Improvements in Combined Floating Cranes and Elevators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Floating Cranes and Elevators.
I, JOHN EDWARD WALSH of 30, Charlton Street, in the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America, Stevedore, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machines by means of which vessels are rapidly loaded
and unloaded; and the improvement consists in the combination of two, or more,
masts erected on board of a barge or vessel carrying two double cranes or slotted
jibs, each on a vertically-adjustable sliding socket, to which they are connected,
preferably, by universal joints. These jibs again support either travelling trucks
or elevator-legs, as may be required.
The improvement also consists in a number of slotted beams mounted below the
jibs and carrying sheets of canvas, or similar material, which, when spread over
the hatches, will protect the workmen and the merchandise handled, on both the
vessel and the dock, from the weather while discharging or loading.
Upon a barge or vessel are mounted, near its middle, on opposite sides, two
upright poles, preferably square, each having two grooves extending from a point
above the deck all the way up. To the one pole is fitted a sleeve held in position
thereon by means of an upright shaft having screw threads cut in its upper portion
engaging with that cut in the sleeve. The shaft is revolved by means of a
crank, horizontal shaft, and gearing, and permits the sleeve to be raised or lowered
on the pole to any desired position. Into two holes passing vertically through
the sleeve, one at each side, are fitted the shanks of forks, and a peculiarly-shaped
forging or casting, carrying the guide rollers, is fitted to one end of a jib and
secured to one of said forks by means of a horizontal pin, thus allowing the jib to
be swung up, the sidewise slewing motion being obtained by the pivoting of the
shank of the fork in the sleeve. "The jibs or booms extend horizontally from the
pole when in action and in this position are supported by braces or chains connecting
with the two ends of a collar or cross-cap fitting around the vertical trunnion upon
the upper part of the mast. They are slotted throughout almost their entire
length and carry, each upon rollers and guided in the slot, a travelling truck or
trolley with a guide roller over which the hoisting rope passes before being dropped
through an opening in the truck to the vessel or dock while in the opposite
direction it passes back over another roller to a windlass mounted upon a raised-
platform of the barge. Another rope having been secured to the outer end of the
truck, passes under and half-way round a roller mounted in a stirrup-shaped
5 bearing upon the onter end of the jib and from there back over a roller to another
windlass mounted upon another platform upon the barge. Thus by alternately
handling the two windlasses the load on the hoisting rope can be carried along the
entire length of the jib and raised or lowered as required. To secure free passage
to the ropes, stirrup-bands are fastened to each jib to connect with the braces
O leading to the top of the mast. The jibs are preferably of sufficient length to
reach over a vessel and part of a dock. The beams to which the canvas tents are
secured are slotted to the entire length of the slot in a jib and their slots are of
sufficient width to allow the passage and some play for the hoisting rope. A long
sheet of canvas is secured to the outer sides of each beam and the inner sides are
5 connected by a shorter strip so that when spread it will form a tent which will
protect the workmen, the hatches, and the merchandise, yet forming no impedi-
ment for the handling of the latter. The employment of two jibs, each capable
of being swung while at work in a horizontal plane to one side of the mast, will
allow the goods to be handled with great despatch, as both jibs could be used in
0 one hatch of a vessel or two hatches could be worked with one jib for each at the

page_text: same time. The work having been completed, the jibs can be swung up by means
of hoisting tackle to an almost vertical position, and the vessel can proceed to some
other place as required. The jibs or booms mounted on a sleeve vertically adjust-
able on the other mast are arranged to carry elevator-legs and are preferably of
unequal length to facilitate the unloading of two vessels laying alongside of each
other at the same time. The elevator legs are adjustable vertically, in order that
they may be used to advantage on vessels of dissimilar height. The sleeve is
adjusted vertically upon the mast, in the same manner as the sleeve already
described, by means of an upright screw-shaft and gearing. The jibs are secured
to ears, like common hinges, by passing a hollow pin through the projecting cars
and are held at any desired angle by means of blocks and fall or swung up to an
almost vertical position when the work is done, and the vessel is to be moved from
one place to another. The elevator-pulleys are rotated by means of bevel gearing
and shafts passing through the hollow pin which secures the arms to the sleeve,
and an upright shaft carrying a pulley and provided with a lengthy key seat and
a bevel gear wheel is secured by brackets to the mast and passes through a forked
bracket secured on the sleeve which carries along the bevel gear wheel, the key
of which slides in a groove cut in shaft and making connection wherever the sleeve
may be placed on the mast, by means of a shaft and bevel gear wheel. The barge
is provided with a chamber to receive the grain to be unloaded and above this an
elevator is erected, the leg of which reaches to near the bottom of the chamber.
A steam boiler and engine furnishes the power for working the bucket-elevators in
the leg as well as those in the elevator legs carried by the jibs. Suitable chutes
lead from the nozzles of the elevator legs last mentioned into the chamber in the
vessel and to any hatch to be loaded.
