An Adjustable Elevator.
Year: 1899

page_text: PRONIUNAL DI PUITICATION.
An Adjustable Elevator..
WALTER WILLIAM BAVERSTOCK, 6, Albany Road, Leyton, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A detachable and adjustable machine for raising frozen carcases of sheep (or
other goods) out of ships' holds which can be immediately disconnected between
its terminals which are independent of each other. It consists of (a) a steel
beam fitted with adjustable clamps at either end for gripping hatch coamings
of any description or dimensions (or other framework). (b) 2 adjustable brackets
which support bearings carrying a shaft with 2 chain wheels 2 driving wheels
and a rack and pawl. (c) an adjustable framework fixed upon a wood platform
(which forms the lower terminal) its sides being iron castings grooved and
slotted and fitted with sliding (gun)-metal bearings carrying a shaft with 2
chain wheels to correspond with those fitted to (a) these sliding bearings are
supplied with screws and nuts for slackening or tightening chain which carries
buckets (or trays) (d). Any required number of galvanized steel buckets with
beaded edges and fitted with tee iron frames with iron stops rivetted to same.
(e) the same number of slotted socket plates, bolted to chain attachments which
admit of the tec iron frames of buckets sliding into them as far as stops will
allow, these frames are held in position in the sockets by (f) revolving catches
working upon screwed studs fixed into sockets and supplied with handle nuts
for tightening, which admits of the easy detatchment of the buckets an end-
less detachable chain and attachments are used in connection with this machine.
Dated this 18th day of September 1899.
WALTER WILLIAM BAVERSTOCK.
I, WALTER WILLIAM BAVERSTOCK, of 6, Albany Road, Leyton, Gentleman, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
My invention relates to endless chain elevator apparatus for raising frozen
carcases and other goods out of ships' holds, the especial object of the invention
being to provide an apparatus which is capable of being very quickly mounted
in position for use and very quickly moved out of the way on the cessation of
work for the day, and which is readily adaptable to suit the varying require-
D
017

page_text: ments arising during the progress of the work, or consequent on the varying
conditions under which the work is required to be performed or on the differences
of structural arrangement of different ships.
In discharging frozen meat cargoes it is of primary importance to effect the
installation of the elevating apparatus within the hatchways and its removal
therefrom when work is suspended (at the end of the day or at any other time)
as rapidly as possible, so as to lessen the time occupied in discharging, to reduce
to a minimum the length of time during which the hatchway of the cold storage
hold is kept open, and to avoid as much as possible the access of heat to the cold
storage hold, in which it is essential that a low temperature should be continually
maintained as long as any portion of the frozen meat cargo remains to be dis-
charged.
The endless chain elevating apparatus of my invention is adapted to fulfil these
conditions, being quickly installable and removable and readily adjustable to
suit the size of hatchway and the height and other conditions of lift.
With these objects I dispense with the usual elevator-leg or framing and
provide for extending the chains two separate mountings, the one adapted to
be clamped or otherwise mounted upon the hatchway coamings or other fixed
support on the upper deck, and the other or bottom mounting being adapted to
rest upon the cargo or on the floor of the cold storage hold, the former mounting
being provided with the necessary gear for driving and controlling the working
of the chains and the latter with the necessary tension appliances for tighten-
ing or slackening the bucket chains.
-
In connection with these mountings I provide endless bucket chains of suffi-
cient length to pass through the hatchways of the upper, main, and lower decks
into the cold storage hold and to run on sprocket wheels carried by the upper
and lower mountings, the chains being adapted to be readily disconnected at
any point for the purpose of being varied in length, as required, by the insertion
or removal of links, and buckets or trays adapted to be readily fixed on or
removed from the chain links.
In the single form of the apparatus it comprises a pair of such chains with
bucket carrying frames extending across and connected to both the chains, the
buckets or trays being removably mounted on said frames. The elevating
apparatus is capable of being duplicated and of being worked concurrently or
alternately by the same driving winch, for discharging from the port and star-
board sides of the hold respectively.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein I have illustrated a duplex form of
the apparatus. Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a rear elevation of
the apparatus as installed on board ship. Figures 3 to 7 show details on a larger
scale, Figure 3 being a front elevation of the bucket frame, Figure 4 a horizontal
section of the same; Figure 5 a rear elevation of a bucket or tray, Figure 6 a
cross section of the same, Figure 7 a cross section of a bucket and bucket frame
in position on the chain, and Figure 8 a rear elevation of a portion of one of
the chains.
The upper mounting comprises a steel girder or beam A formed preferably
of a pair of rolled joists braced together and of a length sufficient to bridge over
the largest hatchway to which it is required to be applied, and provided near
either end with clamps B adjustable along the beam, by which it may be secured
upon the coamings of a hatchway of any dimensions or upon any other sup-
porting frame-work on the upper deck C of the vessel.
Upon this beam are fixed standards D supporting bearings d in which is
journalled the shaft E carrying sprocket wheels F and provided with ratchet and
pawl gear G to prevent the elevator running backwards by the weight of the
load overcoming the driving power.
HH are the endless chains passing through the hatchway at opposite sides
of the beam A and through the hatchway or hatchways of the deck or decks

