IMPROVEMENTS IN UNLOADING COALS FROM SHIPS OR VESSELS.
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Erskine Cochrane, of Albany Street,
Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UNLOADING COALS FROM SHIPS OR VESSELS.
ed the 28th March 1853, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Erskine
Cochrane at the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
petition, on the 1st October 1852.
I, the Honourable WILLIAM ERSKINE COCHRANE, of Albany Street,
Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNLOADING COALS
FROM SHIPS OR VESSELS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object of a combination of apparatus to faci-
litate the unloading of coals; and such apparatus consists of a lever or
spar suspended intermediate of its length from a mast or other upright;
to one end thereof is affixed a rope or chain, which is passed several
times round the barrel of a windlass, and is then made fast to the
other end of the lever or spar. The basket or vessel to contain the
coals is suspended from the lever or spar on one side of the point of
suspension, a weight or counterpart is suspended on the other side
of the point of suspension, such weight being less than the quantity of

page_text: coal to be raised, and, therefore, only counterbalancing part of the weight.
In lowering the basket or vessel to receive the coals, the counterbalance
weight has to be raised, and in raising the coal the counterbalance, by
its gravity, comes into action, to aid in raising the coal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said. William Erskine. Cochrane, in the Great Scal
Patent Office, on the 30th March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM ERSKINE COCHRANE, of Albany Street, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Erskine Cochrane, Her special licence that I,
the said William Erskine Cochrane; my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Erskine Cochrane, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UNLOADING COALS PROM SHIPS OR VESSELS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Erskine Cochrane,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Erskine Cochran, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
he-same-is-to-be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):

page_text: This Invention has for its object a combination of apparatus to facili-
tate the unloading of coals; and such apparatus consists of a lever or spar,
stispended intermediately of its length from a mast or other upright;
to one end thereof is affixed a rope or chain, which is passed several
times round the barrel of a windlass, and is then made fast to the other
end of the lever or spar. The basket or vessel to contain the coals is
suspended from the lever or spar on one side of the point of suspension,
and a weight or counterpoise is suspended on the other side of the point
of suspension, such weight being less than the quantity of coal to be
raised, and, therefore, only counterbalancing part of the weight. In
lowering the basket or vessel to receive the coals, the counterbalance
weight has to be raised, and in raising the coal, the counterbalance
weight, by its gravity, comes into action, to aid in raising the coal. And
in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is an elevation, in section, of part of a vessel having appa-
ratus applied thereto, combined according to my Invention.
Figure 2, is a plan thereof; a, is a lever or spar suspended from the
mast b, as shown; c, c, are two blocks, one at each end of the lever or
spar a. The coal is put into the basket or vessel d, suspended from
one end of the lever or spar a, and the counterbalance weight, e, is
suspended at the other end of the lever or spar; f, is a windlass,
around which the rope g, makes several turns, and its ends are respec-
tively fastened to the basket or vessel d, and to the counterbalance
weight e, hence the weight e, will at all times counterbalance part of
the weight of the coal. It will be evident, that in place of using blocks
at either end of the lever or spar, the spar may be longer, and the
basket or vessel fixed at one end and the weight to the other, and in
which case the spar would be caused to vibrate on its point of suspension;
the effect of this arrangement will be, that the workpeople, in place of
alternately having the whole weight of the coal to raise, and then
nothing, they will constantly have to exert force in turning the windlass;
Figure 1, is an elevation, in section, of part of a vessel having appa-
ratus applied thereto, combined according to my Invention.
Figure 2, is a plan thereof; a, is a lever or spar suspended from the
mast b, as shown; c, c, are two blocks, one at each end of the lever or
spar a.
The coal is put into the basket or vessel d, suspended from
one end of the lever or spar a, and the counterbalance weight, e, is
suspended at the other end of the lever or spar; f, is a windlass,
around which the rope g, makes several turns, and its ends are respec-
tively fastened to the basket or vessel d, and to the counterbalance
weight e, hence the weight e, will at all times counterbalance part of
the weight of the coal. It will be evident, that in place of using blocks
at either end of the lever or spar, the spar may be longer, and the
basket or vessel fixed at one end and the weight to the other, and in
which case the spar would be caused to vibrate on its point of suspension;
the effect of this arrangement will be, that the workpeople, in place of
alternately having the whole weight of the coal to raise, and then
nothing, they will constantly have to exert force in turning the windlass;

page_text: but such force will be less than the weight of the coal, according to the
weight of the counterbalance weight, and this mode of action will be
found more favourable to the workmen, and less fatiguing, than if they
had to exert very great force for a time, and then be without effort for
a time. Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to the parts separately; but what I claim is the com-
bination of apparatus herein described for unloading coals.
.
In witness, whereof, I, the said William Erskine Cochrane, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
W. E. COCHRANE. (L.S.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.