IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING ASHES FROM STEAMBOATS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Jack Galloway and Thomas Lindsay Galloway,
both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING ASHES FROM
STEAMBOATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Jack Galloway and
Thomas Lindsay Galloway at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 5th October 1880.
JAMES JACK GALLOWAY and THOMAS LINDSAY GALLOWAY, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR DISCHARGING ASHES FROM STEAMBOATS."
This Invention relates to apparatus partly of the kind described in the Specifi-
cation of Letters Patent granted to Robert Baird Lindsay, and dated 9 October
1879 (No. 4080), and comprises improvements and additions in connection
therewith.
In carrying out the present Invention the modification of motor apparatus
preferred for lifting the ashes bucket comprises a vertical cylinder to be actuated
by steam or by water under pressure when the latter is available, this cylinder, in
the case in which steam is used, having above it a cylinder in which a piston,
moved by the motor piston, acts on air passing through an adjusted opening for the
purpose of regulating the speed. The action is communicated to a chain or rope
which passes up to a pulley on an upper shaft placed at or near the level up to
which the ashes have to be lifted, and this upper shaft has on it two pulleys from
which chains or ropes pass up a little higher to pulleys on a tipping frame, and
thence down to the ashes bucket. The tipping frame with the top pulleys is fitted
in the ventilating shaft and is made to close the side of the shaft excepting when
tipped; it is mounted on trunnions, and its upper part is connected to a fixed point
by a pair of links having a kind of toggle action. When the ashes bucket is drawn
up to the tipping frame it slightly displaces the links from the position in which
they kept the tipping frame upright, and the continued pull of the chains or ropes
then tips the frame and empties the bucket. When the chains or ropes are let go

page_text: the bucket descends and the tipping frame resumes its closed position. Instead of
the ashes bucket being raised up the ventilating shaft it may be taken up any
other convenient passage or space, guides being by preference fixed to control its
ascent and descent.
From the place of the tipping frame a channel or passage is provided to the side
of the ship, such channel having a suitable discharge outlet through the side.
This discharge channel may have such a downward inclination throughout as that
the ashes will descend through it by grivitation; it will however in many cases be
more convenient for the channel to be nearly horizontal for a portion of its length,
and to have a short steeply inclined portion at its outer part. In the latter case
apparatus is provided for moving the ashes along the horizontal or nearly horizontal
part of the channel. In one modification a pair of endless chains or ropes are arranged
to move scrapers or rakes along the channel, these chains or ropes being worked by
a barrel or pulleys on what is herein before termed the upper shaft, being geared to
the shaft by ratchet teeth and pawls so as to be moved in one direction only. The
endless chains or ropes return inwards either along the top of the channel or
beneath partition forming the bottom of the channel. In another modification a
small wagon or truck is provided to receive the ashes and convey them to the top
of the steep part of the channel, the truck tipping the ashes there and then
returning. The truck can be drawn outwards and inwards by a chain or rope
worked by the upper shaft. In a third modification a shaft having on it one or
more helical or screw blades is employed, being driven from the upper shaft and
working in a channel of which at least the lower part is made cylindrical.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Jack Galloway and Thomas Lindsay Galloway in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 4th April 1881.
JAMES JACK GALLOWAY and THOMAS LINDSAY GALLOWAY, both of Glasgow, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR DISCHARGING ASHES FROM STEAMBOATS."
Our said Invention relates to apparatus partly of the kind described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to Robert Baird Lindsay, and dated
9 October 1879 (No. 4080), and comprises improvements and additions in
connection therewith.
In carrying out our present Invention the modification of motor apparatus
which we prefer for lifting the ashes bucket comprises a vertical cylinder to be
actuated by steam, or by water under pressure when the latter is available, this
cylinder, in the case in which steam is used, having above it a cylinder, in which a
piston, moved by the motor piston, acts on air passing through an adjusted opening
for the purpose of regulating the speed. The action is communicated to a chain
or rope which passes up to a pulley on an upper shaft placed at or near the level
up to which the ashes have to be lifted; and this upper shaft has on it two pulleys,
from which chains or ropes pass up a little higher to pulleys on a tipping frame,
and thence down to the ashes bucket. The tipping frame with the top pulleys is
in many cases conveniently fitted in the ventilating shaft or pipe, and is made to
close the side of the shaft excepting when tipped. Or instead of the ashes bucket
being raised up the ventilating shaft it may be taken up any other convenient
passage or space, guides being by preference fixed to control its ascent and descent.
From the place of the tipping frame a channel or passage is provided to the side of
the ship, such channel having a suitable discharge outlet through the side. This
discharge channel may have such a downward inclination throughout as that the
ashes will descend through it by gravitation; it will however in many cases be
more convenient for the channel to be nearly horizontal for a portion of its length
and to have a short steeply inclined portion at its outer part. In the latter case
apparatus is provided for moving the ashes along the horizontal or nearly horizontal
part of the channel.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing various modifications of
our improved apparatus.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section, and
Figure 2 is a sectional plan showing one modification of the tipping apparatus
and other parts. Figure 3 is a vertical section showing the tipping frame in the
position it assumes when discharging ashes from the bucket; Figures 4 to 11 on
Sheet 2 show a modification of the tipping frame and various modifications of the
channel arrangements for conveying the ashes to the side of the ship. In these
Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In the modification shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, the rope 12 from the motor
apparatus passes up to a pulley 13 on a shaft 14, the end of the rope being fixed
to the pulley and the rope being wound upon itself after the first convolution.
The shaft 14 has fixed on it two other pulleys 15, ropes 16 from which pass up
to and over pulleys 17 set on studs on the sides of the tipping frame 18, the
ropes 16 proceeding thence down the ventilating shaft or ventilator 19 to the ashes
bucket 20. In Figure 1 the bucket 20 is shown as drawn up into the tipping

