UNLOADING MEANS FOR BULK MATERIAL

Abstract: The present invention relates to unloading means for bulk material in cargo holds on ships. The unloading means comprise one in the horizontal direction movable cross bar (2) travelling sideways at the top of the cargo hold and a scoop conveyor (1) suspended from the cross bar (2) and extending in the total length of the hold. The scoop conveyor (1) is both vertically and horizontally movable and transports the bulk material in a continuously movement out of the cargo hold (3) to a conveyor means (6) for feeding the material through a hopper (5) to a transport arm (10) bringing the bulk material onshore.

Description: Unloading means for bulk material This invention relates to unloading means for bulk material in storage rooms and cargo holds etc. Bulk material is material with various grain diameter such as corn, coal, fertilizer, portland cement and such. Known self unloading means for unloading of bulk material in ships uses a scraper conveyors attaching the bulk material from above and moving it in one of the two main horizontal directions. Due to the fact that the width of attack will be limited to the individual scraper's scraper width, it will also be necessary to move the scraper transverse to the work direction i.e. back and forth in the hold's transverse direction so that the total surface area of the cargo hold will be covered. Further, it will be necessary to be able to move the scrap conveyor vertically, so that it can be lowered at the same rate as the surface of the bulk material, as this is sinking due to the unloading. This type of scraper conveyor is generally known from for instance the FR patent no. 1.343.751 but also from the applicants own NO patent no. 147376 where the scraper is characterized by that it is arranged vertically movable along one or more of the walls in the storage room. As a result of the work of the scraper conveyor, the bulk material will be moved in one of the holds horizontal directions and be collected near one of the walls, from where it can be transported out of the room by suitable elevator means which extends to the bottom of the floor. Known means require use of two scrapers, one in each horizontal main directions and also suitable elevator means. Said scrapers are arranged on guide beams crossing the hold. Rails are mounted against the sidewalls of the hold to guide the scrapers when the scrapers are lowered at the same rate as the sinking surface of the bulk material. This arrangements requires a complicated operation and costly control system. Another type of unloading gear is a system where the bulk material is unloaded from the bottom of the cargo hold. This system is known as the "Steven Adamson" system. It utilizes hoppers covering and mounted to the floor of the hold. The hoppers are opened and closed by control valves. The bulk material flows through the hoppers and down on a horizontal belt conveyor transporting the material to an elevator. The drawbacks with said system is that axillary equipment has to be mounted on the hoppers to destroy or avoid bridging or clogging of the bulk material because the system will not work if the bulk material is clogging or bridging. Further more, the system is useless for unloading fluidizable material. The system work due to gravita¬ tion and is dependent on flowable not fluidizable bulk material. This limits the use of said unloading gear. Both the above mentioned systems, the system having two scrapers and the system for unloading from the hold bottom by using hoppers, require if mounted in old ships, large and costly rebuildings. The "Steven Adamson" system has therefore always been built into new ships. Whereas the system for unloading from the top of the cargo, requires a holds of rectangular shap adjusted to fit the scrapers. Said systems have reduced th accessibility for inspection and maintenance during unloading. The main object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to provide a new and improved unloading equipment which: - moves the bulk material out from the hold in one continuous operation, is mounted at the top of the hold where the inspection and maintenance during unloading is easy, can unload all types of bulk material, flowable, fluidizable etc. According to the invention, this object is obtained by applying a scoop conveyor running along horizontal rails mounted above the cargo below the hatch forming the roof. The conveyor can travel horizontally and vertically and transports the bulk material directly out from the hold. The unloading means according to the invention comprises one in the horizontal direction travelling cross bar with wheels mounted horizontally on rails at the top of the hold above the cargo. The scoop conveyor is suspended in the cross bar and extends in the total length of the hold. It is both vertically and horizontally movable and delivers the bulk material to a transversely mounted hopper which is feeding the material to a bucket elevator. The conveyor is travelling with the cross bar horizontally sideways simultaneously as the conveyor is lowered at the same rate as the sinking surface of the bulk material. The scoop conveyor is suspended such that it can be lowered as a straight arm from the front end of the scooper or it can be divided in one horizontal and one slope section such that it is parallel to the surface and is digging and moving the material out from the hold and up to the hopper. When the system is idle it can be hoist to the roof and arranged partly in between the cross bar which can be moved to the most suitable side of the cargo hold to allow the ship to be loaded. This equipment will not have any vertically guide beams mounted to the walls in the hold or any hoppers mounted in the bottom. Thus it will be very easy to convert old ships and the system according to the invention can be modified without great expenses. The maintenance will also be simple compared to previously known systems because there is no equipment mounted in the bottom of the hold. The equipment will also allow the hold to be used for other types of cargo than bulk material, such as containers and pallet goods. Additional advantages and especially important features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings, where: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a cargo hold. Fig. 2 shows a enlarged and simplified view of the scoop conveyor when emptying the bulk material. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view A-A of the cargo hold of the ship. Fig. 4 a shows one possible solution when the ship has two cargo holds. Fig. 4 b,c shows a sectional view A-A of the ships cargo hold for two solutions. Fig. 5 a shows one possible solution when the ship has three cargo holds. Fig. 5 b shows a sectional view A-A of the cargo hold. The integrated scoop conveyor 1 comprises two continuous chains with intermediate scoops 4 suspended in a horizontal movable cross bar 2. The scoop conveyor 1 is suspended in the cross bar 2 travelling from side to side whereas the conveyor 1 is regulated vertically by using for instance wires 7 connected to a winch. The el. motor and gear for the scoop conveyor can be arranged in a box and be built into the cross bar. It will thus be dust free and applicable for unloading of bulk material in explosive areas. The cross bar 2 is suspended on the top of two guides 8 mounted against the transverse walls in the cargo hold. The cross bar 2 power drive can be positioned outside the cargo hold 3. The scoop conveyor 1 has one hinge 11 and one hinged at the delivery end to the cross bar 2. It can thus be lifted or lowered by using a wire or a bar. When the conveyor is lowered, the total length of the conveyor can either have a constant slope or one section, from the rear to the hinge 11, can be parallel to the surface of the bulk material, whereas the remaining section of the conveyor, from the hinge 11 to the delivery are slope. The scoops 4 which are interconnected by continuous chains amd formed as buckets are therefore transporting the bulk material continu¬ ously both horizontally and vertically out from the cargo hold 3 to a hopper 5. The sloped section of the hold at the delivery end of the bulk material at the hopper 5, extends over the total width of the cargo hold. The scoop conveyor can unload from a sloping position because the scoops are digging and not shoving the bulk material. A forced movement of the material up to the next transportation means is obtained. The conveyor 6 transports the bulk material to a conveyor arm 10 for transportion of the bulk material onshore. This equipment is known and is not a part of the present invention. As mentioned, the scoop conveyor is emptied at the top of the hold, thus the distance from the top of the roof to the bottom is large and there is space for further transportation equipment to the bulk material. Figure 3 shows in section A-A a scoop conveyor 1 in the lower position. The guide bar 8 for guidance of the cross bar 2 crosses the width of the hold 3 for coverage of the total hold area. The conveyor is by the rod 9 at the rear part braced sideways. Figures 4a and 5a illustrates a ship with respectively two and three cargo holds for bulk material. In figure 4a the conveyor arm 10 and the conveyor gear 6 are situated between the two cargo holds. Both of the holds has a scoop conveyor 1 feeding the bulk material towards a common hopper 5 transporting the material to for instance a conveyor belt 12 as shown in figure 4b or to a pocket conveyor 6 as shown in figure 4c. The conveyor 1 mounted in the holds are identical to the conveyor described in figure 1 apart from, in addition to the scoop conveyor there is also mounted a scraper 15 feeding the scoopers from the area in the hold where the scooper does not have access due to the inclined area at the hopper 5. The scraper conveyor 15 can either be movable or rigidly mounted to the scoop conveyor at the hinge 11. Figure 5a illustrates a ship with three cargo holds, and shows a solution where the bulk material after being transported to the hopper 5 from the scoop conveyor 1, is moved to three conveyor belts 12 transporting the bulk material to three bucket conveyors 14 feeding the material to a common belt conveyor 13. This belt conveyor 13 runs along the total length of the ship side and transports the bulk material from the bucket conveyor directly to the arm 10. Instead of using bucket conveyors 14 it is possible to use a continuous belt conveyor 13 transporting with an slope from the first hold to the conveyor arm 10. The scoop conveyor in fig. 5a also identical with the one described in figure 1, but with the same modifications regarding the scraper conveyor 12 as mentioned above in figure 4a. The system according to the invention comprises an integrated cross bar and scoop conveyor such that the conveyor can move horizontally and vertically and transport the bulk material up and out of the cargo hold in one continuous operation. Thus a cheaper and higher capacity system is achieved than by using known unloading system applying two scraper conveyors, one in each horizontal main direction. The system is very easy to fit in and remove from ships because no vertical guide bars mounted to the side walls or modifications of the bottom is needed. This simplifies the mounting, inspection and maintenance of the system. The system is equipped with scoops that digs and carries the bulk material, and can therefore unload fluiding and clogging bulk material. The system is therefore very applicable and flexible.

