Apparatus for Removing Refuse from Vessels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th red., 1894-
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec., 1394-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Removing Refuse from Vessels.
I, ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL, a citizen of the United States of North
America, and residing in the City of Duluth, in the County of St. Louis and
State of Minnesota, one of the United States aforesaid, Ship Builder, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
I propose by means of my invention to greatly facilitate the removal of ashes
and other refuse such as garbage and deposits from closets from the stokeholds and
elsewhere of vessels. In carrying out my invention, I provide a receptacle in
which the ashes or other material to be removed is placed, and which may be a
separate receiving box, or a part of the water-bottom of the vessel. This
receptacle is connected with the outside of the vessel by a pipe in order that the
ashes or other material may be mixed with a large proportion of water, the desired
amount of which may be regulated by a sea-valve placed in said pipe. The said
receptacle may also be provided with a heavy grating near the upper part thereof,
on which the material is placed, and the said pipe which is connected with the
outside water, may enter the receptacle above such grating so as to flood the
material through the same into the receptacle.
Connecting with the receptacle near the bottom thereof is a pump, the discharge
pipe of which extends through the side of the vessel, either above or below the
water line. The said pump may be located within the receptacle if desired. By
operating the pump the material in the receptacle mixed with a large proportion
of water will be forced overboard, and being in a thoroughly wet condition, no
dust will be formed. Also, in the case of odoriferous materials, like garbage and
deposits of closets, the fact that such materials are commingled with water will
effectively prevent a nuisance. The operation of removing ashes and other refuse
material from vessels can therefore be carried on with cleanliness and rapidity,
and the apparatus when started will require but little or no attention. The pump
which prefer to use is a rotary pump, which has no valves or packed parts, and
therefore cannot clog up; but any other desirable pump or similar device can
be used. By pumping water through the apparatus, the parts thereof will be
cleaned of any dust or dirt therein.
Dated the Nineteenth day of February 1894.
Apparatus for Removing Refuse from vessels.
I, ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Duluth in the County of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, one of
said United States, Ship Builder, 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 the invention is to provide and produce an apparatus by means of

page_text: which ashes may be removed from the fire holds of vessels or from other places
where such ashes may accumulate, in a more expeditious manner than is now
possible with present apparatus, and without creating any dust or dirt.
My improved apparatus is designed to be practically automatic and when once
started will require but little attention.
I make use of an ash box in which the ashes are placed as they accumulate,
being precipitated in such ash box by water flowing in from the outside of the
vessel. To one side of and in front of this ash box, I mount a centrifugal or rotary
pump, which is operated by a steam engine or other motor and which draws
the mixture of ashes and water up out of the ash box and forces such mixture
over-board.
In some forms of vessels, such as men-of-war and Transatlantic passenger boats,
where the greatest economy of space in the fire-holds is desirable a portion
of the water bottom of the vessel may be utilized in place of a separate ash box,
and instead of mounting a centrifugal or rotary pump to one side or in front of the
ash box, said pump may be placed within the same.
For a better comprehension of the invention, attention is directed to the
accompanying drawings, forming a part of this Specification, and in which
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus, with the
frames of the vessel shown in section;
Figure 2 an eud elevation thereof; and
Figure 3, a sectional view of the modified form, wherein a portion of the water
bottom of the vessel is used instead of an ash box, and in which the rotary or
centrifugal pump is mounted therein.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A represents the floor of the fire-hold of the
vessel, which is mounted on the usual transverse frames and which in most cases
constitutes the top of the false bottom. B is a metal tank or ash box which is
preferably made rectangular in shape, and which is provi led within the same, near
its upper open end with a heavy iron grating C. D is a metal pipe which connects
with the outside water preferably through the side of the vessel, and which
communicates with the said metal tank or ash box B at a point above the
grating C.
E is a sea-valve placed within said pipe D and by which the flow of water from
the outside may be regulated or cut off. F is a centrifugal or rotary pump which
is mounted in front of said metal tank or ash box B; and G is a discharge pipe
which extends up and passes outside of the vessel at a point near. the water line,
either above or below the same.
H is the suction pipe of said centrifugal or rotary pump, which suction pipe
extends into the metal tank or ash box near the bottom thereof. I is a small steam
engine of any desirable shape which is preferably coupled directly with the
centrifugal or rotary pump, and which is used to operate the same. An electric
motor or any other motor may, however, be used for this purpose. Should such
steam engine be employed, it is preferably supplied with steam from the boilers of
the vessel and in this way can be operated with great economy. I prefer to
house-in the steam engine by a metal cover J, by which the engine will be
effectively protected from dust and dirt, and the noise thereof will be muffled to a
large extent.
Referring to Figure 3, A is the false bottom of the vessel, which generally
constitutes the floor of the fire hold and upon which the boilers of the vessel are
mounted either directly or upon suitable foundations. The space beneath this
false bottom A, as mentioned, is called the water bottom of the vessel, the functions
and uses of which are understood by all familiar with the construction of inetal
vessels.
In the case of men-of-war and passenger vessels, where the greatest economy of
space is desirable, I utilize a portion of this water bottom, which is partitioned off
to form an ash box B, shown as being directly adjacent to the keelson C of the
vessel. The said ash box B may however be located elsewhere in the false bottom

