Improvements in Loading and Unloading Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Loading and Unloading Apparatus.
We, EMILIO CARDARELLI, and GEORGE WILLIAM DICK, of Sumter, in the
County of Sumter, and State of South Carolina, United States of America,
Gentlemen, 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 :—
This invention relates to loading and unloading apparatus; and it has for its
object to provide a machine of this character, which by means of its portability and
several adjustments, is especially available for use in transferring goods from point
to point, particularly in loading and unloading railway cars and vessels. To this
end the invention primarily contemplates certain improvements in portable loading
and unloading apparatus, whereby the same shall be better adapted for the work,
and under the ready control of the operator.
With these and many other objects in view which will readily appear as the
nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel
construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully
described, illustrated and claimed.
set
In the accompanying drawings :―
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor for loading and unloading apparatus
up in position for use.
Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line a-x of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line y-y of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a detail bottom perspective view of the car.
Referring to the accompanying drawings A represents a platform truck mounted
on the wheels B, which provide means for carrying the truck from point to point.
Mounted upon the platform truck A is the revoluble standard frame C, having the
lower base plate c, provided with a central pivot bolt c passing through and
bolted to the platform of the truck so as to pivotally support the standard frame
thereon.
The base plate, of the revoluble standard frame carries the anti-friction
supporting rollers c² which travel upon the flat truck platform and hold the standard
frame steady when turned thereon. Secured to the underside of the base plate c,
is the cog ring D, inside of which is arranged the sliding cog lock plate, d.
The cog lock plate d, is secured to the inner end of the sliding bar d', arranged
to slide under the truck platform and provided on its outer end with an upturned
tongue d, projecting up through a slot d³, in the platform, and adapted to be held
stationary by the sliding lock bolt E, mounted to slide in suitable keepers e, on top
of the truck platform and be slid behind the tongue d' when the lock plate has
been drawn into engagement with the teeth of the cog ring. This construction
provides means for holding the revoluble standard frame locked in any turned
position.
Arising from opposite sides of the base plate of the revoluble standard frame are
the opposite tubular guide standards F, having the central longitudinal slots f,
extending from their lower to their upper ends so as to accommodate the sliding
movement or the vertical adjustment of certain shafts to be hereinafter described.
The opposite slotted tubular guide standards accommodate the opposite vertically-
adjustable rack bars G, one face of which is toothed, and the upper and lower ends
of which are connected by the end cross bars g, which complete a rack bar frame,
so that the adjustment of both rack bars is simultaneous, the upper cross bar
forming a pivot rod for the track to be described. Mounted in suitable bearings H
at one side of the tubular guide standards is the rack-bar frame operating shaft h,

page_text: which shaft carries near opposite ends thereof the pinions or cog wheels h²,
projecting through slots in the sides of the tubular guide standards and meshing
with the opposite rack-bars, so that the entire rack-bar frame can be raised and
lowered to any position desired. The shaft h, carries suitable hand spokes h³, to
provide for the turning of the shaft, and in order to lock the shaft stationary after
the rack-bar frame has been adjusted, we employ a sliding lock bar I. The lock
bar I is mounted to slide in a suitable guide i, secured at one side of the standard
frame and is provided with the opposite locking tongues which may be
simultaneously slid in and out of engagement with the teeth of the pinions or cog
wheels h¹.
Pivotally mounted at its center on the upper cross bar or rod 9, of the vertically-
adjustable rack bar frame is the pivoted track section J. The pivoted track
section J comprises the opposite connected rails j, having the inner face grooves or
channels, said rails of the pivoted track section being provided at their opposite
ends with bridles 2, on each of which are mounted the oppositely-working sliding
locking bolts j³, the function of which will be presently apparent. Arranged to
slide over each end of the pivoted track section J, are the opposite end sliding
extension sections K, which provide means for lengthening and shortening the
track as occasion may require, and each of the end extension sections K comprise
the opposite rails k, which are duplicate constructions of the rails of the pivoted
sections.
Each of the rails of the end extension sections are provided with a series of
sockets or keepers k¹, which are adapted to receive the locking bolts thus
providing means for locking the extension sections K to the main track section
at any extended position.
