Improvements in Pneumatic Apparatus for Hoisting or Heaving Ashes out of the Stokeholds of Steam and other Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Apparatus for Hoisting or Heaving
Ashes out of the Stokeholds of Steam and other Vessels.
GEORGE BROMILOW SHEPHERD Mechanical Engineer 6 Crosby Square
London E.C. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention, is to provide improved means for the hoisting or
heaving of ashes out of the stokeholds of steam and other vessels, for which
purpose I employ lateral action and induction apparatus, on the well known ejector
principle, which apparatus may be actuated by steam, compressed air, or water and
a convenient way of carrying my invention into effect, is as follows.
I make use of the ventilating shafts for the passage through them of the buckets
for containing the ashes to be discharged, and when two of such ventilating shafts
are employed, we provide between them a tube leading up from the stokehole, to
near the top of the ventilator shafts, or at any rate above the point for example of
the "fiddley "grating, to which the buckets have to be lifted. This tube may be
made of any suitable metal and of any convenient lengths, in it there is a plug, or
piston, made of suitable material, and of suitable form, to which is connected a wire
rope, carried over suitable pulleys, to the ventilator shaft, which rope is provided
with hooks for attaching to the ash buckets.
To the lower end of the pneumatic tube is connected an ejector, and from the
ejector to the main, or auxiliary, steam boilers, or both, as the case may be, is led
a small steam pipe upon which is fixed a valve, in a convenient position for the
operator when the instrument is to be brought into use, which valve when opened
will admit steam of a suitable pressure to the ejector and by the lateral action of
the current set up by the steam passing through the ejector, the pneumatic tube
will be cleared of air, and a partial vacuum will be formed therein, below the piston,
and this partial vacuum combined with the effect of the atmospheric pressure on
the top side of the piston, carries the latter down to the bottom of the tube and
closes the passage from the tube to the ejector, while the bucket, containing the
ashes, attached by a suitable connection to the piston will have been drawn up to
the desired level about the fiddley grating, to be taken and emptied.
August 19+b 1900
G. B. SHEPHERD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Apparatus for Hoisting or Heaving
Ashes out of the Stokeholds of Steam and other Vessels.
I, GEORGE BROMILOW SHEPHERD, Mechanical Engineer, formerly of 6 Crosby
Square, London E.C., but at present of 34 Leadenhall Street, London aforesaid, 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide improved means for the hoisting or
heaving of ashes or other material out of the stoke holds of steam and other vessels
and elsewhere. For this purpose I employ a tube or cylinder containing a piston
having a wire or other rope going over a pulley or pulleys at the top and down
into a shaft in which is hoisted and lowered a bucket or other receptacle as shown
for instance in the drawings and described in the Specification of Loudon's Patent
No. 9794 dated 29th July 1886. In order to obtain a vacuum in the tube to work
the piston when the condenser is not working I employ lateral action and induction
FD071

page_text: apparatus on the ejector principle and my apparatus may be actuated by steam as I
shall proceed to show as an example or by compressed air or water from the main
or other source. A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect as applied
to a steam ship is described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which
Figure 1 is a transverse section through a ship showing the general arrangement
of my invention when applied in conjunction with the apparatus shown in the
drawings and described in the Specification of Loudon's Patent aforesaid.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the lower part of the tube B and
ejector H.
Figures 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 are detail views of the cocks.
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively end and side elevation of the pulley over which
goes the wire rope for the bucket and
Figure 10 is a part sectional view of the bottom of the tube showing also
construction of the piston.
