Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1886-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
I, WILLIAM MULLAN of Marlborough Park, Belfast in the County of Antrim,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to hoists applicable for use on steamers and for various
other purposes.
The invention comprises a lifting cylinder or tube formed of copper or copper
lined or other suitable material with a chamber at the top or end containing a
rotatable drum on which is coiled a wire, rope, chain or their equivalents. A piston
is adapted to travel in the cylinder to which is attached the lifting chain or rope.
The drum in the chamber is mounted on and rotates with a shaft which passes
through the end of the chamber by steam-tight stuffing glands, this shaft being
also provided with an external drum on which is coiled another chain or rope from
which the weight to be lifted is suspended. A tank containing the water or other
fluid is connected by a pipe with the bottom of the lifting cylinder, and the space
below the piston.can thus be filled with the fluid. The steam supply and exhaust
pipes are connected to the chamber or the cylinder above the piston, and these are
regulated by cocks or valves and a valve is also fitted on the water pipe from the
tank, these being adapted to work simultaneously by one handle or separately in
such a manner that, when hoisting, the steam admission pipe is open, the water
pipe open and steam exhaust shut, or when the hoist is stopped or holding the
weight in any position, the steam pipe is open, the water pipe shut, and the exhaust
shut; and when lowering the weight, the steam pipe is shut, the water pipe open,
and the exhaust open.
The mode of action is as follows:-
It will be understood that, when the piston is at the top of its stroke in the
cylinder, the greater part of its chain or rope to which it is attached, is coiled on
the internal drum, and the lifting rope or chain is uncoiled from the external drum.
If steam is now admitted to the cylinder, the piston is forced down, thus rotating
the drums and winding up the weight, the water from the lower part of the cylinder
being meantime forced out into the tank. When the weight is taken off, the water
valve is shut and this prevents the expansion of steam forcing the piston down
further than is desired. To lower the weight, steam is shut off, the exhaust opened,
and the water valve opened, the steam then escapes from the cylinder, water flows
in, and the piston rises, the amount of opening of the valves, of course, controlling
the speed of lifting or lowering.
I have described one way in which my invention may be carried into effect, but
it is obvious that water may be used only for working the hoist, or steam only, also
that instead of winding a rope or chain on the internal drum, an endless rope or
chain may be provided in which case a second cylinder of small diameter, in
addition to the first, is employed, together with a pulley at either end of these
cylinders, the rope or chain passing round the pulleys and through the cylinders.
A small piston is provided in the small cylinder also to prevent leakage of steam
or water therethrough. I prefer to construct my steam valve in some cases with a
receiver which is opened alternately to the steam admission and to the supply pipe
leading to the cylinder, the object being to prevent the steam being admitted too
quickly, and thus, when the handle is turned, the receiver is alternately opened to
£1

page_text: the steam supply and to the delivery pipe to the cylinder of the hoist, so that only
the steam contained in the receiver is supplied one or more times during each
revolution, and the handle must be turned continuously when lifting. A separate
cock or valve may be provided for the exhaust which may also in some cases be of
the same type. I do not however bind myself to these forms of valve. It is a
obvious that the internal drums may be of larger or smaller diameter than the
external or lifting drums in order to increase or reduce the lift in relation to the
travel of the piston, also the drums may be arranged at either end, and
the chambers located accordingly. Flat wire ropes or even thin metal strips may
be used instead of ordinary ropes or chains, and if metal strips be used, they may
be caused to pass through glands and thus avoid the necessity of enclosing the
drum in the same space. In simple forms, when the water is supplied at low
pressure, even ordinary ropes or chains may be made to pass through glands, but
this is only applicable when slight leakage from the gland round the wire will not
be a serious matter. The cylinder may be used itself as the derrick or jib of the
crane or two cylinders may be used braced together with the drum or drums
between.
D320 11
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
I, WILLIAM MULLAN of Marlborough Park, Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
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 relates to hoists or cranes applicable for use ou steamers and for
various other purposes.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a general view showing my invention applied to an ash hoist for use
in stokeholds of steam vessels;
Figure 2 a fragmentary sectional front elevation on an enlarged scale of the
lifting cylinder;
Figure 3 a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the same;
Figure 4 a sectional front elevation of my invention applied to a ship's cargo
derrick supported by the vessel's mast;
Figure 5 a detail view being a longitudinal section through the sheave P and
⚫ lifting cylinder;
Figure 6 a sectional elevation of my regulating valve to be used with steam or
compressed air or other elastic medium under pressure, and
Figure 7 a sectional plan.
