IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR 'TRIMMING' SHIPS' CARGOES OF GRAIN OR OTHER MATERIAL IN BULK."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Southern Brice, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR 'TRIMMING'
SHIPS' CARGOES OF GRAIN OR OTHER MATERIAL IN BULK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Southern Brice at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd July 1880.
WILLIAM SOUTHERN BRICE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING' SHIPS' CARGOES OF GRAIN
OR OTHER MATERIAL IN BULK."
"
In loading and unloading decked vessels with grain or other material in bulk a
great amount of time is expendled and expense incurred by trimming" or
shovelling the material by hand, in the case of loading from under the hatch way
where it is deposited to the further parts of the hold, and in unloading in a
contrary direction from under the deck to the hatchway.
Now my Invention is designed to provide an apparatus whereby the grain or
other material may be readily and quickly brought from the most remote part of
the hold of a vessel when unloading, and vice versa when londing to any required
place.
To the
It consists in a shovel, preferably in the shape of a rectangular board, say, four
feet six inches in width by two feet six inches in depth. To this I attach a rope
nt right angles fastened at or near each of the corners of the shovel blade.
back of and above the shovel blade, by means of two strong supports_whiza
strengthen the shovel blade, or in any other convenient manner, I arrange a handle
by which to actuate or guide the shovel. The other end of the rope 1 then pass
round the drum of the winch on deck, to which it is guided by pulleys or otherwise.
In loading a vessel the rope is passed round a guide pulley in the interior of the
hold, and, if desirable, the shovel may be formed with sides making it more in the
shape of a scoop.
The use of my Invention reduces, I estimate, the cost of grain "trimming" about
sixty per cent., and secures the successful application of grain elevators to discharge
decked vessels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Willian Southern Brice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st January 1881.
WILLIAM SOUTHERN BRICE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING' SHIPS' CARGOES OF GRAIN
OR OTHER MATERIAL IN BULK."
"
ог
In loading and unloading decked vessels with grain or other material in bulk a
great amount of time is expended and expense incurred by "trimming
shovelling the material by hand in the case of loading from under the hatchway
where it is deposited to the further parts of the hold, and in unloading in a
contrary direction from under the deck to the hatchway.
Now my Invention is designed to provide an apparatus whereby the grain or
other material may be readily and quickly brought from the most remote part
of the hold of a vessel when unloading, and vice versu when loading to any
required place.
It consists in a shovel, preferably in the shape of a rectangular board, say, four
feet six inches in width by two feet six inches in depth. But these must be
regulated to the power applied and the circumstances of the place when these are
different or peculiar. To this board I attach a ropo at right angles fastened at or
near-each-of the corners of the shovel blade. The mode of doing this is shown in the
Drawing, and the ropes should be so dimensioned that when the strain is on for a
horizontal pull the blade of the shovel shall stand vertically.
To the back of and above the shovel blade, by means of two strong supports
which strengthen the shovel blade, or in any other convenient manner, I arrange a
handle by which to actuate or guide the shovel. The other end of the rope I then
pass round the drum of the winch on deck, to which it is guided by pulleys or
otherwise so placed as to give a horizontal pull, or nearly so, to the shovel. lu
loading a vessel the rope is passed round a guide pulley in the interior of the hold,
and if desirable the shovel may be formed with sides, making it more in the shape
of a scoop.
The use of my Invention reduces, I estimate, the cost of grain "trimming" about
sixty per cent, and secures the successful application of grain elevators to discharge
decked vessels.
My apparatus is also applicable for trimming grain in bulk in other situations
and under other circumstances than on ship board. On the quay, for the purposes
of housing, it effects a considerable saving in time and labour. In warehouses,
whether the grain be going inwards or outwards, it is equally successful, though in
making deliveries from the warehouse there is an additional saving effected, as
instead of filling the grain into sacks for transport and weighing, it may be allowed
to fall through spouts into hoppers on the quay and there be weighed, thus reducing
the cost, 1 estimate, from seven pence to one penny per ton. And it may be used
to advantage wherever a granular pulverulent or similar material has to be moved
in bulk.
The Drawing is so simple that it almost explains itself. Fig. 1 is a front
isometrical view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2, back view. A is the board or shovel;
B, B, B, B, four ropes of equal length ending in two loops; the hauling rope C is
tied to one of these loops and passes through the other. In this case each loop will
be equi-distant from the corners to which it is attached, but the bottom ropes will
be the length of the loop, or nearly so, longer than the top ones to allow of the
bottom of the loop on which the rope is fastened coming level with the top of the
top loop through which the rope passes.
Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I am well aware that endless

page_text: horizontal carrying belts or ropes passing over fixed pulleys at each end and armed
with travelling scoops or shovels have been already in use for this or a kindred
purpose before the date of my Letters Patent, but the difficulty of attaching,
moving, and keeping on the stretch this form of mechanism, in the varying depth
of vacant space of a ship's hold while discharging cargoes, or on a heap of grain
continually changing its contour as it lessened by removal, is so great that such
mechanisin is of no value, and I do not claim such; but what I do claim and desire
to protect under the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
"
Firat. The apparatus for "trimming ships' cargoes of grain or other similar
penetrable, granular, or pulverulent material in bulk, consisting of a shovel, board,
or scoop, attached to a preferably horizontal rope or other pulling mechanism in
such manner that when the shovel is forced by its own weight somewhat into the
material to be "trimmed," and a pulling strain is brought to bear upon the rope in
a direction approximately parallel to the surface of the material to be shifted, the
scoop shall stand in stable equilibrium in the material in such inanner as to
retain a large quantity of said inaterial and bring it onward with it towards the
pulling point in the manner described.
Second. The apparatus herein described consisting of a board, shovel, or scoop
attached to the end of a rope, chain, or cable, or their equivalent, and provided
with a stout handle so that it can bo brought to any desirable point of the material
to be shifted, and be guided by hand while being drawn towards the pulling
mechanism.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southern Brice, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty third day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
WM. P. THOMPSON,
Patent Agent,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
& 323, High Holborn, London.
W. S. BRICE. (L.S.)