Cupping Unshipping of Coal and other Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
прrоvешение Iн паснегу ΤΟΥ Pacificat
The Cupping
Unshipping of Coal and other Materials.
We, Sir WILLIAM THOMAS LEWIS of The Mardy, Aberdare, in the County of
Glamorgan, Civil Engineer, and CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER of 205 Newport Road,
Roath, Cardiff, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
For shipping coal from railway wagons we arrange as described in provisional
specifications previously lodged by us that the wagon shall be brought on to a tip
up machine and be made to discharge its contents into a box which is then lifted
by a crane and lowered into the vessel to be loaded. According to our present
invention we propose in addition to use a shoot which (when the coal is being shot
from a wagon into the box) is made to dip downwards a distance into the box so that
the coal may slide down it and breakage of the coal be thereby avoided-and which
when the box has been filled can be turned upwards into a vertical position so
as to be then out of the way and allow of the box being lifted by the crane.
The shoot we make to turn upon a hinge joint at the front of the tip up machine.
To raise and lower the front end of the shoot we preferably lead wire ropes upwards
from it and over pulleys situated above the end of the tip up platform and then
downwards and to be secured to the platform so that as the platform is lifted the front
of the shoot is lowered or if the platform is brought into a horizontal position then
the shoot is raised to a vertical position or approximately so.
Other means than the above may be used for giving movement to the shoot but
whatever be the means adopted it is recommended that the point of the shoot should
be lowered and resting in its proper position or angle in the box, some time before
the tail of the wagon is raised to its maximum height for discharging, so as to avoid
any deep drop of the materials into the box, and that the tip up machine should cease
to be raised when say within some three or four feet or so of its maximum height
also that the door of the wagon should be then opened to allow the materials to flow
easily down the shoot over a screen or screens or without screening after which the
tail of the wagon may be raised to the full height necessary to empty it. When the

page_text: box is filled up to or near the point of the shoot which it will be in some cases owing
to the variation of the capacity of the wagons (which vary from about six to eleven
tons as the case may he) the point of the shoot may be raised by the lowering of
the tail of the tip-up machine, to any convenient height so as to lift it free of the
materials in the box at the same time the butt or top end of the shoot can be raised by
hydraulic rams or otherwise to such a height as to again slope the shoot to an angle
to allow the materials to flow freely down it, on to the other materials already in the
box. The top of the shoot may be then lowered and the tail of the wagon can be
again raised to discharge a further quantity or the remainder of its contents into the
shoot after which it can be again lowered and the point of the shoot thereby further
raised when the butt or top can he raised to its full height, or any portion of it, so
that the materials may flow down into the box and again empty the shoot, but it is
recommended if a saving of time can be effected thereby, to move the box back from
the point of the shoot a couple of feet or so, at the time when the point of the shoot
is first raised to relieve itself, after which the shoot may be lowered on to the top
of the box, which owing to its having been taken further off, the point of the shoot
will rest considerably higher, when the butt or top can be lifted as described above to
discharge its contents. This movement of the box may be effected by the swinging
of the crane's jib, acting on the trolley on the railway in the pit upon which it is
proposed to rest the box as described in our former Specifications, or by other
means of propelling the trolley, or a motion may be applied by hydraulic power or
otherwise, by which the butt of the shoot may be drawn back after it is lifted (as
described above) towards the tip-up machine to effect the same object. In this case
it is recommended to hang the butt of the shoot to vibrating links with horizontal
and vertical motion. To the point of the shoot may be added one or more extension
pieces to extend into the box when screening, and the points raised or lowered as
described above.

page_text: Unshipping of Coal and other Materials.
We, Sir WILLIAM THOMAS LEWis of The Mardy, Aberdare, in the County of
Glamorgan Civil Engineer and CHARLES LAFAYETTE HUNTER of 205 Newport Road,
Roath, Cardiff, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be perforined to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
For shipping coal from railway wagons we arrange as described in Patents
previously obtained by us that the wagon shall he brought on to a tip up machine and
be made to discharge its contents into a box which is then lifted by a crane and
lowered into the vessel to be loaded. According to our present invention we propose
in addition to use a shoot which (when the coal is being shot from a wagon into the
box) is made to dip downwards a distance into the box so that the coal may slide
down it and breakage of the coal be thereby avoided and which when the box has
been filled can be turned upwards into a vertical position so as to be then out of the
way and allow of the box being lifted by the crane.
The shoot we make to turn upon a hinge joint at the front of the tip up machine.
To raise and lower the front end of the shoot we preferably lead wire ropes upwards
from it and over pulleys situated above the end of the tip up platform and then
downwards and to be securel to the platform so that as the platform is lifted the front
of the shoot is lowered or if the platform is brought into a horizontal position then the
shoot is raised to a vertical position or approximately so.
Other means than the above may be used for giving movement to the shoot but
whatever be the means adopted it is recommended that the point of the shoot should
be lowered and resting in its proper position or angle in the box, some time before the
tail of the wagon is raised to its maximum height for discharging so as to avoid any
deep drop of the materials into the box, and that the tip up machine should cease to
be raised when say within some three or four feet or so of its maximum height, also
that the door of the wagon should be then opened to allow the materials to flow easily
down the shoot over a screen or screens or without screening after which the tail of
the wagon may be raised to the full height necessary to empty it. When the box is
filled up to or near the point of the shoot which it will be in some cases owing to the
variation of the capacity of the wagons (which vary from about six to eleven tons as
the case may be), the point of the shoot may be raised by the lowering of the tail of
the tip up machine to any convenient height so as to lift it free of the materials in the
box at the same time the butt or top end of the shoot can be raised by hydraulic rams
or otherwise to such a height as to again slope the shoot to an angle to allow the
materials to flow freely down it, on to the other materials already in the box. The

