IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TRANSHIPPING or REMOVING COAL, SALT, CORN, OR OTHER MATTER FROM ONE VESSEL OR PLACE TO ANOTHER, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Rigg, of the City and County of Chester, Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TRANSHIPPING or
REMOVING COAL, SALT, CORN, OR OTHER MATTER FROM ONE VESSEL OR
PLACE TO ANOTHER, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Rigg at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th October 1881.
JAMES RIGG, of the City and County of Chester, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR RELATING TO TRANSHIPPING OR REMOVING COAL, SALT, CORN, OR OTHER
MATTER FROM ONE VESSEL OR PLACE TO ANOTHER, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
It consists of two or more scoops or boxes working along slides or paths with or
without rollers or other means of reducing friction, these slides or paths connecting
the two vessels or places, and adjustable when needful for such cases as the
transhipment of coal or other matter from a barge to another vessel, these scoops
balancing cach other, and being raised and lowered by steam or hydraulic cylinders
or other motive power with or without the intervention of blocks with chains or
ropes or other multiplying power, and the cylinders being more conveniently
attached to the framework of slides, and the scoops at the delivery end being
automatic, and the apparatus supported upon a suitable adjustable framework, and
which would be regulated by means of blocks and tackle or other appliances that
the upper end may be placed conveniently to the hatchway, and the position of
the lower end raised to enable the boxes or scoops to be loaded with the least
possible labour. An adjustable shoot may or may not be applied to the upper end
to guide the matter tipped more accurately into the hatchway, thus alınost, if not
eutirely, avoiding contact with the deck or other part of the vessel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Rigg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April
1882.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR RELATING TO TRANSHIPPING OR REMOVING COAL, SALT, CORN, OR OTHER
IN APPARATUS
ONE VESSEL OR PLACE TO ANOTHER, AND
FROM
JAMES RIGG, of the City and County of Chester, Engineer.
MATTER
THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its principal object improvements in the coaling of
steamers from lighters, and may be also used for loading or discharging slack,
corn, salt, gravel, clay, or other minerals or materials for which its construction 1
renders it available.
It may be driven by steam, hydraulic, or other motive power, and the double
suspended framework carrying the buckets, boxes, scoops, or tray's is contrived in
such a manner as to admit of the apparatus being readily placed in position for
work, or stowed away fore and aft of the pontoon or barge upon which it is 1
carried, or nearly so, and safely removeable from one place to another, thus
avoiding the risk consequent on instability.
Special provision is made for the material (assumed for the purposes of this
description to be coal) being delivered into the bunkers, whether they be on the
open deck, under roofs, such as covered alley ways, or at the vessel's sides; or (in 2
the case of grain) into bonnets and flexible or other pipes.
Another portion of my Invention provides for the rapid conveyance of tender
coal into the holds of vessels carrying coal cargoes, which it is important should be
DESCRIPTION OF THE IKAWINGS.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet I., represent the elevator in operation as though it were
delivering coal through the deck bunkers under a covered alley way, which covers
are not shown in the Drawings; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Sheet II., represent the elevator
stowed away fore and aft of the pontoon.
I carry the elevator upon an independent pontoon or barge placed between the
loaded lighter and the steamer or other vessel to be loaded; or it may be used
alongside a pier. A is a hollow tower or tube placed about centrally upon the
pontoon or barge, and having a roller path upon its head and another near the
heel, or a footstep if preferred, which roller paths bear the weight of the partially
revolving head B, and to which the two elevators C, C¹, are suspended by means
of chains over the pulleys b, b, b', 6', and under those marked c, c¹, Fig. 3, Sheet I.,
to the barrel of a steam winch or drum h connected to a pair of winding engines l,
thus enabling the double framework carrying elevator to be raised and lowered by
power.
The lower ends of this double framework may be curved downwards in such a
manner as to facilitate the loading from barges, which may be partially covered by
their decks, as shown in Fig. 1, Sheet I., the chains and buckets also being suitably
constructed, as described hereafter.
The head upon the tower is so constructed that it is capable of revolving
through somewhat more than a quadrant, and through the intervention of a
worm wheel or other gearing the pair of elevator frames may be revolved by
power.
The elevators are preferably driven by means of an endless wire or other rope,

page_text: which passes round a pulley upon the steam winch, engines, or gearing attached to
any other motive power employed.
This rope led under the pulleys e, e', and over those f,f', drives the shaft g, and
thus the double elevator.
The balance weights P maintain the rope taut to the necessary degree, and
compensate for the varying length required, should the elevator be in operation or
stowed away.
The pulley at the head of the elevator may also be driven by one of the ship's
winches, or any other convenient source of power.
Hand winches E, E, are provided on the deck of the pontoon or barge, enabling
the respective ends of the pair of elevators to be corrected and readily adjusted to
the positions in which they may be required.
In the case of coal or other such like material it is intended that the elevator
should be fed from the lighter or other vessel by manual labour,
When used for grain and other suitable matter the buckets or scoops are self-
acting.
Frepresents the boiler on the pontoon or barge driving the winch or engines,
which may also be used for its own propulsion, G, G', boing the pontoon or barge
carrying this machinery; H, the lighter about to be discharged; and D the vessel
receiving the matter being loaded.
