IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER CARGOES IN BULK.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip John Messent of Tynemouth in the County of
Northumberland Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER CARGOES IN BULK.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip John Messent at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1882.
PHILIP JOHN MESSENT of Tynemouth in the County of Northumberland
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER
CARGOES IN BULK
"
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for shipping coal and it has for its
object to deposit the coal in the hold of the vessel without allowing it to fall from
a height and thus to avoid the breakage common to the methods of shipping coal
now in use, the apparatus being likewise appliable for shipping other cargoes in
bulk.
It consists mainly of an endless chain of buckets running on tumblers sup-
ported by a suitable frame or jib, from which a biglt of the chain is pendent
loosely through the hatchway into the hold of the vessel. The chain of buckets
travels beneath a shoot (into which coals are discharged from waggons above) at
which the buckets are filled the construction and arrangement of the buckets being
such that on coming beneath this shoot the buckets will assume an upright position
by their own gravity and will retain that position until they arrive at or near the
lowest point of the chain when they are caused to tip and discharge their
contents.
The operation of the apparatus is entirely self actin; the weight of the loaded
buckets on the descending side being sufficient for its operation.
"
The chain should be of such length as to reach down to the bottom of the vessel
or to the level of the cargo already shipped and it is so constructed that it may be
readily lengthened or shortened as may be required.
The buckets are semi cylindrical in form and are supported by being hung on
end gudgeons which are concentric or nearly so with the figure of the bucket and

page_text: which either also serve as the joint pins of the links of the chains or pass through
tubular joint pins thereof. Each joint of the chain is formed by a double eye at
the end of one link and a hook at the end of the other link which takes hold of
the joint pin within the double eye and from which it may readily be detached
when required. The links are of suitable length and extend from the gudgeons of
one bucket to those of the next without intermediate joints. The tipping of the
buckets is effected when they arrive at or near the bottom of the hold by a stud
projecting at one or both ends of the bucket which is caught by the adjacent link
as it changes its direction at the turn of the chain, thus raising and tipping the
bucket.
The gudgeons of the buckets may extend through the eyes of the links and
project sufficiently to carry wheels or rollers which travel on rails carried by the
jib or frame to support the chain at the point where it follows a more or less
horizontal direction. The chain would preferably pass round a tumbler or pair of
tumblers mounted on the staging of the wharf beneath the shoot as above described
and round another tumbler or pair of tumblers at the extremity of a suitable jib
projecting over the vessel the out going and incoming portions of the chain
travelling on an upper and lower pair of rails, extending between the two sets of
tumblers. From the tumbler at the end of the jib a bight of the chain is pendent
through the hatchway as above mentioned. The axle of the tumblers on the wharf
is geared with a hand wheel to serve as a brake by which the speed of the buckets
may be regulated and by which the whole chain of buckets may be set in motion
by hand until there is sufficient weight of coal on the descending side to make the
apparatus self acting. The chain can be lengthened or shortened very promptly by
adding or taking out links and buckets either in the hold or where they are
supported on the rails of the frame where they may be held by a stopper, the gear
applied to the tumblers being used to assist the operation.
In adapting the apparatus to an existing spout which already projects sufficiently
from the wharf the horizontal portions of the chain and consequently the rails and
the rollers travelling thereon, would be dispensed with.
In this case I would use a single pair of tumblers provided with brake gear as
above described and located immediately beneath the end of the spout and an
endless chain of buckets passing over the same and pendent within the hold the
operation being otherwise the same as before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Philip John Messent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1883.
PHILIP JOHN MESSENT of Tynemouth in the County of Northumberland,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL AND OTHER
CARGOES IN BULK."
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for shipping coal, and it has for its
object to deposit the coal in the hold.of the vessel without allowing it to fall from
a height, and thus to avoid the breakage common to the methods of shipping coal
now in use, the apparatus being likewise applicable for shipping other cargoes in
bulk.