page_text: frame 18, but not quite high enough to commence the tipping movement. In the
position in which it is shown in Figure 1 the tipping frame 18 closes an opening
made in the side of the ventilator 19. The tipping frame is set on trunnions 21
carried in bearings in the sides of the ventilator, and its upper part is connected to
a fixed point 22 by a pair of links 23, 24, having a kind of of toggle action, one, 24,
of the links being jointed to a cross bar 25. In the position of the parts as shown
in Figure 1 the joint connecting the two links 23, 24, is a little below the line
passing through the other ends of the links, and the strain of the ropes 16 on the
pulleys 17 cannot lift the links; but whenever the bucket 20 is drawn up
sufficiently it slightly displaces the links 23, 24, and then the further action of the
ropes 16 pulls over the tipping frame 18 and the bucket as well and causes the
discharge of the ashes. When the ropes 16 are slackened the tipping frame 18
returns to its former position by the action of its own weight and that of the
bucket, or by the action of a spring.
The ashes discharged from the bucket 20 as described are received into the
mouth 26 of a covered channel or duct 27, placed at a slight inclination downwards
towards the ship's side, and having at its outer end a more steeply inclined part 28
which terminates in a discharge outlet. For moving the ashes along the duct 27
there are provided two endless chains 29 passing at the outer part round a guide
roller 30, and at the inner part round a roller 31 which is loose on the pulley
shaft 14. The endless chains 29 are connected at intervals by transverse bars 32
acting as scrapers or pushers, and the upper parts of the chains pass over a horizontal
plate 33, along which the ashes are conveyed. The chains 20 are moved by means
of the inner roller 31, which has a ratchet wheel 34 fixed on one end of it, and this
ratchet wheel is acted on by a pawl carried by one of the pulleys 15, the action
through the pawl and ratchet taking place only when the pulley 15 is turning in a
suitable direction. Ropes of wire or other suitable materials may be substituted
for the chains 29.
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the toggle links (23,24,) of the tipping
frame 18 are dispensed with, and the trunnions 21 of the frame are placed closer to
the side of the ventilator, whilst a strong spring 35 is represented as connected by a
chain to a pulley on one of the trunnions for turning the tipping frame 18 back into
the ventilator after each tipping action. Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section of
the duct 27 used in this modification; and Figure 7 shows in edge view and plan a
form of endless band 36, consisting of metal plates jointed together, which we
prefer to substitute for the chains (29). The sides of the channel 27 are inclined
inwards so that a comparatively narrow band 36 may be used. The plate 33 along
which the band 36 passes is made to terminate at a point a little short of the outer
guide roller 30, so that ashes getting under the band may fall through, such ashes
being received on a double incline 37 which guides them laterally clear of the
bottom returning part of the band 36. The endless band 36 may be tightened when
required by means of screws applied either to the outer guide roller 30, or, as shown
in Figures 4 and 5, to the bearing blocks of the inner roller 31. The endless band
may, if preferred, be made to consist of a flat wire rope.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of a modification in which a small truck 38 is
employed for conveying the ashes along the horizontal duct 27, this truck being
moved by means of one or two endless chains or cords from the pulley shaft 14,
and its wheels running on guides or rails which are at their outer ends shaped to
allow the truck to turn down to empty its contents. The front end of the truck 38
is sloped to facilitate the emptying of it.
In the modification shown in Figure 9, a rotating tube 39 is substituted for the
horizontal duct (27), this tube 39 having a helical blade or flange fixed to its inside,
as indicated by dotted lines, for propelling the ashes along. The tube 39 rests on
rollers 40, and is turned by means of bevil wheels 41 from the pulley shaft 14,
ratchet wheel gear being introduced so that it may be turned in one direction
only.
In the modification shown in Figure 10 a screw shaft 42 working inside of a

page_text: fixed duct 27 is employed, the lower part of the duct being semicylindrical.
The shaft 42 is to be driven by bevil wheels 41, as in the modification shown in
Figure 9.
Figure 11 shows a discharge duct 43 without any moving parts, being simply
arranged with such an inclination that the ashes will descend by gravitation, to
which the flushing action of water may be added if desired.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner of
performing the saine, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The combination of motor apparatus for discharging ashes from steamboats,
in which a vertical cylinder actuated by steam has above it an air cylinder
arranged to regulate the speed in the manner herein before described.
2. The combination of a notor cylinder worked by steam or by water under
pressure with apparatus for hoisting and tipping the ashes bucket, substantially in
the nanner hereinbefore described.
3. The fitting of a ventilating or other tube or duct up through which the ashes
bucket is hoisted with a tipping frame to turn and empty the bucket when drawn
up to it, the parts being arranged and combined substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described.
4. The combination with apparatus for hoisting ashes buckets of a channel or
duct for conveying the ashes to the ship's side, such duct being either made with
sufficient downward inclination for the ashes to pass through it by gravitation, or
fitted with an endless band or screw blades or other moving parts for propelling
the ashes along it, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Jack Galloway and Thomas Lindsay
Galloway, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES J. GALLOWAY.
T. LINDSAY GALLOWAY.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)