Improvements in Apparatus for Shipping Coal or other Materials.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shipping Coal or other Materials.
JOHN FIELDING of the Atlas Works in the City and County of Gloucester Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
The object of this invention is to facilitate the working of moveable staiths for
shipping coal and other materials, such staiths travelling upon a line of rails placed
parallel with a quay wall.
The staith may, except in one respect, be of any usual description, delivering the
coal, either direct by means of a shoot, or by means of a crane and anti-breakage
box.
The exception referred to, consists in placing the tipping table in a pivotted frame,
swivelling in the horizontal plane about a pivot, fixed preferably in front of the
tipping table and beneath the shoot into which the wagons discharge their contents.
The pivotted framo extends backwards from the staith in the form of a gantry
fitted with rails for the passage of wagons too and fro. The back end of the gantry is
fitted with wheels running upon special curved rails, of which there are two pairs,
one pair curving away towards the quay wall from a line perpendicular to it, the
other pair curving away similarly upon the other side of the line.
These curved lines are of sufficient length to allow of the staith travelling in a line
parallel to the quay wall.
With the staith at the centre of its range, the gantry will he at right angles to the
quay wall, and its rear end will abut against a fixed railway siding, the rails fitting
together, so that wagons may run freely too and from the staith.
When the staith is moved away from its central position, a gap will be left in the
rails between the siding and the gantry.
This gap may be filled up by means of short lengths of rail, which may be rivetted
or bolted to sleepers in such a manner as to be conveniently handled and secured in
position, these short lengths of rail are preferably curved as the rails of gantry
assume an angular position as the staith moves to one side or the other.
According to another plan, a portion of the lines, upon either the siding, or the
gantry, or both, may be made in very short lengths, the joints being so halved, or
spliced, that whilst permitting of each part sliding upon the other and allowing of
free movement, a continuous bearing will be provided-upon which the wagon wheels
may run.
The short lengths of rail would be connected together in such a manner as to allow
of an extension and contraction of the line, somewhat after the manner of an
accordion, whilst the freedom in the joints would allow the line to curve horizontally
to some degree.
Suitable supporting girders would be provided sliding within the gantry, for
the purpose of carrying the rails which bridge over the gap between siding and
gantry.
According to a third modification, a carriage may be placed between the gantry
and the siding, the carriage, when gantry is in mid-position would connect it to the
siding, being provided with rails on its upper side matching those on siding and on
gantry. The carriage is provided with travelling wheels running upon two pairs of
rails similar to those carrying the rear end of gantry.
When the latter is at an angle, space is left between the carriage and itself and
In order to transfer a wagon from the siding to the gantry, the wagon is first run
apon the carriage, and the latter is then moved outwards to the gantry and the
wagon is then run forward over the gantry to the staith.

page_text: The wagon is transferred from the gantry to the siding in a similar manner, the
operation being reversed.
The carriage may be moved by hund or by suitable power, such as a hydraulic
ram, or capstan.
The platform of carriage may be fitted to slightly pivot on a centre pin to ensure
the rails properly abutting against those on siding and on gantry.
It may be fitted if desired with a turntable for reversing wagons, or the weighing
apparatus may be carried upon it so that one stoppage of the wagon may suffice both
for weighing and transferring, thus effecting a saving of time.
It may be fitted with two lines of rails, one for full and another for empty
wagons, suitable points being fitted on the gantry to join the two lines to a single
line at the staith end of gantry.
The shoot into which the wagons discharge may either be fixed rigidly square
with the face of tip or staith, or it may be pivotted to swivel in a horizontal plane
about a pivot placed near the delivery end of shoot, it would receive motion from
the swivelling frame which carries the tipping table, so that the contents of wagons
would be discharged approximately into the centre of the shoot.
Dated this 12th day of March 1889.
JOHN FIELDING.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shipping Coal or other Materials,
I, JOHN FIELDING of the Atlas Works in the City and County of Gloucester
Engineer 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 this invention is to facilitate the working of moveable staiths for
shipping coal and other materials, such staiths travelling upon a line of rails placed
parallel with a quay wall.
The staith may, except in one respect be of any usual description delivering the
coal, either direct by means of a shoot, or by means of a crane and anti-breakage
box.
The exception referred to, consists in placing the tipping table in a pivotted frame
swivelling in the horizontal plane about a pivot, fixed preferably in front of the tipping
table and beneath the shoot into which the wagons discharge their contents.
The pivotted frame extends backwards from the staith in the form of a gantry fitted
with rails for the passage of the wagons to and fro. The back end of the gantry is
fitted with wheels running upon special curved rails, of which there are two pairs,
one pair curving away towards the quay wall from a line perpendicular to it, the
other pair curving away similarly upon the other side of the line.
These curved rails are of sufficient length to allow of the staith travelling in a line
parallel to the
quay wall.
With the staith at the centre of its range, the gantry will be at right angles to the
quay wall, and its rear end will abut against a fixed railway siding, the rails fitting
together; so that wagons may run freely to and from the staith.
When the staith is moved away from its central position, a gap will be left in the
rails between the siding and the gantry.
This gap may be filled up by means of short lengths of rail which may be rivetted
or bolted to sleepers in such a manner as to be conveniently handled and secured in
position, these short lengths of rail are preferably curved as the rails of the gantry
assume an angular position as the staith moves to one side or the other.
According to another plan, a portion of the lines upon either the siding or the
gantry, or both, may be made in very short lengths, the joints being so halved or
spliced that, whilst permitting of each part sliding upon the other and allowing of free

