IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVEYORS
Year: 1885

page_text: COME LEIE
I, SIDNEY WALTER ROWELL, Secretary and Treasurer of the United States and
Brazil Mail Steamship Co. Mills Building, Corner of Broad Street and Exchange
Place, New York, in the United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONVEYORS" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a portable conveyor for use in loading and unloading
vessels, also for use on wharves, and in warehouses, and elsewhere.
In the improved conveyor endless bands, chains, cables or ropes are used in
connection with an endless carrier of a continuous trough like form, or an endless
carrier having at proper intervals between its edges either pockets, buckets, bags
or the like; and which chains or cables and carrier are caused to revolve cou-
tinuously over suitable pulleys and guides by means of steam, hand or other power.
The said conveyor is also provided with a suitable friction brake, and mechanism
by which the carrier is operated and its tension controlled; and also with
an unloading or discharging mechanism, a guarding contrivance, and adjusting
mechanism substantially as hereinafter described.
The improved apparatus serves for expeditiously performing the operation of
unloading and discharging cargoes from one boat into another, or from a boat to a
wharf, or from a wharf into a boat, or from the lower floors of warehouses to
positions upon the upper floors of the same, and vice versa; or for conveying dirt,
coal, grain &.
By my invention much of the time and labor required for assorting or handling
merchandise during the loading and unloading operation where ordinary conveyors
are used for the purposes above stated will be saved; and the adjustment of the
conveyor for the various uses for which it is required can be accomplished very
perfectly and expeditiously. Also much of the injury done to goods in loading and
unloading vessels, or in moving them from ground floors to upper floors of ware-
houses can be prevented, and at the same time a cheaply constructed and strong
and reliable portable conveyor is provided, in the operation of which the weight
of the goods which are in the act of moving to the discharging point can be made
available in a more effective way than heretofore as an auxiliary power for lifting
goods to the discharging portion of the endless carrier.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a boat, vessel or ship and wharf provided with
apparatus constructed according to this invention.

page_text: Figure 2 is a sectional diagram view of two vessels, boats or ships, provided with
the improved apparatus.
Figure 3 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale showing a part of the operating
frame, endless chains, cables or ropes and the endless carrier, the same being
provided with a driving shaft and pulley, pinion, geared propelling pulleys, a
friction brake, and a guard for preventing the merchandise from rolling out of the.
respective pockets at the hatchway or other locations of use of the conveyor.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the main portions of the same, and a part of the
operating frame with its side timbers partly. removed.
Figure 5 represents a modified construction of the endless chain.
Figure 6 is an end view partly in section of the discharging or unloading end of
the conveyor, showing the guide pulleys and the discharging or unloading mechanisın
which operates with a differential speed.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the same.
Figure 8 shows another modified construction of the endless chain, and pockets
of the endless carrier, swinging buckets instead of pockets being represented.
Figure 9 is a view drawn to an enlarged scale of the tension-increasing pulleys of
the endless chains, ropes or cables.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a modified construction of the endless carrier,
its chains, and operating pulleys.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of a device for guiding and steadying the endless
carrier.
Figure 12 is a view showing a modified construction of the suspending com-
pensation-tackle shown in Figure 2.
Figure 13 is a view showing a modified construction of the suspending tackle
shown in Figure 1.
Figure 14 is a view showing a modified construction of the unloading device
shown in Figures 6 and 7; and
Figure 15 is a view of a portion of the power receiving and operating device
with a brake connected therewith.
A Figure 1 represents a vessel, B a wharf, C the adjustable operating main frame,
D the loading frame, E the unloading frame which may have wheels or rollers
beneath it, and F the endless carrier for elevating and lowering merchandise.
The main frame C is a suitable structure of stout timbers placed upon the deck
of the ship. The said frame may be suitably hinged near the hatchway a¹, and by
means of small rollers or wheels c at its inner end can be easily and readily moved
into proper position without marring the deck planks. The axle of these wheels
may be extended on each side and made to serve as hinging pins on which the
frame C may swing up and down as it is adjusted. The outer end of said frame
is suspended above the deck of the vessel by means of suitable tackle a which
forms a connection with the wharf at b, and is attached in a suitable manner to one
of the yard arms of the ship. Or the outer end of said frame may be suspended
above the deck of the vessel by means of suitable tackle a which forms a connection
with the vessel A at b, and with the hull of another vessel A¹, the connection at b
being lower down than the point of connection with the vessel A¹, and the upper
block of the tackle a being suspended from the yard arm above the frame C, as
shown in figure 12. In this case the two pulley blocks will have the same
connection or support, so that both will remain stationary or move together.
In Figure 13 a vessel A is represented moored to a wharf B, and one block of
the tackle a as fastened to a building or warehouse upon the wharf, the rope of
said tackle being fastened by one end to the vessel and by the other end to the
frame C. This latter mode of suspending the yielding end of the frame C may be
adopted in lieu of that shown in Figure 1.
The rope or cable running through the pulley blocks, as in Figure 12, must have
one end attached to the frame C, and the other end to the vessel A' which in

