Improvements in Apparatus for Handling or Conveying Coal, Iron Ore, Grain, or similar Materials.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Handling or Conveying Coal, Iron
Ore, Grain, or similar Materials.
I, OWEN JAMES CONLEY, of No. 96, Broadway, New York, in the Borough of
Manhattan, and State of New York, United States of America, Mining Engineer,
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 has for its object, the provision of means for facilitating the
handling or conveying of coal, iron ore, grain--such as shelled corn and the
like or similar materials when deposited or stored in bulk, either in vessels or
in piles or masses, and the accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as
applied to a vessel designed to convey in bulk the material to be carried thereby,
from one point to another, and to discharge the same therefrom at pleasure either
to other vessels at sea, or to the loading of cars or other means of conveyance
upon docks or wharfs; or to the simple discharging of the material upon the
decks or wharfs themselves, the most generic feature of the invention being
directed to the provision of means for facilitating the handling or conveying of
such materials from underneath the mass or load thereof and in such a manner
that said mass or load does not, in any way, interfere with the free or unobstructed
handling or conveying of such materials to distant points.
Referring now to the drawings in all of which like letters and numerals of
reference represent like or equivalent parts wherever used,
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the front part of a vessel illustrating in side
elevational view the invention as applied to a vessel.
Figure 2 is an enlarged. plan view of the major portion of the apparatus illus-
trated in Figure 1, all of that portion thereof below the deck of the vessel being
shown in dotted lines.
Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus, as seen looking at
Figure 2 from the right toward the left hand side of the drawings, in the direction
of the arrows, all of the apparatus below the deck of the vessel being illustrated:
also in this figure in dotted lines.
Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the bottom of the carrying compartment
of a vessel, illustrating the double inclined or roof-like structure which sustains
the central body of the load and guides the same in opposite directions toward
the inclined bottoms; two pairs of the hoppers through which the material is,
fed being shown-the doors of one pair of said hoppers being open while the
doors of the other pair opposite thereto are closed-and the means for controlling
the movements of said doors illustrated in dotted lines; the beams or supporting
timbers for all of said parts being also illustrated in dotted lines.
Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken through that portion
of the apparatus which illustrates the means for preventing the weight of the
material to be handled from resting directly upon the conveyor or belt located
beneath the entire load, said transverse section being taken upon the line ac
Figure 4 and as seen looking in the direction of the arrows from the top toward

page_text: the bottom of the drawings; the conveyer or belt, the bottoms of the hoppers,
the automatic feeding mechanism, the sliding doors and controlling apparatus
therefor and their method of operation upon the material to be handled being
also illustrated in this view of the drawings.
Figure 6 is a similar transverse sectional view to that illustrated in Figure 5,
but on a smaller scale, the material to be handled however, not being shown,
said view being taken on the line Figure 4, and as seen looking from the
bottom toward the top of that figure, in the direction of the arrows; the trans-
verse beams or timbers, for the inclined bottoms of the inclined or roof-like
portion which sustains the central body of the load being shown in elevational
view, as are also the feeding mechanism and the controlling mechanism therefor.
Figure 7 is an enlarged part sectional, part side elevational view, on the broken
line y-y, y-y Figure 4, of a part of the bottom of the carrying compartment and
the means for automatically feeding the material, with the additional means for
regulating the flow thereof forward from the carrying compartment through the
hoppers to the lower conveyor or belt, which latter is shown partly in side eleva-
tional and partly in broken sectional view; a part of the means for sustaining
and guiding said conveyor or belt being also shown in side elevational view, as
are also the beams and timbers for supporting the entire apparatus.
Figure 8 is a detail view illustrating the means for locking or securing the
sliding doors in such manner as to effect a constant flow of material to the
automatically controlled feeding mechanism.
Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken through the upper portion of the
conveyor or belt, illustrating also in elevational view the means for preventing
such conveyor or belt from swaying or swinging from side to side, together with
the means for supporting the latter.
Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view illustrating both the upper and lower
portions of the conveyor or belt, the means for giving to the upper portion thereof
its trough-like conformation and for supporting the load to be carried thereon
being shown in elevational view; together with additional means, shown also in
elevational view, for supporting the lower portion or return portion of said con-
veyor or belt and the beams or timbers for sustaining all of said parts.
Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 2, Figure 1,
both parts of the conveyor or belt of the outer or pivoted conveyor being shown in
sectional view; the means of giving to the upper portion of said belt a trough
like conformation and for preventing the same from swaying or swinging, together
with means for supporting the return portion of the conveyor or belt being all
shown in elevational view; the outer or upper cylindrical drum for aiding in
sustaining and driving said conveyor or belt being shown also in elevational view.
Figure 12 is an enlarged plan view of the means for enabling a single attendant
to control the application of power to the movements of the outer or delivery end
of the pivoted conveyor in all directions; and,
Figure 13 is a side elevational view of a major portion of the apparatus shown
in Figure 12 which is located upon or secured directly to the deck of the vessel,
and as seen looking at the same from the bottom toward the top of the drawings,
in the direction of the arrow.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, H represents the hull of a vessel,
and L the carrying compartment having inclined bottoms K K and inclined
ends K at the opposite ends of the vessel, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.
() represents a conveyor or belt made of flexible material, preferably rubber, and
of the desired width and strength to carry the material to be handled, said con-
veyor or belt being located preferably entirely beneath the longitudinal centre of
the load, in the compartment L, and supported at its opposite ends by cylindrical
driving drums or rollers R and R6, carried by shafting journalled in journal
bearings secured to longitudinally arranged beams or timbers N supported by
braced standards tt, resting upon or secured to the ribs or bottom of the vessel
in such manner as to give to the structure the greatest possible strength. The

page_text: upper portion of this conveyor or belt is supported at convenient distances by
cylinders or drums 24, 24, located directly beneath the centre thereof and angu-
larly arranged cylinders or drums 23, 23, located under the sides thereof, as
shown in Figures 7 10 and 11 of the drawings, the arrangement being such as
to give to the upper or carrying portion of said conveyor or belt a trough-like
conformation. These cylinders or drums 24, 24, 23, 23 are journalled upon standards
which are supported in turn by cross-timbers T5 T5, secured to the longitudinal
beams or timbers N¹ N¹, supported by standards t t. Secured beneath the same
cross-timbers T5 T5 by downwardly extending arms and cross-shafting are
additional cylinders or drums 25, 25, adapted to support or guide the lower portion
of the conveyor or belt on its return or backward movement.
22, 22, see Figures 7, 9 and 11, represent additional cylinders or drums secured
by standards beneath cross-timbers TT resting upon longitudinal beams or
timbers N N, above and parallel to the before-mentioned beams or timbers N¹ N,
said beams or timbers N N being also sustained by the same frame work which
supports the first-named beams or timbers.
It will be noticed upon examination of Figure 7 of the drawings that the pairs
of cylinders or drums 22, 22, which rest against the lateral edges of the upper
or carrying portion of the conveyor or belt Ŏ, are located intermediate the sets of
cylinders or drums 24, 24, 23, 23, which support the conveyor or belt 0 and give to
it its trough-like conformation, and that the arrangement is such that as this
trough-like portion of the conveyor or belt is advanced under the action of the
driving mechanism, both it and the load carried thereby will be prevented from
swaying or swinging under abnormal conditions of movements of the vessel in
rough weather.
Referring now particularly to Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7, M M represents a double
inclined or roof-like structure at the centre and bottom of the carrying compartment
and extending the entire length thereof, said structure being supported by a series
of strong rafters T3 T3, in the same manner as the roof of a house is supported by
rafters, the ends of the rafters TT resting upon iron girders T2 To T, properly
secured, in such manner as to give to the structure sufficient strength to sustain
the load resting directly upon it, similar rafters T T being illustrated in
Figure 6 of the drawings for sustaining the inclined bottoms K K and those
parts of the load carried thereby. This double inclined or roof-like structure is
located with its axis, or the junction of the inclined surfaces M M', directly above
the centre of the conveyor or belt 0, as clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawings,
its function being to support the weight of the central portion of the load in the
carrying compartment and direct the movements thereof in opposite directions
toward the inclined bottoms K K.
