IMPROVEMENTS IN UNLOADING SHIPPING, ESPECIALLY THOSE VESSELS CALLED COLLIERS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILKINSON, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirty-first day of May, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Wilkinson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Henry Wilkinson, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Wilkinson, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNLOADING SHIPPING, ESPECIALLY
THOSE VESSELS CALLED COLLIERS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Henry Wilkinson, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Wilkinson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a mode of loading and unloading vessels, parti-
cularly that class called colliers, and consists of applying steam engines on
board the vessel to be loaded or unloaded. In carrying out my Invention,
I construct a high-pressure steam engine with a boiler in as compact a
framing as possible, and of a size suitable to the largest of the weights to be
raised and lowered in loading and unloading the vessels to which it may be
intended to be applied, and such steam engine is caused to give motion to a
drum or cylinder on to which a rope or strap or chain is to be wound and
unwound, or any other way in which a rope or strap or chain may be worked
in the raising or lowering of weights. And I would remark, that I do not
confine myself to any particular arrangement of steam engine, nor to the
tackle used therewith, as they may be varied according to the judgment of
the engineer making the same, my Invention having for its object the appli-
cation of steam power placed temporarily or otherwise on board the vessel to
be loaded or unloadeded, and therefore every attention is to be paid in con-
structing the engine and boiler as compact as possible, in order that the same
may be passed or conveniently removed from one vessel to another, for which
purpose it may be constructed so as to separate into two or more parts, in
order to facilitate the transport from one ship or vessel to another. By this
means of loading and unloading vessels much manual labour will be dispensed
with, and vessels loaded and unloaded at much less cost. Although I do not
confine myself to a particular arrangement of steam engine, or to the tackle
or apparatus used therewith, yet, in order that a workman may readily carry
out this part of my Invention, I will explain an arrangement of engine and
apparatus suitable for the purpose, and the best I am acquainted with.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The letters refer to corresponding parts in plan and elevation. A, a tubular
boiler, with square ends B, B, hollowed out slightly at the bottom so as to
stand more firmly on the four corners upon which it may rest, or, if required,
a locomotive boiler may be employed. C, the steam pipe. D, the fire door.
E, the chimney. F, the cylinder; and F the slide attached to the boiler by
means of the brackets marked G, G, on Plan. H, eccentric rod and gear
for working the slide. I, the piston rod working through a guide K fixed
on the boiler. L, connecting rod attached to piston rod and boss on fly wheel.

page_text: M, fly wheel. M, M, fly wheel and shaft on Plan. N, drum for lifting the
required weights (attached by means of a rope or strap or chain) fitted loose
on the fly-wheel shaft, and by means of the friction clutch O may be made
to revolve with it. The clutch O is to be thrown in or out of gear with the
drum by means of the lever P, which lever P has a short arm or prong V,
shown in Plan, projecting from it, so that when the drum is thrown out of
gear, the arm or prong can be forced against the outside of the flange W, W,
of the drum N, and hold the weight suspended at the height required, and
allow the axle to revolve freely. If heavy weights, or weights too great to
be sustained in this way, are to be lifted, a click wheel may be employed,
and the click may be thrown out when required by the action of the lever P.
The fly-wheel shaft to be supported by two carriages R, R, bolted on to end
of boiler. S, bracket fixed on end of boiler to carry fulcrum for clutch lever.
T, small excentric for working feed pump for boiler. The boiler and engine
may be fastened to the deck of the vessel (if the whole weight be not suffi-
cient) by means of key bolts or screws passing through flanges or brackets
attached to the end plates of the boiler, as represented in the end view,
Figure 3, and also in the elevation Figure 1, at X, X. Y, Y, the screws or
bolts passing through holes in the flanges or brackets X, X, into deck of
vessel Z, Z. It will be seen that the engine is so constructed as to stand in
any convenient part of the deck of a ship or vessel, and may be fixed securely
by any suitable means, but that shown in the Drawing, Figures 1 and 3,
I consider well adapted for this purpose. The engine is represented in the
Drawing about one fourth the natural size for a one-horse power. If weights
not exceeding two or three hundred pounds be required to be raised quickly,
it may be done as represented in the Drawing, on the first movement or axle
of the fly wheel; but if heavier weights are required to be raised more slowly,
it can be easily effected by means of a wheel and pinion, or other well-known
mechanical means, or one weight may be caused to ascend while another is
descending. I would remark, that heretofore when steam engines have been
combined with vessels the steam engines have been so arranged as to be suitable
for propelling such vessels, and it will be evident that the cost of using such
steam engines for the purpose of loading and unloading, when at the same
time they are suitable for propelling such vessels, would be much too great,
even supposing their arrangement were so changed as to enable such steam
engines to be used for the purposes of loading and unloading the vessels.
I do not therefore claim to combine steam engines with vessels generally,
but confine my claim of Invention to the so combining steam engines with
and on board vessels that they may be used to facilitate the loading and

page_text: unloading such vessels. The steam engines so applied on board vessels not
being so arranged in connection with propellers as to be proper for propelling
the vessels, the object of the Invention being to apply steam engines of small
power in combination with vessels for the purposes of loading and unloading
such vessels.
of
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wilkinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two. .