page_text: loading and unloading has a reverse motion from that of vessel A to which the
supports of the pulley blocks are attached, and higher up than the lower pulley
block b. The pulley blocks thus will have the motion of one body, and one end of
the rope the motion of the other body between which the motion is to be equalized.
By this device I keep the bottom portion of the frame C, except at c, on an incline
above the deck of the ship, and thereby prevent the conveyor from being materially
disturbed by the rising and falling of the water, and consequent motions and
changes of elevation of the ship; and by adjusting the tackle from time to time
I keep the endless carrier F taut between the frames D and E.
Other means of applying the tackle will be required when the conveyor is used
on a wharf as shown in Figure 13. or in a warehouse.
The inner end of the frame C projects over the hatchway a¹ of the ship, and is
provided with grooved guide pulleys f for the endless carrier F to move over. One
pair of the said guide pulleys is provided with toothed rims f¹ into which pinions g
of a transverse shaft G gear, and thus said pulleys are made the means for operating
the conveyor.
The gear shaft G may be worked by hand-cranks applied to it or to
the driving shaft; or by steam, water or other power, when a driving pulley g¹, as
in Figure 3, is provided for a belt or other connecting means used between the line
shaft or engine shaft and the conveyor. At suitable distances apart additional un-
toothed guide pulleys f are provided upon the frame C. The manner of attaching
the guide pulleys fis plainly shown in figure 6, where they are represented as hung
to studs which are suitably fastened to the frame: they are arranged in pairs
directly opposite each other, and being on short studs allow a free passage of
pockets, bags or buckets between the endless chains as indicated.
The loading frame D is of suitable construction, and is fastened in a proper
manner to the bottom floor of the ship, or to a wharf, or to the floor of a building
as circumstances may require; and it is provided with two guide pulleys f of the
above description around which the endless chain passes.
The unloading frame E is of suitable construction and mounted on rollers,
and may be fastened to a wharf or to the bottom floor of a ship, or floor of a
warehouse, as circumstances may require.
In case the unloading or discharging frame E is placed in the hold of a ship, it
may be secured to uprights on the side of the hatchway, or there may be a cable
attached to the bottom of the ship and the frame raised and lowered accordingly
as the cargo is raised or lowered.
The unloading frame E is shown in Figure 1 connected with frame C by means
of a bar c² whereby the proper distance between said frames is maintained.
.
It may be advantageous at places where the rise and fall of the water vary to a
great degree to use a removable stay c which is fastened by means of pins or
otherwise to the said two frames, the pins entering holes c10 in the stay which
is longitudinally adjustable by means of the several boles shown in Figure 13. The
adjustment by the stay is made before the conveyor is put to work, and it serves
for keeping the apron and its adjuncts taut.
In Figure 1 the loading frame D is represented fastened to the bottom floor of the
ship, and the unloading frame E to the wharf B; the ship is being unloaded and
the endless chains f³ travel in the direction shown by the arrow; but the positions
of the frames D and E, and the motion of the endless carrier F are reversed when
the ship is to be loaded.
The unloading frame E is provided with two upper guide pulleys as f, and below
the same two other grooved guide pulleys h are loosely hung on a transverse
shaft H on said frame.
The pulleys h are of barrel construction and provided with inner cog teeth h¹
into which intermediate pinions h² gear, said pinions revolving around stationary
studs h³ on the frame E. Similar intermediate pinions with studs h³ gear into
the pinions hand into cog wheels ho fastened to the shaft H as shown in Figure 7.
By this construction the motion imparted to the pulleys h by the endless carrier is
accelerated and transmitted to the shaft H to which a drum he is fastened between
.