page_text: top of the shoot may be then lowered and the tail of the wagon can be again raised to
discharge a further quantity or the remainder of its contents into the shoot; after
which it can be again lowered and the point of the shoot thereby further raised when
the bun or top can he raised to its full height, or any portion of it, so that the
materials may flow down into the box and again empty the shoot, but it is
recommended if a saving of time can be effected thereby, to move the box back from
the point of the shoot a couple of feet or so, at the time when the point of the shoot is
first raised to relieve itself, after which the shoot may be lowered on to the top of the
box which owing to its having been taken further off, the point of the shoot will rest
considerably higher, when the butt or top can be lifted as described above to discharge
its contents.
This movement of the box may be effected by the swinging of the crane's
jib, acting on the trolley on the railway in the pit upon which it is proposed to rest
the box as described in our former Specifications, or by other means of propelling the
trolley, or a motion may be applied by hydraulic power or otherwise by which the
butt of the shoot may be drawn back after it is lifted (as described above) towards the
tip up machine to effect the same object.
In this case it is recommended to hang the butt of the shoot to vibrating links with
horizontal and vertical motion. To the point of the shoot may be added one or more
extension pieces to extend into the box when screening, and the points raised or
lowered as described above.
The drawings annexed shew various views of apparatus constructed as above
described.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a cross section and Figure 3 a plan.
In these figures the shoot is shewn to be turned upwards into approximately
a vertical position to allow of the box being lowered into the pit or raised therefrom.
A represents the tip up machine. Brepresents the shoot with a screen in it which
can be closed when not required for screening. Crepresents uprights carrying pulleys
over which the wire ropes D or chains pass from near the point of the shoot to the
brackets E attached near the tail end of the platform of the tip-up-for raising or
lowering the shoot as above described. The uprights also carry other pulleys over
which other ropes or chains F pass to a hook or some other simple means of attach-
ment on the sides of the uprights. These ropes or chains are for safety or for
adjusting and suspending the shoot to any particular angle, before the tail of the
wagon is raised to its maximum height. Ġ represents the hydraulic rams and cross-
head, which we use for raising the butt end of the shoot to increase its slope or angle
when filling the box as described.
The ladders and platforms L L which may be attached to the uprights of the frame (
are provided for the men to stand upon to poke out any coal which is occasionally
found in practice to remain on the bed of the wagon when shipping coal.
Figure 4 represents the box on the trolly in the pit when in the position for not
screening, also the shoot dipping into the box by the action of the tip-up machine,
which is represented with a wagon on it in the act of tipping the material into
the hox.
Figure 5 represents the box on a lower trolley in the pit when in the position for
single screening with the screen pan open to allow screenings to fall into the small coal
box underneath and with an extension piece H from the point of the shoot dipping
into the box, which extension is raised and lowered by the action of the tip-up
machine. The movements of the box in the pit may be effected by the cranes jib &c.
or in other suitable way.
Figure 6 represents the box still at a lower elevation in the pit on a trolley or
otherwise, when in the position for double screening with an extension piece I from
the point of the shoot, to which is fitted a screen from which the double screenings
fall into a second small coal box underneath.
We recommend that the point of the extension piece should rest as shewn on a
hinged lip on the hopper box as described in a Patent applied for by us so as to
reduce the fall of the coal

page_text: The extension piece I is raised or lowered by the action of the tip up machine as
described and the lip of the box may be closed up or be let down into the required
position by a chain attached to the crane.
The means above described for filling the hopper box when double screening is
being carried on may be modified as follows:-viz. by lowering the box still deeper
into the pit and bringing the top edge of the box underneath, the point of the extension
piece I which could be further extended beyond the small coal box, thereby dispensing
with the lip K when the suspension piece would tip the materials in from the top of
the box, but we do not recommend this, as it will increase the depth of the fall of the
material into the bottom of the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: —
1. The combination with a tip up machine and pit for receiving a box into which
coal or material is to be emptied from a wagon tilted by the tip up machine of a shoot
formed either with or without a screen which shoot is capable of being turned on a
horizontal hinge joint near the edge of the pit and of being raised approximately into
a vertical position when the box is to be lifted out or lowered into an inclined position
when coal or material is to be shot from the wagon into the box.
2. Connecting the shoot by a chain passing over a pulley above it to the rear end
of the tip up platform so that as the platform is tilted the shoot is lowered into an
inclined position.
3. The combination with the tip-up machine and pit of a shoot turning on a
horizontal hinge joint near the edge of the pit and capable of being raised and
lowered.
4. Forming the shoot with extension pieces and screens to admit of coal being
screened either with a single or double screening substantially as described.
5. The combination of machinery substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed for facilitating the shipping of coal and other
material.
Dated this 15th day of December 1887
W. THOMAS LEWIS.
CHARLES L. HUNTER.