The general form and outline of my invention as applied to an ash hoist for use
in stokeholds of steam vessels is depicted in Figure 1 and in detail in Figures 2
and 3, in which A is the stokehold ventilator, B B the decks of the vessel, C the
stokehold floor, D the ash bucket, E the grating or platform; F is a lifting
cylinder or tube formed of copper or copper lined, or other suitable material, with
a chamber F1 at the top containing a rotatable drum G, on which is coiled a wire
rope H, chain or their equivalents. A piston I is adapted to travel in the
cylinder F to which is attached the lifting chain or rope H forming a flexible
piston. The drum G in the chamber is mounted on and rotates with the shaft G'
which passes through the end of the chamber F by steam tight stuffing glands F²,

page_text: this shaft being also provided with an external drum J on which is coiled
another chain or rope K from which the weight D to be lifted is suspended.
A tank containing water or other fluid is connected by a pipe L with the bottom
of the lifting cylinder F, and the space below the piston I can thus be filled with
the fluid. Lis the steam-supply pipe and L' the exhaust, these being connected
to the lifting cylinder above the piston I, and are regulated by a cock L³ with four
parts, to admit pressure, shut it off, or open the exhaust. A valve L is also fitted
on the water pipe L from the tank 1, these being adapted to work simultaneously
by one handle or separately in such a manner, that, when hoisting, pipe L' is open
to the admission of steam from the pressure pipe L', the water pipe L is open, and
the steam exhaust L shut; or when the hoist is stopped, or holding the weight D
in any position, the pipe L is open to the admission of steam from pipe L', the
water pipe L shut, and the exhaust L³ shut or when lowering the weight D, the
steam pipe is shut off, the water pipe Lis open and the exhaust L³ open.
The node of action is as follows:-
It will be understood that when the piston I is at the top of the stroke in the
cylinder F, the greater part of its chain or rope H to which it is attached is coiled
on the internal drum G, and the lifting rope or chain K is uncoiled from the
external drum J. If steam is now admitted to the lifting cylinder F, the piston I
is forced down thus rotating the drums G and J and winding up the weight D, the
water from the lower part of the cylinder being in the meantime forced out through
pipe Linto the tank. When the weight is taken off, the water valve controlling
the pipe L is shut, and thus prevents the expansion of steam, forcing the piston I
down further than is desired. To lower the weight D steam is shut off from the
pipe L, the exhaust L³ opened and the water valve L which controls the pipe L
opened, the steam then escapes from the cylinder F through the exhaust L³, water
flows in through the pipe L, and the piston rises, the amount of opening of the
valves of course controlling the speed of lifting or lowering. It is of course
evident that the water tank arrangement is not essential and can be omitted if
desired.
I have described one way in which my invention is carried into effect as applied
to an ash hoist in use in stokeholds of vessels, but it is obvious that it may also be
applied in other sitnations, such, for example, as a ship's cargo derrick supported
by the mast of the vessel. This application of the invention is shown in Figures 4
and 5. M is the vessel's mast to which the lifting cylinder F forming the derrick
is hinged at F; F is a guy supporting the head of the derrick, I the piston
travelling in the cylinder. Instead, however, of winding a rope or chain on the
internal drum G, a rope or chain H¹ may be provided, in which case, a second
cylinder F of small diameter in addition to the first is employed, together with a
pulley GG at either end of these cylinders, the rope or chain H' passing round
the pulleys and through the cylinders. A small piston I' is provided in the small
cylinder F to prevent leakage of steam or water therethrough. The chain or
rope His attached to the large piston I passes around the sheave or pulley G
contained in the pressure chamber and from thence through the small cylinder F
attached to the piston 11, thence round the sheave G and from there to the
counterbalance weight N and hook O to which the weight to be lifted can be
attached. The steam, water, or either medium under pressure is admitted at P
into the pressure chamber and acts on both pistons I and I, I being the larger is
forced up, and I' is drawn down against the pressure, thus lifting the weight on the
hook O. When the exhaust is opened, the pressure passes out of the cylinders and
the weight is lowered, and if there is no weight being dealt with the rope may be
overhauled by hand or by the counterbalance N. Q is a goose-neck plate on which
the jib is supported on the mast, R the pressure pipe with regulating cock or valve,
S a joint in pipe to allow the derrick to swing round. The hinge F3 enables the
derrick to be lifted up or lowered down. It is obvious that this arrangement of
my invention can be applied to the stokehold hoist, or the arrangement of my
invention indicated in Figure 1 applied to a jib crane; furthermore, either

page_text: arrangement can be placed against the mast, along the deck or in any other
suitable fixed position and an ordinary derrick used, the lifting rope or chain being
led from the hoist to the derrick through blocks, pulleys or sheaves in any suitable
manner. Compressed air will generally be used for hoists of this form when placed
where steam would condense to a large extent and result in a loss of power.