page_text: the pulleys h; and thus a differential speed is secured, said drum revolving with
greater speed than the pulleys h for a purpose hereinafter described. Instead of the
geared drum h6 and its described auxiliaries in combination with the pockets ¿¹
shown in Figures 1 and 2, a loose drum without pulley above it may be adopted;
or instead of gearing the drum 16 to both pulleys of the cables, chains or ropes; it
may be geared only at one end. If preferred a simple crossbar for the pockets or
bags to come in contact with and thereby be emptied of their loads, may be
provided; or a bar for emptying the pockets may be operated by hand or
automatically by connection with the cables or pulleys; but none of these plans
are as good as the geared drum has described and shown for emptying the said
pockets.
The endless carrier F consists of two parallel cables or ropes or chains.f³
steadied by transverse rods I, which are held by loops in the chains ƒ³. To
prevent disarrangement of the apron or carrier by reason of slip of one of the cables
or ropes upon the driving pulley, said cables or ropes are coupled by means of
diagonal flexible braces f5 as shown. The rods I are provided with wheels i which
travel upon rails el suitably provided on the frame C, said rails being extended to
the frame E or D, accordingly as one or the other may be on the wharf; this being
. done by the interposition of removable auxiliary framed rails c when the inclination
of the endless carrier between said frames and the main frame is not sufficient to
prevent extraordinary strain upon the loaded carrier. In Figure 2 one vessel is
represented as receiving its cargo from another, and in such mode of operation the
auxiliary frame rails c² are not required.
At suitable intervals pockets are fastened to the rods I, and said pockets are
loaded with goods in bags, parcels, boxes, barrels or other condition as indicated
at X, while leaving the lower guide pulleys f of the frame D and ascending
toward the main frame C; and after they have passed over the main frame and
upper guide pulleys f of the unloading frame E they descend to the lower guide
pulleys hand come in contact with the fast revolving drum shown in Figure 6,
which pushes them outward and thus discharges their contents.
In place of the drum ho and shaft H, another device or crank shaft H' as shown
in Figures 13 and 14 may be adopted, and so operated by hand that it is brought
into action only when a pocket is to be emptied. To the ends of the crank shaft
the pulleys are applied and one of these pulleys is provided with an inner gear
projecting over the cranked portion of the shaft H'; and to the cranked portion
of shaft H¹ a drum 6 is loosely fitted. This drum is provided with a pinion
which gears into the inner gear of the pulley h, whereby the drum is caused to
revolve faster than the pulleys h and in an opposite direction. A lever h at one
end of the crank shaft H' and which can be operated by a push rod 8, enables the
operator to push the drum against an approaching pocket in order thereby to
empty it. After a pocket is emptied the drum is moved out of the way of
the apron F until another pocket arrives. The inner gear of the polley h and the
pinion of the drum 16 may be omitted, as shown in Figure 14, and this would be
advisable in cases where it is desirable to operate the apron rapidly.
In front of the main frame C, a transverse rod C¹ (see Figures 2 and 3) is
suitably suspended, the purpose of which is to prevent the loads from rolling
out of their respective pockets in their descent over the end pulleys f of the
frame C.
In Figures 1, 3 and 4 a continuous rope or cable f³ is shown, which may be of
wire, hemp or other material; but a rope consisting of links as shown in Figure 7
may in most cases be preferable. Chains of metal may also be used, and it will be
found that a straight link chain as shown in Figure 8 possesses great durability,
and many advantages over other constructions where extraordinary strength is
required.
The pockets may be of leather, canvas, rope or
shown in Figure 8 may be used in lieu of the pockets.
of shapes and construction of pockets or buckets, or
wire netting; or buckets as
An almost indefinite variety
receptacles for merchandise

page_text: .
may be adopted for use with my conveyor according to the nature and requirements
of the merchandise to be loaded or unloaded. For instance, instead of the
described pockets i¹, an endless sheet of canvas or other flexible material stretched
in the form of a continuous trough between the parallel chains of my conveyor may
be adopted for the purpose. of transferring loose masses of grain, sand, coal, stone
and similar substances very rapidly from a high to a low position, and this con-
struction will be resorted to where the common grain conveyor-buckets or other
devices could not be adopted.
During the passage of such sheet of canvas, laborers at each side can, by means
of shovels, place the load upon it to be conveyed to its destination.
"
In order to secure a greater amount of friction between the chains f³ and driving
pulleys f, tension pulleys fe may be employed, by which the chains are caused to
surround a larger portion of the pulleys f³ and thus prevent slipping as shown in
Figure 9; and these tension pulleys may be applied as shown in Figure 1 and
Figure 2.
It is evident that with my conveyor which can easily be moved about and set.
to work under circumstances which would make it impossible for other known
conveyors to work successfully, a great saving of expense, labor and time will be
effected, as the cargo of a ship need not be assorted for special modes of con-
veying, and some of the laborers necessary for attaching and detaching loads to
and from conveying machines of the ordinary construction can be dispensed
with.
From the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the arrangement of the
frames C, D. and E is such that the descending weight on F, between Cand E, will
aid in raising the weight on F between D and C; and I would state that in cases
where loading and unloading is carried on at the same time between vessels,
wharves, or warehouses, I propose to couple the shafts of the driving pulleys of
two conveyors, one of which is loading while the other is unloading, and thus
unite the strains of the descending and ascending loads, which will generally
balance each other, or so nearly so that both conveyors will require comparatively
a very small amount of power to operate them.
When extraordinarily heavy loads are to be moved, I use as shown in Figure 10
powerful wire cables for the carrier, in combination with propelling chains,
the latter not being used for supporting any part of the weight of said loads.
In this case the driving pulleys are provided with sprockets as seen in said figure;
and with such construction the use of the diagonal braces f³ as hereinbefore
described will not be necessary, as the sprockets will prevent the chains from
slipping and disarranging the carrier. In Figures 3 and 15 an ordinary hand
brake K is shown attached to the shaft 8 of the driving pulley f, and operated by
a lever k pivotted at ' to the frame C. By means of this friction brake heavy
loads may be lowered on the conveyor very safely at a suitable speed without
endangering the conveyor, vessel or attendant by reason of such loads descending
at great speed and striking forcibly the floor or other object.
My within described conveyor retains the control of the contents of the pockets,
whether operated to raise or lower the same, until the proper time for discharge
arrives, and the weight in descending assists in raising the weight on the ascending
portion of the cables.
When the conveyors are being used in plurality in a store house, a shaft can be
run the whole length and the weight upon such conveyors as are lowering goods
can be utilized for giving power to assist in elevating at other points.
If the swinging tilting buckets at i', Figure 8, as substitutes for the pockets i'
shown in Figures 1 and 2 are adopted, they will always assume and occupy a
vertical position until a discharge of their contents takes place, at which time they
will be struck by the bar, or a drum and turned over and their loads dumped.
The buckets instead of being constructed to be turned over, may have a sliding
bottom, and this bottom may be pushed up and caused to force out the load.
"