page_text: movement, a continuous bearing will be provided upon which the wagon wheels
may run.
The short lengths of rail would be connected together in such a manner as to allow
of an extension and contraction of the line somewhat after the manner of an accordion,
whilst the freedom of the joints would allow the line to curve horizontally to some
degree.
Suitable supporting girders would be provided sliding within the gantry for the
purpose of carrying the rails which bridge over the gap between the siding and
gantry.
According to a third modification, a carriage may be placed between the gantry
and the siding, the carriage when gantry is in mid-position would connect it to the
siding being provided with rails on its upper side matching those on siding and on
gantry.
The carriage is provided with travelling wheels running upon two pairs of rails
similar to those carrying the rear end of gantry.
When the latter is at an angle, space is left between the carriage and itself and in
order to transfer a wagon from the siding to the gantry, the wagon is first run upon
the carriage and the latter is then moved outwards to the gantry and the wagon is
then run forward over the gantry to the staith.
The wagon is transferred from the gantry to the siding in a similar manner, the
operation being reversed.
The carriage may be moved by hand or by suitable power, such as a hydraulic ram
or capstan.
The platform of carriage may be fitted to slightly pivot on a centre pin to ensure
the rails properly abutting against those on siding and on gantry.
It may be fitted if desired with a turntable for reversing wagons, or the weighing
apparatus may be carried upon it so that one stoppage of the wagon may suffice both
for weighing and transferring, thus effecting a saving of time.
It may be fitted with two lines of rails one for full and another for empty wagons,
suitable points being fitted on the gantry to join the two lines to a single line at the
staith end of gantry.
•
The shoot into which the wagons discharge may either be fixed rigidly square with
the face of tip or staith, or it may be pivotted to swivel in a horizontal plane about
a pivot placed near the delivery end of shoot, it would recieve motion from the
swivelling frame which carries the tipping table, so that the contents of the wagons
would be discharged approximately into the centre of the shoot.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side elovation, and Fig. 2 a plan of a
moveable staith according to this invention.
A. is the staith running upon rails along the quay wall, and provided with a shoot
to recieve the coal from the wagons. B is the gantry, pivotted at C to the staith.
D is the tipping table worked by hydraulic power, or other suitable means. The land
or rear end of the gantry is carried on wheels E running on the curved rails F on the
platform G.-H, H are the moveable short lengths of rail which serve to maintain
the continuity of the lines from the siding to the gantry.
Figs. 3 & 4. shew the alternative method of transferring the wagons from the siding
to the gantry, consisting of a travelling carriage K with swivelling platform L,
pivotted at M, the platform being provided with rails corresponding to those on the
siding and on the gantry.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
In a moveable coal staith to which is pivotted a swing bridge or gantry for the
purpose of retaining connection with the fixed sidings.
1. Arranging the tipping table upon the bridge at the end adjacent to the staith as
and for the purposes herein set forth.

page_text: 2. Carrying the rear end of the bridge on wheels running upon suitable rails curved
to right and left of the centre of movement, suitable means being provided, such as
moveable rails, or a travelling carriage to enable the wagons to be carried to and from
the bridge, substantially as described.
Dated this Eleventh day of January 1890.