page_text: below and around sprocket wheels I on a shaft J mounted in bearings K fitted
to slide in vertical guides in standards L bolted down upon a wooden platform
which rests upon the cargo or on the floor of the hold, tension screws M coupled
to the bearings K receiving hand-wheel nuts N confined between cross members
of the frame so as when turned to apply the necessary tension to the chains to
prevent sagging of the chains under the overhanging load in the buckets, the
frame LL being sufficiently heavy to maintain the tension put on the chains.
The chains are preferably formed of U-shaped links adapted to pass over the
sprocket teeth and the side members terminating in hooks adapted to detach-
ably connect with the cross member h¹ of the next link, as shown in Figures 7
and 8.
The buckets P are open ended galvanized steel troughs or trays with beaded
edges, the sides and bottom being embraced by T iron frames 2 to. which are
rivetted sliding blocks q adapted to engage in slotted sockets q formed on the
side members of bucket carrying frames Q bolted to certain links H¹ of the
chains, which links are formed with side lugs for the purpose, the inwardly
directed flanges of the sockets making an interlocking or dovetail connection with
the blocks which have laterally projecting shoulders q2 at their upper end
adapted to rest upon the upper ends of the sockets in which position they are
locked by means of stop bars R pivoted on studs r fixed to the frame Q at a suffi-
cient distance above the sockets to admit of the sliding blocks being raised out.
of the sockets when the stops are swung to one side, the stops being secured in
operative position by fly nuts r screwing upon the pivot studs.
The frame Q is offset from the plane of the chain sufficiently to clear the ends
of the teeth of the sprocket wheels in passing over the same, and the side
members of the frame Q are prolonged downwardly sufficiently, to bear against
the next link below so as to prevent excessive canting of the trays when loaded ;
the upward prolongation, besides carrying the stop bars R, serving to prevent
the excessive canting of the trays on the descending side of the chains. The
side members of the frames are braced together by cross bars at top and bottom
to maintain the proper relative positions of the chain and sockets when the trays
are removed.
The duplex form of elevator shown in Figure 2 is driven from a winch through
a chain running on a sprocket wheel S fast on a middle or driving length of
shaft T journalled in a bearing mounted in a standard T¹ and received tele-
scopically in the sprocket wheel shafts E which are tubular so as to admit of the
two elevators being adjusted at any required distance apart, provision being made
for coupling the shaft T at will with either or both of the shafts E by means of
clutches U, one member of which is fixed on the end of the shaft E whilst the
other or movable member is mounted upon the driving shaft T with a groove
and feather connection and is moved into or out of gear by means of a clutch
lever pivoted in a support adjustable along with the standards D upon the
beam A and operated by means of suitable link and lever connections from a .
handle V on the outside standard D.
Ware fender rollers mounted at the sides of the beam to prevent the chains
catching against the beam.
The trays being open-ended permit of the carcases being slid thereinto in
loading and thereout in unloading the trays with great ease and without liability
of damaging the meat by bruising.
In order to close the hatchway of the cold storage hold when work is
suspended it is only necessary to unship the buckets or trays P, to uncouple
the chains H H so that they may be thrown off the lower sprocket wheels I,
and to then raise the pendent members of the chains out of the hatchway to be
closed, the converse operation enabling work to be restarted with a minimum of
delay.
In order to enable the ordinary, ships' winch as used on board for ordinary
ships' purposes, to be temporarily adapted for driving the endless chain which

page_text: runs upon the sprocket wheel S, I provide a ring of sprocket teeth, made in
segments adapted to be bolted together at their abutting ends so as to form a
complete ring about the barrel of the winch, the ring being of sufficient diameter
to admit of its being applied upon the largest size of winch barrel in general
use. The ring is made fast upon the barrel (of whatever size) by the inter-
position of filling blocks about which the ring is secured by radial set screws
passing through ears on the ring and bearing against the blocks so as to bind
the ring tightly upon the blocks and the blocks tightly upon the barrel, thereby
maintaining driving connection between the barrel and the ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An endless chain elevator having buckets or trays for discharging frozen
meat or other cargoes, the chains being distended by and running on sprocket
wheels carried on shafts journalled in mountings which are supported indepen-
dently of each other without any connecting frame so as to permit of ready
installation, dismounting, and adjustment, as described.
2. An endless chain elevator for discharging frozen meat or other cargoes,
having trays or buckets detachably connected to the chains, substantially as
⚫ specified.
3. An endless chain elevator for discharging cargoes of frozen carcases, the
elevator chains having open-ended trays supported in cradle frames, provided
with shouldered sliding blocks in combination with sockets carried by frames
attached to and bracing the chains together transversely, the frames being
adapted to bear against the chains so as to prevent undue canting of the trays,
as described.
4. An endless chain elevator for discharging frozen meat or other cargoes
whereof the upper sprocket wheel shaft is supported in bearings in standards
supported on a beam bridging the hatchway, the ascending and descending
members of the elevator chains passing at opposite sides of the beam, as described.
5. In an endless chain elevator for discharging frozen meat or other cargoes
wherein the elevator chains are distended by independent mountings at top and
bottom the provision in the lower mounting of means for effecting the vertical
adjustment of the sprocket wheel shaft for applying tension to the chain, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of June 1900.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.