The apparatus consists mainly of an endless chain of buckets running on tumblers
supported by a suitable fraine or jib from which a bight of the chain depends
loosely (without being distended by any frame or ladder) through the hatchway of
the vessel, the construction and arrangement of the buckets being such that on
coming beneath a filling spout above, the buckets assume an upright position which
they retai until they arrive at or near the lowest point of the chain when they are
caused to tip and discharge their contents.
The working of the apparatus is entirely automatic after being started, the weight
of the loaded buckets on the descending side of the chain being the motive power
under the control of suitable brake gear. The chain which should reach down to
near the bottom of the hold at the commencement of the operation of loading, is so
constructed that it may be readily shortened from time to time as the level of the
cargo rises. The buckets are of semi cylindrical form and are hung on end gudgeons
which may either serve also as the joint pins of the links, or pass through tubular
joint pins. Each link of the chain has a double or forked eye at one end and a
hook at the other, the joints being formed by the hook of one link taking hold of
the tubular joint pin within the double eye of the next link so that these two
members of the joint may be readily disconnected when required. The links
extend from the gudgeons of one bucket to those of the next without intermediate
joints, and the tipping of the buckets is effected by the links catching against
studs at the ends of the buckets, as they change their direction at the bend of the
chain.
The Invention comprises two general arrangements of the chain of buckets, the
one for use with new spouts, and the other adapted for use with existing spouts.
In the first mentioned arrangement, the spout does not project from the face of
the wharf, and the chain is adapted to travel in a more or less horizontal direction
from the point of discharge of the spout to a point directly over the hatchway of
the vessel through which a bight of the chain is pendent as above mentioned. In
this arrangement the gudgeons of the buckets would have rollers on them that
travel on rails carried by the jib or frame to support the horizontally outgoing and
incoming portions of the chain which runs round suitable tumblers mounted on the
jib or crane.
In the apparatus for use with an existing spout which already projects sufficiently
from the wharf, the horizontally travelling portions of the chain and consequently
the rails and the rollers travelling thereon, would not be required.
D

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the endless chain of buckets runs upon two
tumblers A, B, mounted to rotate in bearings in a suitable frame projecting from
the wharf or staith over the water way these tumblers being on the same level or
not according to circumstances. The frame in which they are mounted may be a
fixture but for convenience of adjusting the chain to suit the hatchway of the
vessel I prefer to mount the tumblers upon the jib of a crane C of suitable
construction, the one tumbler A being situated as nearly as possible in the vertical
axis about which the crane slews and the other tumbler B being at the end of the
jib. The jib is constructed of a pair of side frames suitably braced together and
supported by a double crane post suitably braced by cross ties at top and bottom
and mounted in a footstep beneath and a bearing above fixed to the staging. The
buckets D are of the semi-cylindrical form shewn and are furnished with end
gudgeons a situated at points in the centre line of the bucket above the centre of
gravity whether the bucket be empty or loaded, and they are supported and
connected together by the links E of the chains. bare friction rollers retained
upon the projecting ends of these gudgeons by suitable collars or pins, which
rollers run upon iron rails c, fixed upon the upper and lower members of the side
frames of the crane jib These rails terminate at the outer end of the jib in
downwardly curved extensions c¹, to facilitate the change of direction of the chains,
and at the inner end of the jib the level of the upper and lower sets of rails
coincides respectively with the top and bottom side of the tumbler A so that the
chains pass readily on and off the tumbler. The weight of the load rests mainly
on the outer tumbler B and not on the rollers and the curved extension rail c¹
whose radius is however such that the rollers will travel on it before the chains
commence to quit the tumbler so that the gudgeons of the buckets will continue to
move in the same are till the chains are quite clear of the tumbler so as to
prevent the chains hugging the vertical side of the tumbler and consequently
prevent any oscillation of the chains being caused by the difference between the
radii at the angles and flat sides respectively of the polygonal tumbler. A curved
slot is cut in the inner faces of the tumbler ends for the passage of the studs & of
the buckets, such slots being struck from the gudgeons a as centres with the
radius a d. these studs d on the ends of the buckets are caught by the links to
effect the tipping of the buckets as they pass the lowest point of the chain, the
buckets being self righting as shown. Fis the spout into which the coals are
discharged from the wagons above and by which they are delivered into the
buckets as they come round the tumbler A and proceed outwards to the tumbler B,
the spout being provided with suitable flaps or doors under the control of an
adjusting screw. G is a train of wheels and pinions applied to the shaft of
tumbler A said train terminating in a cranked shaft g. for setting the chain of
buckets in motion until there is a sufficient load on the descending side to make
the apparatus self-acting, or for bringing the ends of the chain together to be
united after the links and buckets have been taken out, a brake strap being
applied to a drum on one of the wheels of this train, and operated by a lever
handle H to control the motion of the apparatus when fully loaded. I is a stopper
to hold the outgoing part of the chain whilst it is being lengthened or shortened
the incoming part being prevented from running out by locking the brake gear.