At definite distances apart there are provided at the junction of the inclined
surfaces M M and inclined bottoms K K pairs of openings or hoppers H¹ H¹,
H2 H2, H3 H³, etc., located directly opposite each other and with their lower or
bottom portions extending inward in the nature of chutes, as clearly shown in
Figures 5 and 7 of the drawings, to points approaching the lateral edges of the
upper or trough-like carrying portion of the conveyor or belt (.
d, d, d, d, d, d, represent upwardly extending pyramidal surfaces between the
junctures of the inclined surfaces M M and inclined bottoms K K and directly
intermediate the pairs of hoppers H¹ H1, H2 H²; etc., the function of said pyramidal
surfaces being to afford as little friction as possible to the material and aid in
its descent to the hoppers H H³, H² H², H³ H³, etc.
In Figure 5 of the drawings is shown in enlarged sectional view the manner
in which the material C-illustrated therein as coarse and fine bituminous coal
or iron ore, is caused to descend by gravity, in opposite directions, upon the
inclined surfaces M M and the inclined bottoms KK, the bottoms of the hop-
pers H H being shown beneath the edges of the inclined surfaces M M³.
•
In this figure of the drawings are illustrated lateral ledges or pockets 4, 4,
between the lower edges of the inclined bottoms K K and the bottoms of the

page_text: hoppers H2 H2 H3 H, etc. the function of said ledges or pockets being to cause the
finer portions of the material, where such material as illustrated in this figure is
being handled, to lodge therein, in such manner that as the larger portions of the
material descend, any bridging action will he prevented between the bottom of the
hoppers H1, H2, etc., and the lower edge of the door 3, as will he described more
particularly in connection with the description of the mode of operation.
These ledges or pockets 4, 4, are located directly opposite the doors 3, 3, and
are of substantially the same width as the hoppers, as shown. If preferred, the
inclined bottoms K K may be entirely done away with and vertical walls 5, 5.
substituted therefor, extending the entire length of the vessel, the junction of
said vertical walls and the bottom of the hoppers being located, as shown in
Figure 5, so that when the doors 3, 3. are in their lower or closed positions, they
will intersect with the bottoms of said hoppers. When so constructed with
vertical walls 5, 5, in place of the inclined bottoms K K, the spaces between said
vertical walls and the hull of the vessel H can be filled with the material to be
handled and after the load of material above the same is removed, this material,
if desired, can be thrown into the hoppers by hand in the usual way. Or, in as
much as it is often desirable to provide permanent ballast for vessels, the same
may be left permanently in position if preferred.
The sliding doors 3, and their operating mechanism for regulating the flow of
material to the conveyor or belt and also the feed and controlling mechanism which
automatically feeds the material forward to said conveyor or belt will now be
described. Each hopper H1 H2 H³, etc., is provided with a door 3, adapted to slide
in grooves beneath the underside of the inclined surfaces M M. see Figure 7,
and to the undersides of said doors are secured a series of racks 6, 6, 6. 7, 7, 7 are
pinions adapted to mesh with said racks, said pinions being carried by shafting 8
journalled in the sides of the hoppers, the exterior or exposed ends of said shafting
being of rectangular shape for the application of a winch or crank-handle. On
the outer end of each shaft 8 is a ratchet-wheel 9. 10, 10 are pawls pivotally
secured to the sides of the hoppers H1 H2 H3, etc., the free ends of said pawls being
adapted to take in the ratchet-teeth of the ratchet wheels. These doors 3 are
moved back and forth at will with a winch or crank-handle, as described, and are
locked at any desired height by the pawls 10, 10, thereby regulating the flow of
the material therethrough to the conveyer or belt.
