IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE HOLDS OF VESSELS AND IN WAREHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward John Power, of Bishopsgate Street Within, in
the City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
SHIFTING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE HOLDS OF VESSELS AND
IN WAREHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES." A communication from abroad by
William H. Power, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward John Power at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1881.
"
EDWARD JOHN POWER of Bishopsgate Street Within in the City of London.
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE
HOLDS OF VESSELS AND IN WAREHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES." [A communi-
cation from abroad by William H. Power of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.]
The chief object of this Invention is to bring within the reach of the endless
lifting chains of elevators adapted to the holds of ships, the grain that is intended
to be raised from the holds. For this purpose a travelling scoop is provided which
is caused by mechanical means to traverse from the sides or ends of the hold to the
centre, or that point where the elevator is situated, or vice versa; and carry with
it the grain which has no tendency to run or gravitate to the centre of the hold.
The scoop is made of any desired form and proportion, and is connected at front
and back with ropes pendent from two winch barrels mounted on the elevator and
led down to the scoop around a guide pulley fitted in the hold. The axles of these
barrels lie parallel to and on opposite sides of a driving shaft which receives
motion from a steam engine or other motor. Upon this driving shaft is fitted a
friction wheel which is capable of gearing with similar friction wheels fitted to the
axles of the winches. The winch axles turn in bearings carried by lever arms
which give the axles a tendency to recede from the driving shaft and bold their

page_text: friction wheels out of gear with the friction wheel on the driving shaft. By
means of ropes pendent from these lever arms, and entering the hold of the
ship, the attendant is enabled to throw either of the friction wheels at his pleasure,
into gear with the friction wheel on the driving shaft; and thereby to wind up the
rope on the winch barrel of the axle so advanced. By this means the scoop is
caused to move to and fro under the control of the attendant, until all the grain
has been brought within the reach of the elevator. The guide pullies may be
attached by clamps to the ribs of the hull and shifted from point to point as the
direction of the traverse of the scoop is required to be changed. This apparatus it
will be understood is applicable with slight modification to the unloading of grain
contained in sacks, the scoop in this case underrunning the sacks and delivering
them at a central point of the hold. It may also be fitted to warehouses for grain
and other produce and may be used on quays for gathering up grain, sand, salt or
other like marketable products.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward John Power in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd June
1882.
EDWARD JOHN POWER of Bishopsgate Street Within the City of London.
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHIFTING GRAIN AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE
HOLDS OF VESSELS AND IN WAREHOUSES AND OTHER PLACES." A communication
from abroad by William H. Power of the City and State of New York United
States of America.
The chief object of this Invention is to adapt to the holds of grain ships a means
for facilitating the advance of the grain to within reach of the endless lifting
chains of grain elevators used in the holds of ships. For this purpose a travelling
scoop is provided which is connected with a hauling rope or ropes, and is caused
by mechanical means to traverse from the sides or ends of the bold to the centre,
or that point where the elevator is situated, and vice versa; and carry forward with
it such portion of the grain as has no tendency to run or gravitate to the centre of
the hold.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn the Invention as employed in
connection with a grain vessel, and I have also shewn the apparatus in detail the
better to explain the construction of the parts. Fig. 1 shows in transverse
sectional elevation a three-decked grain vessel lying by the side of a floating
elevator by which it is to be emptied of its load the trunk of the elevator being for
that purpose pendent in the hold. This Figure also shows the means employed
for bringing the grain towards the centre of the hold and within reach of the
elevator. Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of a grain vessel with the scoop
apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 3 shews in end elevation on an enlarged scale the
apparatus for winding up the rope or ropes to which the scoop is attached. Fig. 4
is a partial plan view and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Figures 6 and 7
are plan and side views of the scoop on an enlarged scale shewing also the mode of
attachment to the hauling rope or ropes. Fig. 8 shews a mode of adapting the
Invention to the hold of a grain ship in which a longitudinal central partition is
built up to prevent the grain shifting laterally by the rolling of the vessel at sea.
In Fig. 1, A is the main driving shaft of the elevator and situate on either side
thereof is a drum for receiving rotary motion from that shaft for winding up the
hauling rope of the scoop or shovel alternately in opposite directions. These
drums B B are mounted in bearings which are capable of rocking on fixed
fulcrums and falling away from the main driving shaft. On the axles of these
drums are friction pulleys 6 6' which pulleys are intended to gear alternately with
a friction pulley a on the main driving shaft A. Fitted to a bearing of each drum
is a lever C connected to the end of which is a rope c which ropes by means of
guide pulleys c¹ are led to the deck, or it may be the hold of the laden vessel, handy
for the attendant who is superintending the discharge of the grain therefrom. By
pulling one or other of these cords the lever with which the cord is connected will
lift its drum into gear with the driving shaft A and thereby cause the drum to
receive rotary motion therefrom.
Attached to these drums B B' are ropes D D' which pass over and under guide
pulleya d and are attached to the scoop or shovel E as shewn in the detached views
Figures 6 and 7. The pulleys & on the grain vessel are made adjustable they
being mounted in screw clamps and attached to any convenient fixed point to suit
the direction which it is desired to give to the ropes or to the scoop.
The rope D
it will be seen is led from the drum B to the hold of the grain vessel and
attached by a bridle piece to the front part of the scoop, and the rope D¹ of the