The elevator boxes, buckets, scoops, or trays may be of various forms, but for
coal or material having to be similarly dealt with are preferably made as scoops or
trays and of steel, somewhat as shown in Fig. 18, Sheet IV., and bars may be
placed over them at the lower end of the elevators at such distances apart as will
prevent the admission of pieces of coal too large to pass into the bunkers. The
buckets or scoops may work with or without a trough, as shown in Figs. 14, 15,
16, and 17, Sheet IV., or in a completely enclosed boxing round them.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6, Sheet II., represent the manner in which the suspended frame-
work of the elevator may be stowed away for its safe removal when not in operation,
the beams R, R', supporting it in this position, its weight being transmitted through
the brackets attached to the elevator frames.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet I., illustrate the method of distributing the coal simul-
taneously from both elevators into deck bunkers by shoots or troughs, these latter
carrying belts, bands, chains, or scrapers, and motion being communicated to them
by belts, chains, toothed gearing, or other convenient method; these troughs may
be readily detached, so that any number required may be used for distribution of
the coal in the various bunkers, and the coal thrown off at any desired point by
the deflecting plates or doors r, shown in Fig. 3. If scrapers be used, suitable doors
would be placed under the troughs for a similar purpose.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, Sheet III., show the method adopted of loading steamers or
other vessels having the bunkers on their sides, the cross trough I, being used in
Fig. 7 as in Fig. 1. For distribution of coal through the bunkers on the side next
the pontoon or barge, Figs. 9 and 10, a light casing™h is attached below the head of
the elevator, which is temporarily closed at the point at which the distributing
pipe is attached or suspended. A similar light pipe is connected to the
trough I, Fig. 7, and to each of these pipes flexible tubes i, i, i, i, are attached
and led into four or more bunkers, which are thus fed simultaneously.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13, Sheet III., represent the self-acting apparatus intended more
especially for lowering tender descriptions of coal into the holds, and thus avoiding
breakage in coal cargoes, and it consists of a series of buckets or boxes attached to
an endless chain, beit, or band passing over drums at either end, the shaft m having
keyed onto it a pair of bevil wheels, at one end connected to a vertical shaft pro-
vided with a floating key, these connecting another pair of bevil wheels to the
brake shaft, which can be controlled from the deck notwithstanding the main
framework carrying the buckets being raised to suit the varying depth of the coal
in the hold. The apparatus and its hopper are supported upon a portable frame-
work over the bunker or other part of the vessel at which it is desired to load. It

page_text: may be raised or lowered either by the ship's tackle attached to the eye o, or by
handles upon either of the squares p, p', upon the shaft g geared to the rack r.
Sheet V., Figs. 19, 20, 21, and 22 illustrates a modification of the curved elevator
as applied to the discharging of grain, seeds, or other suitable matter from the holds
of steamers or other vessels, Figs. 19 and 20 being side elevations of the apparatus,
the upper portion of the curved frame work or trunk carrying the roller buckets,
to which is attached a pinion actuated by the handle a and suitable gearing; this.
pinion gears into a rack attached to the second trunk, and enables it to be raised
and lowered within certain limits. A corresponding framework or trunk is placed
alongside this one, and driven by the same pulley and shaft, as most clearly seen in
the end elevation Fig. 21, this shaft V working in a tube or hollow trunnion
capable of oscillating in the bearings of the main checks supporting this portable
apparatus over the hatchway. The pair of elevators in these trunks thus driven
from the same motive power may be placed one on either side of the screw shaft
tunnel, and their inclination adjusted at pleasure by a curved rack and pinion or
other means.
The box w enclosing the lower end of the elevator, and which lies
slightly immersed in the grain or other matter to be raised, is capable of adjust-
ment upon the upper trunk without interfering with the action of the roller
buckets c, and can be raised or lowered by means of the handles b connected to the.
drums ≈ and y, chains from them being attached to the drumst and u respectively..
To the spouts of the elevators I attach troughs with travelling belts or bands,
scrapers, worms, or tubes, as may be most convenient for conveying the grain
or other matter to the quay side, truck, or other vessel or place where it is
required..
The roller buckets, Sheet IV., Figs. 14, 15, 10, and 17, are attached to snugs or
wings on the malleable or wrought iron or steel links d, the spindles passing
through these links being preferably of steel of sufficient strength to permit of their
bearing the weight of the elevator and its load; these spindles carry at their ends
small flanged or grooved rollers acting upon guides, these guides being trumpet-
mouthed as they approach and leave the drums round which they travel, or as they
leave them only. The specially constructed relieving chain will prevent serious
damage or delay in the event of the possible breakage of the main links carrying
the roller buckets.
These roller buckets are mainly so constructed that they may work in the
internal curves of an elevator arm, as illustrated in Fig. 15, Sheet IV., and Figs. 19
and 20, Sheet V., and may be used in conjunction with other supporting chains
than those described, and with or without the relief safety chain or chains f
without departing from my Invention. The curved elevators described above
may be placed in position either by the ship's tackle, a crane, or other convenient
means.
Other modifications of the suspended or independent curved elevators will permit
of their being attached to a portable or fixed jib crane, and for loading from barges,
steamers, or other vessels into railway trucks or other conveyances or places, or
wholly on land.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The apparatus for transhipping or removing coal, salt, corn, or other matter
from one vessel or place to another, arranged and combined substantially as herein.
before described and illustrated in Sheets I., II., IV., and V.
Second. The manufacture of apparatus for transmitting or removing coal, salt,
corn, or other matter in which the elevator is suspended from a pillar or framework,
so that it can be rotated horizontally, and can be stowed away foro and aft,
substantially as described.
Third. The apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 11, 12,
and 13, Sheet III., for reducing the breakage of tender coal in loading into the
holds of ships or other depths.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of the frames curved at one or both ends and the slides
or pulleys with or without rollers or other means of reducing friction thereon, so
arranged that the series of buckets or scoops may work in the combined concave
and convex curves, for the purposes described.
In witness whercof, I, the said James Rigg, havo hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES RIGG. (L.S.)