The mechanism for positively moving or feeding the material forward to the
convever or belt O will now be described. 16, 16 are two lines of shafting extend-
ing the entire length of the carrying compartment and journalled in cross-
timbers N2N2 which are supported by the longitudinal beams or timbers NN.
To the forward ends of these lines of shafting are secured bevel gear-wheels ff,
see Figure 2, which mesh with similar bevel gear-wheels f¹ f, secured each
to an independent shaft, journalled in standards attached to the bottom of the
vessel and carrying a cone pulley 21, adapted to receive three different speeds
by a belt from a corresponding cone pulley 20, secured to shafting 19 which
supports the driving cylinder or drum R for the lower convever or belt O, said
line of shafting being connected as indicated by a belt A and pulleys to the driving
shaft of the engine E, all as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.
The cone pulleys 20 and 21, located on opposite sides of the conveyer or belt 0.
as described, are connected by driving belts 4 + and variable speed is imparted
to the shafting 16 as will be understood on inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings.
Located directly beneath the inner bottoms of the hoppers H¹ H1 H2 H2 H³ H³
and upon the parallel lines of shafting 16, 16, are pairs of iron corrugated feeding
drums 11, 11, adapted to run loosely upon said shafting. These corrugated feeding
drums are of slightly greater width than the chute-like portion of the hoppers H¹ H¹
H2 H2 H3 H³, etc., see Figure 7. and are each provided with a clutch and clutch
lever to clutch or connect it directly to its supporting shafting 16, the
ment being such that all of said drums are idle or stationary unless operatively
arrange-

page_text: connected to their proper line of shafting 16, by their corresponding clutches,
said clutches being of well known structure.
12, 12 are iron corrugated feed regulating drums adjustably journalled in
oblong slots or grooves 19, 19, in the opposite sides of the hoppers and directly
above the corrugated feed drums 11, 11, as clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 7
of the drawings. These drums 12, 12 are made adjustable in such oblong slots
by journalling them in journal bearings, adapted to slide in the slots, and said
sliding journal bearings are connected by swivels with regulating screws 18. 18,
the arrangement being such that the corrugated drums may be adjusted to various
heights to correspond to the well-known sliding slopes or angles of the different
sized materials to be handled, so that said material will not advance by gravity
over the feed drums 11 located beneath them.
In Figure 7 of the drawings the right hand portion thereof illustrates in eleva-
tional view one of the feeding drums 11 on the distant side of the conveyor or
belt O, the door 3 and mechanism for operating the same, the hopper H³, and the
corrugated drum 12 for regulating the feed of the material C as it is fed forward
to the conveyer or belt the drum 11 being connected by its clutch to the
further line of shafting 16: while the left hand portion of said drawing illustrates
that one of the next adjacent pair of corrugated feeding drums 11. located on
the near side of the conveyer or belt 0, and operatively connected to the near line
of shafting 16 by its clutch mechanism, the bottom only of the hopper H2 being
seen.
It is apparent, however, that the feed regulating drum 12 is not visible in this
portion of the figure, nor can the material C as it is fed forward to the conveyer
or belt be seen, as it is moving in a reverse direction from that illustrated in
the right hand side of said figure of the drawings and is concealed from view by
the parts shown.
To one end of each of the sleeves supporting the drums 11 is attached a sprocket-
wheels, see Figures 5, 6 and 7, and to the corresponding end of the corrugated
feed regulating drum 12 is attached a similar sprocket-wheels, 13 being a
sprocket-chain connecting said sprocket-wheels together. 55 are movable belt
tightening sheaves adapted to move in a vertical direction by guiding grooves, in
supports as shown, said sheaves being sustained in a well known manner by
cords 15. 15. passing upward over sheaves, thence downward under
sheaves, thence to the right and left over sheaves where they are attached
to heavy weights a, e, the function of said weights, cords and sheaves being to
give proper tension to the sprocket-chains 13, 13, under different conditions of
adjustment of the feed regulating drums 12, 12, and their pairs of regulating
screws 18, 18.
