Improvements in Screw Conveyors for Discharging Cargo from Hopper Dredgers and other Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
RONAL
ION.
Improvements in Screw Conveyors for Discharging Cargo from
Hopper Dredgers and other Vessels.
I, GEORGE WESTON, Marine Engineer, of 6 Hampstead, Cave Hill Road, Belfast,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to screw conveyors for discharging cargo from ships.
The invention is specially applicable for discharging sludge sand, etc., from
dredgers, or coal, grain and like cargoes from trading vessels.
The invention is specially adapted for any vessel having a flat or nearly flat
bottom.
In carrying out the invention I arrange a number of screw conveyors beside
each other, in either a vertical or horizontal plane, in the bottom of the vessel.
Each screw conveyor has a right hand screw thread at one side and a left hand
screw thread at the other side so as to tend to deliver the cargo to the centre
of the series of conveyors where it is caught by one or more additional screw
conveyors arranged at right angles to the first set and is forced in and delivered
to travelling buckets or the suction pipe of a centrifugal or other pump.
The conveyors may be driven by means of worm or bevel gearing.
Under another arrangement a series of right and left hand screw conveyors
may be made so as to deliver the cargo towards each side from whence it is carried
by means of screw conveyors arranged at right angles to the first set to two sets
of buckets or suction pumps.
If desired one screw conveyor may be a left handed one and the next one of
the series a right handed one. Or a number of screw conveyors may be arranged
beside each other and be made to deliver the cargo to a single discharging
conveyor.
The conveyors can be in the bottom of the vessel as fixtures and the driving
gear be kept clear of the cargo.
One conveyor, either right or left handed may be made to travel bodily to and
fro while revolving and to feed a second screw, at right angles, delivering to
buckets or a pump.
The conveyor is adapted to deliver the cargo into scows or barges alongside the
vessel or into trucks ashore. In the latter case a shoot is provided with a screw
therein which is capable of being swung to and fro in board or out and is
supported by a crane or davit. The shoot is provided with openings, at intervals
apart, through which the cargo falls into the trucks.
The dredgings are preferably passed through a grid (and in the case of sand
it may be mixed or slurried with water) in order to stop stones and other foreign
matter going to the pump or buckets.
The bearings for the conveyors are preferably made of lignum vitae and have

page_text: water under pressure supplied to them so as to keep out cargo where the bearings
are exposed to it.
Dated this 7th day of December 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Conveyors for Discharging Cargo from
Hopper Dredgers and other Vessels.
I, GEORGE WESTON, Marine Engineer, of 6 Hampstead, Cave Hill Road, Belfast,
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 screw conveyors for discharging cargo from ships.
The invention is specially applicable for discharging sludge sand, etc., from
dredgers, or coal, grain and like cargoes from trading vessels.
The invention, is specially adapted for any vessel having a flat or nearly flat
bottom.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, which show, by way of
illustration or example, methods of carrying my invention into effect or practice.
On the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a barge or flat bottomed vessel with the screw con-
veyors fitted therein.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a barge or flat bottomed vessel with a different arrange-
ment of screw conveyors.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a barge or flat bottomed vessel with another arrange-
ment of the screw conveyors.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same or similar parts.
In carrying out the invention according to the arrangement shown at Fig. 1
I fit a number of screw conveyors a beside each other, in a horizontal plane, in
the bottom of the vessel. Each screw conveyor a has a right hand screw thread a¹
at one side and a left hand screw thread a2 at the other side so as to tend to
deliver the cargo to the centre of the series of conveyors where it is caught by
an additional screw conveyor b (or more than one conveyor if so desired) arranged
at right angles to the conveyors a and forced in or delivered to travelling lift-
buckets of the usual type or the suction pipe of a centrifugal or other pump.
c represents the buckets.
The conveyors are driven by means of bevel gearing d or worm or other
suitable gearing.
According to the arrangement shown at Fig. 2 a series of right and left hand
screw conveyors a, a¹, a², are arranged in the bottom of the vessel so as to deliver
the cargo towards each side from whence it is carried, by means of screw con-
veyors e, e¹, arranged at right angles to the conveyors a to two sets of buckets
or suction pumps c.
According to the arrangement shown at Fig. 3 a number of screw conveyors f
having a simple right handed screw thread are arranged beside each other in
the bottom of the vessel, and feed forward the cargo to a single discharging con-
veyor 6 which delivers the cargo to the buckets or pump.
According as to which side of the vessel the discharging conveyor 6 is arranged

page_text: and the direction of revolution of the conveyors of the conveyors of can be made
either right or left handed.
y are bulk heads which extend from the upper edge of the conveyor 6 to the
deck in order to prevent the conveyor being overfed by the feeders a or f. hare
bearings. is a casing enclosing the gearing.
The conveyors can be fitted in the bottom of the vessel as fixtures.
The cargo can, in the case of a large vessel, be delivered by the screw con-
veyors and buckets or pump into scows or barges alongside the vessel or into
trucks ashore. In the latter case a delivery shoot is or may be provided which
is capable of being swung to and fro so as to deliver the cargo at any desired
position within the radius of movement of the shoot. The shoot, which may be
supported by a crane or davit, may have openings at intervals apart through
which the cargo can fall into the trucks.
The dredgings are preferably passed through a grid (and in the case of sand
it may be mixed or slurried with water) in order to prevent stones and other
foreign matter going to the pump or buckets.
The bearings for the conveyors are preferably made of lignum vitae and have
or may have water under pressure supplied to them so as to keep out cargo where
the bearings are exposed to it.
The number of feeding screws a or f may be varied according to the nature
of the cargo. On the drawings I have shown a number of feeding screws merely
for the purpose of illustration and they are arranged somewhat widely apart.
In practice I would prefer to have them much closer.
The shafts carrying the screws would, except at their bearing ends, preferably
be made square and the screws made in sections and slipped on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The combination, in screw conveyors for discharging cargo from ships and
vessels, of a number of feeding screws arranged in the bottom of the vessel which
deliver the cargo to one or more screw conveyors arranged at or about right angles
to the feeding screws, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. The combination, in screw conveyors for discharging cargo from ships and
vessels, of a number of feeding screws having right and left handed screw threads
on them arranged in the bottom of the vessel said screws delivering the cargo
more screw conveyors arranged at an angle to the feeding screws, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 6th dev of Santambor 1807
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.