page_text: but it is desirable to place it near the fires. The said ash box is water tight
to prevent water from leaking from the ash box into the fire-hold.
D is a heavy metal grating which forms a top for the ash box and which should
be flush with the false bottoa A. The bars which form the grating D should be
sufficiently far apart to allow the ashes to pass through the same, and said grating
may be removable to allow the interior of the ash box to be reached.
E is a centrifugal or rotary pump of any desirable construction, and which,
instead of being placed in front of the ash box, as in Figures 1 and 2, is mounted
within the same and rests preferably on its side. F is the mouth of the pump
through which the material is drawn, and G is the discharge pipe thereof. This
discharge pipe G connects directly with a pipe H, which passes up through the
grating D and extends through the fire hold of the vessel and passes out through
the plating thereof, either above or below the water line, as may be desired. The
pipe H may extend adjacent to one of the usual stanchions of the vessel so as to be
out of the way, or it may constitute a support for the deck iminediately above the
false bottom A. I is a valve in said pipe H, which regulates the flow through:
said pipe.
K is a pipe which enters the ash box A, preferably near the lower part thereof,
and which connects with the outside water, or with the water within the water
bottom. The pipe K is provided with a sea valve L therein, for controlling the
flow of water through the same, and this valve is regulated by means of a hand
wheel M, as shown. N is a metal shaft, which is connected with the rotating
or operating element of the pump E, and which extends up through the ash box
preferably above one of the decks immediately over the fire-hold. The said shaft
is shown as being provided with a pulley O at its upper end, by means of which,
through suitable belt connections, it may be operated by any desirable form of
motor, such as a small steam engine, or an electric motor. The pump may,
however, be operated in any other desirable way.
In Figure 3, I have shown the mouth F of the pump as being adjacent to that
of the precipitating pipe K, so that when the pump E is operating and the
valve Lin the precipitating pipe is opened, a strong current of water will flow
directly from said precipitating pipe to the pump.
The operation of the devices shown in Figures 1 and 2 and in Figure 3, are
substantially identical with the exception that in the former the ashes are placed
on the heavy grating and are flushed through the same into the ash box by water
flowing through the precipitating pipe D, whereas in the latter the ashes are
introduced into the ash box either by removing the grating or by sweeping the
ashes through the same. In either form of device the ashes are mixed with water
in the ash box and are pumped out of the same through the discharge pipe so as to
be forced clear of the vessel. Should the discharge pipe of the centrifugal pump or
its operating parts become clogged up, the same may be effectively cleaned by
allowing clear water to be pumped through the same as will be understood.
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 :-
1. An improved process for removing ashes from vessels, which consists first in
subjecting the ashes to a stream of water by which they will be precipitated to a
point around the suction pipe of a pump, then in operating the pump and forcing
the mixture of water and ashes outside of the vessel at a point near the water line,
substantially as described.
2. An improved apparatus for removing ashes from vessels, which consists of a
metal tank or ash box into which the ashes are to be placed, a pipe for supplying
water from the outside of the vessel to the said metal tank or ash box, and a pump
for removing the mixture of water and ashes from said ash tank and forcing
the same outside of the vessel at a point above the water line, substantially as
described.

page_text: 3. An improved apparatus for removing ashes from the fire-holds of vessels,.
consisting of a metal tank or ash box open at its upper end; a heavy grating near
the upper end thereof; a pipe connecting with the outside water and entering the
said metal tank or ash box above said grating; and a pump having its suction
pipe connecting with said metal tank or ash box near the lower end thereof, and
with its discharge pipe passing outside of the vessel at a point near the water line,
substantially as described.
4. An improved apparatus for removing ashes from vessels, which consists of a
metal tank or ash box, a heavy metallic grating near the upper end thereof, a pipe
connected with the outside water and entering said metal tank or ash box either
above or below said grating, a sea-valve within said pipe, and a pump, the suction
pipe of which enters the said tank or ash box at the lower end thereof and having
its discharge pipe passing outside of the vessel at a point near its water line,
substantially as described.
5. An apparatus for removing ashes from the fire-holds of vessels, which consists
of a metal tank or ash box open at its upper end, a metallic grating within said
tank or ash box at its upper end, a pipe connecting with the outside water and
entering said tank or ash box at a point either above or below said grating, a
sea-valve in said pipe, a centrifugal pump connected with said tank or ash box and
having its discharge pipe passing outside of the vessel at a point near the water
line, a steam engine for operating said pump, and a casing for covering said
engine, whereby the same will be protected from dust and dirt and noises
therefrom will be muffled, substantially as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for removing ashes, which consists of an ash box, a
precipitating pipe entering the same, the discharge pipe, and the pump within said
ash box and connecting with said discharge pipe, substantially as set forth.
7. An apparatus for removing ashes from the fire-holds of vessels, which
consists of a tank or ash box formed within and a part of the water bottom of the
vessel, a precipitating pipe entering the same, a discharge pipe, and a pump
within said ash box connected with the said discharge pipe, substantially as set
forth.
Dated the Tenth day of December 1894.
ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL,
By W. Fairburn-Hart, Agent.