The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-02-04
liverpool Firm has Invented Sell
Dischargins Apparatus tor
Steam Vessels.
THE FUEL is EASILY HANDLED
Rucket-Eleyator Principle -
Employed and Tests Are
Satisfactory--Other
Marine News.
fripernool Journal Of cOmmerce.l

(Liverpool Journal OF Soihiaets'
one Of the most serious problems
which ship owners have to face IS thas
~ coaling their steamers in rapid ana
economical manner. In these days Oh
mechanical and engineering progress
the painful spectacle OF croWd o1
grimy perspiring coal beavers labor
,ous,v passing baskets OF coal from
lighter and coal barge to a steamer
which is taking in her bunkers seems
rather 4 survival Of the barbarous ages
than an ordinary feature Of the con-
duct of British shipping. Nor Is Il
on,v the acoai slaves" who suffer. The
sh;n must sail at her specified time
ana thus it often happens with pres
ent tedious methods that coal Is smut
out, and the vessel sails minus the IVY
~ 900 tons, which she has room Tor.
The removal of these very serious DIS
abilities has long engaged the attention
of inventors, but up K the present with
ont tangible or satisfactory results
There is, however. every prospect OF
this difficult problem being satisfac-
torily solved by Messrs. r. and ]. NOR
,ey. the wen known firm Of launch and
Yacht builders. Of Liverpool Their
patent takes the form of q self dis-
charging barge of vessel by which i
IA claimed saving Of 50 per cent ovei
existing appliances ID effected.
Practically the self-discharger IL a.
adoption Of the ucket-elevator prin'
ciple. The vessel fitted with It Is fittet
with a metal road. along which the COZ
veyor runs, and to which. Of course
the coal is superintendent. The con
veyor, discarding technical language
takes the for mot a belt composed Q
two parallel chains. connected at inter
walls by steel rods. crossing the con
yeyor road at right angles. When Sc
in motion the conveyor carries the Goa
to the foot Of a camel plate, and tn
coal is transferred to series Of skip
or buckets, each capable Of holding 10
mounds. These buckets move in ver
tical trunk, and discharge their Goa
at the highest point of the ascent int
a coal schute, which would in actus
practice lead to bunker hatch. Fc
the trials some so or so tons OF COS
we're stored in huge bin, representa-
the hold of a coal-laden vessel, tn
motive power to drive conyeyor an
elevator being supplied from an adtaeeT
crane. AS soon as the steam was tur
ed on the conveyor began to transpo
coal to the elevator, and each buck
picked up it's load, ascended the trun
and discharge it down the scute.
Though exact means Of measurir
the work done was not available, II
consessus of opinion among the expeF
present was that in 10 minutes at lea
20 tons of coal was transferred fro
the bin. There was not the slighte
aamming, thanks to the camel plat
and the big Jumps were handled al
bucketed with the greatest ease.
fact the coal operated upon was abo'
the average size, and therefore Il
success of the trial was all the mo
pronounced. Such an invention as tn
Aoromiges to revolutionize the coalil
OF steamers where that operation
performed from lighters or barg
along side The height Of the trul
is adjustable so that 1t can be adopt
to ships of various heights of side. n
are the possibilities of this admiral
invention limited to coaling. For d
charging cargoes of ore or gravel it
equally applicable, and the shippi
public can confidently look to imports