IMPROVED APPA- RATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER PRODUCE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Graham Smith, of Victoria Street, in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER PRODUCE."
Sealed the 22nd July 1879, and dated the 14th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Graham
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February
1879.
CHARLES HENRY GRAHAM SMITH, of Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER PRODUCE."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the discharge of coal, ballast, corn, and
other materials from waggons or trucks into the holds of vessels or into barges in a
simple and expeditious manner.
To this end I construct on the quay side a rising and falling platform, which is
capable of receiving a vertical motion for the purpose to be presently explained.
This platform is constructed of a skeleton frame, and is fitted to receive upon its
upper surface a turntable which is open in the middle. The open space is occupied
by a swing frame, carried preferably on two rocking centres and provided with a pair
of rails corresponding in gauge to lines of rails laid down on the quay. These rails
are intended to receive the laden truck or waggon, the contents of which are required
to be discharged into a vessel lying along side of the quay.
The swing frame may however if desired be supported on one centre only, but in
this case appliances of a more or less complicated nature will be necessary to steady
the waggon when being tipped, and I do not therefore propose to employ a single
centre.
The platform carrying the turntable has fitted to it two shoots, one of which
overlies the other. These shoots are open to the central space in the turntable, and
they terminate in the line of the vertical guides of the rising and falling platform.
If the waggon is an end tipping waggon it will discharge its contents into the upper
of-the two shoots, and if it is a hopper waggon, its contents will be discharged onto
the lower shoot, the shoots being so placed as to ensure this result. By extending
the lower shoot in a lateral direction waggons opening at the sides may be discharged
TD
13

page_text: without difficulty. The platform, shoots, and all parts which move vertically are
counterweighted.
In front of these shoots is a short shoot, having attached to it suspension chains
and mounted on a bracket support which is capable of receiving a vertical motion
in guides to permit of the adjustment of the shoot into line with either of the shoots
first mentioned.
The level to which the platform and shoots will be raised will of course vary with
the height of the tide and the character of vessel to be laden.
In continuation of this short.shoot will be a longer one carried by a universal
axle_on_a_vertical bracket support above mentioned, and having attached_to_it_sus-
pension-chains-This-shoot-will-extend-over-the-hatch way-of-the-vessel,-and-thus-a-
continuous incline will be formed for guiding the coal as it is discharged from the
waggon.
In working this apparatus, the turntable being brought to the quay level and its
swing frame into line with the line of rails on the quay a truck is run onto it. The
platform is then lifted to the required height and the contents of the waggon are
discharged, as already explained, and the platform is then lowered to the quay level
and the empty waggon run off onto rails laid thereon.
When an end tipping waggon is used it is turned during the ascent and returned
to any desired position during the descent of the platform. This will admit of the
empty waggon being run off onto another line of rails.
'
The lifting may be performed direct by one or more hydraulic rams, or by short
stroke rams geared in any suitable ratio. The turning may be performed by a ram,
and gearing by engine and gearing, or by an engine connected with one of the
wheels carrying the turntable. The tipping may be performed either by a ram or
an engine, or if found advisable the tipping and turning may be performed by one
and the same engine or ram.
It is proposed to employ hydraulic power throughout in the working of the
apparatus, but all the operations may be performed by hand, steam, or other motive
power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Henry Graham Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th August 1879..
CHARLES HENRY GRAHAM SMITH, of Victoria Street, in the City of West
minster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND. OTHER 35
PRODUCE."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the discharge of coal, ballast, corn, and
other materials from waggons or trucks into the holds of vessels or into barges
lying alongside quays or piers.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation in the line x, x, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line
yy, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail Drawing of an universal axle for carrying a shoot.
The letters of reference are the same throughout the whole of the Figures. A is a
platform which is intended to rise and fall vertically within the main uprights B.
These uprights are firmly braced together with their inner edges exactly vertical, so
as to form guides for the platform A, which is fitted to receive upon its upper sur-
face a turntable C. This turntable has an opening in which a tipping frame or
cradle D is suspended on two rocking centres E, E. Fitted to the turntable and
cradle is a pair of rails corresponding in gauge to lines of rails laid down on the
quay. These rails are intended to receive the laden truck or waggon, the contents
of which are required to be discharged into a vessel lying at the quay side. The
tipping frame or cradle D may, if desired, be supported on one centre only, but in
this case appliances of a more or less complicated nature will be necessary to steady
the waggon when being tipped. I do not therefore propose to employ a single
centre. The platform A has fitted to its underside two shoots F and G, one of
which overlies the other. These shoots are open to the central space in the turntable,
and they terminate in the line of the vertical guides B. If the waggon is an end
tipping waggon it will discharge its contents into F, that is, the upper shoot, and if
it is a hopper waggon, its contents will be discharged into G, that is, the lower
shoot, the shoots being so placed as to ensure this result. If the material to be
shipped is such that it will not be damaged by an increased fall the upper shoot F
may, if desired, be removed. By extending the lower shoot G in a lateral direction
waggons opening at the sides may be discharged without difficulty.