In the left hand side of Figure 7 the sprocket-chains 13 and their sprocket-
wheels for the feed drums 11 and regulating drums 12, located on opposite
sides of the conveyer or belt 0, are shown complete in side elevational view:
while on the right hand side of this figure of the drawings the broken sectional
view necessarily leaves out of view some of said parts; all of these parts, however,
are illustrated in detail in Figure 6.
The elevator ¹ is of well known form and with its driving cylinders or
drums EE and hopper E is arranged so as to receive the material from the
delivery end of the lower convever or belt O in its buckets, carrying the same
upward to a point above deck and discharging it in the hopper E where it passes
from thence to the outer or pivoted conveyor which is provided with a converor
belt 02 driven by cylindrical drums E2 E3, journalled in a truss or frame-work T,
as 'shown.
In Figure 11 of the drawings is illustrated a transverse sectional view of this
exterior pivoted converor and its supporting parts, as taken on the line z¹,
looking in the direction of the arrows from the left toward the right, Figure 1.
from which it will be seen that the structure is not substantially different from

page_text: that of the lower conveyor, as already indicated. The outer conveyor is pivotally
supported, B being a bevel gear-wheel located on a shaft carrying pulleys P2 P3,
said gear-wheel meshing with the under part of a double bevel gear-wheel B1 B2
sustained by a pivot pin or bolt, not shown, the upper part of said gear-wheel
meshing with a third bevel gear-wheel 133 connected directly to the supporting
shaft of the driving drum or cylinder 2 for the conveyor belt 02. On one end
of the main shafting 19', see Figure 2 of the drawings, is a pulley connected
by a belt to a pulley P2 above deck upon the same shaft as the bevel gear-
wheel B. A second pulley P³ upon this shaft is connected by a belt 2 with a
pulley P carried by a shaft, supported by journals at a point above the deck of
the vessel, and attached to the other end of this shaft is a pulley 15 connected by
a belt 6 to a pulley P carried by the same shaft which supports the upper or
driving cylinder or drum E of the elevator 01. The elevator and the conveyors
or belts of the conveyors 0 and 02, as thus described, are connected by pulleys and
belting, as shown, to a source of power as a steam engine E.
The mechanism for controlling the movements of the free or delivery end of
the upper or pivoted conveyor will now be described, reference being had par-
ticularly to Figures 1, 2, 3, 12 and 13.
Drepresents a derrick firmly secured to the deck of the vessel and of sufficient
height and strength to carry at all times the weight of the exterior or pivoted
conveyer and the load carried thereby in operation, this derrick being constructed
of four upright timbers securely cross braced and affixed to the deck of the vessel.
On the upper end of this derrick is journalled a sheave p¹ and at a point near
the outer or free end of the pivoted conveyer is located a similar sheave p 7 is
a strong rope or wire cable secured to the top of the derrick at e and passing thence
around the sheave back to the top of the derrick D, over the sheave p³, thence
downward to a drum W adapted to run loosely upon a horizontal shaft 30 jour-
nalled at its opposite ends in strong standards VV firmly secured to the deck of
the vessel.
On the shaft 30 is a sprocket-wheel operatively connected by a sprocket-chain 29
to a sprocket-wheel upon the same shaft which supports the pulleys P4 P5, the
arrangement being such that the shaft 30 is constantly driven with the rest of
the mechanism by the sprocket-chain and sprocket wheels referred to the function
of the rope and the drum W to which it is attached being to raise and lower
the outer or free end of the pivoted conveyer.
