Material into Vessels.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 12th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
Material into Vessels.
We, Sir WILLIAM THOMAS LEWIS of The Mardy Aberdare in the County of
Glamorgan Civil Engineer and CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER of 205 Newport Road,
Roath, Cardiff, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be is
follows:-
We employ a hydraulic crane the jib of which is capable of being laffed and swung
either a portion only of or a complete circle.
The cranes we make to travel on their own wheels on a crane track laid upon the
Quay with an opening or archway underneath the base to allow one or two railways to
pass underneath in a line with the Quay wall. The cranes should be supplied with
hydraulic propelling machinery so that they may be self propelling.
At distances apart along the Quay wall we place turntables just clear of the track
along which the cranes travel. Two lines of rails load up to each turntable one for
full trucks to be run on and the other for empty ones to be run off. On either side of
each turntable is a tip up machine by which a truck can be tipped up and caused to
discharge its load into a box placed in a pit.
The box is described in a Provisional Specification No. 13236 lodged by us is to
have a cone valve bottom, and a second or centre chain is led up from the centre of this
and worked by the crane care being taken that when lifting or lowering this chain shall
travel at the same speed as the main chain whilst to discharge the contents of the box
after it has been brought to a dead stop the cone may be lowered say about 2 feet
whilst the box remains at rest-the cone distributes the load in the vessel with as
little breakage as possible. The cone is then to be drawn up to its position at the
bottom of the box before the box is lifted out of the hold and swung over into the pit
on the Quay.
We also provide a wrought iron shoot formed partly as a screen. We also hinge
this shoot to the top of the pit so that it may be allowed to hang down
vertically within the pit close to one end and out of the way when screening is not
required.

page_text: The screen itself is also hinged at top and a counterbalance weight or other means
is attached by which it can be made to tilt upwards and partially check the flow of
material tipped out onto it from a wagon. A thin sheet iron apron is hung on
the point of the screen to pass down through a slot below the bottom of the screen
pan. Similarly side aprons are used to prevent materials falling through the spaces
when in action.
The sides of the shoot are hinged so that they can be turned down flat when the
shoot is hanging down vertically in the pit and out of use. The top corners of the
sides are also to be turned down on to them for the same purpose.
Each carrying box is made with a hopper mouth and a lip projecting from one
side. The lip is to be hinged to the box so that it may either be turned into an
inclined position for material to be allowed to slide down over it into the box or can
be turned into a vertical position and close the side opening into the box at the time
when the box is to be lifted. The closing up of the lip may be effected by the chain
attachment or otherwise. The lip is made with side plates to fit up to the sides of the
box and act as guards. The lip we form as a screen and with a pan and door under-
neath. The bottom of the box is closed by a cone as above stated. Across the top of
the box is a cross head through which the centre chain for working the cone is to
pass.
Two boxes of this kind are used with each crane. Other boxes for completing the
loading of the vessel or bunkering are also provided similar to the above but with a
fixed bottom sloping to one side, at the lower part of which side, is a door hinged at
top to allow of the discharge of material to one side only.
When using this box the cone chain of the crane can be used for tipping the box to
allow the materials to flow down the bottom.
In each pit are two strong trollies. When the material is to be tipped direct
without screening from a truck into the box, the box may be placed on the top of the
trolly to bring it to the right level. When the screens are being used the trolly may
carry one of the boxes to come below the screens and receive the screenings from
them.
To prevent escape of matorial as it is being tipped from the wagons into the boxes,
shields are provided to come above two sides and the back of the box and to fit close
up to it. These form a hopper mouth to guide the material into the box. They are
carried by a frame which can be moved on rails laid along the sido edges of the top
of the pit. Provision is made for moving the side and ond shields away from the box
when the box is to be lifted or is being lowered between them but when in use are to
close tightly against the box.
The shields should be curved outwards at the bottom to prevent the possibility of
the box or cone catching when being lifted and they should be hinged near the top.
