IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL OR OTHER MINERAL
Year: 1884

page_text: I PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works New-
castle on Tyne Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING COAL OR OTHER MINERAL to be as
follows:-
"
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for shipping coal or
other mineral.
For this purpose I cause the railway truck containing the coal or mineral to be
run on to the cradle of a hoist then to be lifted thereon by a hoist to a sufficient
height and tilted to discharge its contents into a shoot by which the coal or mineral
is led to the hold of the vessel.
For the purpose of lifting and tilting the cradle I lead chains from its four
corners up over pulleys carried on the hoist and around other pulleys mounted on
two hydralic rams. One of the rams in travelling out of its cylinder moves in
an upward direction and the other in a downward direction. The pair of chains
passing from the two front corners of the cradle descend from pulleys upon the
hoist beneath the pulleys on the descending ram and return upwards to a
convenient point where the ends of these chains are made fast. The chains
connected to the hinder corners of the cradle on the contrary ascend from
the pulleys upon the hoist over the pulleys on the ascending ram then they are
taken down beneath and around the pulleys on the descending ram and thence up
to a point where their ends also are made fast. The result of this arrangement is
that when the descending ram moves out of its cylinder the cradle is drawn
upwards evenly by its four cornera and ascends within the hoist with a parallel
movement. The ascending ram is set in motion to tip the cradle when the proper
level is attained; this ram then operates to raise the hinder corners only and so to
incline the cradle to the extent requisite to shoot the coal or mineral out of the
wagon which the cradle carries.
The shoot which leads the coal over the hold of the vessel and the appliances
for preventing breakage of the coal in its descent are such as are at present in
use.
The rams may be placed at any convenient angle depending on the construction
of the framing. In place of the cradle mentioned above I may employ a cradle
such as is described in the specification of a former Patent granted to me N° 5480
in the year 1882.
In this latter arrangement three chains are used instead of four; all three
chains pass over the lifting ram but the chain used for tipping passes over the
tipping cylinder. The turning of this cradle round may be effected by hand or
arrangements can be made for turning the cradle round by power to the required
position within a certain distance from the ground or rail level.
The apparatus for preventing breakage is suspended from a small crane which
is placed on the top of the hoist.

page_text: Instead of placing this crane to one side of the hoist as heretofore I plant it
upon a platform on the top of the hoist which enables the crane to be placed in
any position along the front or either side of the hoist according to requirements.
It also enables the lifting cylinder to be placed at the back of the hoist to assist in
the stability of the structure from which position the lifting chain can be led to
the point on the top of the platform fixed upon the crane.
This crane is also available in whipping ballast out of ships.
To give the necessary stability to the hoist sideways considerable length is
given to the front girder of its base and this is supported by wheels running on a
rail along the front of the wharf wall. The back of the hoist is much narrower
and is carried by a pair of wheels. The hoist is also when at work secured by
wedges or screw supports.
This system of construction admits of two movable hoists being brought so close
together that it is possible to employ them to deliver into the same hatchway.
When this is desired the two hoists will be arranged to run on different lines of
rails to admit of the wide base of the one overlapping that of the other.
In order to bring the loaded wagons to the hoist and to convey the empty
wagons away I provide a double traverser movable upon lines of rails passing
behind the back of the hoists. The routine of working the apparatus then is ns
follows
A loaded truck is passed from the rail or siding on to one of the pair of rails
provided upon the traverser, the traverser is then moved along its rails to the hoist
until the vacant pair of rails upon the traverser comes immediately behind the
cradle of the hoist; the empty truck is then run off the cradle over short con-
necting bridge rails and onto the vacant rails of the traverser, the traverser is then
moved onwards till the loaded truck upon it is immediately in rear of the cradle
and this truck is then moved off from the traverser onto the cradle, the traverser
then returns till the rails on which the empty truck is standing coincide with the
rails of the siding, then the empty truck is run off over the turntable and away by
the line provided to receive the empties. Then as before a full truck is brought
forward the traverser is moved to receive it on its proper line of rails and the
wagon is carried to the cradle of the hoist in the manner already described.
Stops are provided upon the rails along which the traverser runs to stop it in
the various positions in which it is required.
Holes are punched in the rails at regular distances say a foot apart to receive
these stops and wherever they may be required the stops are bolted on to the rails.
The bolt holes in the stops are more numerous than those in the rails so that
the position of the stops can be adjusted sufficiently closely.
For the extreme ranges of the traverser fixed stops are used and for the
intermediate points of stoppage turnover stops are used so as not to impede the
movement of the traverser past them when the stops are not required to act.
The operator in charge of the traverser stands upon a platform between its two
lines of rails and he is provided with lever handles by which he can apply brakes
to retard the movement of the traverser with its load.
