IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS' CARGOES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS' CARGOES." A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles Bernard Meserole, of New Rochelle, in the
County of Westchester, State of New York, United States of America.
..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th January 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING.
SHIPS' CARGOES." [A communication from abroad by Charles Bernard Meserole,
of New Rochelle, in the County of Westchester, State of New York, United States
of America.]
These improvements relate to endless chain elevators for elevating, or lowering
and delivering barrels, bales, packages, and other freight on docks and vessels.
The object of the Invention is to provide for transfer of freight from a vessel to a
dock or the reverse, by means that shall in action be practically automatic, and it
consists in a jointed frame-apparatus that can be set to both elevate and convey
the freight so that no bandling is required between the vessel and dock.
The frame of the elevating apparatus is composed of sections jointed together to
turn at any suitable angle one upon another. Each section is composed of grooved
rails fitted at their ends with joint plates united to similar plates on the next
section by a cross bolt on which the section turns, the sections being retained at
the angle desired by means of a locking bolt passing through apertures in the two
pairs of joint plates. This jointed frame carries a pair of endless chains which run
over chain or sprocket wheels at the upper and lower ends of the apparatus and
are formed of alternate long and short links and the two chains are united by cross
rods that extend through eyes formed on the short links, and the sprocket wheels
have pins at a proper distance apart to enter the long links so that there can be no
slip. On the ends of these cross rods are friction rollers that travel in the grooves

page_text: between flanges or ribs on the rails so that the chains are held in place and at the
ends of the sections the rollers move over the edges of the inner joint plates while
passing the joint. Guides are placed on the ends of the elevator to support the
rollers and chain in passing from one side to the other.
The freight carriers or tables consist of pairs of V form bars hung to the cross
rods of the chains at suitable distances apart and held in place by braces that
extend from the adjacent cross rods to the middle of the V shaped bars and are
forked to embrace the said bars and connect with a cross rod uniting the pair of
V shaped bars.
On one side of each section is a fixed leg for sustaining the apparatus, and the
legs are provided with rollers or wheels to relieve friction of contact with the
vessel or dock. At each joint there are eyes fitted on the hinge bolt for connection
of tackle to sustain and move the apparatus. The upper-sprocket wheels are on a
shaft on which is a pinion engaged by a worm on a cross shaft to which power is
to be applied preferably from an engine mounted on the section to turn the shaft
and thus put the chains in motion. The lower sprocket wheels are adjustable to
tighten the chain.
.
The bottom of the elevator is enclosed in a casing which serves to give support
by resting on the bottom of the vessel.
The elevator of this construction can be lowered into a vessel and the upper
sections then lowered until the leg on the outer end rests on the dock and thus
form a continuous elevator and conveyor. In operation the barrels, bales, and
other packages are placed over the casing and are caught up by the tables as they
rise. They are then carried up and to the outer end of the apparatus from whence
they are discharged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1882.
«<
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING
SHIPS' CARGOES." A communication from abroad by Charles Bernard Meserole of
New Rochelle in the County of Westchester, State of New York, United States of
America.
These improvements relate to endless chain elevators for elevating or lowering
and delivering barrels, bales, packages, and other freight on docks and vessels.
The object of the Invention is to provide for transfer of freight from a vessel to a
dock or the reverse, by means that shall be practically automatic in their action,
and it consists in a jointed frame-apparatus that can be set to both elevate and
convey the freight so that no handling is required between the vessel and dock,
all as hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus
shown as applied for use in connection with a vessel. Figure 2 is a front view,
showing a portion of the frame and endless chain. Figure 3 is a cross section of
the base of the frame. Figure 4 is a side view of the lower chain wheel. Figure 5
is a side view of one joint of the frame, and Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of
the joint. Figure 7 is a transverse section of the frame and lower chain wheel;
and Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of the endless chain and tables. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various Figures.
Referring to Figure 1, A is a vessel and B the dock to which the elevator and
conveyor is applied for receiving the freight from either hold of the vessel and
delivering it upon the dock. The apparatus is composed of sections C preferably
four in number jointed together to turn at any suitable angle one upon another
and carrying endless chains a a that run over chain or sprocket wheels b b at the
upper and lower ends of the apparatus. Each section C as shown most clearly in
Figures 2. 5. 6 and 7, is composed of rails cc fitted at their ends with joint
plates d d that are united to similar plates on the next section by a cross rod e on
which the section turns. The plates d are apertured as shown in Figure 5, and a
cross bolt fpassing through the apertures from one side to the other, retains the
sections at the angle desired. The chains a are united by cross rods g that extend
through eyes g¹ formed on the alternate links of the chain. The chain is composed
of alternate short and long links, the eyes g¹ being upon the shorter links, and the
sprocket wheels as shown in Figure 4 have pins at a proper distance apart to .
enter the longer links so that there can be no slip. On the ends of rods g are
friction rollers h that are held between flanges or ribs i on the rails c so that the
chains are held in place and at the ends of sections C the rollers move over the
edges of the inner joint plates d while passing the joint. Guides are placed on
the ends of the elevator to support the rollers and chain in passing from one side
to the other.
The freight carriers or tables consist, as shown most clearly in Figures 8 and 9,
of V form bars m hung to the cross rods g of the chains at suitable distances
apart and held in place by braces n that extend from the adjacent rods g to the
middle of bars m. The braces are forked to stride the bars m and connect with a
cross rod o. On one side of each section C is a fixed leg p (Figure 1) for sustaining
the apparatus, and the legs are provided with rollers or wheels to relieve friction
of contact with the vessel or dock. At each joint, as shown in Figure 6, there are

page_text: eyes q fitted on the cross rod e for connection of tackle to sustain and move the
apparatus. The upper sprocket wheels b are on a shaft on which is a pinion r
engaged by a worm on a cross shaft 8 to which power is to be applied preferably
from an engine mounted on the section to turn the shaft and thus put the chains
in motion. The lower sprocket wheels are adjustable to tighten the chain.
The bottom of the elevator is enclosed.in a casing t which serves to give support
by resting on the bottom of the vessel. The elevator of this construction can be
lowered into a vessel and the upper sections then lowered until the leg on the
outer end rests on the dock as shown, and thus form a continuous elevator and
conveyor. In operation the barrels, bales, and other packages are placed over the
casing t and are caught up by the tables m as they rise. They are then carried up
and to the outer end of the apparatus from whence they are discharged.
Having described the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements in
Apparatus for Loading and Unloading Ships' Cargoes" and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is.
"
1st. The combination in freight elevators of jointed sections C, endless chains a,
tables m, and sprocket wheels b, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. In freight elevators the jointed sections composed of rails c united by joint
plates d and rods e and the endless chain a carrying tables m substantially as
shown and described combined for operation as set forth.
3rd. The endless chains a a provided with eyes g' and connected by rods g, and
the V shape bars m held by braces n in combination with the jointed sections C
forming a supporting frame substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fifteenth day of July, A.D. 1882.