IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAIN ELEVATORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Power, of Southsea House, Threadneedle
Street, in the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAIN ELEVATORS." A communication from
abroad by William Stoll, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 7th May 1878, and dated the 31st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Power at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY POWER, of Southsea House, Threadneedle Street, in the City of
London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAIN ELEVATORS."
[A communication from abroad by William Stoll, of Brooklyn, in the State of
New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in elevators for removing grain from the
holds of vessels and transfering the same either to floating or stationary receptacles,
which improvements may be applied to stationary as well as floating elevators.
The chief object of the Invention is to give greater facility for reaching down
into the hold of the grain laden vessel, whatever its depth and whatever the reach
required within given limits for dropping the elevating trunk into the hold. This
elevating trunk is suspended from the outer end of a swinging frame, which is
hinged to a carriage that is capable of sliding between vertical guides standing up
from the base of the elevator. The vertical adjustment of this carriage determines
the dip of the elevating trunk, and the hinging of the frame to the carriage
permits of the trunk, when not in use, being lifted and swung inwards under the
projecting roof of the elevator.
The trunk is fitted with an endless chain of buckets or other lifting device,
which receives motion through a chain wheel or pulley keyed to the axle, which
forms the suspension pivot of the trunk. This trunk is connected at top with a
shute for delivering the grain to a fixed hopper situate above a weighing box,

page_text: through which the grain passes before reaching a box, which conducts it to a
second chain of elevating buckets or lifting device. By means of the second
elevating chain the grain is discharged into a separator, where, meeting with a
current of air, the dust and other extraneous matters contained in the grain are
removed (and with or without the assistance of a riddle or screen), and brought to
a proper state for storing.
The grain as it leaves this separator may be discharged into the hold of the
vessel on which the elevator is mounted, or into the hold of an adjacent vessel for
transport to some distant place, but to provide for the discharge of the grain at
different levels when, for example, it is to be delivered directly into a granary a
third endless chain of buckets or lifting device is provided for throwing the grain
into an elevated shute, from which it may be delivered at any one of two or more
levels by means of conductors leading from the shute.
3
The lifting apparatus in the trunk pendent from the hinged frame receives its
motion from a bevil wheel keyed to the axle, which forms the fulcrum of the
hinged frame. On this axle is keyed a band pulley, which is driven by a band from
a pulley on the main driving shaft.
The driving shaft is elevated above the range of the vertically sliding carriage,
and a tension pulley, around which the driving band is passed, is situated below
the range of the carriage. Upon the carriage itself two guide pulleys are mounted,
and it is between these that the driving band is passed to place it on the band
pulley, which is keyed to the axle forming the fulcrum of the swinging frame. This
arrangement provides for the raising and lowering of the carriage without inter-
fering with the tension of the driving band, or with the driving of the carriage
axle and the gearing in connection therewith. The rotary motion imparted to this
axle by the driving band is communicated by means of a shaft mounted on the
swinging frame and bevil gear, in connection therewith to the lifting apparatus in
the pendent trunk.
The sliding carriage is raised and lowered by means of a rope led over an
elevated guide pulley and passed down to a capstan or hoisting apparatus.
In like manner the lifting and lowering of the swinging frame is effected by a
rope connected with a second drum of the hoisting apparatus.
To facilitate the lifting of the grain after it has passed through the weighing
box, and also after passing through the separator, gathering screws may be
employed to bring it within reach. of the endless chain of buckets or lifting
device.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Power in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st July
1878.
WILLIAM HENRY POWER, of Southsea House, Threadneedle Street, in the City of
London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAIN ELEVATORS."
A communication from abroad by William Stoll, of Brooklyn, in the State of
New York, United States of America.
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a practicable means for operating.
a pendent elevator, which is made capable of reaching down into the hold of the
grain laden vessel, whatever the reach required within given limits, and for lifting
the grain out of the hold and discharging it into a suitable receptacle, the move-
ments of the elevator and the parts in connection therewith being completely under
the control of the attendant, as hereafter explained.
The Invention further relates to an arrangement of mechanism for weighing the
grain and cleaning or dressing the same, in combination with the lifting apparatus,
whereby by one continuous operation the grain will be transmitted in a measured
and assorted state from the hold of the grain laden vessel to the warehouse or other
receptacle.
I
In the accompanying Drawing the Invention is shewn as applied to a barge, but
it may, with very slight modification, be adapted to a wharf or warehouse.
Fig. 1 shews the floating elevator in sectional elevation; Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation taken at right angles to or in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional
elevation taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are detached views
of parts of the apparatus.
