Improvements in or relating to the Unloading of Timber from Vessels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Unloading of Timber from
Vessels.
I, GEORGE NEWTON BUCHANAN of Epsom, in the County of Surrey, Wood
Broker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
or
"
This invention is designed to facilitate the labour of unloading cargoes of deals,
battens and other timber from vessels, and in carrying it into effect I employ a
suitable "elevator" and "lifting way to raise it to the required level previous to
coming on the "rolling way." The "elevator" may consist of a suitable frame-
work having channels in which may be endless chains or bands carrying suitable
shelves projections or equivalents adapted to carry up the timbers and deliver
them on to a suitable turn-table by which they may be directed on to the " lifting
way "where they are carried to the required point for delivery to "rolling ways
warehouses or the like. The turn-table may consist of a horizontal table provided
with rollers flanges or the like to retain pivot and direct the timbers being situated
conveniently on to the "lifting way "which may consist of a suitable table' or
floor provided with one or more side flanges or guides and tapering rollers over
which the timbers may pass. The floor or table is preferably lower at one side
than the other so that with the assistance of the tapering rollers the timbers
naturally gravitate to the lower side at which travels an endless chain or band
having suitable projections adapted to engage with the ends of the timbers and
thus cause them to travel along and up the "lifting way" to the point of delivery
and when necessary to the descending "rolling way" along which they travel by
their own weight over tapering rollers, inclining them towards the lower side and
against a suitable flange to keep them from falling from the platform or way."
It may sometimes be necessary to use an "elevator" in conjunction with but at
the side of the "lifting way "and without the turntable platform which is only
required when the "elevator is placed at right angles to the "lifting way.";
also the "lifting way may sometimes be used without the "elevator."
"
"
$$
"
A suitable brake may be employed in connection with any portion of the
apparatus and in the "elevator or "lifting way" suitable apparatus may be
employed to prevent any return movement which might result in the falling of the
timbers. The whole or any portion of the apparatus may be boxed in to prevent
the escape of the timbers or to prevent injury to persons working the apparatus.
The various platforms or ways may be supported by trestles or frameworks of
suitable height, stability and design as may be required.
Dated this 12th day of June 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Unloading of Timber from
Vessels.
I, GEORGE NEWTON BUCHANAN of Worple Road, Epsom, Wood Broker 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:-
1
This invention relates to apparatus for conveying lengths of sawn timber and in

page_text: particular for discharging ships' cargoes of wood, with the object of diminishing
manual labour required to transport the cargo from the ship's side over the wharf
to the place where it is to be stored or loaded for inland transport, the apparatus
being also suitable for use in timber yards and saw mills.
The apparatus consists of roller guide ways or conveyors adapted to transport a
cargo of timbers of various widths and lengths in succession, without danger of the
timbers which are moved in the direction of their own length becoming jammed by
reason of their varying widths and their tendency to assume an oblique position on
the guide way.
The invention consists in the combination with a guide rail or fence forming one
side of the guide way or conveyor of a series of rollers upon which and on the
guide rail the timbers rest, said rollers being so formed or so arranged in relation
to the guide rail or fence as to tend to cause the leading ends of the timbers to
constantly gravitate or trend towards the said fence by which alone they are
guided so that their tendency being to always hug that side, no second fence at the
opposite side is required.
The invention further consists in the combination with the guide rail or fence
and rollers operating as described of an endless conveying chain arranged to run
between the guide rail or fence and the rollers and provided with lugs at suitable
intervals adapted to engage with the heel ends of the timbers and carry them
along in succession upon the conveyor. This chain is not situated at the middle
of the width of the conveyor but so near to the fence as to enable it to engage
with the narrowest timbers it is required to convey, the tendency to incline away
from the fence which would be caused by this one sided propulsion in the case of:
the timbers of greater breadth being constantly counteracted and overcome by the
action of the rollers as above mentioned.
.
The chain would be required for propelling the timbers up an ascending grade,
or on the level, or even on a slightly descending grade, but in practice the chain
would generally be used for raising the timbers to the height necessary for the
continuance of their progress by gravity alone, upon a similar conveyor forming
'a continuation of the first, but unprovided with a chain.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a roller guide way or
conveyor provided with a chain, and Figure 2 is a cross-section of same, drawn to
a larger scale, shewing in broken lines a timber laying upon it. The construction
of the conveyor without the chain is precisely similar, except that the chain and its
guide channel are omitted.
.:
The conveyor is constructed of a frame A of convenient length, or lengths, say
about 20 feet each, more or less, supported on trestles or other permanent or:
temporary supports so as alone, or in conjunction with other sections, to bridge
over the space between the ship's side and the place of deposit. In the frame A at
suitable intervals apart a series of conical rollers B are mounted to freely turn on
horizontal spindles, the uppermost parts of the rollers on which the timbers rest
inclining downwards by reason of the conical form of the rollers towards a guide.
rail or fence C. This may be formed of angle iron, its horizontal member being"
about on a level with the adjacent lower ends of the rollers B whilst its other
member stands up a sufficient height to prevent the timbers running off the
conveyor. Between the fence C and the rollers is a channel D in which travels
the upper member of an endless pitch chain E which runs on sprocket wheels Fat
the two ends of the frame A; the shaft of one of these sprocket wheels being
-driven by belt or otherwise from an engine or other source of power.
The chain E is provided at 'intervals of 'about 15-feet-with-upstanding.lugs e,
projecting through the slot in the chain channel 'to a sufficient height to engage
the heel ends of the timbers deposited upon the conveyor and carry them forwards
lengthwise along the same. Should the timbers exceed in length the intervals
between the lugs e, this will not interfere with the operation, of the rollers, g's the

page_text: leading end of the timber will merely rest against the lug e in advance of the one
by which it is propelled instead of resting against the fence C.
To prevent short lengths of timber falling between the rollers, the spaces
between them may be filled with boards G supported on the side members of the
frame A.
The conveyor provided with a chain as above described would form the first
section or sections of the whole, and may rest on the vessel or on the quay, and
would generally be arranged at an upward inclination so as to raise the timbers to a
sufficient height to enable them to travel on the succeeding sections by gravity
alone, the various sections being connected end to end by suitable fastenings so as
to form a continuous system of conveyance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A roller guide way or conveyor for lengths of timber, consisting in the
combination, with a single guide rail or fence, of conical rollers so arranged as to
cause the timbers to tend towards the fence, substantially as specified..
2. A roller guide way or conveyor for lengths of timber, consisting in the
combination, with a single guide rail or fence, of conical rollers so arranged as to.
cause the timbers to tend towards the fence, and of an endless chain running
between the fence and the roliers and adapted to engage with and propel the
timbers of various widths along the conveyor, as specified.
LASA
AV JASA
G. N. BUCHANAN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.