AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OF VESSELS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Olguin at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1879.
JOSEPH OLGUIN, of Cambridge Gardens, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE LOADING AND UNLOADING OF VESSELS."
My Invention has for its object the application of a new and improved method
of transferring the loads direct from ships to warehouses and other suitable recep-
tacles, and vice versd, from any warehouses or loading places direct to freight vessels,
although the latter may be moored at a considerable distance from the said ware-
houses or loading places; and in such a manner a method of loading or unloading
can be applied so as to obviate the use of lighters or barges to effect the said loading
or unloading as is usually the case at present.
My arrangement is composed of two shallow craft, lighters, or pontoons, placed
parallel to each other and strongly braced into that position by crossbeams or
girders, thus giving a floating platform of very great stability and of very shallow
draught.
On this floating platform is fixed a wooden or iron vertical frame to be of
requisite height to enable the freight to be delivered easily to the warehouse or
landing place. By preference the height of this frame may be made adjustable to
suit any special requirements. Upon this frame are fitted small platforms at the
successive heights of each floor of a warehouse.
At a suitable height on this frame a double triangular crane jib projects hori-
zontally far enough to pass over a lighter to the centre of a vessel, the jibs being
the width of the frame apart at their inner ends, and almost meeting at their outer
ends. Upon each of these jibs runs a roller in a groove, which are attached each to
a traversing chain. The traversing chains pass outwards to the ends of the jibs
round horizontal sheaves at that end and back to the driving engine on the floating
platform. Over each of these traversing pulleys on the jibs passes a lifting chain
carried up to the top of the frame, and from thence over a pulley down to the
hoisting engine on the floating platform.
For discharging goods from vessels into lighters or other craft alongside, the crane
jibs remain horizontal, the moveable rollers carrying the goods being simply traversed
from the ship to the lighters or other craft, or vice versa.
For working goods from ships into warehouses, or vice-versd, the triangular jib
is made to pivot on its inner base in a perpendicular direction, thus enabling the

page_text: goods to be landed on any of the platforins opposite any desired floor of a warehouse
or height of landing place.
The connection to the warehouse or landing place may be made by a return wire
rope passed from a winding drum on the frame round a pulley fixed in the ware-
house or landing place and back again to another drum on the frame.
These drums are fixed to a revolving shaft at the top of the frame, the two ends
passing round the drums in opposite directions, and the drums are driven from the
shaft by friction clutches. The revolving shaft may be driven in either direction by
pulleys keyed to it in the centre and driven by band gearing from the engine on
the floating platform below. The connecting rope may be taken from the top of
the framing down to any of the platforms before being led across to the warehouse
or landing place.
The revolving shaft is carried on two block bearings, which are free to slide in
two radial segments struck with a radius from the driving pulley of the engine
below.
These sliding block bearings are attached to chains which carry counter balance
weights sufficient to give the requisite tension to the carrying ropes to the ware-
house, so that they may not sag too much with the travelling weight.
The goods when hoisted from the ship may be delivered into small carrying
trucks or cages constructed to run by the carrying ropes into the warehouse floors,
or vice-versa.
The action of the counter balance weight on the sliding bearings in the quadrant
not only serves to keep the carrying ropes tight but also permits the vessel to move
with the tide or motion of the water without affecting the tightness of the ropes or
the driving connection from the engine.
In the case of short distances and to deliver to the lower floors of the warehouse,
a series of light spouts may be hung to the ropes and the bags or goods be delivered
by sliding along them.
For working grain an elevator may be placed inside the frame, the crane being
used in its horizontal position.