Improvements in Automatic Loaders, Conveyors, and Unloaders.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Loaders, Conveyors, and Unloaders.
I, GAGE MASON WHEELER, of 1310, South Fourth Street, Tacoma, in the County
of Pierce, and State of Washington, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to
letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification:
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in automatic loaders,
conveyors and unloaders, and is especially adapted for loading and unloading
vessels, and has for its object to provide a simple and effective mechanism for
receiving, conveying and depositing the cargo of vessels either in package or bulk
form, so as to bring about an even and continuous motion which will avoid the
enormous delays which are now occasioned by the present method.
With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction
and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated
by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may
understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will
now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings forming a
part of this specification, in which-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of an apparatus made in accordance with my improve-
ment, portions thereof being broken away;
Fig. 2, a cross section of the unloading platform;
Fig. 3, a plan view of a portion of said platform, showing the fingers through
which the carrier passes for depositing a package.
Fig. 4, a section at the line y, y, showing one of the carriers in the act of
passing through the loading platform;
Fig. 5, an enlarged section of a portion of one of the cross rod couplings used
to support the carrier, and
Fig. 6, a detail elevation of a carrier in shape of a scoop bucket, which may
be used in connection with my invention for loading and unloading coal and
the like.
In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the framework
of the apparatus which consists of grooved rails a, b, c, and d, connected together
by the cross iron B; and this frame, as shown, has a vertical section and a
horizontal section, the former adapted to pass within the hole of a vessel, while
the latter leads to a warehouse or other suitable point of deposit. A sprocket

page_text: wheel C is journaled in the lower end of the vertical section of the frame, while
a corresponding sprocket H is journaled in the extreme end of the horizontal sec-
tion, and a linked carrier chain I passes around these two sprocket wheels
and is guided at the angle of the frame by the small wheels J.
At given intervals the chains are connected together by the cross rods K which
support the carriers L, the latter being composed of a series of fingers journaled
upon said rods, said fingers terminating in shanks which are also connected
rods
together by the
M. Each of these rods has mounted upon
each end thereof the rolls N and O, which are adapted to travel
in the grooves of the side rails of the frame, as clearly shown. These
rails are so located relative to each other that when the carriers are traveling
upward upon the vertical section of the frame the fingers will be held in a
horizontal position, as clearly shown in Figure 1, on account of the rolls N travel-
ling in the grooves of the rails a, while the rolls O travel in the grooves b, and
when reaching the top of the vertical section the horizontal position of the
fingers will be maintained by the relative position of the rails a and b, so that the
carrier may travel rearward without its position being altered until reaching
the unloading platform P; at this point the rail a is deflected downward as indicated
at a', so that the roll N following the deflection of this rail will swing the carrier
to the position shown in dotted lines at 1. After the carrier has reached this
position, the continued movement of the chain will carry it around the sprocket
wheel H where it will assume the position shown at 2, and remain in this posi-
tion through its backward movement until again passing down the vertical
section of the frame to the hole of the vessel. The groove in the rail e is con-
centric with the axle of the sprocket wheel C until reaching the point 3 where
it is of cam shape and passes into the groove in the rail b. The result of this
particular arrangement is that when the carrier passes around the sprocket wheel C
it will be brought into a horizontal position, so as to thereafter be in a position
to receive a load and continue its movement through the steps just described.
A loading platform Q is made in bracket form, as indicated in Figure 1, and
adapted to be attached to the side rails of the frame by engagement with the
pins R, and this platform is composed of a series of fingers S through which the
fingers of the carriers L are adapted to pass, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4.
The unloading platform P is arranged slightly below the level of the upper
surface of the carriers while in their horizontal position, and has formed thereon
the fingers T through which the fingers of the carriers pass just prior to said
carriers being deflected downward, as before set forth; the object of which
arrangement is to permit the carriers to convey the load to the platform and then
deposit it thereon automatically; and it is to be noted that the unloading plat-
form is of sufficient size to accommodate several workmen, whose duty it is to
move the packages as deposited to the right and left, and thereafter they may be
slid down suitable inclines to the floor of the warehouse, or upon trucks, as the
case may be. The carrier chains are given their traveling motion by means of
a worm-wheel U which is mounted on the same shaft with the sprocket wheels H;
and this worm-wheel in turn receives its motion from the worm V operated by
any suitable motor W, here shown as an electric motor.
From this description the operation of my improvement will be obviously as
follows:
The vertical section of the frame being lowered within the hole of a vessel to
be unloaded until the lower end thereof is supported by the legs X coming in
contact with a portion of the cargo of the vessel say from six to seven feet below
the deck the motor is put in operation to cause the carrier chains to travel,
and thereafter packages placed upon the platform Qwill be picked up by the
carriers passing therethrough and elevated to the horizontal section of the frame
and then conveyed to the unloading platform, where they will be deposited, as
before set forth; and this operation will be continuous, since the carriers will
each, in turn, pass around the sprocket wheels H, and back to the hole of the

