Improved Means for Conveying or Transferring Coal, Grain, Sand, or other similar Material.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Conveying or Transferring Coal, Grain, Sand,
or other similar Material.
I, COURTNEY SOHENCK of 57 Gower Street in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Stewart Schenck of No. 1 Broadway, New York City, United States of
America, Engineer,) to be as follows :-
:-
This invention refers to improvements in means or apparatus for delivering coal,
grain, sand or other material to or from vessels or other depositories, and is designed
more particularly to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive apparatus by
which cargoes of coal, grain, sand or other material may be discharged at various
points of delivery, or transferred in elevators, or other structures, or by which ocean
steamers or other vessels may be loaded or supplied with coal at a much less expense
than has heretofore been possible, and whereby such substances as those above named
may be handled with economy of time and labour.
The invention consists in the construction combination and arrangement of parts
substantially as hereafter described.
Although I have herein described the invention as applied to a barge for the
purpose of discharging coal therefrom, it is evident that it may be employed to
advantage in unloading grain, sand or other substances from vessels, and also for
conveying material in storage warehouses to and from vessels trucks waggons and
other places.
As applied to a vessel or barge I arrange longitudinally in the bottom of the said
vessel or barge say two conveyor shoots or troughs which extend preferably quite the
full length of the hall, and these shoots are carried up vertically at each end and along
the deck. Within these shoots are conveyers which may consist of plates attached to
chains arranged to travel over suitable sprocket wheels journalled at the angles of the
shoots each of said shoots forming a continuous passage in which the endless conveyer
moves.
Two elevators consisting of double shafts, united at each end, which correspond
with the shoots in the bottom of the barge, with which they communicate, are
employed, and each of these elevators is provided with a conveyer similar to those
within the shoots or troughs which are arranged to travel over suitable sprocket wheels,
placed at each end of the elevators. The elevators may extend to any desired height,
and may be supported in any approved manner, where for example the connection
between the elevators and the conveyers in the bottom of the barge is made near the
stern, the elevator being then carried forward and upward, over the bow, to the
desired height. Attached to the discharge end of each of the elevators is a spout or
tube which is so connected by means of a universal joint as to admit of its being
swung around whereby the coal or other substance may be discharged either at the
sides or directly in front of say the barge, or at the rear. This spout may be made of
telescopic tubes and of any desired length.
The receptacle, a barge for example, is provided with a series of oppositely inclined
floors which divide the hull at the bottom, into a series of hopper-like longitudinal
compartments each converging to the shoots or troughs, thus causing the entire load
to gravitate toward these shoots which are provided with openings in the top, controlled
by gates each of which is provided with a rack bar on the underside thereof, which is
engaged by a gear wheel journalled beneath the floor at the top of the shoot and
operated by a pinion, through the agency of a shaft, which extends above the deck and
is provided with a hand wheel at the top, by means of which the shaft may be turned
to open or close the gate. These gates are arranged to move upon rollers journalled

page_text: in the top of the side walls of the shoots or arranged to form a moveable support for
the gates in any desired manner. It is obvious that the gates anywhere along the
bottom of the vessel, may be opened to discharge the cargo into the shoot, from any
particular part of the barge, or from all parts of it at once, as many seem desirable, or
necessary, and it is also evident that the barge may be divided transversely into separate
compartiments, each of which may he filled with a different substance, which may be
unloaded, separately if desired.
The conveyers and elevators will be operated by a belt which runs from the driving
wheel, of the engine by. which power is supplied, to a pulley upon the main shaft.
Mounted upon the main shafts is a gear wheel, which engages with a gear wheel on a
counter shaft, and upon this counter shaft is also mounted two clutch pinions which
engage respectively with corresponding gear wheels, mounted upon shalts by which
sprocket.wheels in the bottom of the elevator shafts are operated. The clutch pinions
are operated or thrown in and out of connection with their gear wheels by means of
levers and by this means. either one or both of the elevators may be operated at
pleasure.
