IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH HOISTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Diederich Spreckels, of the City and County of
San Francisco in the State of California, one of the United States of America,
Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH HOISTS"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Diederich Spreckels at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1883.
>
JOHN DIEDERICH SPRECKELS, of the City and County of San Francisco, in
the State of California, one of the United States of America, Gentleman,
IMPROVEMENTS IN ASH HOISTS,
My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially useful for hoisting ashes
from the fire-rooms of vessels and disharging them overboard, or for hoisting coals
from below to be used on the upper decks, and it consists mainly of a receiver for
the material at the bottom, a line of carrying buckets with a suitable driving
mechanism, by which the buckets are caused to pass through the receiver to load
themselves, and pass thence to the deck above, a receiving chute or discharge pipe
leading out through the side of the vessel, with a cut-off slide to arrest and divert
coals when these are hoisted, and a means for keeping the chute clear and preventing
choking, together with certain details of construction, all of which will be more
fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
A is a receiver, which is fixed in the floor or hearth of the fire-room, or in any
convenient place so that when the ashes are to be discharged (which is usually
about once in six hours), they may be easily raked into the receiver.
Its sides may be vertical and sufficiently separated to allow the buckets to pass
between them. The bottom is rounded or curved and a roller or pulley B is
journaled to turn between the sides of the receiver, so that the buckets C (which
TD 01

page_text: are preferably secured to a leather belt D, to lessen the noise of working), may be
carried down by the belt, and dip into the receiver, so that as they rise upon the
other side, they will load themselves.
The belt D extends around a roller or drum E, upon the upper deck at any
suitable or convenient point, and both parts of it are enclosed by a casing F.
At the top the upper drum shaft extends out and has a gear wheel G keyed to it,
which is engaged by a pinion H, upon the engine shaft I.
The shafts, gears, and the engine J by which they are driven, are all mounted
upon a frame K, properly secured to the vessel. A discharge pipe or chute L
extends from the upper deck downward, and is curved outward so as to discharge
through the side of the vessel, and its upper end has a hood M extending upward
and curving partially over the upper bucket roller so as to ensure the discharge of
the contents of the buckets into the chute. without scattering.
The chute extends down through the second deck in a nearly vertical position,
and below this deck it curves outward so as to assume a more nearly horizontal
position, and pass out through the side of the vessel, thus obstructing the interior
space to the least extent.
As the material is apt to clog when discharged through this chute, an opening or
passage N is made into it, entering preferably about in line with the direction of
the lower portion; and a water pipe connects with it with a valve O, through
which a body of water from the pump may be discharged through the pipe and
forcibly clear it, or prevent any lodgement of material within it.
P is a gate or valve, fitted into the discharge chute near its outer end and serving
to close it when not in use, and thus prevent any ingress of water from the motion
of the vessel or the action of the sea.
This valve swings in a chamber of somewhat larger diameter than the rest of
the pipe, so that when open, it is out of the way and leaves a clear passage.
Its shaft has a lever arm with a connecting rod and hand lever by which it may
be opened and closed, and a curved link or rack with set screw or pawl to hold it
open or closed at will.
At a point above the deck Q, where the donkey engines are usually placed, I
make a door R in the side of the chute L, and a plate S is fitted into the chute so
that when in place it extends upward and backward from the lower edge of the
door opening, at an incline.
This device is used whenever it is desired to hoist coal from the fire-room bunkers
for the use of the donkey engines, and the coal being taken from the receiver A, is
carried up by the buckets and discharged into the chute, flowing down to the
incline plate S, which directs it outward through the door opening upon the deck.
When ashes are to be hoisted, this plate is removed, and the door closed. The
ashes are first wet down so as to cool them, and also prevent their injuring the
elevator belt; after which they are raked into the receiver, and the buckets being
in motion will scoop them up and carry them to the top, where they discharge
into the chute, through which they escape overboard as before described.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure
by Letters Patent, is-
1. A device for hoisting and discharging ashes, adapted to be carried by a vessel,
and consisting of a receiver placed near the furnace, a chain of buckets, and a
discharge chute connected, substantially as described.
2. The discharge pipe or chute in combination with the water pipe or passage
opening into it, substantially as herein described.
8. In an apparatus for discharging ashes or material from a vessel, the discharge
pipe or chute having a hood or hopper to receive the material from an endless
chain of buckets at the top, and extending downward and outward through
the vessels side, in combination with a gate or valve, by which its outer end
may be closed, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 4. The discharge pipe or chute, with its door, in combination with a hinged or
removable plate inclining upward and backward from the bottom of the door
opening, into the chute, substantially as berein described.
In witness whereof I the said John Diederich Spreckels, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty second day of October A.D, one thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.