Taal hi toth
1000

page_text: The lip is to be hinged to the box so that it may either be turned into an inclined
position for material to be allowed to slide down over it into the box or can be turned
into a vertical position and close the side opening into the box at the time when the
box is to be lifted. The closing up of the lip may be effected by the chain attachment
or otherwise. The lip is made with side plates to fit up to the sides of the box and act
as guards. The lip we form as a screen and with a pan and door underneath.
The bottom of the box is closed by a cone as above stated. Across the top of the box
is a cross head through which the centre chain for working the cone is to pass.
Two boxes of this kind are used with each crane. Other boxes for completing the
loading of the vessel or bunkering are also provided similar to the above but with a
fixed bottom sloping to one side, at the lower part of which side, is a door hinged at
top to allow of the discharge of material to one side only.
When using this box the cone chain of the crane can be used for tipping the box to
allow the materials to flow down the bottom.
In each pit are two strong trollies. When the material is to be tipped direct with-
out screening from a truck into the box, the box may be placed on the top of the trolly
to bring it to the right level. When the screens are being used the trolly may carry
one of the boxes to come below the screens and receive the screenings from them.
To prevent escape of material as it is being tipped from the wagons into the boxes,
shields are provided to come above two sides and the back of the box and to fit close
up to it. These form a hopper mouth to guide the material into the box. They are
carried by a frame which can be moved on rails laid along the side edges of the top
of the pit. Provision is made for moving the side and end shields away from the
box when the box is to be lifted or is being lowered between them but when in use are
to close tightly against the box.
The shields should be curved outwards at the bottom to prevent the possibility of the
box or cone catching when being lifted and they may be hinged near the top.
In order that our invention may be fully understood we have shown in the drawings
hereunto annexed various views of apparatus constructed according to our invention.
Figure 1 is a diagram plan view.
A Å are turntables with lines of rails for full and empty trucks to each. BB are
tip up machines two to cach turntable one on either side of it. CC are pits with a
tip up machine belonging to one turntable at one end and a tip up machine belonging
to the next turntable at the opposite end. DD are cranes each commanding a radius
shown by the dotted circles.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the apparatus taken through one of the
pits and Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the pit.
EE are wrought iron shoots over which the coal may be passed as it is tipped from
the wagons into the boxes F. The shoots are hinged at the top so that they may either
hang downwards out of use as shewn on the right hand side in Figure 3 or be brought
into an inclined position so that the coal discharged from a wagon may be made to
slide over them and into a box as shown at the left hand side of this figure. Part of
the shoot is formed as a screen E' and this screen may as described in our application
for Patent No. 13236 in the year 1886 be hinged at the top and be held by a counter-
balance weight or by other means in a position inclining upwards (that is relatively to
the surface of the shoot) to partially check the first rush of coal from a wagon when
it is being emptied.
Figure 4 is an elevation, Figure 5 a vertical section and Figure 6 a plan on a
larger scale of one of the shoots E. The screen E' has a thin sheet iron apron E
projecting from its under side to catch the dust which passes through the screen and
allow of its being delivered quietly into any suitable receptacle.
At the sides of the shoots there are also aprons, E, which can either be made to
stand upwards at right angles to the shoot as shown or when the shoot is allowed to
hang downwards out of action can as herein before explained be allowed to turn down
and lie flat with the shoot.
GG are trollies running on rails at the bottom of each pit-they serve as shewn in
figure 3 either to support one of the boxes when coal is being shot into it and the

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Appliances for Loading Coal, Coke, and other
Material into Vessels.
We, Sir WILLIAM THOMAS LEWIS of The Mardy Aberdare in the County of Glamorgan
Civil Engineer and CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER of 205 Newport Road Roath,
Cardiff, Engineer 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 :-
We employ a hydraulic crane the jib of which is capable of being luffed or swung
either a portion only of or a complete circle.
The cranes we make to travel on their own wheels on a crane track laid upon the
Quay with an opening or archway underneath the base to allow one or two railways
to pass underneath in a line with the Quay wall. The cranes should be supplied with
hydraulic propelling machinery so that they may be self propelling.
At distances apart along the Quay wall we place turntables just clear of the track
along which the cranes travel. Two lines of rails lead up to each turntable one for
full trucks to be run on and the other for empty ones to be run off. On either side of
each turntable is a tip up machine by which a truck can be tipped up and caused "to
discharge its load into a box placed in a pit.