My regulating valve in some cases, may be constructed as depicted in Figures 6
and 7 with a receiver T in the plug having a series of ports which are so spaced
as to open alternately to the steam or other pressure supply orifice U and to the
supply pipe V leading to the cylinder F when the plug is rotated, but never to
give a through passage for the steam or other medium, the object being to prevent
the steam being admitted too quickly, and thus, when the handle W is turned, the
receiver T is alternately opened to the steam supply U and to the delivery pipe V
to the cylinder of the hoist, so that only the steam contained in the receiver T is
supplied one or more times during each revolution, and the handle W must be
turned continuously when lifting. When this form of valve is fitted, the water or
other fluid buffer or retarder below the piston previously described is not required
and the tank and connections can be dispensed with and a simple air escape or
drain pipe is fitted from the lower end of lifting cylin ler to the exhaust pipe L.
A separate cock or valve may be provided for the exhaust which may also in some
cases be of the same type. I do not however bind myself to these forms of valve.
It is obvious that the internal drums may be of larger or smaller diameter than the
external or lifting drums in order to increase or reduce the lift in relation to the
travel of the piston, also the drums may be arranged at either end, and
the chambers located accordingly. Flat wire ropes or even thin metal strips may
be used instead of ordinary ropes or chains and if metal strips be used they may be
caused to pass through glands and thus avoid the necessity of enclosing the drum
in the same space. In simple forins, when the water is supplied at low pressure
even ordinary ropes or chains may be made to pass through glands, but this is only
applicable when slight leakage from the gland round the wire will not be a serious
matter,
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. The combination of improvements in or relating to hoists or cranes applicable
for use on steamers or in other situations substantially as described, also the
following parts or improvements taken separately-
a. The combination with the lifting cylinder having a sliding piston, and
means for controlling the admission of steam or other fluid pressure thereto
so as to drive the piston in either direction as required, of a pressure
chamber formed at one end of the cylinder, a rotatable drum mounted
internally therein on a driving shaft, which, passing out through a stuffing
box, carries a drum or other winding device on the outside, and a flexible
piston rod attached at one end to the piston and at the other wound upon
the internal drum for the purpose set forth.
b. The combination with a lifting cylinder having a sliding piston therein, of a
second cylinder of smaller diameter than the first also fitted with a contained
piston, a pressure chamber formed at one end of the cylinders having a
rotatable sheave or pulley mounted internally therein, and a flexible piston
rod attached at one end to the piston in the larger cylinder, thence passing
round the sheave aforesaid to the smaller piston to which it is attached and
thence passing over a sheave at the other end of the cylinders to the load to
be lifted,
2. A crane or boist, formed of a steam or other fluid pressure cylinder fitted
with a piston having a flexible piston rod of wire rope or the like the latter
arranged in such manner that it will operate a winding device for raising or
lowering the load, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A crane or hoist having two steam or other fluid pressure cylinders, one of
smaller diameter than the other, and each fitted with a piston, having a flexible
piston rod of wire rope or other suitable material which works steam tight
round a sheave or pulley at one end, and at the other passes over a pulley
forming itself the chain or its equivalent for lifting or lowering the load, whereby
toothed gearing or other like complications are done away with, substantially as
described.
4. In a regulating valve having a steam or other pressure supply inlet and an
outlet forming the valve plug with a chamber or receiver having a series of ports
so spaced as to open to the pressure supply inlet and the pressure supply outlet
alternately when the plug is rotated, but not simultaneously, or any mere mechanical
equivalent thereof such as forming the channel or receiver in the shell or socket in
which the valve plug rotates, or in both the plug and socket, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
D
ܩܪ
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.