page_text: vessel, again performing their function of picking up and conveying packages
which have previously been placed upon the platform Q. As the surrounding
cargo is discharged, that immediately beneath the apparatus may be gradually
removed until the legs X rest upon the bottom of the vessel, thus, without incon-
venience of rehandling the cargo, the entire contents of the vessel may be elevated
and deposited in the warehouse, and this continuously without interruption or
congestion at any point, since the entire operations of the apparatus are automatic,
requiring no attention upon the part of the operators, except the placing of the
packages upon the loading platform, and the removal of the same from the unload-
ing platform.
It is likewise obvious that the reverse movement of the carrier chains will
cause the carrier to move in the opposite direction, thus enabling a vessel to be
loaded by the apparatus in which case the packages to be conveyed thereto would
be placed upon the platform P, and ultimately deposited upon the platform Q,
from whence they would be removed by hand.
In practice the apparatus is handled by a suitable derrick, whereby the vertical
section thereof may be readily inserted within the hole of the vessel, and raised
and lowered as desired. When the cargo of the vessel is in bulk, such as grain or
coal, the buckets shown in Figure 6, which consist of the side bars Y and the scoop
section Z, are used in place of the carriers, and when such buckets are used the
loading and unloading platforms are dispensed with, since the movement of the
buckets in passing around the sprocket wheels C is such as to scoop up the coal
cr grain, and after conveying the same to the point a¹ the bucket will be tipped
at such an angle as to dump its contents, and a suitable chute may be arranged
for the reception thereof and its conveyance to the desired point.
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. An apparatus for automatically unloading and conveying material, the same
consisting of a suitable framework having grooves therein, an endless chain
mounted upon suitable wheels, means for causing the chain to travel, and carriers
so attached to said chain and connected with the frame as to automatically receive
the load convey and deposit the same, as specified.
2. In an apparatus of the character described, a suitable frame having grooves
therein, endless chains, rods connecting said chains, carriers pivoted upon the
rods, rolls carried by the carriers engaging with the grooves in the frame, means
for causing the chain to travel, a loading platform through which the carriers
are adapted to pass, & an unloading platform through which said carriers are
also adapted to pass, as specified.
3. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame composed of four side rails
having grooves therein, sprocket wheels mounted at each end of the frame, end-
less chains traveling over said sprocket wheels, a motor for causing the chains to
travel, carriers pivoted to the chains, rolls carried by the carriers and adapted to
travel in the grooves of the frame, a loading platform consisting of fingers through
which the fingers of the carriers may pass, and an unloading platform having
fingers thereon through which the fingers of the carriers may pass, all arranged
substantially as shown and described.
4. In combination with an apparatus of the character described, a series of
carriers having rolls thereon fitted to travel in the grooves of the frame, said
grooves being so arranged as to manipulate the carriers to receive and deposit a
load, as specified.
5. In combination with a framework of the character described, a carrier com-
posed of fingers pivoted to the cross rods of the carrier chains, and rolls carried
by said carrier adapted to travel in the grooves of the frame for properly manipu-
lating the carrier, as specified.

page_text: 6. In combination with a series of carriers composed of fingers, a loading plat-
form also composed of fingers through which the fingers of the carriers may
pass, and an unloading platform having fingers through which the fingers of the
carriers may pass, as specified.
4
1000
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for Applicant.