This stopper is a lever (one at each side) pivoted at i, to a bracket fixed on the jib
and terminating at its short end in a hook adapted to engage with the gudgeon of
a bucket and retain it, the long arm of the lever being provided with a pivoted
stop to retain it in this position as shewn in dotted lines. K is a small auxiliary
crane for transferring loose buckets to and from the point where they are added to
or removed from the endless chain.
The links E (see Figures 4 and 5) have a hook L at one end and are forked at
the other end to form a double eye M in which is fixed a tubular joint pin m, of
steel which is taken hold of by the hook L of the next link between the limbs of
the fork as shown in dotted lines, the gudgeon of the bucket passing freely through
the tubular joint pin. To prevent accidental disengagement, the hook is provided

page_text: with a mousing or stopper pivoted to the point of the hook which is rebated to
receive it, and thrown across the mouth of the hook by a spring . At the sides
of the back portion of the hook there are projecting shoulders 12 to form stops
against which the forked end of the adjacent link abuts to prevent the links
making less than a right angle with one another at the lowest turning point of the
chain, and so prevent the buckets knocking against each other.
Referring to Figure 3 it will be seen there is only a single tumbler for the chain
of buckets which is directly suspended therefrom this tumbler being mounted in a
suitable frame suspended by tackle from a crane above or otherwise supported
suitable hoisting gear being provided for raising the tumbler and chain and also
the spout as the level of the cargo rises so that it is unnecessary in ordinary
circumstances to shorten the length of the chain; when further shortening is
required a stopper similar to that before described is used. In this case the links
are represented as being fixed rigidly by one end to the bucket the other end of
the link projecting beyond the bottom of the bucket and being hooked and
engaging with the gudgeon of the preceding bucket, but the form of hook repre-
sented in Figures 4 and 5 might be used in which case the buckets on the
ascending side would right themselves as in Figure 1 instead of being inverted as
in Figure 3.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1st An apparatus for loading coal and other bulk cargoes, constructed of buckets
suspended freely by end gudgeons in pairs of endless chains composed of links
working on joints concentric with said gudgeons without intermediate joints, in
combination with stops or, devices for tipping the buckets at the proper moment
the chain of buckets being pendant loosely without any frame or ladder substantially
as herein shown and described.
2nd In combination with a loosely pendent endless series of buckets hung freely
on end gudgeons in chains of links as described, the tumblers arranged on the same
or different levels, and the intermediate upper and lower sets of rails supporting
the outgoing and incoming buckets, substantially as shown and described for the
purpose specified.
3rd The arrangement of combined horizontally travelling and loosely pendent
chain of buckets constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose
specified and shown in Figures 1 and 2.
4th The construction of the hook and double eyed joint with tubular joint pin
for connecting the links of the chains independently of the gudgeons of the buckets
and for receiving and supporting the said gudgeons, substantially as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof I the said Philip John Messent have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty eighth day of February, in the year of Our Lord
One thousand sight hundred and eighty three.