Apparatus for the Discharge and Loading of Coal and other Cargo.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Discharge and Loading of Coal and other Cargo.
I JAMES RIGG of number eleven Queen Victoria Street in the City of London,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the more expeditious and economical discharge of
coal or other material or produce from the holds of vessels and from stores or ware-
houses and it consists of a framework which may be fixed over the hatchway or other
opening where this machinery is to operate. At the top of this framework pedestals
or bearings are fixed carrying a shaft to which chain pulleys are keyed supporting an
endless vertical chain or chains of elevator trays or buckets. Vertical guide rods
carry a lower set of chain pulleys and these guide rods are capable of sliding up or
down within previously determined limits made in the case of a vessel to correspond
with the depth of her hold. The elevator bucket chains after passing over the lower
pulleys are led over another pair of chain pulleys suspended by blocks and tackle or
other suitable raising and lowering gear from the framework. Power for this and for
other purposes described hereinafter may be provided by one of the ship's winches or
otherwise.
Bevil or other gearing may be used for driving the upper chain wheel shaft and for
raising or lowering a short delivery shoot which moves in vertical slides to correspond
with the varying heights of vessels from the water as the operations are proceeding;
Suitable gearing may also when required be provided for driving a conveyor attached
to this shoot for the transmission to any desired point of such material as will not
pass by the force of gravity.
A pair of these elevators may be placed in the same hatchway thus expediting the
removal of coal from the hold as well as providing for its simultaneous delivery at
two points as in the case of a steamer having side bunkers.
This elevator may also be used for receiving some descriptions of cargo and
especially such coal as it may be desirable to load with the least possible breakage.
Dated this Second day of May 1889.
JAMES RIGG.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Discharge and Loading of Coal and other Cargo.
I, JAMES RIGG of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the city of London, 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:-
--
My invention consists of an elevator constructed in such a manner that though the
upper pulleys carrying an endless chain or chains of buckets or trays run upon fixed
bearings at a definite height from the deck or sides of any vessel or other receptacle
the lower pulleys upon which these chains also travel are capable of being prolonged
or extended within any previously determined limit and thus follow the receding
surface of the coal, grain or other material or produce forming the cargo or store that
it may be desired to discharge from any hold or other receptacle.
Though the position of the upper shaft when the elevator is in operation is fixed
and definite the whole or any portion of the upper gearing or framework (or both)
may be constructed so that they may be detached lowered or telescoped thus to reduce
any injurious effect that the application of such machinery might otherwise have upon
the sea going qualities of any vessel to which this invention might be applied.

page_text: To illustrate the purpose of my invention I have shown in the drawings a steam
collier transferring her cargo direct to a war vessel but my invention is equally
applicable to the loading of "bunker" coal grain or other cargo into merchant or
mail steamers or to the discharge into lighters or ashore. The drawings show a pair
of these elevators alongside each other in the same hold both raising and delivering
coal athwart the collier.
Fig. 1 sheet I and fig. 2 sheet Il show these elevators fitted to the hatch of a
steam collier which, as well as the war vessel being coaled, is seen in transverse
section.
In fig. 3 sheet II in which a pair of these elevators are shown connected together
one is in elevation and the other in longitudinal section.
Fig. 5 sheet III is a plan showing also that portion of the collier's hatch which is
reserved for the reception of cargo.
A A is the framework preferably of steel suitably braced, the braces however being
purposely omitted to avoid complication, and connected to the hatch. BBB are
the upper or fixed bearings carrying the elevator chain pulleys CC which are keyed
to the shaft D. Upon this shaft a bevil wheel is also keyed to which motion is com-
municated through gearing arranged for this and other purposes to be described
hereafter and shown generally at E. This gearing is driven through the shaft F by one
of the ship's winches or other power. The endless chains S S S carry elevator buckets
or trays T T formed to suit the character of the material or produce to be dealt with.
At the lower end of the elevator the chains pass over pulleys G G and H all carried
by a movable light frame of steel or other suitable metal and this frame is capable of
sliding vertically by means of five guide shafts V and W passing through the bosses
or guides X X X. The endless chains S S carrying elevator buckets after passing
under the chain pulleys G G and H are led over the pair of suspended sheaves I I.
To either end of the cross head carrying these elevator sheaves I fix pairs of shackles
chains from the lower ones being led under the large pulleys M M to fixed points Q
and from the upper ones over the grooved pulleys Y Y to the drums Z Z which may
be set in motion by means of clutches connected with the shaft F thus raising the
elevator clear of cargo or by means of a brake or otherwise it may be lowered as
desired and thus follow the surface of cargo about to be discharged.
A protecting trunk R of wire work or other material may he formed around the
ascending loaded buckets and if desired made telescopic at its lower end and I prefer
that these ascending buckets travel along guides. On the loaded buckets or trays
becoming inverted at the head of the elevator the material or produce being raised
discharges itself into a fixed shoot K formed within the elevator frainework A A and
through this it is transmitted into a movable bonnet L which is capable of being
raised or lowered in the manner shown. This bonnet works in vertical slides attached
to the main framework and if it should be desired to deliver such cargo particularly
as grain, ashore or to another vessel by means of a "conveyor" belt this belt would
be driven by bevil or other gearing from the vertical shaft N communicating with the
main driving shaft in the framework E. For the transmission of such cargo as coal
after it has entered the adjustable bonnet L to any other vessel, quay-side or place I
prefer to suspend by means of the ship's tackle, an independent light shoot pre-
ferably of steel at an angle, where possible, greater than that of friction to permit of a
free discharge by gravity. This movable shoot may be employed as shown in the
drawing for the delivery of coal either into side bunkers or deck bunkers or over
all" on to a vessel's deck as may be most convenient.
66
When employed upon smooth water, as for instance in dock a pair of these elevators
working as described from one hold one of them may deliver into a shoot P Figs. 1, 2
and 5 corresponding with a "conveyor belt thus they may simultaneously deliver
coal into the bunkers on each side of the same steamer.
"

page_text: The several sets of gearing in the framework E driven as above described and
required for operating the elevator buckets or trays and for the various other purposes
in connection with it may be thrown in and out of action by means of friction or jaw
clutches or otherwise.
In certain circumstances where it is convenient to load cargoes which should be
treated with care and from a considerable height above the deck, for instance, of a
vessel, I reverse the purpose, as has been previously described, of this elongating
elevator and by the application of brakes or other controlling means, to the gearing
to which motion is communicated by the shaft F I lower the cargo to any desired
point within the ship's hold and this would be particularly applicable to tender coal,
compressed fuel, and to other descriptions of cargo which could be received in
elevator buckets or trays.
Continuous chains of buckets constructed in accordance with my invention for
raising and discharging or for lowering cargo need not necessarily be applied in the
manner shown in the drawings, fixed athwart and forming part of the permanent
equipment of the vessel, but may be made portable and carried, for instance, on the
deck of a coaling hulk and placed, with or without the aid of a collier's tackle, into
her holds for their successive discharge into the hulk. It may also be set to work
"fore and aft" and delivering into a "beeswing" shoot thus, if desired, simultaneously
coaling two vessels one on either side. For discharging from a coaling hulk I prefer
to lay down rails on her deck the full length of all her holds and to make the elevator
or elevators portable upon these rails and self-propelling and working fore and aft as
above described and thus delivering on to one or simultaneously into vessels on both
sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I do not bind myself to the
exact details but what I claim is ;-
The construction of a vertical elevator the upper chain wheel or wheels of which
revolve in bearings which when in operation are fixed and the lower ones are capable
of vertical adjustment enabling the elevator buckets thus to follow the surface of the
receding cargo substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of Jenner 1800.