IMPROVE- MENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR DISCHARGING GRAIN
Year: 1882

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Walter Blythe, of 7 Rumford Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Commission Merchant, for an invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR DISCHARGING GRAIN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Blythe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March 1882.
WALTER BLYTHE, of 7 Rumford Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Commission Merchant "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS, CHIEFLY
DESIGNED FOR DISCHARGING GRAIN FROM SHIPS
"
My Invention relates to apparatus for elevating grain and like material, chiefly
designed for discharging grain from ships.
The grain-elevators hitherto employed for this purpose act at the surface of the
bulk of grain, and therefore require to be supplied with grain by means of
mechanical spades or by some other means requiring labour. The chief object of
my invention is to construct a portable elevator which may be arranged to act at
the bottom of the bulk of grain, so that the grain by its own weight will fall
towards the said elevator, thus saving a considerable amount of labour.
In carrying the said Invention into practico I provide a tube of suitable
dimensions and material; this tube is either fixed in the ship, in a convenient
position to receive the portable elevator, or the said tube may also be portable.
In the latter case, the tube is provided with an external screw-thread of large area,
for the purpose of inserting it into the bulk of grain, and for this purpose I prefer
also to fit inside the said tube a driving rod having a conical or tapered end, and
capable of being removed when desired. To insert the tube the conical end of the
said rod is placed upon the top of the bulk of grain or other material to be
elevated and the tube is then rotated either by hand or by machinery; the tube is
thus caused to screw down into the grain until the conical end of the driving rod
reaches the bottom of the hold of the ship, and the driving rod is then withdrawn
leaving the tube in position to receive the elevator. A bucket elevator of ordinary

page_text: construction is fitted in a frame so as to be capable of being inserted into or
withdrawn from, the said tube, devices being provided for temporarily securing
the said frame in the tube. This elevator being inserted into the said tube and
secured therein and operated by any suitable means, raises the grain, inside the
tube from the bottom of the bulk of grain instead of from the top, so that the
grain falls by its own weight towards the elevating buckets.
If desired the driving rod may be dispensed with and the tube itself screwed
down into the grain until it nearly reaches the bottom of the hold, sufficient space
being left to allow of the grain reaching the elevating buckets, and to admit of the
proper action of the said buckets.
According to a modification of my said invention I employ a tube having no
external screw-thread, and in such case a rod provided with a screw-thread of
large area is inserted into the said tube and is capable of rotation therein; this
rod is arranged and constructed to effect the double purpose of driving the tube
down into the bulk of grain, and of elevating the said grain inside the tube when
the said tube is in the desired position.
In order that the elevator may be constantly supplied with grain until the
whole of it is discharged, I provide a receptacle which is constructed in two parts,
and, as soon as the elevator has raised so much of the grain as will fall within its
reach, the two parts of the said receptacle are fitted and secured together so as to
encircle the tube and elevator. Into this receptacle the grain from those parts of
the hold away from the elevator, is then thrown by means of spades or shovels.
As a modification I may construct the portable tube in two parts, the lower
part, only, being provided with an external screw-thread, and being pivoted to the
upper part which is prevented from rotating and is drawn down into the grain by
the rotation of the lower part.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Walter Blythe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1882.
WALTER BLYTHE, of 7 Rumford Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Commission Merchant, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS, CHIEFLY
DESIGNED FOR DISCHARGING GRAIN FROM SHIPS
"
My invention relates to apparatus for elevating grain and like material chiefly
designed for discharging grain from ships.
The grain elevators hitherto employed for this purpose act at the surface of the
bulk of grain, and therefore require to be supplied with grain by means of
mechanical spades or by some other means requiring labour. The chief object of
my invention is to construct a portable elevator which can be arranged to act at
the bottom of the bulk of grain, or at any point below the surface thereof, so that
the grain, by its own weight, will fall towards the said elevator, thus saving a
considerable amount of labour.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of part of a ship with my improved
portable elevator (shown in elevation) in position therein.
Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of part of a ship, showing two
of the said elevators in position therein.
Figure 3 represents a vertical sectional elevation of my improved portable
elevator designed to be operated by hand.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the same.
Figure 5 represents a vertical central section of a modification of my improved
clevating apparatus, and,
Figure 6 represents a side elevation of the same.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, A represents a tube in which is inserted a rod B
provided with a screw-thread or blade C of large area and of any suitable pitch,
this screw is capable of being rotated within the said tube and is arranged and
constructed to effect the double purpose of driving the tube down into the bulk of
grain, and of elevating the said grain inside the tube when the said tube is in the
desired position.
The rod B and screw-thread or blade C may be made of steel or other suitable
material; the lower end of the said rod is supported in the step or bearing D
carried by the arms E fixed to the lower part of the tube A, and the screw-thread
or blade C projects a suitable distance beyond the lower end of the tube, at which
part the said screw-thread or blade is sometimes made of larger diameter and its
pitch increased or decreased, as desired. The tube A, rod B, and screw-thread or
blade C are made either in one or more lengths. In Figures 1 and 2, the tube is
shown in four lengths which are rigidly connected in any suitable manner. When
the rod B and blade C are made in two or more lengths, the said blade is either
removed from the rod at those parts where the connection is to be made, or the
said lengths are connected in such a manner that the said blade can be continuous.
The tube A is preferably supported in a frame F having trunnions capable of
turning in the bearings F, and the said tube is provided at its upper part with a
receptacle G having a spout or spouts G', or the spouts G¹ are fixed to the tubes,
as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The rod B passes upward above the top of the
tube A through the frame F, and upon the said rod, above the frame, is placed a
gear-wheel a prevented from rotating upon the rod B by means of a key which
slides in a longitudinal slot in the said rod. The wheel a gears with a pinion b
fixed upon the shaft c which also carries a bevel wheel & gearing with another
.