page_text: drum B is led into the hold and attached to the hinder part of the scoop.
These ropes are further connected together by a short coupling rope D' the
shortening or lengthening of which will adjust the angle of the scoop as desired.
The scoop it will be seen is formed with a flat bottom which towards the back
end is curved upwards to form a rounded heel as shewn at Fig. 7. By thus
forming the scoop I enable it to slide over the grain on its return journey without
bringing back within it any appreciable quantity.
Supposing now it is required to move the scoop towards the centre of the hold
in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, it will only be necessary for the attendant
by pulling on the cord c to bring the friction pulley of the drum B into contact
with the friction pulley a of the main driving shaft. The result of this will be to
advance the scoop towards the centre of the hold and thereby to cause it to move
up a shovelfull of grain within reach of the elevator buckets, in doing which the
scoop will drive up before it an additional quantity of grain. When this is
attained the attendant will let go of the rope of one lever C and by pulling on the
rope of the other lever will put the drum B¹ into action. The rope D' which has
been given off during the advance of the scoop will now be wound upon its drum
and draw back the scoop to its starting point, the rope on the drum B being at the
same time caused to unwind to permit of this movement. In this way the scoop
will travel forward and backward at the pleasure of the attendant, delivering grain
to the elevator-and-returning-to-obtain-a-fresh-supply._So_soon_however as this
supply ceases the last of the series of guide pullies in the hold must be shifted to
provide a new course of travel for the scoop. By this means (the course of travel
of the scoop being readjusted from time to time) all the grain lying upon the floor
of the hold may be brought with facility within reach of the elevator, and that at a
rate which will equal the power of the elevator to discharge the grain from the
hold.
It may be here remarked that the apparatus above described may be used also
to trim the hold as the grain is being delivered into the vessel. In this case the
shovel will be advanced from the centre to the angles or ends of the hold for the
purpose of pushing forward the grain to the parts of the hold most distant from
the hatchway. To enable the shovel to do this the guide pullies must be shifted so
as to adjust the shovel and its ropes to the new course of travel.
The modification shewn at Fig. 8 is intended to apply especially to vessels in
which the hold is provided with a longitudinal partition for preventing the lateral
shifting of the grain. In this instance two travelling scoops or shovels E E' are
used, one on each side of the partition which is opened at the part immediately
below the batchway. These scoops are attached the one to the rope D and the
other to the rope 11, and the scoops are connected together by means of a rope D
which leads from the front of the scoop E to the back of the scoop E' after passing
over an adjustable guide pulley attached to the partition immediately under the
hatchway. The rope D is in this case made fast to the front of the scoop E', and
the rope D¹ to the back of the scoop E. Thus when the attendant by means of one
or other of the lever ropes c c throws a drum into gear he will put the two scoops
in motion, the one to advance grain to the centre of the hole while the other is
receding to obtain a supply of grain ready for its advance. This arrangement will
therefor greatly expedite the action of the apparatus and enable me to employ an
elevator of an increased lifting capacity, or to use scoops of smaller size requiring
less motive power when an increased size of elevator is not available or needed.
I may here remark that when the capacity of the elevator exceeds that of the
scoop in use I may employ two scoops side by side mounting them upon a light
frame which is attached to the ropes in the manner described with reference to
Figures 6 and 7.
The above described apparatus it will be understood is applicable with slight
modification to the loading or unloading of grain vessels, when the grain is con-
tained in sacks, the scoop in this case underrunning and carrying the sacks and
delivering them at a central point of the hold to be raised by the elevator, or in

page_text: case of trimming the hold to any distant part thereof. The apparatus above
described may also be fitted to warehouses for grain and other produce or the scoop
may be connected with portable winding gear for use on quays for gathering up
grain, sand, salt or other like marketable products an adjacent steam winch serving
to provide the requisite power for winding the ropes. In cases where the above
described winding gear is not convenient or available, I may use an ordinary winch
adapting thereto hauling ropes in such a manner as to give a forward and
backward motion to the scoop. Thus I may wind the two ropes on the same
winch in opposite directions so that one rope is pulled while the other unwinds,
and follows through the pulley blocks.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Shifting Grain and other Substances in the Holds of Vessels, and in
Warehouses and other Places" as communicated to me from abroad by my
foreign correspondent and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim
First Giving a to and fro traverse motion to scoops or shovels used for shifting
grain and other substances by means of ropes led over and under guide pullies and
actuated in the manner above set forth.
Second. The arrangement of rope winding mechanism above described for giving
a traverse motion to scoops alternately in opposite directions for the purpose above
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Edward John Power have hereunto set my
hand and seal the Twenty-first day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
EDWARD JOHN POWER. (L.S.)