There is also mounted upon the main shaft clutch pinions which engage with
corresponding gear wheels mounted on shafts by which the sprocket wheels in the aft
end of the conveyers are operated, and as in the case of the elevator shafts above
described, the clutch pinions, may be thrown in or out of connection with the gear
wheels, by means of levers, and thus either or both of the conveyers in the shoots may
be operated when u⚫sired.
The lower.end of each of the elevator shafts is in communication with one of the
shoots or. troughs, as hereinbefore stated, the end of the elevator shaft being placed
just within the shoot and the botton and side of the shoot being cut away and provided
with a passage which empties into the base of the elevator shaft.
The operation of the machinery before described when fitted in a barge laden, say
with coal, is as follows:-the barge being filled with coal or other material the gates
are opened by, turning the hand wheels at the top of the shafts, the gates moving easily
upon the rollers; the conveyers and elevators are then put in motion, the conveyers
in the shoots moving in opposite directions. The coal is moved rapidly along the
lower part of the shoot till it comes to the passages communicating with the elevator
shafts when it drops into the bottom of said shafts and is taken up by the conveyers
within the elevator shafts and carried to the top thereof where it falls into the spout
or.tube, from which it is automatically discharged either at the front, sides or rear of
the barge into any receptacle prepared for it and at almost any desired altitude.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of two convoyer
shoots and two. elovator shafts, as it is evident that three or more might be employed
without departing. from the invention, it being only necessary to alter the gearing so
as to correspond with the number of conveyer shoots and elevator shafts employed.
Neither are the improvements limited to any particular form of conveyer, the chain
links and plates being employed only for purposes of description. It is probable that
a.bucket conveyer.or carrier would be preferable in the elevator shafts, as it would not
be so liable to clog while lifting, coal, grain, sand or other loose, lumpy or granular
mutorial on a steeply inclined trough, while for the flight conveyer the form described
is probably the best..
Dated this 15th day of November 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Conveying or Transferring Coal, Grain, Sand,
or other similar Material.
'T
I, COURTNEY SOHENCK of 57 Gower Street in the County of Middlesex Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Stewart Schenck of No. 1 Broadway, New York City, United States of
America Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention refers to improvements in means or apparatus for delivering coal,
grain, sand or other material to or from vessels or other depositories and is designed
more particularly to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive apparatus by
which cargoes of coal, grain, sand or other material may be discharged at various
points of delivery or transferred in elevators, or other structures, or by which ocean.
steamers or other vessels may be loaded or supplied with coal at a much less expense
than has heretofore been possible, and whereby such substances as those above named
may be handled with economy of time and labour.
The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts
substantially as hereafter described and illustrated in and by the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a coal barge provided with my improved
apparatus constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 shews in plan one of the conveyers and elevators detached.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line ✗x of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a view of certain details of construction, and Figure 5 is a vertical
section on the line Y Y of Figure 1, looking towards the bow, and drawn to an
enlarged scale.
Although I have herein shewn and described the invention as applied to a barge for
the purpose of discharging coal therefrom, it is evident that it may be employed to
advantage in unloading grain, sand or other substances from vessels, and also for
conveying material in storage warehouses to and from vessels trucks waggons and
other places.
As applied to a vessel or barge and referring to Figure 1, A represents the hull of
the barge which may be of the ordinary form and-of any desired capacity. Arranged
longitudinally in the bottom of the said vessel or barge A are say two conveyor shoots
or troughs B which extend preferably quite the full length of the hull, and these
shoots are carried up vertically at each end as shewn at B', and along the deck as
shewn at B. Within these shoots are conveyors which may consist of plates C¹
attached to chains Carranged to travel over suitable sprocket wheels D journalled at
the angles of the shoots each of said shoots forming as shown a continuous passage in
which the endless conveyor moves. For the purpose of illustrating these parts the
side wall of the shoot in Figure 1 is removed.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, E represents two elevators consisting of double
shafts E and E united at each end, which correspond with the shoots in the bottom
of the barge with which they communicate as shewn at G Figure 5 and each of these
elevators is provided with a conveyor similar to those within the shoots or troughs B
which are arranged to travel over suitable sprocket wheels D, placed at each end of
the elevators. A portion of the side walls of one of the elevators in Figure 1 is
removed so as to show the conveyor, and the sprocket wheel is shewn in dotted lines.
