Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 15th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
I, CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER, of 205 Newport Road, Roath, Cardiff, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to be employed in
loading coal into ships and like uses.
In loading coal into vessels in order to prevent breakage of the coal I employ a box
This bottom is made of a
or cylinder formed with a moveable piston like bottom.
conical form tapering downwards to an outlet orifice formed through it and this orifice
is closed by a cone valve which opens downwards. The valve is suspended to the jib
of a crane or otherwise from above. For loading coal into the box I use a fixed hopper
like mouth down through which the box can be lowered and which has combined with
it a shoot with or without a screen.
To prepare the apparatus to receive the coal from a wagon or shoot the box is
lowered down through the hopper mouth so that it projects downwards from it and
rests on the bottom of a pit or subway or on a platform above ground and the cone
valve and piston like bottom are hauled up together so as to bring the bottom up to
the top of the box in order that when coal is tipped into the shoot and hopper it may
have but a short distance to fall, namely onto the piston like bottom. The bottom is
then lowered together with the cone into the box or cylinder, gradually as the contents
of the wagon flows on to it until prevented by a stop ring inside the bottom of the
box. When thus filled the box or cylinder is lifted out of the hopper, the cone being
retained in its position and is swung around over a ships hatchway, lowered to within
a short distance of the floor of the ship or cargo, when the cone is released and the
contents allowed to fall out all around the cone. When the contents of the box or
cylinder has been discharged the cone valve together with the piston like bottom are
again raised to prepare the apparatus to receive the next wagon of coal, after being
swung around and lowered into the hopper as described.
The box or cylinder is suspended at two or more points, and the cone suspended to
a centre chain.
The hopper may be arranged over a hatchway of a vessel and the box or cylinder
filled by a crane or ordinary staith and shoot.
Dated thin 59nd dow of Contember 1887
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER, of 205 Newport Road, Roath, Cardiff, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to be employed in loading
coal into ships and like uses.
In loading coal into vessels in order to prevent breakage of the coal I employ a box
or cylinder formed with a moveable piston like bottom. This bottom is made of a
conical form tapering downwards to an outlet orifice formed through it and this orifice
is closed by a cone valve which opens downwards. The valve is suspended to the jib
of a crane or otherwise from above.
For loading coal into the box I use a fixed hopper like mouth down through which
the box can be lowered and which has combined with it a shoot with or without a
screen.
To prepare the apparatus to receive the coal from a wagon or shoot the box is
lowered down through the hopper mouth so that it projects downwards from it and
rests on the bottom of a pit or subway or on a platform above ground and the cone valve
and piston like bottom are hauled up together so as to bring the bottom up to the top
of the box in order that when coal is tipped into the shoot and hopper it may have but
a short distance to fall, namely on to the piston like bottom. The bottom is then
lowered together with the cone into the box or cylinder, gradually as the contents of
the wagon flows on to it until prevented by a stop ring inside the bottom of the box.
When thus filled the box or cylinder is lifted out of the hopper, the cone being
retained in its position and is swung around over a ships hatchway, lowered to within
a short distance of the floor of the ship or cargo, when the cone is released and the
contents allowed to fall out all around the cone. When the contents of the box or
cylinder has been discharged the cone valve together with the piston like bottom are
again raised to prepare the apparatus to receive the next wagon of coal, after being
swung around and lowered into the hopper as described.
The box or cylinder is suspended at two or more points, and the cone suspended to
a centre chain.
The hopper may be arranged over a hatchway of a vessel and the box or cylinder
filled by a crane or ordinary staith and shoot.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed is a vertical section of apparatus
constructed as above described.
A is the hopper-B is the box or cylinder in which the coal is to be carried-
B a chain from a crane by which the box can be raised or lowered-C is the
piston which works up and down in the box B-D is the cone or valve which

page_text: raises and lowers the piston C and which when lowered to allow coal to pass from
the box distributing it uniformly all around-G is a second chain from the crane
for suspending the cone. The dotted lines D' show the position of the piston C
when hauled up by the cone 1 to receive coal from a wagon, H is a screen or it
might be screens in the shoot-E is a small coal box to receive screenings from
screen H.
In some cases it may be desirable that the boxes B and E should be supported
on a trolley. A trolley suitable for supporting them is shown in elevation at
Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The box with its moveable piston bottom tapering downwards to an outlet
orifice and cone valve closing this orifice and opening downwards substantially as
described.
2. The construction of apparatus for loading coal into ships and for liko uses
substantially as hereinbefore described.