Improvements in Apparatus in connection with the Shipment of Coal and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Apparatus in connection with the Shipment of
Coal and the like.
We, ARTHUR EDMUND BALLAN, of Clarence House, West Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, District Goods Manager and Dock Superintendent, North
Eastern Railway Company, and DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine
Works, Hartlepool, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
Our invention relates to apparatus in connection with the shipment of coal &c.
from high level staiths &c. to lower levels, or, as from a truck on an elevated railway
into the hold or bunkers of a vessel and the object is to lessen the breakage of coal
during its passage from the high to the lower levels.
In carrying out our invention we arrange immediately below the elevated railway a
hopper extending downwards to a trunkway. Within the hopper and at the top of
the trunk-way is a flap pivoted and balanced by means of weights in such a manner
that it tends to maintain a horizontal position. On one side of the trunk way is
arranged a series of openings at different levels, each opening being fitted with a
shutter or door, having operating mechanism connected to it whereby it can be
automatically or otherwise opened or closed. In order that a door or shutter may
be worked automatically, the operating mechanism is positively connected to the flap,
herein before described, in such a way that the depression of the flap towards the
vertical closes or partially closes the door or shutter.
Within the hoppered trankway is an adjustable bottom of suitable construction
suspended by chains or an equivalent, working over pulley wheels fitted on shafting,
and capable of being 'lowered to any desired level by the action of a brake or other-
wise. For the purpose of returning the adjustable bottom to its original position at
the bottom of the hopper or near the top of the trunkway, balance weights etc. may
be employed.
The height of the column of coal within the hopper is approximately maintained'
by partially or wholly closing the shutter or door of the outlet.
In order that our invention may be fully understood we give an illustrative
example. In the case of shipment of coal from the above mentioned truck on the
elevated railway into, say, the hold or bunkers of a ship at a lower level, a shutter or
door is used, at such a level as will admit of a spout being employed for transferring
the coal from the trunkway at that level to the hold of the vessel. The adjustable
bottom is in its first position near the top of the hoppered trunkway and as coal is
discharged into the hopper from the truck, it falls upon the flap, depresses it and
allows the coal to fall upon the adjustable bottom, which governed by the action of a
brake and balance weights is slowly depressed until it is level with the bottom of the
opening through which the coal is run into the spout. The brake is then fully
applied and further movement of the adjustable bottom prevented. The particular
door or shutter is then put into mechanical connection with the flap, which effectually
regulates its position, and as soon as a quantity of coal passes into the ship sufficient
to reduce the weight of the column of coal within the hopper of the trunkway by

page_text: such an amount as will allow of the controlling dap returning towards a horizontal
position, the shutter or door will be wholly or partially closed and the discharge to
the spout and thence to the ship stopped or lessened. The next truck of coal dis-
charged into the hopper will depress the controlling flap and the shutter or door will
again be opened. As the ship attains higher or lower levels depending on its dis-
placement or the state of the tide, the position of the spout is altered to suit the level
of the vessel, and any one of the other shutters or doors is operated as required, or it
may be secured in the open position, the object in all cases being to minimize the
fall or drop of the coal at the staith &c. by maintaining the height of the column
within the trunkway and so regulating the distance between the top of the column of
coal and the bottom of the truck, to a predetermined range.
In shipping coal &c. from end door trucks, hydraulic or other power inay be used
to tip the trucks so that the coal may run into the hopper. The adjustable bottom
is so designed as to minimize the leakage of coal. For example; the sides of the
adjustable bottom or table may be extended upwards and as the trunkway is
rectangular each side may be independently hinged and arranged to bear against the
sides of the trunkway.
D
... 13.01
1000
Improvements in Apparatus in connection with the Shipment of
Coal and the like.
We, ARTHUR EDMUND BALLAN, of Clarence House, West Hartlepool, in the County
of Durham, District Goods Manager and Dock Superintendent, North Eastern Railway
Company, and DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool, in
the County of Durham, 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 :-
Our invention relates to apparatus in connection with the shipment of coal and
the like from high level staiths etc., to lower levels, or, as from a truck on an elevated
railway into the hold or bunkers of a vessel, and the object is to lessen the breakage
of coal during its passage from the high' to the lower level:
In carrying out our invention we arrange immediately below the elevated railway
a hopper extending downwards to a trunkway. Within the hopper and at the top of
the trunkway is a flap pivoted and counter-weighted in such a way that it tends to
assume a horizontal position.
On one side of the truukway is arranged a series of openings at different levels,
each opening being fitted with a shutter or door having operating mechanism
connected to whereby it can be automatically opened or closed, the operating
mechanism being connected to or controlled by the flap, herein before desoribed, in
such a way that the depression of the flap towards the vertical opens, or partially
opens, the door or shutter whilst the reverse movement has the opposite effect.
The controlling shutter may be placed on the side of the trunkway or the trunkway
may be extended in the form of a channel or spout having the shutter at the end
thereof.
Within the hoppered' trunkway is an adjustable bottom of suitable construction
suspended by chains, or an equivalent, working over pulley wheels fitted on shafting,
and capable of being lowered to any desired level by the action of a brake or other-
wise. For the purpose of returning the adjustable bottom to its original position at
..
2

