The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-27
A COAL TRANSPORTER.
An Ingenius Apparatus for Use In supply
plying Steamships at Sea.

From London Engineering.
So far as is known TO the writer, no
especial apparatus for this purpose has
been designed or constructed in this
country; possibly the idea of coaling
war vessels in a seaway is of too re-
cent adoption here for such a develop
ment. 1t will be remembered that some
experiments have been made with coal
ing off soundings from a tender Icy
American war vessels, and IL II shall
seem to be desirable to be prepared TO
receive fuel at sea in this manner there
is little doubt that the genius of Amer
lean mechanics will evolve an apparatus
which shall be at once simple AMI eff
Client. In all probability the only pr.r-
ciples to be applied to this undertaking
are those in daily use on the travelling
galloway, the coal storage mechanisms
and some of the extensive apparatus
which is used for the removal of spait
from the great cut of the Chicago
drainage channel
The appliance consists essentially of
a beam or spar which can be hoisted
and supported from a suitable hook
ed to this spar and carries a
bucket. This traveller may be stopped
at any one of a number of fixed points
in this rail and the bucket lowered or
raised. When the load is being lowered
the traveller Is rigidly locked to Ats
is locked so that IL cannot be lowered.
The whole of the various motions. of
lowering and travelling are controlled
by single wire rope passing over q
pulley at the end of the spar. The
spar is stayed at frequent intervals by
wire rope stays. which at their upper
ends are connected to a single ring.
The whole appliance can thus be swung
from an ordinary derrick or crane and
when used on shipboard IL Is not
mounted until II Is about to be used,
being secured on deck until wanted.
The ends OF the spar are stayed to
fixed points. and when all Is hauled
taut the transporter is quite rigid.
One OF these transporters erected on
a warf at Woolwich has a spar IS feet
Dong which can be traversed along its
beam a distance of 40 feet, so that a
large area may be commanded by the
bucket. The rail on which the traveller
runs is made out of a channel iron and
Is fitted with stops at intervals OF five
feet. All the stops save the one at the
lower end of the spar are under control
and the bucket may be stopped at any
one OF them which the engineer or fire.
| man may direct. Suspended from the
traveller head is the latching and lock-
ing mechanism, which appears 20 be
quite elaborate and somewhat difficult
to explain without the aid OF a series OF
diagrams. In operation. the bucket Is
run out to the end OF the spar. where
| the traveller locks itself. there being a
| specially deep stop there. The bucket Is
| then lowered and filled and holsted I'M
| I'll a ball unlocks the traveller and locks
| the load. IL is then traversed up the
beam and past the desired stop and
allowed to back into IL. when the trav-
eler locks itself and the load may be
| lowered. On raising the bucket again
the traveller is unlocked, moved slight
" he nd oil IF.aI 20 r4nr
down again TO the lower end. where the
former cycle OF operations is repeated
IL is said that one OF these machines
has dispensed with the services OF
eight men formerly employed 20 ac-
/ and that the transporter has been ex-
tensively sold both In England and
4 abroad.