B is a cross-bar of substantially the same width as the vessel and firmly
secured to the derrick D at a point about midway the height thereof, said cross-
bar being additionally secured laterally by braces G G¹ running to the front side
of the derrick. In the outer ends of the cross-bar B are secured sheaves 7274
and at points intermediate its ends are secured additional sheaves 23 25 with their
axes located at right angles to the first-named sheaves.
ggare strong ropes or cables secured at their outer ends at points e¹ e² near
the free or delivery end of the pivoted conveyor, said ropes passing, as shown,
rearward around the sheaves 727 thence inward around the sheaves 73 p5 and
downward to and around driving drums W2 W running loosely upon the same
shaft 30 which supports the driving drum W. It is the function of these
ropes g, drums W2 W to which they are attached to move the outer or delivery
end of the pivoted conveyer laterally.
The drums WW1 W2 are provided with well known forms of friction
clutches 31, 31, 31, for positively connecting them directly to the shaft 30 without
sudden shock, and operating levers J J J are provided for effecting such connec-
tions. Each of said drums is also provided with a brake-band 34, see Figure 13, opera-
tively connected with a bell-crank lever Q and a connecting link U to pedals Y Y¹ Y'
and all of said pedals and the clutch controlling levers are located in close
proximity to each other, so as to be readily accessible to the attendant who has the
control of management of the pivoted or delivery conveyor. All of the pedals
are provided with spring pressed sector shaped racks or equivalent retaining

page_text: devices h for holding the drums by the brake-bands 34, if desired, said retaining
devices being easily released by the foot of the attendant.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Suppose it is desired to deliver coal to a vessel at sea and under such conditions
of wind and waves as to make such delivery exceedingly difficult by ordinary or
well known means for coaling from colliers. The doors 3, 3, 3, of the carrying
compartment L are closed, after which the vessel is loaded with the coal, filling
it, the carrying compartment, to its fullest capacity. On arrival at the point
where it is desired to deliver the coal to a vessel at sea, the vessel H is placed
alongside of the vessel to be coaled, with the free end of the pivoted conveyor
extending over the sides of both vessels. The engine E is set in motion, impart-
ing movement to all of the operative parts of the apparatus, and such of the clutch
levers as it may be thought desirable to actuate are so moved as to connect
their corresponding corrugated feed drums 11 with the lines of continuously
rotating shafting 16, 16. The corresponding doors 3, 3, thereto, are now opened
by the attendants below deck, to the desired point, having first liberated the
pawls 10, 10 from the ratchet wheels 9, after which said pawls are restored to
position so as to lock the same.
The attendant on the upper deck at the drums W W W raises the free end
of the delivery conveyor to the desired height by connecting the friction clutch 31
of the drum W to the shaft 30, at the same time placing his foot upon the brake-
pedal and releasing the clutch when the desired height is attained. The
reverse movement is attained by simply allowing the weight of the free end of
the conveyor to act by gravity, the speed of the descent being controlled by the
brake-band 34 and pedal Y. If it is desired to move the free end of the conveyor,
say to the right, he actuates the friction clutch lever J thereby connecting the
drum. We to the shaft 30 and imparting motion to the parts through the agency
of the rope g. Should the weight of the conveyor tend to swing it too far, the
attendant, has only to place his foot upon the pedal of the drum W and thus
check it. To move the free end of the convevor in a reverse direction he actuates
the friction clutch lever J connecting the drum W, thereby imparting motion
to the left through the agency of the rope gl. As the speed with which the
drums W WW2 are driven is relatively high and the clutches and brakes are
all under the immediate control of the attendant, he is enabled to move the free
end of the conveyor with great rapidity and accuracy thereby compensating for
the rise and fall of the delivering vessel, owing to the waves and wind.
The operation of the feeding controlling apparatus is as follows:-
The material C is fed forward by its own weight, owing to the action of the
inclined surface M M and inclined bottoms K, K passing thence downward
through the hoppers H H H³ H, etc., according to which of the doors 3 are open.
The corrugated feeding drums 11, rotating in reverse directions on the opposite
sides of the trough-shaped conveyor or belt O, carry the material forward and
discharge it thereon in the manner shown in Figure 5, while the feed regulating
drums 12 prevent a too rapid flow of the material, owing to their checking action.