These brakes may consist of shoes each jointed to the base of the traverser by
one of its ends and hung up by a spring to keep the shoe off the rail with which
however the shoes are brought into contact by means of toggle jointed levers when
the operator presses upon the handles.
The work of drawing the wagon onto and from the traverser and of moving the
traverser to and fro along its rails is preferably performed by means of capstans
and ropes and the capstans are driven by means of hydraulic engines.
Dated this 20th day of D
amber1001
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works Newcastle
on Tyne 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for shipping coal or
other mineral.
For this purpose I cause the railway truck containing the coal or mineral to be
run on to the cradle of a hoist, then to be lifted thereon by a hoist to a sufficient
height and tilted to discharge its contents into a shoot by which the coal or mineral
is led to the hold of the vessel.
For the purpose of lifting and tilting the cradle I lead chains from its four
corners up over pulleys carried on the hoist and around other pulleys mounted on
two hydraulic rams.
One of the rams in travelling out of its cylinder moves in an upward direction
and the other in a downward direction. The pair of chains passing from the two
front corners of the cradle descend from pulleys upon the hoist beneath the pulleys
on the descending ram and return upwards to a convenient point where the ends of
these chains are made fast. The chains connected to the hinder corners of the
cradle on the contrary ascend from the pulleys upon the hoist over the pulleys on
the ascending ram, then they are taken down beneath and around the pulleys on
the descending ram and thence up to a point where their ends also are made fast.
The result of this arrangement is that when the descending ram moves out of its
cylinder the cradle is drawn upwards evenly by its four corners and ascends within
the hoist with a parallel movement. The ascending ram is set in motion to tip the
cradle when the proper level is attained: this ram then operates to raise the hinder
corners only and so to incline the cradle to the extent requisite to shoot the coal or
mineral out of the wagon which the cradle carries.
The shoot which leads the coal over the hold of the vessel and the appliances for
preventing breakage of the coal in its descent are such as are at present in use.
The rams may be placed at any convenient angle depending on the construction of
the framing.
In place of the cradle mentioned above I may employ a cradle such as is
described in the specification of a former patent granted to me N° 5480 in the year
1882. In this latter arrangement three chains are used instead of four, all these
chains pass under the lifting ram but the chain used for tipping passes over the
tipping cylinder. The turning of this cradle round may be effected by hand, or
arrangements can be made for turning the cradle round by power to the required
position within a certain distance from the ground or rail level.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: a. a. is the frame of the hoist, it is here shown fixed but a frame moveable upon
wheels may also be employed. b is a cradle which can be moved up and down
whilst guided by the frame. c is a coal truck standing upon the cradle. Dotted
lines in Figure 2 represent the position of the cradle and truck when tipped for
the purpose of emptying the contents of the truck into the shoot d by which it is
led to the hatchway of a ship to be loaded. e is the lifting cylinder and f is its
ram, it descends as the cradle rises, and its weight serves therefore to partly
counterbalance that of the cradle and empty truck. A further counterpoise g is
also provided. ƒ¹ƒ'ƒ³ and ƒ are four sheaves on the head of the ram-the
outer sheaves f¹ and f' serve to receive chains from the front corners of the cradle.
These chains after passing over guide pulleys at the top of the frame, descend and
pass beneath the sheaves f¹ f* ascend again a short distance and are then made
fast in a convenient position near the lower end of the cylinder e.
The sheaves f' and f³ receive chains from the hinder corners of the cradle-
these chains after passing over pulleys at the top of the frame descend beneath
other pulleys h. . and then rise up and pass over the sheaves on the tipping ram i
which for the purpose of tipping rises out of the cylinder j. By suitable valves
controlled by hand levers water under pressure is admitted to the cylinders e and j
as required and is drawn off therefrom.
By the employment of one lifting cylinder only I ensure the lifting chains all
acting together which may not be the case when two lifting cylinders are employed.
Similarly by using one tipping cylinder only I ensure that the chains operate in
unison whilst tipping.
Also by lessening the number of cylinders the apparatus is simplified.
As already stated I can employ in place of the cradle shown by the drawing the
turning cradle described in my specification N° 54802; this arrangement enables
trucks to be brought in on to the cradle at right angles to the hoist or in line with
the quay.
I would state that since applying for this patent the specification of a Patent
granted to George Taylor N° 10236 in the year 1884 bas been published I make no
claim to the invention to which this patent applies.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.)-Apparatus substantially as herein described for shipping coal or other
mineral in which the lifting ram descends as the cradle rises and so serves as a
counterpoise to the same and in which another ram operating on the lifting chains
attached to the hinder corners of the cradle causes the cradle to be tipped to
discharge the contents of the truck resting upon it.
(2.) Apparatus substantially as herein described for shipping coal or other
mineral in which one lifting ram only operates upon the lifting chains to raise the
cradle and its load to the full height and a tipping ram operates on the chains to
tip the cradle and deliver the load.
Dated this 30th day of September 1885.