later and working loading machine. Drawback: must be moved to storage she when not being used.
RobMW The tipple will be the sort that has raisable sluices off to the side to load wagons.
The tipple will be the sort that has raisable sluices off to the side to load wagons.
Just re-read your posting. Why worry about gates? Since you are using raisable slucies just build a short sluice 'box' with side boards twice the height of the hopper opening. To shut down the flow simply raise the sluice high enough to shut down the flow of coal.
Thanks for your feedback Tom.
I do like the last idea and if I insert a gusset between the hopper and sluice/chute that should keep the ore in the chute when in the lowered position.
I might mock up a prototype and see how it goes.
Cheers
Tom: was waiting for:
"Disadvantage - when kitty finds out your hopper loads are kitty litter, you will have a problem" ha ha... My have to switch to Lionel log loader...
Greg
Visit my site: http://www.elmassian.com - lots of tips on locos, rolling stock and more.
Click here for Greg's web site
Ha! A log laying cat... must be huge! :-)
After creating a mockup chute, I have come up with a system utilising a hinged gate and raising the chute. Raising the chute alone had ore flying off the end and out of the wagon as it was being raised, so Im going to slow the flow first with a gate and then raise the chute to completely stop the flow.
When I prototype this Ill post a pic.
Greg Elmassian Tom: was waiting for: "Disadvantage - when kitty finds out your hopper loads are kitty litter, you will have a problem" ha ha... My have to switch to Lionel log loader... Greg
You must have missed the part where I said that when not in use it must be stored elsewhere.
Well I have had a busy couple of weekends building the tipple for the "Addledoo Bush Tramway". I had to come up with solutions to the unique location problem I have, where the tipple is on an angle to the track.
The tipple chutes also had to come off the tipple at an angle as the wagons were shorter than anticipated. My bad. I shouldnt build late at night... Anyway... my story for the tramway is that the tipple was built before a change of owner/operater so it had to be adapted for new shorter wagons. Plausible...
I haven't built the mechanism to raise the chutes yet... still contemplating that, but the gate mechanism works well with the lever and linkage system. The counter weight (fishing sinker) on a long lever keeps the gates in the closed position. Im using hand operation for both chutes and gates as the Queensland weather plays havoc with electricals.
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