Claims: Claims 1. Unloading means for bulk material in cargo holds (3) in ships, barges or such, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the unloading means comprises an integrated, vertically and horizontally travelling scoop conveyor (1) for digging and transporting the bulk material horizontally and vertically out of the cargo hold using known transporting means (6) for feeding the bulk material through a hopper (5) to a transportation arm (10) transporting the bulk material onshore, and that the scoop conveyor (1) is suspended in a horizontally by travelling cross bar (2) bedded on horizontal guides (8) mounted at the top of the cargo hold walls. 2. Unloading means according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the scoop conveyor is hinged in one end of the cross bar (2) so that it can be lowered from the cross bar (2) as a straight arm or be divided into one horizontal and one inclined section. 3. Unloading means according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the scoop conveyor (1) can be lowered and lifted from the cross bar by wires, rods and such. 4. Unloading means according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the scoop (4) is formed as buckets and is connected in a continuous chain where the scoops are emptied back¬ wards into a hopper (5) . Unloading means according to claim l, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the scoop conveyor (1) has mounted one or several rigid or movable scraper conveyors (15) for moving the bulk material to the scoop conveyor (1) . A method for unloading of bulk material from a cargo hold for ships, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the bulk material is transported up and out from the cargo hold by a integrated, vertically and horizontally movable scoop conveyor (1) in a continuous endless movement and that the conveyor while lowered at the same rate as the reduction of the bulk material surface, is digging the bulk material and transporting it through known means (6) to a transport arm (10) transporting the material onshore.

Inventors: IHLE KNUT, IHLE, KNUT
Applicants: NORSK HYDRO AS, NORSK HYDRO A.S
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B63B27
IPC codes: B63B25, B63B27