A, A, is the barge, on which is built a rectangular vertical framing B for sup-
porting the various parts of the grain elevator. The space within this framing is
divided up horizontally into floors; and bearing upon the first of these floors is a
gallows frame C, C. The sides of this frame form vertical guides for a frame or
carriage D, which is intended to receive vertical adjustment in the guides. Mounted
in bearings in the face of the frame D is a transverse shaft d, which carries a band
pulley d¹ for the purpose to be hereafter explained. Connected to this shaft d by
means of bearing straps is a frame E, which carries at its outer extremity a trunk
F, shewn in edge view at Fig. 4, which trunk is pendant from a cross shaft f, which
has its bearings on the frame E. On this shaft fis keyed the upper or driving
wheel f¹ of an endless chain of buckets or Jacob's ladder f, which reaches down to
the bottom of the trunk F, and is intended to enter the hold of the vessel which is
to be unladen. This ladder, with its trunk, is free to swing on the shaft f as on a
fulcrum, and the frame E in like manner works on its supporting shaft d. The
carriage D is adjusted vertically by means of ropes and pullies c, c, to allow of the
trunk F being lowered into any depth of hold. The adjustment of this trunk F
is further assisted by means of ropes e, e, and pullies connected with the extremity
of the frame E.
The ropes cand e are led off to a windlass G, which is provided with two
barrels c¹, e¹, for receiving respectively the ends of the ropes c and e. These barrels
are driven by means of friction gearing, shewn in side elevation at Fig. 5. The
central wheel g is mounted on a shaft g¹, which carries a band pulley 92. Rotary
motion is imparted to this pulley by a band from a pulley h keyed on the crank
shaft H of the steam or other motive-power engine. Situate on opposite sides of
the friction wheel g are the friction wheels g³ and g. These wheels are respectively
keyed to axles, which are supported at one end by bearings carried by, rock
levers g, which are adjustable by screws 9 passing through the free ends thereof.
The opposite ends of the friction wheel axles are mounted in fixed bearings, and
carry pinions in gear with spur wheels on the barrels c', e'. The screws g turn in
fixed bearings, and are provided with hand wheels for giving them an axial motion,

page_text: By means of these screws the attendant is enabled to throw the friction wheels g³, g¹,
into or out of contact with the central wheel g, which, receiving a constant rotary
motion from the engine will be always ready to drive one or other of the friction
wheels g³, g, and thereby cause one or other of the barrels, or if desired both, to
wind up their respective ropes, and thereby raise the frames D and E and the
trunk F to any desired extent.
When either frame is required to be lowered it will only be necessary for the
attendant to throw the friction wheel connected therewith out of contact with the
friction wheel g. The barrel will then be free to yield to the drag of the frame,
and by giving off rope allow it to descend to the required position. On arriving
at this point the attendant, by continuing to turn the adjusting screw, will thrust
the friction wheel into contact with a fixed block g', and thereby secure the frame
in the position it has taken. Thus supposing the frame E to be in the raised or
housed position shewn by dots in Fig. 1, and it is required to lower it to bring the
trunk F over the hatchway of a laden vessel, the attendant will, by freeing the
friction wheel g* from contact with its friction block g', allow the frame to drop
until the trunk F is over the hatchway. When this is effected the attendant will,
by releasing the friction wheel g³ from contact with its block, and thereby slackening
the rope c allow the frame or carriage D to run down until the trunk F has reached
the grain in the hold. He will then lock both the barrels c¹ and e¹ by bringing
their respective friction wheels into contact with the friction blocks, and thereby
secure the two frames in their adjusted positions.
The frame or carriage D is fitted at its back with guide pulleys d², which serve
to lead an endless driving band d³ over the pulley d. This band receives motion
from a driving pulley h¹ keyed to a driving shaft H¹, which is itself driven from.
the crank shaft H of the engine. The driving band extends upwards to a
pulley d keyed to a shaft, which transmits motion by spur gearing to the carrying
wheel K of an endless chain of buckets K', which endless chain extends down and
dips into a box or grain receiver L in the bottom of the barge. On the axle & of
the carriage D is a bevil wheel, which gears into a bevil wheel on a shaft e²
mounted on the frame E. This shaft e extends to the cross shaft f, which
carries the driving wheel f¹ of the pendent chain of buckets before mentioned, and
by means of bevilled gearing the shaft e2 transmits motion from the fulcrum shaft d
to the shaft f.
It will now be understood that the shifting of the carriage D vertically will in
no way interfere with the transmission of motion through the driving band d³ to
the chain of lifting buckets f2 and K'. Above the driving wheel is placed a
hood, the closed sides of which serve to guide the grain as it is lifted by the
chain f2 out of the hold of the laden vessel into a shute F', which discharges it into
a hopper F² situate immediately above the weighing machine M, which may be of
any approved construction. This hopper is provided with a cut-off valve for regu-
lating the quantity of grain delivered into the machine below. The platform of
this machine is shewn as fitted with a hopper, which is closed like the hopper F²
by a valve. When therefore a given quantity of grain has accumulated in this
hopper, as indicated by the depression of the platform, the supply is cut off, and the
weighed grain is discharged from the machine into a hopper L' mounted upon the
grain receiver L. This receiver is divided transversely into two compartiments (as
shewn at Fig. 1), and mounted on the upper edge of the partition is a tumbler
valve l, so situate with regard to the hopper L that by tipping it either to the
right or left the hopper will be brought into communication with one or other of
the divisions of the grain receiver. It is into the right-hand division of this
receiver that the endless chain of buckets K' dips to take up the grain therefrom
and carry it into the corn dresser N.