The operation is as follows:-The barge is placed alongside of a vessel to be
unloaded and loaded and two other vessels being brought alongside herself and
each other at the outer or free side of the barge, the jibs of both cranes are lowered
and the sleeves adjusted to their proper height, at the same time adjusting the
braces on the jibs so as to retain the latter in an almost horizontal position. The
beams are now adjusted and the canvas is spread and the hoisting rope dropped to
wherever it is needed, the one jib having previously been swung over the hatches
to be worked. At the same time another gang of men will adjust the jibs carrying
the elevator legs and drop the latter into the hatches of the respective vessels and
adjust the shoots, when the work can proceed, as described, on three hatches
simultaneously, while workmen and merchandise are entirely protected from the
weather.
By the use of this combined floating crane and elevator a vessel can be prepared
to receive the grain from the elevator readily, which will serve as ballast, while
the other hatches are discharging, thus getting the vessel ready for sea with great
dispatch and being a help to secure her safety. I am well aware that slotted arms
and trolleys secured to sliding frames have been before used and therefore do not
broadly claim their use.
Dated this 25th day of M... 1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Floating Oranes and Elevators.
I, JOHN EDWARD WALSH of 30, Charlton Street in the City County and State 50
of New York United States of America Stevedore, 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 :-
My invention relates to machines by means of which vessels are rapidly loaded

page_text: nd unloaded; and the improvement consists in the combination of two or more
nasts erected on board of a barge or vessel carrying two double cranes or slotted
rms each on a vertically-adjustable sliding socket, to which they are connected,
referably, by universal joints. These arms again support either travelling trucks
r elevator-legs, as may be required.
The improvement also consists in a number of slotted beams mounted below the
rms and carrying sheets of canvas or similar material, which, when spread over
he hatches, will protect the workmen and the merchandise handled on both the
ressel and the dock from the weather while discharging or loading.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is an elevation of an apparatus embodying these improvements
laced between the vessels to be loaded and unloaded and in reach of a dock;
Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 with the curtain removed;
Figure 3 is a side elevation and section through the dock, showing the protecting-
canvas when spread;
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of details of the sliding sockets and
their connecting-links for a derrick as used for unloading goods;
Figure 7 shows a sliding socket for a derrick carrying elevator-legs.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Upon a barge or vessel S are mounted near its middle on opposite sides two
upright poles A and B, preferably square, each having two grooves A¹ A' and B' B¹
extending from a point above the deck all the way up.
To the pole A is fitted the sleeve a, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and held in position
thereon by means of an upright shaft m, having screw-threads cut in its upper
The shaft m is
portion engaging with that cut in the opening a in the sleeve a.
revolved by means of a crank m³, horizontal shaft m³, and gearing m', and permits
the sleeve a to be raised or lowered on the pole A to any desired position. Into
two holes a² a², passing vertically through sleeve «, one at each side, are fitted the
shanks of forks a³. A peculiarly-shaped forging or casting a, carrying the
rollers is fitted to one end of an arm D and secured to a fork a³ by means of
a pin passing through both horizontally, thus allowing the arm D to be swung up
by turning it around the pin p and at the same time to be swung sidewise, when it,
together with fork ³, will turn in a hole a², through which the shank of fork a³
passes, and is prevented from slipping back by means of a split pin or similar
device.
The anns or booms D are extending horizontally from the pole A when in action,
and in this position are supported by brace rods or chains connecting with the two
the upper
upon
ends of a collar or cross-cap A', fitting around the vertical trunnion
part of the mast A. They are slotted throughout almost their entire length and
carry each upon rollers and guided in the slot a travelling truck or trolley R, with
a guide roller, over which the hoisting rope h passes before being dropped
through an opening in the truck to the vessel or dock, while in the opposite
direction it passes back over the roller to a windlass, mounted upon a raised
platform S of the barge S. Another rope having been secured to the outer
end of truck R, passes under and half-way round a roller ³, mounted in a stirrup-
shaped bearing upon the outer end of an arm D, and from there back over the
roller to a windlass w', mounted upon the platform S' upon the barge S. Thus
by alternately handling the windlass w and w¹ the load on the hoisting-rope can be
carried along the entire length of an arm D and raised or lowered, as required.
To secure free passage to the ropes, stirrup-bands are fastened to each arm D
The arms D are
to connect with the brace-rods leading to the top of the mast A.
preferably of sufficient length to reach over a vessel and part of a dock.
The beams C, to which the canvas tents C¹ are secured, are slotted to the entire
length of the slot in an arm D, and their slots are of sufficient width to allow the
passage and some play for the hoisting-rope h. A long sheet of canvas is secured
to the outer sides of each beam C, and the inner sides are connected by a shorter
strip, so that when spread as shown in Figures 1 and 3, it will form a tent which

page_text: will protect the workmen, the hatches, and the merchandise, yet forming no
impediment for the handling of the latter.
