IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING UNLOADING AND MOVING GRAIN SEED AND SIMILAR MATTERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Sacré of West Kirby in the County
of Chester Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SHIPPING UNLOADING AND MOVING GRAIN SEED AND SIMILAR MATTERS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Sacré
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1883.
RICHARD ARCHIBALD SACRÉ of West Kirby, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING, UNLOADING AND MOVING GRAIN,
SEED AND SIMILAR MATTERS
"
My Invention relates to elevating apparatus adapted to be employed in raising
and transferring grain from the holds of vessels or from barges or floating
conveyances. My apparatus is mounted within or upon a barge or pontoon or a
suitable floating vessel or structure which can be brought alongside the vessel to be
unloaded or loaded. The elevator apparatus is carried by a sheer frame which is
hinged by its lower end to a turn-table which is mounted upon a pivot and upon
wheels or rollers or is suitably mounted. A carriage is fitted to slide in or on ways
on the said frame and to this carriage is hinged the inner end of a jib or arm. The
outer end of the said jib is connected by links with a second carriage or slide so
that by moving the carriages upon the said frame the jib can be raised and lowered
and be made to assume a horizontal position or any inclined position required.
The carriages or slides are moved up and down the said frame by means of chains
and blocks or by suitable tackle which may be worked by an engine on board the
elevator barge or otherwise. Two sets of elevators are mounted to turn and slide
upon pivots near the outer end of the jib. The said pivots may be the connections
between the jib and the link ends which connections may pass through slots or
spaces between the cases of the upward and the downward moving elevator chains.
These casings are each in two or more parts hinged together the joints being
provided with carrier pullies for the chains. The joint links permit the parts to
fold and when not in use the elevator can be brought into position about parallel

page_text: with the jib. The jib is formed with two side girders or frames between which is
mounted a creeper which is carried by a framing which slides in the jib frame so that
it can be extended beyond the outer end of the jib more or less as required. When
required to be used in unloading a vessel the barge is brought alongside and the
outer end of the jib is brought over the hatches by raising the inner end and
inclining the sheer frame if required. The elevators are turned up and lowered
into the hold. The grain or matter is discharged by the elevator into a telescopic
shute which conveys the grain to the creeper. If not long enough the creeper may
deliver to a second creeper which may convey the grain over the quay as
required as for example to an elevator which lifts the grain to the granary.
The lowering of the elevator into the hold may be effected by racks and pinions or
screws or by tackle. The apparatus or modified forms of it may be used in
transferring grains, seeds or matters from barges into the holds of vessels. The
elevators and creepers are actuated by means of chains, ropes or bands and wheels
and pullies connected with the prime mover on board the barge and I may actuate
the raising and lowering apparatus from the barge. If preferred the movements
of the outer end of the jib may be controlled by means of tackle and other
modifications may be made in the details. The elevators composed of sections
jointed together inay be used separately from the barge and connected parts as for
example they may form part of the permanent appliances of the vessel their
peculiar construction enabling them to be stowed away between decks or in the
hold. Four such elevators may be at work at once in one hatchway and be driven
by the deck steam winches discharging into a creeper.

page_text: (
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Archibald Sacré in the Patent Office on the 16th February
1884.
RICHARD ARCHIBALD SACRE of West Kirby in the County of Chester, Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING, UNLOADING AND MOVING GRAIN,
SEED AND SIMILAR MATTERS
"
My invention relates to apparatus adapted to be employed in raising and
transferring grain from the holds of vessels or from harges or floating con-
veyances. My invention is principally mounted within or upon a barge or
pontoon or a suitable floating vessel or structure which can be brought alongside
the vessel to be unloaded or loaded. The elevator apparatus is carried by a sheer
frame which is hinged by its lower end to a turn-table which is mounted upon a
pivot and upon wheels or rollers or is suitably mounted. A carriage is fitted to
slide in or on ways in the said frame and to this carriage is hinged the inner end
of a jib or arm. Two sets of elevators are mounted to turn and slide upon pivots
near the outer end of the jib. These elevators are each in two or more-parts
hinged together the joints being provided with carrier pullies for the chains. The
joint links permit the parts to fold and when not in use the elevators can be
brought into position about parallel with the jib. When required to be used in
unloading a vessel the barge is brought alongside. The elevators are moved into
position to be turned up and lowered into the hold. The grain or matter is
discharged by the elevators into a shute which conveys the grain to the creeper.