page_text: bevel wheel e. The bevel wheel e is placed upon the shaft fand is adapted to be
rotated with the said shaft by means of an ordinary clutch, and the said shaft fis
arranged to be rotated by hand or other power.
In Figures 3 and 4, the tube A is shown in one length, and the rod B and
blade C are arranged to be rotated by means of a crank-handle or handles g fixed
upon a shaft h carrying a bevel-wheel i gearing with another bevel-wheel k fixed
upon the rod B. In these Figures, the screw-thread or blade is shown projecting
some distance below the end of the tube. A flange is provided upon the tube A
so that it may rest upon any suitable support. I prefer to make the tube slightly
bell-mouthed at the lower end, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and to increase the
diameter of the blade at that part.
The above described elevating apparatus operates as follows, that is to say, the
arms E at the lower end of the tube A being placed on the surface of the bulk of
grain, the rod B and blade C are rotated by hand or other power, and the said
tube is thereby caused to penetrate the grain in a vertical or oblique direction, to
the required distance, the tube either rotating during the operation or not.
When
the tube is in position, it is suitably supported; and the rotation of the screw being
continued, causes the grain to rise in the tube and flow out in a continuous stream
from the spout or spouts G¹. As the grain at the bottom of the tube is raised its
place is supplied by the grain, on the outside of, and around, the tube, descending
by its own weight.
In Figures 5 and 6, is shown a modification of my improved elevating apparatus,
in which the tube A, is provided with an external screw-thread or blade C¹ of
large area for the purpose of inserting it into the bulk of grain, and for this
purpose I prefer also to fit, inside the said tube, a rod having a conical or tapered
end m, and capable of being removed when desired. To insert the tube, the
conical end of the said rod is placed upon the top of the bulk of grain or other
material to be elevated and the tube is then rotated, either by hand or by suitable
machinery; the tube is thus caused to screw down into the grain until the conical
end of the said rod reaches the desired distance below the surface of the grain, the
said rod is then withdrawn leaving the tube in position to receive the elevator.
A bucket-elevator H of ordinary construction is fitted in a frame H¹ so as to be
capable of being inserted into, or withdrawn from, the said tube, suitable devices
being provided for temporarily securing the said frame in the tube. In some
cases, insert a rod and screw-thread or blade, similar to those hereinbefore
described, into the said tube in place of the bucket-elevator. The elevator being
inserted into the said tube and secured therein, is then operated by any suitable
means and raises the grain inside the tube, from the bottom of the bulk of grain
or any point below the surface thereof, so that the grain outside of, and around,
the said tube, falls by its own weight towards the elevating buckets or screw.
This elevating apparatus can also be made in one or more lengths as desired.
In order that the elevating apparatus may be constantly supplied with grain
until the whole of it is discharged, I provide a receptacle J, which is constructed in
two parts each provided with suitable handles. As soon as the elevator has raised
so much of the grain as will fall within its reach, the two parts of the said
receptacle are fitted and secured together so as to encircle the tube and elevator, as
shown in Figure 2. Into this receptacle the grain, from those parts of the hold
away from the elevator, is then thrown by means of spades or shovels.
form and dimensions of the said elevating apparatus may be varied to suit
requirements.'
The
According to a modification of my said invention I construct the portable tube
in two parts, the lower part, only, is provided with an external screw-thread, and
is pivoted to the upper part which is prevented from rotating and is drawn down
into the grain by the rotation of the lower part.
It is obvious that my improved elevating apparatus herein before described can,
if desired, be fixed in any suitable position either in the hold of a ship or in a
warehouse or other place where it may be required.

page_text: Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim,
First. A portable elevator consisting of a screw of suitable pitch adapted to be
rotated within a tube for the purpose of screwing the said tube down into the
bulk of grain and then elevating the grain within the tube from any point below
the surface, substantially as set forth.
Second. An elevator in which a screw, or a series of buckets, are arranged
within a tube, in such a manner that the grain or other material may be elevated
from any point below the surface of the bulk of grain, the said tube being open at
the lower end, substantially as set forth.
Third. The tube provided with an external screw-thread for the purpose of
screwing it down into the bulk of grain, in combination with a screw, or a series
of buckets, adapted to be inserted and operated within the said tube, substantially
as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth. The tube, and the screw operating within the tube, both made, in
sections of suitable length and connected in any suitable manner, the screw-blade
being either continuous or intermittent, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The receptacle constructed in two or more parts, in combination with the
elevator, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth. The combination with a tube, of a screw within the said tube projecting
a suitable distance below the same and supported in a step or bearing carried by
arms fixed to the said tube, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Walter Blythe have hereunto set my hand
and seal this First day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
WALTER BLYTHE. (L.S.)