As the material is thus fed forward and discharged upon the conveyor or belt O,
it is carried to the front or delivery end thereof and discharged into the buckets of
the elevator O', carried thence upward and finally discharged through the hopper Et
upon the pivotally sustained conveyor or belt 02, whence it is carried upward and
deposited on board of the vessel receiving the coal.
Should the vessel lurch sideways, both of the conveyor belts 0 and 0° will
maintain their relative positions and carry their loads continuously in the same
direction, without shifting or losing any of the material. It will be under-
stood that the doors 3 may be opened at pleasure and the various portions of the
load removed, thereby making it possible to always keep on discharging or
unloading a vessel upon a substantially even keel.
Although the double inclined or roof-like structure M M', as hereinbefore
shown and described, is used in connection with hoppers located beneath a load

page_text: carried by a vessel and constituting a compartment extending entirely there-
under, it is obvious that such a structure having open sides under the eaves or
edges of the double inclined or roof-like structure may be arranged beneath any
pile or mass of material to be handled or conveyed elsewhere, so that the material
will descend by the action of gravity in opposite directions and flow laterally
under the eaves or edges thereof, into the compartment thereunder, either upon
a conveyor or belt O as described, or the material may be removed from said com-
partment by wheel-barrows, tram-cars, or in any preferred manner, the generic
application of this structure being of such a nature as to enable one to convey,
in any preferred manner, the material of such a pile or mass entirely from its
underside.
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
1 claim is:-
1. Means for facilitating the handling or carrying of coal, iron ore, grain,
or similar materials, when deposited or stored in piles or masses, consisting of a
roof-like structure located beneath the pile or mass thereof and forming an
accessible compartment into which the material flows by its own weight and from
which it may be conveyed to distant points, as desired.
2. A vessel having a roof-like structure extending beneath the entire load and
lateral openings beneath the edges of said roof-like structure, adapted to admit
the material of the load into the area thereunder, so that it may be removed at
pleasure, substantially as described.
3. A vessel having a conveyer located beneath the load carried thereby, in
combination with means between the load and the conveyor for preventing the
former from resting on the latter, substantially as described.
4. A vessel having a conveyer located beneath the load carried thereby, in
combination with means between the load and the conveyor for preventing the
former from resting upon the latter, and additional means for directing the
material laterally into or upon the conveyor, substantially as described.
5. A vessel having a conveyor located beneath the load carried thereby, in
combination with means in the nature of a double inclined or roof-like structure,
supported or sustained between the load and the conveyor, and adapted to prevent
the load from resting directly upon the conveyor and to direct it laterally to both
sides thereof, in combination with hoppers located below the edges of said roof-
like structure and adapted to convey the load, by the action of gravity, to the
upper or carrying portion of the conveyor, said conveyor being driven by a source
of power, substantially as described.
6. A vessel having a conveyor located beneath the load carried thereby, in com-
bination with a supporting roof beneath the load and over the 'conveyor; hoppers
beneath the lateral edges of said roof and sliding doors on the under-side of said
roof, together with means for causing said doors to close the hoppers, substan-
tially as described.
7. A vessel having a double inclined roof located beneath the load carried
thereby, in combination with doors secured beneath the lower surfaces of said
inclined roof, together with means as racks and pinions and locking mechanism
for moving and locking said doors in any desired position, substantially as
described.
8. A vessel having a conveyor located beneath the load, in combination with
means, as hoppers, for directing the material of the load toward the conveyor and
automatically actuated feeding drums adapted to deliver the material directly
to the conveyor, substantially as described."
9. A vessel having a conveyor located beneath the load carried thereby, in
combination with means, as hoppers, for directing the material of the load toward
the conveyor and feeding drums, one for each hopper, said drums being carried
by continuously driven shafting and provided with clutch mechanism for connect-

page_text: ing them to and disconnecting them from said shafting at will, substantially as
described.
10. A vessel provided with a compartment under a roof-like structure extending
beneath the entire load, in combination with lateral or side openings in said com-
partment, in the nature of hoppers, together with adjustable means for regulating
the flow of the material of the load through the hoppers, in accordance with the
angle at which the material will flow by its own weight, substantially as described.