The box as described in a Specification No. 13236 in the year 1886 lodged by us
with an application for Patent is to have a cone valve bottom and a second or contre
chain is led up from the centre of this and worked by the crane care being taken that
when lifting or lowering this chain shall travel at the same speed as the main chain
whilst to discharge the contents of the box after it has been brought to a dead stop the
cone may be lowered say about 2 feet whilst the box remains at rest-the cone distri-
butes the load in the vessel with as little breakage as possible. The cone is then to be
drawn up to its position at the bottom of the box before the box is lifted out of the
hold and swung over into the pit on the Quay.
We also provide a wrought iron shoot formed partly as a screen. We also hinge
this shoot to the top of the pit so that it may be allowed to hang down vertically within
the pit close to one end and out of the way when screening is not required.
The screen itself is also hinged at top and a counterbalance weight or other means
is attached by which it can be made to tilt upwards and partially check the flow of
material tipped out onto it from a wagon. A thin sheet iron apron is hung on the
point of the screen to pass down through a slot below the bottom of the screen pan.
Similarly side aprons are used to prevent materials falling through the spaces when
in action.
The sides of the shoot are hinged so that they can be turned down flat when the
shoot is hanging down vertically in the pit and out of use. The top corners of the
sides are also to be turned down on to them for the sanie purpose.
Each carrying box is made with a hopper mouth or lip projecting from one side.

page_text: shoot E is hanging down out of use as shewn on the right hand side of figure 3 or
they can be used as shown on the left hand side of this figure to support a box H for
receiving dust which falls through the screen E' when the screen is brought into
use.
I is a three sided shield to come above the two sides and back of a box when coal is
being discharged into it-it is carried by a frame provided with wheels which run
on rails laid along the two sides of the pit.
The lifting chain of each crane is as shewn secured to the cone bottom of the box
which it is to lift as described in our former application for Patent above mentioned.
The manner in which we construct the box is shewn at Figures 7, 8 and 9. Figure 7
is an elevation. Figure 8 a vertical section and Figure 9 a plan.
The lip carrying the screen is as shown hinged to the box at the bottom and its side
plates are made to fit close to the sides of the box. A pan and door are also provided
below the screen as shown.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of a lifting box provided with two sets of lifting
chains one attached to the body of the box and the other to the cone bottom.
On the crano are fixed three hydraulic cylinders and rams. The cone chain is
worked by the centre one and the two side chains for lifting the box itself are connected
with the side cylinders one carried to each cylinder. The three cylinders are all
connected so that their motion is simultaneous and the centre cylinder is fitted with
a short stroke relief cylinder and ram attached to its bottom around which the centre
chain is taken before passing over the ram head. The action of the relief ram is as
follows: After the load is picked up swung around and dropped into the vessel to the
desired depth the relief valve is allowed to exhaust itself by a separate valve which
gives the cone chain a further travel and thereby releases the load in the box-after
which the pressure is again applied to this short ram which then hauls up the centre
chain until the cone is in its position when the three cylinders again perform their
work as described.
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. The combination of appliances substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings for loading coal coko and other material into vessels.
2. The combination of a turntable with lines of rail for full and empty trucks
leading to it and a tip up machine on either side of the turntable and crane with jib
capable of being luffed or swung substantially as described.
3. The carrying box having a conical valve bottom with two lifting chains passing
from it to the crane, one attached to the cone bottom the other to the body of the box.
4. The combination of the carrying box, cone bottom and two sets of lifting chains
passing to a hydraulic crane having three cylinders and rams the chains from two of
the rams passing to the box and the chain from the third to the cone bottom-and the
cylinder of the third ram fitted with a relief ram substantially as described.
5. The shoots E hinged to the top of the pits C so that they can be put into or out
of use substantially as described.
6. The carrying box with hopper mouth or lip hinged to it so that it may either be
turned into an inclined position for material to be slidden, over it into the box or
turned into a vertical position when the box is to be lifted.
7. The shields I supported by wheels running on rails at the sides of the pit C
substantially as described.