Improvements in Apparatus for Loading Coal, Coke, and other Material into Vessels.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 6th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 9th Aug., 1887.
Improvements in Apparatus 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 to be as
follows:-
In order to load coal coke, or other material into vessels from railway wagons the
railway wagon after being brought over an ordinary turn table is run on to the
platform of an ordinary tip up machine and tipped so as to discharge its contents into
a large box or hopper capable of containing the whole wagon load. The box or hopper
is then lifted by a crane either stationary or otherwise and discharged either direct
into the hold of the vessel or into shoots arranged for that purpose. The shoots are
mounted so that they can be raised or lowered and also so that they can be moved in
a horizontal direction to bring them into any required position. The elevating box
or hopper is formed with an inclined back on to which the material is discharged
from the railway wagon so that the material may be allowed to descend into the box
or hopper with an easy flow to avoid breakage. The box or hopper is also made with
either a door or other means of opening at the front or bottom through which the
material may be discharged.
1000
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus 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 :—
In order to load coal, coke or other material into vessels from railway wagons the
railway wagon after being brought over an ordinary turu-table is run on to the
platform of a tip-up machine and tipped so as to discharge its contents into a large
box or hopper capable of containing the whole wagon load. The box or hopper is
then lifted by a crane either stationary or otherwise and discharged either direct into
the hold of the vessel or into shoots arranged for that purpose. The shoots are
mounted so that they can be raised or lowered and also so that they can be moved
in a horizontal direction to bring them into any required position. The elevating box
or hopper is formed with an inclined back on to which the material is discharged from
the railway wagon so that the material may be allowed to descend into the box or
hopper with an easy flow to avoid breakage. The box or hopper is also made with
either a door or other means of opening at the front or bottoin through which the
material may be discharged.
The drawing hereunto annexed is an elevation partly in section of apparatus
arranged in the way we prefer for carrying out our invention. In this apparatus the
box or hopper after being lifted by the crane is discharged directly into the hold of a
vessel.
The box or hopper is as described in our application for Patent No. 13236 formed
with a cone valve at bottom but boxes or hoppers of other form might be employed and
be provided with a door either at the bottom or side as may be desired.
Provision is also made as described in our application No. 13236 for screening the
coal as it comes from the wagon into the box.
A is a turntable onto which the wagons are received before they pass on to the tip-up
machine B-the tip-up machine shewn in the drawing is worked with a hydraulic
cylinder but any suitable tipping mechanism may be used. The coal discharged from
the truck passes downwards over an inclined screen C and on to the sloping back of
the hopper mouth of the box D and is again screened by passing over a screen on this
hopper mouth. The bottom of the box is closed by a cone valve E to which the lifting
chain F of the crane G is secured.
When the box has been filled it is lifted by the crane and the crane is swung round
so as to bring the box over the hatchway of a vessel H and the box is then lowered
through the hatchway its contents are discharged by arresting its descent of the upper
part of the box either by hooking a chain or chains on to it or in other suitable way

page_text: whilst the cone bottom is still further lowered-or the contents of the box might be
discharged by lowering the box until its cone bottom rests on the coal already in the
vossel and then lifting the upper part of the box by shortening the steadying chains F¹¹
secured to it and then lifting a short distance by the chain F.
In addition to the box being provided with a cone valve bottom its lower part is
also shown to be made telescopic in the manner described in the Specification of a
Patent No. 7664 in the year 1884 but this is unnecessary except in cases where the
hopper mouth of the box is of such a size that it cannot pass through the hatchway of
the vessel being loaded. In the crane shewn in the drawing the outer end of the crane
arm can be raised or lowered by a hydraulic cylinder G₁ so that it may readily be
brought vertically over the pit into which the box is lowered to have coal shot into it
or over the hatchway of a vessel.
The crane used may be a fixed crane or capable of being moved to and fro along
rails parallel with the quay wall like the crane shewn in the drawing.
In place of the box after being lifted by the crane being discharged directly into the
hold of a vessel it may as above stated be discharged into a shoot in a similar
manner to that described in the Specification lodged by us with an application for
Patent No. 12751. But with this difference, that the upright framing from which
the shoot is hinged, and by which the point and butt of the shoot is liftod and
lowered for adjustment, (as the loading of the vessel or the tide etc., requires) is
made movable (and not fixed upon the quay) along the quay, by being either
mounted on wheels, running on a railway or track, or upon skids or shoes, which
can be worked on rails or bars, running horizontally with the quay, to bring it into
the required position. At the top or butt end of the shoot a box or hopper could be
arranged to receive the contents of the conveying box or wagon and this receptacle
should be hinged at the bottom near its centre, so that with mechanical or other
means, it can be tipped in such a manner, that its contents may flow gently down the
shoot, or the butt of the shoot may be continued back clear of the back legs of the
frame, with a blind top end, into which the box or wagon could discharge its contents,
this continuation piece need not be rigidly fixed to the main shoot, and it is preferable
not to fix it. The shoot may be provided with screens in the usual way.
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. In apparatus for loading coal, coke and other material into vessels the combination
of the tip-up mechanism and box for receiving material as it is tipped from a wagon
by this mechanism and a crane for then elevating the box and swinging it round to
bring it over the hatchway of a vessel and lowering it to discharge its contents.
2. In apparatus for loading coal, coke and other material into vessels the combination
of the tip up mechanism and box for receiving material as it is tipped from a wagon
by this mechanism and a crane or lifting mechanism for raising the box and
discharging its contents into a shoot carried by a frame upon which it can be raised
or lowered and which is mounted on wheels or otherwise adapted for being readily
moved from one point to another.
Dated this 5th day of July 1887