11. A vessel provided with a compartment beneath the load, hoppers for con-
veying the material of the load to the compartment, a conveyor in said compart-
ment and automatically actuated feeding mechanism, together with means for
holding the material in check in accordance with the slope or angle at which it
will flow or move by its own weight, substantially as described
12. A conveyor belt having driving cylinders or drums in combination with
means beneath the upper or carrying portion thereof for giving to it a trough-
like conformation or shape, and means as cylinders, bearing against the lateral
edges of said carrying portion, substantially as described.
13. A vessel having a carrying compartment provided with inclined bottoms
for supporting the load and causing it to descend by gravity, said bottoms being
provided with ledges or pockets adapted to catch or hold some of the material in
check, substantially as described.
14. A conveyor or elevator pivotally supported at one end, so that its free end
may be moved vertically and laterally, in combination with a source of power
operatively connected with the conveyor for moving the free end thereof at will,
together with means in the nature of clutch and controlling mechanism, accessible
to a single attendant, for enabling him to connect and disconnect the continuously
actuated source of power at will and regulate the movements of the free or delivery
end of the conveyor, substantially as described.
15. A conveyor or elevator pivotally supported at one end, so that its free or
delivery end may partake of vertical and lateral movements, in combination with
a continuously driven shaft carrying three drums adapted to run loosely thereon;
a rope running from one of said drums over a sheave supported at the top of a
derrick or mast and thence to the free or delivery end of the conveyor; a rope
running from each of the remaining drums over sheaves at the opposite ends of a
cross-bar and thence to points on the opposite side of the delivery end of said
conveyor; together with clutch and brake mechanism for connecting the drums
to the shaft and controlling the movements of the conveyor, substantially as
described.
16. The combination of a vessel, a conveyor located in a compartment beneath
the entire load carried by the vessel, an elevator adapted to receive the material
discharged from said conveyor and elevate the same; a second conveyor adapted
to receive said material from the upper or delivery end of the elevator, said
second conveyor being pivotally secured to the deck of the vessel in such manner
as to adapt its free or delivery end to be moved in any desired direction; together
with means carried also by the vessel for elevating the free or delivery end of the
elevator, whereby the material carried by the vessel may be elevated and unloaded
at various heights and angles, substantially as shown and described.
17. The combination of a vessel, a conveyor located in a compartment beneath
the entire load carried by the vessel, an elevator adapted to receive the material
same; a second con-
discharged from said conveyor and elevate the
veyor adapted to receive said material from the upper or delivery end of the
elevator, said second conveyor being pivotally secured to the deck of the vessel
in such manner as to adapt its free or delivery end to be moved in any desired
direction and raised to a point above the delivery end of the elevator; a derrick
secured also to the deck of the vessel, together with block and fall mechanism
mechanism pivotally connecting the second conveyor with the top of the derrick
and means, as a drum W for elevating the free or delivery end of said second
conveyor to any desired height, substantially as described.

page_text: 18. A vessel provided with a conveyor located beneath the load carried thereby
and under a roof-like structure which supports that part of the load above it,
in combination with means for permitting the material of the load to descend
by gravity upon the conveyor, and an elevator located at the delivery end of
said conveyor and adapted to carry the material delivered therefrom to a point
above deck, substantially as described.
19. A vessel provided with a conveyor located beneath the load carried thereby
and under a roof-like structure which supports that part of the load above it,
in combination with means for delivering the material to the conveyor; an
elevator located at the delivery end of said conveyor and adapted to carry the
material above the deck of the vessel; together with a second conveyor adapted
to receive the material from the elevator, said conveyor being pivotally supported
at one end to the deck of the vessel and provided with means for permitting its
free delivery end to be moved laterally and vertically, said. conveyor and elevator
being all operatively driven and controlled by a source of power, as a steam engine,
substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of Tonnaw. 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.