In front of the shoots F and G is a short shoot I, which is mounted on an axle
carried by the girder J, which is suspended by chains passing over pulleys fixed to the
top of the framing and is free to move vertically in guides in the main uprights B, to
permit of the adjustment of the shoot I in line with either of the shoots F and G.
In continuation of this short shoot I is a longer shoot K, which is supported on an
universal axle L swivelling on a central pivot (see detached view, Fig. 4) carried
on a bracket likewise fixed to the girder J, and so is free to move vertically and
swivel horizontally to allow for the movements of the ship being loaded, and to so
shoot the coal as to facilitate the trimming in the hold of the vessel.
The same
effect might be produced by hanging the shoot on chains or by other means, but as
none of them will give results so satisfactory as the universal axle, I do not purpose
employing them. The level to which the platform A and shoots F and G may be
raised will of course vary to suit the height of the tide and the character of the
vessel to be laden. The shoot K extends over the batchway of the vessel, and thus
a continuous incline is formed for guiding the coal or other material as it is dis-
charged from the waggon, and the amount of incline given to this shoot may be
regulated by a chain passing over a pulley on the main framing and secured thereto
in any convenient manner.
In working this apparatus, the turntable being brought to the quay level and its
swing frame into line with one of the lines of rails on the quay, a truck is run on to
it. The platform is then lifted to the required height and the contents of the
waggon discharged, as already explained. The platform is then lowered to the
quay level and the empty waggon run off on to one or other of the lines or rails
laid on the quay.
When an end tipping waggon is used it is turned during the ascent and returned
to any desired position during the descent of the platform to admit of the empty
waggon being run off on to the lines of rails in any desired direction.
The weight of the platform, shoots, and all parts which move vertically are
counter balanced by the weights H.
The lifting may be performed direct by a ram or by one or more short stroke
rams geared in any suitable ratio, or any other species of lifting gear may be
employed.
The turning may be performed by a ram and gearing, by an engine and gearing,
or by an engine connected with one of the wheels of the turntable.

page_text: The tipping may be performed either by a ram or an engine, or if found advisable
the tipping and turning may be effected by one and the same engine or ram.
The act of lifting may also be arranged so as to perform the turning of the
turntable.
It is proposed to employ hydraulic power throughout in the working of the
apparatus,-but-all-the-operations-may-be-performed by hand, steam, or other motive
power.
If desired the arrangement of shoots may be duplicated, as shewn in dotted lines
-at-M,-NO-and-P, Fig. 2-and-the-upper-portion of the-shoot G may be hinged at
Q, so that it may be used with either of the shoots Gor Mas required. This dupli-
cate apparatus when placed on a pier, along the opposite sides of which ships-may-
be berthed, will be capable of discharging into two ships at the same time.
Should the approaches to the machine allow of high level lines of railway being
run on to such a pier the two ships may take in coal from the high level lines
whilst loading or discharging a general cargo on the low level quay, or the empty
trucks may be lowered to the low level quay lines. However, with such arrange-
ments the hydraulic ram or other lifting gear may be dispensed with if deemed
expedient and the turntable C set at the level of the high level lines of railway.
Many other modifications of these arrangements suggest themselves. The turntable,
tipping frame, or cradle D, and the shoots F, G, I, and K may be placed on another
staging at a fixed height and the waggon removed from the rising and falling plat-
form on to it to be discharged. In the case of the trucks being carried on a railway
at a higher level than the quay the whole apparatus may be applied without
difficulty, the only feature in the designs omitted in such a case being the rising and
falling platform.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention for an "Improved Apparatus
for Shipping Coal and other Produce," and explained the manner of carrying the
šame into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim under the above in part
recited Letters Patent,-
First. The improved apparatus above described, whereby coal and other produce
may be transferred from tipping and other waggons into ships or barges lying at
varying levels, and such waggons when empty run off on to return lines.
Secondly. The arrangement of open turntable and tipping frame or cradle above
described.
Thirdly. Mounting the shoot which discharges directly into the vessel on an
universal axle which will admit of play in any direction, as and for the purposes
above described.
;
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Graham Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
C. H. GRAHAM SMITH. (L.S.)