The employment of two arms D, each capable of being swung while at work in
a horizontal plane to one side of the mast A, will allow the goods to be handled
with great dispatch, as both arms could be used in one hatch of a vessel, or two
hatches could be worked with one arın for each at the same time, as shown in
Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. The work having been completed, the arms D
can be swung up by means of hoisting-tackle to an almost vertical position,
(shown at D, Figure 1,) and the vessel can proceed to some other place, as
required.
The arms or booms E E, secured on a sleeve b, vertically adjustable on the
mast B, are arranged to carry elevator-legs F F, and are preferably of unequal
length to facilitate the unloading of two vessels lying alongside of each other at
the same time. The elevator-legs F are adjustable vertically in order that they
may be used to advantage on vessels of dissimilar height. The sleeve is adjusted
vertically upon the mast B in the same manner as the sleeve a upon the mast A
by means of an upright shaft n, gearing n³, shaft n³, and crank n³. The arms EE
are secured to ears 6', like common hinges, by passing a hollow pin o through the
projecting cars, as shown in Figure 2, and are held at any desired angle by
means of blocks and falls, as shown in Figure 1, or swung up to an almost vertical
position when the work is done and the vessel is to be moved from one place to
another.
The elevator-pulleys are rotated by means of bevel-gearing o³ and shafts o² and o',
the latter passing through the hollow pin o, which secures the arms E E to the
sleeve, and the upright shaft i, carrying the pulley, and provided with a
lengthy key-seat, and a bevel gear is secured by brackets to the mast B,
and passes through a forked bracket 2, secured on sleeve b, which carries along
the bevel-gear the key of which is sliding in the groove, cut in shaft i, and
making connection wherever the sleeve may be placed on mast B by means of
the shaft and the bevel-gear of.
The barge S is provided with a chamber S² to receive the grain to be unloaded,
and above this an elevator T is erected, the leg T¹ of which reaches to near the
bottom of the chamber S².
A steam boiler and engine K furnishes the power for working the bucket-
elevators in the leg T as well as those in the legs F F. Suitable chutes of lead
from the nozzles of the elevator-legs FF into the chamber S² in the vessel S, and
a chute is directed from the nozzle of the elevator-leg T to any hatch to he
loaded.
The operation is then as follows:
The barge S, with all her beams and arm raised, is placed alongside of a vessel
to be unloaded and loaded which has previously been fastened alongside of a dock,
and two other vessels being brought alongside herself and each other at the outer or
free side of the scow it now proceeds to lower the arms of both cranes and to
adjust the sleeves a and to their proper height, at the same time adjusting the
brace-rods on the arms D so as to retain the latter in an almost horizontal position.
The beams Care now adjusted and the canvas C₁ is spread and the hoisting-rope
dropped to wherever it is needed, the arms D having previously been swung over
the hatches to be worked. At the same time another gang of men will adjust
the arms E E and drop the elevator-legs F F into the hatches of the respective
vessels and adjust the chutes ff and t, when the work can proceed, as described,
on three hatches simultaneously, while workmen and merchandise are entirely
protected from the weather.
By the use of this combined floating crane and elevator a vessel can be prepared
to receive the grain from the elevator readily, which will serve as ballast, while
the other hatches are discharging, thus getting the vessel ready for sea with great
dispatch and being a help to secure her safety.

page_text: I am well aware that slotted arms and trolleys secured to sliding frames have
been used before, and therefore do not broadly claim their use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is,
1. The barge or vessel S, having a mast A, carrying two independent booms D,
secured to an adjustable sleeve a by means of the forks a³ and the hinges a', the
latter carrying the rollers, the trolleys R, carrying the pulleys, the pulleys,
ropes , hoisting-winches ', the shaft m, crank m³, shaft m², and gearing m¹,
as and for the purposes herein shown and described.
2. The barge or vessel S, having a mast B, carrying two independent booms E,
secured to an adjustable sleeve b, two elevator-legs of unequal length, the
screw n gear, shaft ², and crank n³, with the upright shaft, carrying the
pulley, the gearing ³, and of, the shafts o', 0, and, pulleys and belts,
the elevator T, entering the chamber S, the chutes and f, and the engine K, as
and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.
3. A loading and unloading apparatus comprising the barge or vessel S, having
a chamber Sand a mast A, carrying two independent booms D, secured to an
adjustable sleeve a and provided with trolleys, pulleys, ropes, and winches, the mast B,
carrying two independent elevator-legs FF, of unequal length, the booms E E,
secured to an adjustable sleeve, and engine K, pulleys, belts, shafts, and gear.
the elevator T, and the chutes and t, as and for the purposes herein shown and
described.
30th day of December 1891
J. E. WALON,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.