The apparatus or modified forms of it may be used in transferring grain, seeds or
matters from barges into the holds of vessels. The elevators composed of sections
jointed together may be used separately from the barge and connected parts as for
example they may form part of the permanent appliances of the vessel their
peculiar construction enabling them to be stowed away between decks or in the
hold. Four such elevators may be at work at once in one hatchway and be driven
by the deck steam winches the elevators discharging onto a creeper.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto
two sheets of drawings to which I will refer hereinafter. In all the said
drawings A represents a cross section of a steamer or ship and B represents
in cross section the said barge carrying the principal parts of my apparatus
In Figs. 1 and 2 sheet 1, a, is a traveller mounted in a suitable manner
to revolve upon a central pivot and upon rollers upon a way fixed to the
bottom of the barge. To this turntable is hinged the lower end of a sheer frame b
upon which a carriage c is fitted to slide. To this carriage is hinged the inner end
of a jib d, and the outer end of this jib is hinged to a holder e in which is mounted
an elevator f. The elevator is arranged to slide up and down or to and fro in the
holder. For this purpose the elevator is fitted with a spur rack with which gears
a pinion which can be rotated by means of a worm the worm shaft being actuated
by means of a band wheel, g. The method of moving the elevator in the holder
may be varied. When desirable the holder can be readily detached from the jib as
herein before mentioned. The jib d is connected by links or rods h with the upper
part of the sheer frame and the carriage is connected by suitable tackle with a
winch or apparatus i which is actuated by an engine ; which is mounted upon. the
turntable or the said carriage may be actuated by means of screws or rack and
pinion or other gearing. By means of the said tackle the carriage can be raised
upon the sheer frame so as to thrust out the outer end of the jib. The sheer frame
can be inclined upon its hinged joint by means of tackle k, k, worked by hand or
by means of a winch or by apparatus receiving motion from the engine. A rope
or chain connected with the upper end of the elevator passes over a pulley at the

page_text: top of the sheer frame and is brought down to a suitable purchase worked, by the
engine or hand worked tackle might be used for the purchase. The holder
at the outer end of the jib is by preference adapted to carry two sets of
elevators. In the Figs one set is supposed to be behind and to be hidden by the
other. Each elevator consists of two sections f and f' the latter being connected by
means of links, wheels or rollers being provided to guide the chain of buckets when
the two parts are not exactly in line. I may connect together more than two
lengths in this manner. When the apparatus is to be moved from place to
place the section f¹ is folded on to the section ƒ and the parts can be brought by
the lowering of the carriage c into a small compass as seen in Fig: 1. When the
barge has been brought alongside a vessel to be discharged the carriage c is raised
and the holder e is worked down the elevatorf whereby the lower end of the
folded elevator is raised and thrust out as indicated in Fig 2. The barge can then
be brought close alongside and the section be turned down and by the combined
operation of the parts the said section may be lowered into the hatchway. The
carriage c is then worked up the sheer frame until the elevator is brought into a
vertical position as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig: 1. The elevator can then
be lowered until the section can receive the grain or matters to be discharged
The elevator may remain connected with the jib and be driven by the engine on
board the barge or by a deck winch on board the vessel but in order to be able to
make other use of the barge during the time the elevator is discharging I prefer
to detach the elevator from the jib. I place suitable bearers across the hatchway
to sustain the elevator and detach the holder e from the jib. The elevator is then
supported by the bearers as seen in Figs 3 and 4 wherein two sets of elevators
are shewn as being sustained by the holder c resting upon the cross bearers.or
upon metal supports & In the said Figs the lower sections are inclined into the
spaces on opposite sides of the propeller shaft tunnel m but the bearers may be
turned into fore and aft positions so that each elevator shall extend more directly
into the portion of the hold on one side of the said tunnel or the two elevators
may be separated and turned partly around into the positions represented in
Fig: 3. The two elevators seen in Fig 5 deliver right and left into a vertical
shuten which is situated between the two elevators and is separately represented
in Fig G. This shute is provided with a delivery spout o which can be adjusted
in height so as to deliver on to the creeper represented by p in Figs 3 and 4. As
the elevators are lowered the spout o is raised. In the example the said spout is
attached to a belt n which forins the front of the shute and passes over rollers at
the top and bottom thereof. The creeper which may be of an ordinary or suitable
description conveys the grain or discharged cargo over the deck of tlie vessel and
the quay side. The barge may be provided with more than two sets of elevators
so that after it has deposited an elevator or a set of two elevators in position to
discharge cargo through one set of hatchways it may be moved into position to
deposit elevators in other hatchways of the same vessel. To enable this to be
accomplished the barge may be provided with spare elevators which can be taken
up by the tackle and mounted on the sheer frame to take the place of the elevators
put to work as described. The barge may also be used in the intervals in unloading
as hereinbefore described or for other uses.