Dipping into the left-hand division of the receiver is an endless chain of buckets O,
which extends upwards to the top of the elevator, and is intended to carry the
grain up to a shute O', which is connected with a vertical trunk 02 fitted with
discharge spouts at various levels. These spouts are fitted with valves for closing

page_text: them, and the trunk O2 is also provided with cut-off valves for arresting the descent
of the corn and ensuring its discharge at one or other of the open spouts. By this
means the corn may be delivered out of the elevator on to any floor of an adjacent
granary.
The endless chain of buckets O is driven by means of a band 0³ from a pulley
on the shaft H¹.
In some cases it may be unnecessary to submit the corn to the cleaning operation
presently to be described. In that case the valve l, which controls the discharge
of the grain into the receiver L, will be thrown into the dotted position of Fig. 1.
The grain will then run into the left-hand division of the receiver, and will be
lifted by the chain of buckets O and discharged as above explained.
When however the valve is in the drawn position of Fig. 1, the grain discharged
from the weighing machine will be carried up by the chain of buckets K¹, and
discharged into a shute K2, which will deliver it into the dressing apparatus N.
This apparatus is provided with two inclined riddles n, n, which are suspended by
elastic strips of wood, and receive a jigging motion through connecting rods from
an excentric shaft n' driven by a strap from a pulley on the driving shaft H'.
These riddles are suspended over a hopper n², into which they discharge the corn
through their reticulated surfaces, keeping back any stones or other extraneous
matters which are discharged from the ends of the riddles.
The construction of this hopper is somewhat peculiar, its object being to deliver
the grain in the form of a broad thin sheet at right angles to the riddles. For this
purpose the hopper contracts in depth and widens laterally towards its discharge
opening. At this point it connects with a vertical trunk n³, which is throttled at
its lower end by a weighted valve n of a length corresponding to the width of the
trunk n³, and discharge opening of the hopper with which it is connected. At the
back of this trunk n³ is an air trunk n³ of the same width as the trunk n³. This
air trunk is in connection with a hopper ne, which extends. below the trunk n³, and
is fitted at its upper part with an inclined ledge n' that partially closes the top of
the hopper, and is intended to receive the grain falling down the trunk n³ and
passing the weighted valve. A passage is made for the grain into this hopper n
over the inner edge of the ledge n', and immediately below the ledge and in front
of the hopper is an opening for an indraft of air, which when drawn up into the
air trunk n passes through the falling grain, carrying up with it any dust and
light matters that may be contained therein. The corn thus freed of extraneous
matters is delivered by the hopper n into the left-hand division of the receiver L,
whence it is carried up by the endless chain of buckets O, and so discharged from
the elevator.
The indraft of air is created by means of a fan P, which is connected with the
air trunk n by means of an air trunk P terminating in an air chamber n³, which
air chamber is furnished with bafflers for diverting the current, and at bottom with
a weighted discharge valve. The fan case has an extended discharge mouth
reaching over the opposite side of the vessel A to that on which the corn is received
into the elevator, as shewn at Fig. 3, and the fan spindle is driven by a band from
the driving shaft H.
:
When the fan is set in action an indraft of air takes place, as indicated by the
arrows in Fig. 3. The tailings and dust contained in the grain are carried off by
the air trunk n, and the lighter particles pass through the chamber 8 into and
through the fan, and they are ultimately discharged into the water.
The tailings
however, by reason of their greater specific gravity, fall to the bottom of the
chamber 8, and as they accumulate force open the weighted valve and fall on to
the deck or floor, whence they are to be removed from time to time.
The mechanism just described is shewn as enclosed in a tower, and this arrange-
ment will obtain with respect both to floating and stationary elevators.
The flooring indicated in the Drawing offers facilities for the attendants engaged
in working the apparatus, and access may be gained from one to the other by means
of ladders and trap doors, as is well understood.
."

page_text: When however the elevator is built up in a granary no special enclosure will be
needed, and the floors of the granary will serve to give the workmen access to
every part of the apparatus.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Grain Elevators," as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to
be understood that I do not claim rising and falling framing for carrying a pendent
elevator trunk for reaching into the hold of a vessel, however such parts may be
constructed and actuated, but what I claim under the above in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The arrangement of sliding carriage or frame D, hinged or swinging
frame E, and pendent elevator trunk F, and buckets f2, arranged and fitted with
mechanism as above described for actuating the elevator buckets; and capable of
adjustment by means of a windlass constructed and operated as set forth.
Secondly. In combination with the elevator buckets f2, and the means for
adjusting the same to their work, the mechanism above described, whereby the
grain is weighed, cleaned, assorted, and discharged at any desired elevation in one
continuous operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Power, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.