page_text: the bottom of the hopper, or near the top of the trunkway, Damnce weights or may
be employed.
The height of the column of coal within the trunkway is approximately maintained
by partially or wholly closing the shutter or door which regulates the outflow of coal
into the vessel. In order that our invention may be fully understood, we append
three sheets of explanatory drawings in which :-
Fig. I is a cross section of a hoppered' trunkway, the extension of which is provided
with doors or shutters fitted with the operating mechanism according to this inven-
tion. Fig. II is a front elevation of the saine, and Fig. III a detail of the brake
mechanism. Figs. IV & V show modifications of our invention.
The numbers in the various figures correspond.
Referring particularly to Figs. I, & III. The hopper 1, into which coal from the
truck 2 is discharged is in communication with the trunkway 3 which is provided
with a flap 4. Within the trunkway, and suspended by chains 5 and balance weights-6,
is an adjustable bottom 7 which is maintained at the level corresponding to any
one of the openings 8, 8, 8b which it is desired to use. The openings 8, 8ª, 8' are
provided with doors 10, 10° 10° controlled by a series of links 11, 11 and levers 12,
12ª operated in any suitable manner from the platform 13. The chains 5 of the
adjustable bottom 7 pass over pulley wheels 5* which together with brake wheels 5'
are fixed to shafts 5. In order that, the descent of the adjustable bottom 7 may be
efficiently controlled or stopped, brakes 5' are fitted to the wheels 5b and operated
from the platform 13. The flap 4, is pivoted on a shaft 4° and retained against the
stopper 4b by means of the counter weights 4 and levers 4. At the end of the
channel or spout 9, which forms an extension of the trunkway 3, is a shutter 9*
connected by means of chains 9h and guide pulleys 9° to a drum. 14 operated by
means of a lever 14ª. To the end of the lever 14ª is attached a chain 14b connected
to the lever 4', so that a depression. of the flap 4 will allow the shutter 9 to open,
whilst the return of the flap to its original position will close the shutter 9. The
lever 14 is capable of being thrown out of gear with the druin 14, so as to admit the
lowering of the spout 9 to any desired level. In the drawings the adjustable bottom
is shown at the level of opening 8.
The action of the apparatus is as follows :--
Coal from the truck falls into the hopper 1, depresses flap 4, passes into the trunk-
way 3, and spout 9, and thence into the ship. If the head of coal in the trunkway
falls below the normal level and below the flap, the flap tends to assume a horizontal
position and checks or stops the discharge of coal into the ship by means of the
shutter 9, the adjustable bottom 7 being maintained at the level corresponding to
any one of the openings 8, 8, 8b which it is desired to use. Fig. IV is a modification
of our invention in which the shutter is controlled hydraulically. In this arrange-
ment the shutter 9* is opened and closed by means of the chain 9b moved by the
ram 15 of a hydraulic cylinder 15, the ram being controlled by the valve 15b which is
operated by the flap 4 through the shaft 4* and lever 16.
Fig. V is a further modification in which the doors in the trunkway are controlled
hydraulically. In this case the oylinder 15 is inverted and the doors 10 are opened
or closed by a system of levers 12, 12", 12b and links 11, 11, 11b the ram 15ª being
controlled by the flap 4 by means the valve 15 in a similar manner to the arrange-
ment described in Fig. IV.
The adjustable bottom 7 is constructed so that friction is reduced by means of
guide wheels 7 and leakage of coal minimised by extending the sides upwards, the
sides being hinged so that they bear against the trunkway.
Catches or stoppers are arranged down the sides of the trunkway in such a manner
that when the adjustable bottom reaches any desired position the weight of the
column of coal within the trunkway is taken off the chains.
It will be understood that our invention, whereby the flow of coal into a ship, or
its equivalent, is regulated automatically by means of a counter weighted flap
situated at the base of a hopper into which coal is discharged from a truck, such flap
being actuated by the weight of coal falling on to it, and thus by its movement con-

page_text: trolling a shutter at the end of the discharge spout, is not limited to the arrangement
as described and illustrated with reference to Figs. I, II, III, IV & V, but may be
applied to any existing staiths and with particular advantage to existing high level
staiths where the breakage of coal would be materially decreased by the automatic
control of the discharge shutters at the end of the spout.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
(1) In apparatus by which coal is shipped from a high level to a lower level through
a trunkway, the maintaining of a head of coal in such trunkway by means of a flap
at the high level actuated by the weight of coal falling upon it, and connected to a
shutter at the point of discharge at the low level, by the movement of which the flow
of coal is checked or stopped.
(2) In apparatus by which coal is shipped from a high level to a lower level.the
combination of a controlling flap which is actuated by the weight of coal falling on to
it, with a shutter situated at the point. of discharge so that a movement of the flap is
transferred to the shutter, either by means of direct coupled mechanism, or by
hydraulic or other power.
(3) In apparatus by which coal is shipped from a high level to a lower level, the
combination with a trunkway of an adjustable bottom arranged and operated so that it
may be lowered, raised, or maintained at any desired level by means of operating,
mechanism brakes and balance weights, substantially as described.
(4) The arrangements of mechanism for the purposes set forth as described and
illustrated with reference to Figs. I, II, III, IV & V.