Secured centrally to the underside of the pivoted track section J, are the
parallel toothed segments L, the teeth of which mesh with the track operating
pinions or cog wheels M. The pinions or cog wheels M are secured on the
transverse counterbalanced operating shaft N, which shaft is journaled at each
end in the opposite vertically-adjustable rack bars of the rack bar frame, and
the ends of said shaft also work in the central slots of the guide standards so
that the shafts can be carried up and down with the rack frame.
At one end of the shaft N is secured a suitable operating crank handle n,
while the opposite end of the shaft is provided with a threaded nut or block n¹
which adjustably receives the threaded stem n², to one end of which is secured
the over and counterbalancing weight n³. Now it will be readily seen that by
means of the counterbalanced shaft and the segments of the pivoted track, the
said track and its extensions can be tilted to either side of the standard frame
or to any position or angle desired, the adjustable weight at one end of said
shaft providing means to assist in tilting the track in any direction.
It will be seen that the pendulum weight at one end of the shaft N while it
assists to raise the lowest end of the tilted track to a higher level, at the same
time after the weight has passed beyond its perpendicular position it necessarily
eases the fall of the other end of the track which is being lowered, inasmuch as
the weight tends to fall in an opposite direction to the fall of the end of the
track. The weight can be adjusted as desired.
After the track has been tilted to any set position, the same may be held
firm in such position when the rack bar frame is elevated by means of the
retaining rope or wire O. The ends of the rope or wire are secured to the
pivoted track at each side of its pivotal support, it being illustrated that the ends
of the rope or wire are connected to the inner ends of the extension sections.
The opposite portions of the rope or wire O are adapted to be looped or wound
on the stay-hooks o, secured to opposite sides of the standard frame to provide
means for the attachment of the retaining rope or wire thereto to hold the track
stationary in its tilted position. In case it is not necessary to elevate the rack bar
frame in order to lock the pivoted track in its tilted position, we employ the sliding
rack bar P, arranged on one side of the standard frame and provided with the

page_text: locking tongues p, adapted to be slid in and out of engagement with the teeth
of the toothed segments, as shown in Fig. 2, but said locking bar may be
attached directly to the rack bar frame if found desired.
At this point it may be further observed with respect to the retaining rope or
wire that it is only necessary to attach one portion thereof to one of the stay-
hooks o, when the machine is being used to load from a low point to a high
point, in order that the lowest end of the track may be prevented from rising
too far when the weighted car is travelling over the higher portion of the track
and would tend to lower such high portion. The rope or wire can be used in
various ways to hold or bring the track into any position, for quickly raising
and lowering the same or for adjusting it so that the track is allowed a limited
play, which depends entirely upon the use for which the apparatus is put.
Mounted to run over the track from end to end thereof is the flat car Q, on
the underside of which are mounted the axles q, carrying at each end thereof
the guide wheels or rollers q', which work in the inner face grooves or channels
of the rails, so that the platform car is held and guided to its work over the
track and is prevented from becoming displaced, and the same is further provided
with the side retaining flanges 92, which overlap the sides of the rails and hold
the car in position. Journaled in bearing lugs R, projecting from the bottom
of the car platform are the adjustable rollers r, to which rollers are secured one
end of the car-operating wires 7, the other ends of which are attached to the
operating mechanism to be described.
The rollers r, have the opposite journal ends ², one of which is provided with
a right-angularly disposed locking portion 3, which is adapted to be held into
engagement with any one of a series of retaining notches, which are formed
in any suitable number on one side of one of the bearing lugs R. The length of the
rollers r,
is slightly less than the distance between the bearing lugs, so that the
rollers can be moved laterally in order to disengage the locking ends thereof
from the notches of the bearing lugs, and thereby allow the rope to be wound
up thereon or unwound, according to the extension of the track sections said
rollers being used to take up the slack of the operating wires. After the wires
have been wound or unwound on the rollers r, sufficiently the same are moved
laterally to bring the locking portions of their journals into engagement with
the notches of one of the bearings, and the same are held in this locking engage-
ment by means of the screws or pins S. The screws or pins S are mounted to
work at each end of the car and have their inner ends project into and plug
the space between the roller ends and the bearing lugs with the notches, so
that the same are held immovable or stationary until another adjustment is
necessary.