page_text: '
The gearing for operating the cables may be applied as shown in the drawings
on the frame C near the hatchway of the vessel; and the engine may be applied
directly to the frame C; but when an engine is not applied to the said frame, a
connection will be made by a shaft, cable or otherwise with the engine running the
ordinary winch; and the pulleys f³ f6 by being arranged in a triangular nest as
shown, and geared together by a belt, chain, or toothed wheels, will have a firm
grip when the cable is of wire whereby slipping will be prevented. The cables
can be made in sections with suitable couplings so that the distance between the
receiving and discharging points may be lengthened or shortened as circumstances
may require.
In special cases where a certain class of merchandise is loaded or unloaded the
dumping pulley he may be omitted; as, for example, when the continuous sheet is
used, or when the delicate nature of the said merchandise would not permit of its
being dumped. In the first case the load would discharge itself by its own weight,
and a pulley like the one he would be of no use, as by continuous rubbing it would
wear out the continuous sheet, and uselessly consume a portion of the power
furnished for operating the conveyor. In the latter case such merchandise as
bottled wines, fine delicate glass and porcelain ware and the like, should be
removed by hand from the pockets of the conveyor; and in this case the conveyor
may be run at a slower speed, sufficiently so, to enable a suitable force of laborers
to remove said merchandise safely and speedily; or better, at the arrival of each
pocket at the unloading place, the operation of the conveyor may be stopped for
the length of time required for the safe unloading by hand of such merchandise.
For loading and unloading merchandise of more durable nature, I operate my
conveyor with greater speed, and in order to avoid horizontal swaying of the
rapidly ascending or descending pockets, I employ removable inclined or vertical
guide rails similar to those above described and shown at c in Figure 1, which
guide rails may be suitably fastened to the frame D or E as the case requires, and
to convenient portions of the ship or building such as the hatchways. Instead of
said guide rails, guide pulleys fin suitable frames I¹ shown in Figure 11 may be
employed, and a number of such frames may be placed over the several hatchways
of a ship, warehouse &, and thus a steady ascent and descent of the loaded
conveyor will be secured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination of the operating frame C with its guide pulleys and
gearing, the frame D with its pulleys, devices for discharging the load, and an
endless carrier F, the whole constructed and operating substantially, as, and for the
purpose, described.
Second. In a portable conveyor having an endless carrier, the unloading or
discharging frame E having guide pulleys h, and a dumping drum ho, said drum
revolving with a greater velocity than the guide pulleys, substantially as, and for
the purpose, described.
Third. In a conveyor, the endless carrier consisting of cables ƒ³, transverse
rods I, diagonal braces f³, and suitable receptacles, substantially as, and for the
purpose, described.
Fourth. The combination of the guard C¹ with the endless carrier and frames C, D
and E, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
Fifth. In a portable conveyor having an endless carrier, the unloading or dis-
charging frame E having guide pulleys h, and a dumping contrivance between said
guide pulleys, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
Sixth. In an endless conveyor, the combination of endless carrying cables,
endless driving chains, rods I, and suitable receptacles, substantially as, and for
the purpose, described.

page_text: Seventh. In a conveyor, the two parallel cables united by cross bars having
pockets, or a continuous carrier attached to and supported by said cross bars, said
cables being supported at suitable intervals upon pulleys on opposite sides of the
supporting frame, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
D. 1. 1.
Th
100K
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.