In sheet 2 Fig: 7 illustrates a modification of the apparatus. In this example
the jib is dispensed with. and the upper end of the elevator rests in bearings on the
carriage c. The elevator is connected with the upper end of the sheer frame by
ineans of connecting links h. The elevator is brought into the position indicated
by the full lines by raising the carringe c and is then lowered into the position
indicated by the dotted lines. Tackle is then attached to the upper end of the
elevator which is withdrawn from the bearings in the carriage and the elevator is
brought into a vertical position and lowered into the hold. The apparatus is
represented as arranged to be worked without the aid of steam power'by means of
hand winches or blocks and tackle but if preferred steam power may be provided.
Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which the apparatus may be employed in the,
.

page_text: transference of grain or other matters from a barge to the hold of a vessel. In
this example the elevator is sustained in a suitable position to receive the grain or
matters from a barge c and to deliver the same into an inclined shuter which
discharges through the hatchways of the vessel. Instead of the lower section of
an elevator being jointed to the upper section it may be fitted with a separate
chain of buckets and may be arranged to deliver the grain or matters into a
hopper & provided at the lower end of the upper section or into a receptacle from
which the said upper section will take the grain or matters. Such an arrangement
is illustrated by Fig: 9 which also shows the elevator being driven by a deck
winch t. In some cases wherein the lower section of the elevator is not permanently
connected with the upper section I arrange for such lower sections to be permanent
fittings of the vessels carrying the grain. In Fig: 9 two such sections are
represented each section being hinged by one end to brackets u and having the
other end sustained by means of a chain or rope v.
When not in use the elevator
section can be drawn up out of the way as in the case of the section f. When a
space on one side of the hatchway has been cleared the upper elevator f can be
shifted to the other side of the hatchway and be connected with the other
lower elevator. A hatchway may be provided with four of these elevators f¹
or f two on each side of the shaft tunnel or transom and in some cases the fixed
or permanent elevators may consist of sections hinged together. In some cases
auxilliary elevators or creepers may be attached to the lower elevator sections and
driven by the connecting shaft from the first section.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said invention and
the manner in which I propose to carry the same into practical effect I would have
it to be understood that I claim :-
:-
First. The combination of parts arranged and acting substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and indicated herein before and in and by the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly. The apparatus for depositing elevators in the hatchways of vessels
consisting principally of a sheer frame hinged to a turntable and provided with a
jib hinged to a part fitted to be moved up and down the sheer frame and having
its outer end connected with the elevator the whole mounted on a barge and
provided with actuating tackle substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. The elevators each formed in sections jointed or hinged together
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
And lastly. Providing the holds of grain and seed carrying vessels with elevators
conveniently situated for delivering the grain or seed to the feet of other elevators
which may be placed in the hatchways when the cargo is to be discharged
substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Archibald Sacré have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourteenth day of February in the year of our, Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
Signed, sealed, and,
delivered in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St,
Manchester.
R. A. SACRE, (L.S.)