At each end of the flat platform car Q are pivoted the opposite end boards T.
Each of the end boards T is pivoted at one end to one end of the flat car body and
is provided upon the under side thereof with the angularly disposed loop or eye t,
which is designed to receive the supporting screw t', the inner end of which engages
the threaded block t³, arranged at each end of the flat car on the underside thereof.
It is of course understood that one or both of the end boards can be held up from
the track by the means just described in order to hold the objects on the car and
prevent the same from sliding off, but when carrying articles from the lower end of
the pivoted track to the higher end thereof, the end board at the then lower end
of the car is held up from the track so as to form a lower support for the articles on
the car while the opposite end board rests flat on the track. With the end board
thus disposed it will be seen that articles may be conveyed from one side of the
apparatus to the other and the car returned to its position automatically. After
the car has ascended the track up to its point of pivot or fulcrum, the track can be
FO adjusted that the loaded car will tilt the high end of the track and thus drop
its load automatically. After the car has thus relieved itself of its load the weight
at one end of the shaft N will cause the track to assume its original position and
allow the unloaded car to fall back to its starting point.
3

page_text: From the foregoing it is thought that the construction operation and advantages
of the herein-described apparatus will be readily understood by those skilled in the
art, and we would have it understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the
minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle
or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
In order to move the car in either direction over the track, we employ the double
winding drum or windlass U, journaled in the rack bar frame and carried in its
adjustments therewith, said winding drum or windlass being operated by means of
the crank wheel V which is arranged adjacent to a suitable platform which
may be at one side of the revoluble frame for convenience in operating the machine
if raised too high to reach the truck.
In order to assist in overcoming the weight of the vertically-adjustable frame
while raising the same we may employ the opposite swinging weights W, suitably
arranged and having connected thereto the weight cords w, which are connected at
their other ends to the lower end of the vertically-adjustable frame, thereby
greatly facilitating the raising and lowering thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a portable loading and unloading apparatus a wheeled platform truck, a
vertically-adjustable support revolubly mounted on said truck, means for holding
said support stationary in any turned position, an extensible track pivotally
mounted on said support, and a flat conveyor car adapted to slide over said track
back and forth between the ends thereof, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a wheeled platform, of a revoluble hollow standard
frame bolted to said platform and provided with anti-friction rollers moving thereon
and a cog ring, a sliding cog lock plate arranged inside of said ring and adapted to
engage the same at any point, means for locking said cog plate in and out of
engagement with said cog ring, a vertically adjustable frame mounted in the
standard frame, an extensible track pivoted to the vertically-adjustable frame and a
conveyor car adapted to slide on said track substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the wheeled platform, of a revoluble standard frame
bolted to the platform and having a lower base plate provided with anti-friction
supporting rollers and a cog ring, a sliding cog lock plate mounted on the platform
and arranged within the cog ring to engage the same at any point and provided
with an upturned tongue at one end, a locking bolt for the cog lock plate adapted
to slide in front of said upturned tongue, the pivoted track and the conveyor car
adapted to move over the track back and forth between its ends, substantially as
set forth.
4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a revoluble
standard frame having opposite tubular guide standards, means for holding the
frame in any set position, opposite connected rack bars mounted in said tubular
standards, a hand operated shaft mounted at one side of the standard frame and
carrying pinions or cog wheels adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rack bars, a
lock for said pinions or cog wheels, the extensible track pivoted to the upper ends
of the rack bars, and the conveyor car adapted to move over the track, substantially
as set forth.
5. The combination with a wheeled platform, of a revoluble standard frame
mounted for adjustment on the wheeled platform and having the opposite tubular
guide standards, a vertically-adjustable rack bar frame moving in said guide
standards, means for adjusting said rack bar frame, a track pivoted at its center to
the upper end of said vertically-adjustable rack bar frame, counterbalancing devices
for the track, and a conveyor car adapted to move over the track substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination with a wheeled platform, of a vertically-adjustable revoluble
support mounted on the platform, an extensible track pivoted or fulcrumed on said

page_text: support and provided with toothed adjustment segments, a counterbalanced shaft
mounted in said support and carrying pinions or cog wheels meshing with said
segments, and the conveyor car on the track, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a revoluble standard frame vertically-adjustable supports
mounted within said frame, a track pivoted on said supports and provide with
toothed segments secured to the underside of the same between the supports, an
operating shaft journaled in said supports and carried thereby and provided at one
end with a threaded nut or block, pinions or cog wheels mounted on the shaft to
mesh with the toothed segments, a counter and over-balancing weight having a
threaded stem engaging said nut or block, and the car on the track, substantially
as set forth.