The elevators may extend to any desired height and may be supported in any approved
manner, the best arrangement being probably that shewn in the drawing wherein the
connection between the elevators and the conveyors in the bottom of the barge is made
near the stern the elevator being then carried forward and upward, over the bow, io
the desired height. Attached to the discharge end of each of the elevators is a spout
or tube D' which is so connected by means of a universal joint as to admit of its being
swung around, as shewn in dotted lines, thereby the coal or other substance may be

page_text: discharged either at the sides, or directly in front of the barge, or at the rear. This
spout may be made of telescopic tubes and of any desired length.
The receptacle, a barge for example is provided with a series of oppositely inclined
floors which divide the hull at the bottom, into a series of hopper-like longitudinal
compartments each converging to the shoots or troughs B, thus causing the entire
load to gravitate toward these shoots, which are provided with openings in the tor',
controlled by gutes K, each of which is provided with a rack bar K' see Figure 4, on
the underside thereof, which is engaged by a gear wheel L journalled beneath the
floor at the top of the shoot, and operated by a pinion, through the agency of a
shaft L which extends above the deck and is provided with a hand wheel at the top,
by means of which the shaft may be turned to open or close the gate. These gates
are arranged to move upon rollers K* journalled in the top of the side walls of the
shoots or arranged to form a movable support for the gatos in any desired manner.
It is obvious that the gates K anywhere along the bottom of the vessel, may be opened
to discharge the cargo into the shoot B, from any particular part of the barge, or from
all parts of it at once, as may seem desirable, or necessary, and it is also evident that
the barge may be divided transversely into separate compartiments, each of which may
be filled with a different substance, which may be unloaded separately, if desired.
The conveyors and elevators will be operated by a belt M, Figure 1, which runs
from the driving wheel M¹ of the engine by which power is supplied, to a pulley N,
upon the main shaft N¹, these parts being shewn more clearly in Figure 5; Mounted
upon the main shaft N', is a gear wheel N³, which engages with a gear wheel O' on a
counter shaft O, and upon this counter shaft is also mounted two clutch pinions Ox 0*
which engage respectively with corresponding gear wheels 0¹× 0¹x mounted upon
shafts 0 0x by which sprocket wheels D D, in the bottom of the elevator shafts
are operated. The clutch pinions O* O* are oporated, or thrown in and out of
connection with the gear wheels O¹× 0¹× by means of levers 0° 0° and by this means
either one or both of the elevators may be operated at pleasure.
There is also mounted upon the main shaft N' clutch pinions P, P, which engage
with corresponding gear wheels P¹ P¹ mounted on shafts P2 P, by which the sprocket
wheels D D in the aft end of the conveyors are operated, and as in the case of the
elevator shafts above described, the clutch pinions P P may be thrown in or out of
connection with the gear wheels P₁ P1 by means of the levers R R, and thus either
or both of the conveyors in the shoots B, inay be operated when desired.
The lower end of each of the elevator shafts is in communication with one of the
shoots or troughs B as herein before stated, the end of the elevator shaft being placed
just within the shoot as shown in Figures 3 and 5, and the bottom and side of the shoot
being cut away and provided with a passage G, Figure 5, which empties into the base
of the elevator shaft.
The operation of the machinery before described when fitted in a barge laden say
with coal, is as follows: the barge being filled with coal or other material the gates K
are opened by turning the hand wheels at the top of the shafts L² the gates moving
easily upon the rollers K*; the conveyors and elevators are then put in motion, the
conveyors in the shoots B moving in the direction of the arrows S S and those in the
elevator shafts in the direction of the arrows U U. The coal is moved rapidly along
the lower part of the shoot B, till it comes to the passages G communicating with tho
elevator shafts when it drops into the bottom of said shafts and is taken up by the
conveyors within the elevator shafts and carried to the top thereof where it fulls into
the spout or tube D¹ from which it is automatically discharged either at the front,
sides or rear of the barge into any receptacle prepared for it and at almost any desired
altitude.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of two conveyor
shoots and two elevator shafts, as it is evident that three or more might be employed
without departing from the invention, it being only necessary to alter the gearing
so as to correspond with the number of conveyor shoots and elevator shafts employed.