I make use of the ventilating shafts A A for the passage through them of the
buckets G for containing the ashes to be discharged and when as shown two such
ventilating shafts are employed, I provide between them the tube B leading up
from the stoke hold to near the top of the ventilator shafts, or at any rate above
the level for example of the "fiddley" grating H¹ to which the buckets G have to be
lifted. The tube B is made of any suitable material and of any convenient lengths
and in it there is a piston E (see detail Figure 10) which is provided with two cup
leathers or the like and is further recessed in the middle so that as shown as soon
as the bottom cup leather passes the ports near the bottom of the tube the piston
is gradually stopped or retarded by the cushion of air in the bottom of the tube
becoming less rarefied as the piston descends. To the piston E is connected the
wire rope Fwhich runs over a pulley C. The pulley (see also detail Figures 8
and 9) is swivelled on to the bracket C so that when the wire rope is shifted from
one ventilating shaft to the other the pulley adapts itself to the new direction and
the wire rope is always truly central in the tube. The wire rope F further goes
over pulley D down into the shaft A and has at the end a hook or other fastening
for attaching to the ash buckets G. To the lower end of the tube B is connected
an ejector H of any well known construction and from the ejector to the main or
auxiliary steam boilers or both as the case may be, is led a small steam pipe h. To
the pipe and communicating with the ejector is connected a cock or valve O (see
also Figures 4 and 5) in a convenient position for the operator when the instrument
is to be brought into use which valve when opened will admit of steam of suitable
pressure passing by the way o' and pipe o to the ejector H and by the lateral
action of the current set up by the steam passing through the ejector the pneumatic
tube will be cleared of air and a partial vacuum formed in the same by reason of
the way p being open and affording communication between the interior of the
tube and the ejector and by pipe exhausting outside. A partial vacuum being
formed in the tube B will cause the piston E to descend by reason of the
atmospheric pressure above same. When the piston E arrives at or near the
bottom of the tube B it closes the passage from the said tube to the ejector H,
while the bucket G containing the ashes will have been drawn up to the desired
level at the fiddley grating H', the door or doors A' being opened and the bucket
taken away to be emptied. In order to stop the bucket at any desired height in
the shaft A the plug of the valve O is given a quarter of a turn consequently
shutting off the supply of steam and simultaneously communication between the
ejector H and the tube B so that the piston is held in equilibrium. On giving the
plug another quarter turn, the way p¹ p p¹ in the casing and plug will be open and
consequently air will be admitted through pipe h¹ and the ejector to the interior of
the tube B and the piston will be free to ascend by reason of the weight of the
bucket G supposing the latter to be attached. Another quarter turn only closes
both ways of and p and yet another quarter turn brings the plug to the position
shown in Figures 4 and 5 for hoisting with slight modification this double
way cock

page_text: or valve is made applicable for use when the vacuum in the tube is obtained by
opening communication with condenser as shewn in detail in Figures 6 and 7. To
the lower end of the tube B is connected the casing of the valve Q so that the two.
openings and s¹ open into the tube. If the plug be in the position shown the
way from the condenser is open and the air is exhausted, the piston will
consequently descend and the bucket G will be raised. Supposing a quarter turn
be given to the plug communication to the tube B will be shut off and the piston
will be in equilibrium, another quarter turn will still keep the way r closed but the
ways communicating with the outside air will be opened air will flow into the
tube B, and the piston by reason of the weight of the bucket G will ascend while
the latter will descend. Another quarter turn will close the way s and way r will
continue to be closed and the piston will be in equilibrium and yet another quarter
turn of the plug will bring samme into the position shown on the drawing for again
raising the bucket.
A shorter tube B than that shown may be used and multiplying gear applied if
a long tube be in certain cases found objectionable. Further it is not necessary
that the said tube should be placed vertically, may be put into any convenient
place or position either horizontally or at any angle.
When the main engines are working and consequently the condenser the vacuum
may be obtained in the tube by opening communication with the condenser but
when the main engines are stopped and the vessel is hove to or is at anchor or when
in port or when it is otherwise not convenient to utilize the condenser, the vacuum
is obtained by the ejector as before described:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. Apparatus for hoisting and lowering consisting of a tube or cylinder
containing a piston actuated to communicate motion to a wire or other rope, said
rope being attached to a bucket or other receptacle in combination with an ejector
for exhausting the air from underneath such piston and communicating motion.
thereto substantially as described and shown.
Second. The construction of cocks or valves for use in hoists of the construction
specified substantially as described and shown.
Third. The construction of apparatus for hoisting and lowering as shown on the
drawings.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.