8. The combination with a suitable support, of a track pivoted to said support
and having toothed segments, an operating shaft journaled on said support and
having pinions meshing with said segments and a threaded end, a counter and over-
balancing weight provided with a threaded stem engaging the threaded end of the
shaft and adapted to counter- and over-balance the track, and a conveyor car
adapted to move over the track, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination with a wheeled platform, of a revoluble standard frame
mounted on the platform, a vertically-adjustable frame mounted in the standard
frame, a track pivoted at its center to the upper end of said vertically-adjustable
frame, counter and over-balancing operating devices for tilting the track, means for
holding the track in any tilted position, and the car adapted to move over the
track, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of an adjustable support, the tilting track pivoted on said
support, means for adjusting the track, stay-hooks arranged at each side of the
support, a retaining rope or wire connected at its ends to opposite portions of the
track on each side of the pivot or fulcrum and adapted to be looped on either or
both of the stay-hooks, and the car, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with a wheeled platform, of an adjustable support mounted
on said platform, a fixed track section pivoted at its center on said support, and
comprising opposite connected rails having inner face grooves or channels, opposite
extension sections arranged to slide over each end of the pivoted section, means for
holding the extension section in any adjusted position, means for tilting the pivoted
section, and the car, substantially as set forth.
12. The combination with a wheeled platform, of an adjustable support mounted
on said platform, a fixed track section pivoted at its center to said support, and
comprising opposite inner rails having inner face grooves or channels, opposite
extension sections arranged to slide over each end of the pivoted track section and
having duplicate rails and keepers or sockets under each rail, oppositely working
locking bolts arranged at each end of the pivoted track section and adapted to
engage the keepers of the extension sections, means for tilting the pivoted track
section, and the car having opposite guide rollers or wheels working in the face
grooves or channels of the rails and opposite retaining flanges overlapping the sides
of the rails, substantially as set forth.
13. The combination with a track, the rails of which have inner face grooves or
channels, of a flat car mounted to run over the track and provided with under guide
rollers or wheels working in said face grooves or channels, and opposite retaining
flanges overlapping the sides of the rails, threaded blocks arranged at each
end of the car and on the underside thereof, end boards hinged or pivoted to
the ends of the car body and provided on their under sides with angularly disposed
loops or eyes, and supporting screws adapted to work through said loops or eyes
and engage said threaded blocks to support the end boards above the track,
substantially as set forth.
14. The combination with a suitable support, of a double drum or windlass
journaled within the support, a track pivoted on the support and having guide
pulleys or rollers at both ends, a flat car arranged to move over the track,
adjustable rollers journaled under the car, means for holding the rollers stationary,

page_text: and the car operating wires connected at one end to a roller, passing over the end
guide pulleys or rollers of the track and connected at their other end to the double
windlass or drum, substantially as set forth.
15. The combination with an adjustable support, of a double drum or windlass
journaled within the support, a tilting track pivoted on the support and having
guide pulleys or rollers at both ends, a flat car arranged to move over the track,
bearing lugs projecting from the bottom of the car one of said lugs in each pair
being provided with a series of retaining notches at one side, winding and
unwinding rollers journaled in said bearing lugs and having a lateral play there-
between, one of the journal ends of each roller being provided with a right-
angularly disposed locking portion which is adapted to engage and disengage said
notches, locking screws or pins mounted at each end of the car body and adapted
to plug the space between the roller ends and the bearing lugs with the notches to
hold the rollers stationary, and the operating wires wound at one end on said
rollers under the car, passing over the guide wheels at the ends of the track and
wound at their outer ends on separate portions of the double windlass or drums,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 12th day of October 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.