Neither is the invention limited to any particular form of conveyor, the chain links C
and plates C being employed only for purposes of illustration and description. It is

page_text: probable that a bucket conveyor or carrier would be preferable in the elevator shafts
to the form shewn, as it would not be so liable to clog while lifting coal, grain, sand,
or other loose lumpy or granular material on a steeply inclined trough, while for the
flight conveyor the form shewn is probably the best.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination in a coal conveying or transfer apparatus, of a flight conveyor
consisting of a shoot or trough as B, B1, B2, provided with an endless conveyor, an
elevator consisting of separate shafts as E, provided with an endless conveyor, the
elevator and shoot B being in communication as described and shewn, and said parts
being provided with sprocket wheels over which the conveyors run, and an engine
and connecting gearing by which the conveyor and elevator are operated together
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination in a coal conveying or transfer apparatus of a flight elevator
consisting of an endless trough or shoot as B B2, provided with sprocket wheels and
an endless chain conveyor an elevator consisting of separate shafts united at their ends
and having sprocket wheels and an endless chain conveyor, the shoot and elevator
being in communication as shewn and described by means of a passage as G, and
engine and gearing by which the elevator conveyor and flight conveyor are operated
together, the discharge end of the elevator being provided with a spout or tube as D¹
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination in an apparatus for conveying or transferring coal or other
substances, of the conveyor shoot B, B1, B2, the gates K provided with the rack
bar K and supported upon rollers, the gear wheel L the pinions L' and shaft I*
substantially as shewn and described.
1. In an apparatus for conveying or transferring coal or other substances the
combination with a barge or other storage vessel of a series of flight conveyor shoots
or troughs as B B1, B2 provided with an endless conveyor, a series of elevators in
communication with the conveyor shoots, by means of a passage as G, said elevator
consisting of double shafts as E' E³, and provided with an endless conveyor, an engine
and connecting gearing, so arranged that the flight conveyors and elevators may be
operated in pairs or all together substantially as shewn and described.
5. The combination in an apparatus for conveying or transferring coal or other
substances, of a barge or other storage vessel having its bottom provided with a series
of hopper-like longitudinal depressions, a series of flight conveyor shoots as B, B¹ B*
provided with endless conveyors, a series of elevators, as E in communication with
the conveyor shoots by means of a passage as G said elevators consisting of separate
shafts united as shewn, and provided with an endless conveyor, an engine and gearing
whereby the flight conveyors and elevators may be operated in pairs or all together
substantially as shewn and described.
6. The combination in an apparatus for conveying or transferring coal or other
substances, of a barge or other storage vessel, having longitudinal hopper-like
depressions in its bottom, a series of flight conveyor shoots or troughs as B, B1, B³,
provided with endless conveyors, a series of elevators as E, consisting of separate
shafts E and E united as shewn, and provided with an endless conveyor, said elevators
and conveyors being in communication by means of a passage as G, and provided with
sprocket wheels by which the endless conveyors are carried, an engine and connecting
gearing consisting of a main shaft as N¹ provided with a gear wheel N and clutch
pinions PP operated by levers R R, the gear wheels P¹ P¹ in connection with which
the clutch pinions P P operate said gear wheels P¹ being mounted upon the shafts P³,
by which the sprocket wheels D of the flight conveyors are operated, and the gear
wheel O' mounted upon the counter shafts O, the clutch pinions O* O*, also mounted
on said counter shaft, the gear wheels O¹× Otx in connection with which the clutch
pinions Ox Ox operate, said gear wheels 0¹× 0¹× being mounted upon the

page_text: shafts 0 0 which operate the sprocket, wheels D, by which the elevator conveyors
are carried, whereby by the proper manipulation of the levers R R and 0 0³, the
conveyors and elevators may be operated in pairs or all together substantially as shewn
and described.
Dated IAL
1400
COURTNEY SCHENCK.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COURTNEY SCHENCK.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.