Year: 1899

page_text: 254
АргоVO
We, CHARLES THEODORE SUDERMAN and GEORGE WHIPPO LACY, both residing
at Galveston, in the County of Galveston and State of Texas, United States
of America, Gentlemen, 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 is in the nature of an improved means for facilitating the
loading of cargoes of grain onto vessels.
In the usual method of loading grain onto vessels it is customary to provide
spouts for loading the grain from the elevator to the vessel and to employ
manual labor for distributing the grain to the hold of the vessel,-so as to leave
no open places between the decks and also to give the vessel a full cargo as well
as distribute the cargo over those parts of the hold farthest from the place where
the grain is discharged to the vessel, thereby keeping the vessel from shifting
and also adding safety as well as utilizing the fullest capacity of the vessel
by reason of filling all of the vacant places in the hold thereof. This method
of loading vessels is costly, requires considerable time, and does not always
satisfactorily distribute the grain. Our invention seeks to provide a simple but
effective means whereby the grain can be properly trimmed within the vessel's
hold and by which the loading can be effected in a much less time than can be
possibly accomplished by the use of laborers and shovels and by which the grain
can be readily deflected to any part of the vessel's hold and uniformly distributed
over all the parts thereof.
With the aforesaid objects in view our invention comprehends a receiving-
hopper having discharging apertures in the bottom thereof, discharge-tubes
connected with such discharge-apertures, and pneumatic means for forcing the
grain into and through the discharge-tubes at such point or points desired.
Our invention also comprehends certain details and combination of parts, such
as will be first described and then be specifically pointed out in the appended
claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of our improved grain-trimming
machine.
Figuré 2 is a top plan view thereof.
In the practical construction of our invention the same. comprehends a
honner A of suitable size, which is adapted to be conveniently placed upon the

page_text: vessel or other point to receive the grain from the elevator, and the said hopper
may have a single discharge in the bottom, but preferably has two discharges
(indicated by a a¹) at the bottom of the convergingly-disposed collecting
pockets bb, that are divided by the central pyramidal partition B, and the said
discharges a a' communicate with the pendent boot E E, the lower ends of which
have necks e for the convenient passing thereto of flexible hose-sections F.
To regulate the flow of the grain, the said boots E have cut-off slides ff, as
shown.
D indicates a feed-pipe in which air is forced under pressure from any suitable
point, and the said pipe has a pair of valved laterals CC, which terminate in
discharging-nozzles that merge with or discharge into the boots E in the
direction of their discharge end and at a point below the slides ff.
It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 2 that the feed-pipe D is disposed
outside the bin or trough, whereby to place its valve laterals in position to be
easily manipulated, the air-ejecting pipes being extended horizontally into the
trough or bin to a point midway thereof and then projected through the bottom
of the bin to discharge downward into the boots E. By thus arranging the
air feed and ejecting pipes the pneumatic suction through the boots E can be
regulated at will and one part of the bin or trough made to discharge faster
into one pipe F than into the other, as conditions may make desirable.
From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be readily
apparent that the grain may be conveyed from the collecting-trough by pneu-
matic pressure into the ship's hold at different parts simultaneously, or, when
desired, to two or more ships at the same time, the active agency in this
invention being conveying the grain by the application of air-pressure in con-
nection with the pipes and hose to throw the grain.
One of the essential advantages of our invention is that the grain can be
distributed over any part of the vessel that can be reached by spouts and
shovels, as well as to such parts thereof that cannot be practically filled by the
ordinary methods of loading.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
—
1. A collecting-trough having a converging bottom terminating in a plurality
of separate discharges, a pendent boot member secured to each discharge, a
cut-off valve in each boot, a feed-pipe adapted to receive the air under pressure,
said pipe being located outside the bin and having valved laterals terminating
in downward extensions discharging into the boots at a point below the cut-off
valves therein.
2. An apparatus for the purposes described, comprising a bin having, con-
verging sides whereby a contracted bottom is formed, a transverse pyramidal
partition B, separating the said bottom into two collecting-compartments, a
discharge-boot projected from the bottom of each compartment, said boots having
cut-off valves, a feed-pipe adapted to convey air under pressure, said pipe having
valved laterals adjacent the outer side of the bin, said laterals extending into
the bin and terminating at points in line with the discharge-orifices. of the
collecting-space and then projected down through the bottom of the bin and
communicating with the boots at a point below the valve thereof, and a flexible
offtake-pipe F, connected with each boot, all being arranged substantially as
shown and described.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicants.