IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN SHIPPING COAL FROM RAILWAY WAGGONS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: I George TAYLOR of Penarth in the County of Glamorgan, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
USE IN SHIPPING COAL FROM RAILWAY WAGGONS to be as follows:-
"
In shipping coal from railway waggons, the waggon is sometimes tipped within
or from a staith or hoist and the coal discharged onto an inclined shoot leading to
the vessel's hatch way. In other cases the waggon is passed onto a platform
outside the staith and is thereon brought into position for discharging the coal into
the hatchway. In each of these inodes of shipment the apparatus employed
is not adapted to the other mode. The object of this Invention is to furnish an
apparatus, which I call a shoot-platform applicable to both modes of shipment, and
which can be used for either as desired.
The shoot-platform comprises an iron framework consisting of two pairs of
girders fixed in the same plane longitudinally at a suitable distance apart and con-
nected together by transverse girders. The frame work supports flooring formed
of plate iron or of a series of iron bars constituting a screen or it may be formed
partly of plate iron and partly of screen bars. This floored framing has plate iron
upright sides secured to the pair of outside longitudinal girders. The two inner
longitudinal girders are placed equi-distant from the centre line of the frame work
and are adapted for supporting a pair of low rails placed upon them for the
purpose of receiving a railway coal waggon, or instead of these rails the surface of
the two inner longitudinal girders may rise slightly above either the whole
flooring or the central part thereof and form a way along or upon which the waggon
may travel. The shoot platform has at its outer end an adjustable stop for
securing the waggon in its proper place thereon.
The shoot-platform may be used as an ordinary shoot for passing the coal from
the railway waggon in the staith to the hatchway of the vessel, or it may be used
for receiving the loaded waggon from the staith and bringing it to the hatchway
for discharging its contents therein. In connection with the shoot-platform
and for supporting and working it, I use certain appliances and arrangements
as follow.
At the front of the staith I provide vertical guides within which the ends of
the transverse girder forming the back part of the shoot-platform (or projections

page_text: ther from) may be raised or lowered. The ends of the back transverse girder
have attached to them supporting chains which pass upwards over pulleys at the
top of the staith and have counterweights at their ends, by the help of which the
shoot-platform may be more easily raised or lowered by any convenient power and
adjusted to suit the vessel. Above the back transverse girder and at a height
sufficient to allow a loaded coal waggon to pass under, I insert in the vertical sup-
porting-chains referred to, a horizontal cross bar, the ends of which work in the
vertical guides. To this cross bar the top ends of two short chains or iron rods are
attached, and the other ends thereof work in a slot or guide on either side of the
shoot-platform in such a manner that when the rods hang vertically they only
support the back end of the shoot-platform and allow of its being placed in an
inclined position, but when projected outwards they support the front part of the
platform and maintain the platform in a horizontal position suitable for receiving
the loaded waggon from the staith. At the front end of the shoot-platforin a sup-
porting chain is attached at each side and carried towards the top of the front of
the staith where it passes over a pulley and the end is attached to a weight for
balancing and also for taking up the slack of the chain. The pulleys over which
these and the other chains referred to are passed are constructed to engage with
the chains passing over them and stops or other appliances are provided for fixing
the pulleys or chains in any desired position and for regulating the position of the
shoot-platform. When the short chains or rods are in a vertical position, the shoot-
platform can be fixed in the proper inclined position either for tipping the waggon
or for serving as an ordinary shoot by operating the supporting chains and
adjusting the stops. In order to ensure greater safety in working and to facilitate
the adjustment of the shoot-platform at a suitable incline, I provide underneath
each outer longitudinal girder a stop, strut, or other appliance of such shape and in
such position that when the proper inclination of the shoot-platform is attained,
the stops or appliances referred to come against the girders or framework of the
staith and prevent further inclination.
By operating the front supporting chains and placing the shoot-platform in a
horizontal position and projecting and securing the short chains or rods outwards
in the slots, the shoot-platform can be raised or lowered in a horizontal position by
operating the back supporting chains, the front supporting chains being kept in
strain by the weights at their ends.
The tipping of the waggon when on the shoot-platform, may be performed by
raising the back end of the waggon by a chain connected with a hydraulic ram
or by taking up or shortening the back supporting chains by hydraulic or other
power. The tipping may also be performed by lowering the front end of the
shoot-platforın by counterbalance weights or otherwise.
I may however form the two inner girders on which the waggon stands into a
tipping platform with transverse girders at its back and front ends and secured at
its front end by pivots working in the outer longitudinal girders and supported at
its back end by chains passing upwards over guide pulleys leading to the pulleys
of a hydraulic tipping ram. The ends of these chains would be provided with
weights for keeping the chains tight and with stops for adjusting and securing them.
When the waggon is on this inner or tipping platform, the tipping may be per-
formed by operating the tipping ram or by fixing the back chains of the tipping
platform and lowering the shoot-platform. At the front end of the shoot-platform,
a short shoot which may also form a stop for the waggon, is so fixed or pivoted
that it can be adjusted to lead the coal from the waggon into the hatchway or be
turned down underneath the shoot-platform when not in use.
In lieu of the pivoted tipping platform just referred to, on which the four wheels
of the waggon stand, I may use at the back part of the shoot-platform, a short
inner platform for tipping so arranged that one pair of wheels of the waggon
passes over it onto the front part of the shoot-platform and the other pair of wheels
remains on the short tipping platform which works in guides and is provided with

page_text: chains for supporting, raising and lowering and also with short chain or rod attach-
ments to a transverse bar inserted in the supporting chains. With this arrangement
the tipping may be performed either by operating the supporting chains and
raising the tipping platform or by keeping the tipping platform stationary and
lowering the shoot-platform.
To facilitate the transfer or passage of the waggon to or fro between the plat-
form within the staith and the shoot-platform outside the staith, I purpose
providing appliances by means of which either of these platforms may be adjusted
so that it shall be lower at the end towards which the waggon on the platform is
desired to move than it is at the opposite end. I may effect this either by raising
one end or by lowering the opposite end of each platform but the appliances and
method I prefer are the following:-I fix short hydraulic cylinders and rams in
such position that they may operate on the back supporting chains of the staith
platform or the front supporting chains of the shoot platform so that the back part
of the staith platform or the front part of the shoot-platform may respectively be
raised slightly to assist the waggon in passing from one to the other. Instead of
the rams operating directly on these chains I may make them operate the pulleys
or shafts of the pulleys over which the chains referred to pass and with which they
are engaged and thus slightly raise either platforin.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Shipping Coal from
Railway Waggons.
I, GEORGE TAYLOR, of Penarth, in the County of Glamorgan, 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:-
In shipping Coal from railway waggons, the waggon is sometimes tipped
within, or from, a staith, or hoist, and the coal discharged on to an inclined shoot
leading to the vessel's hatchway. In other cases, the waggon is passed on to a
platform outside the staith, and is thereon brought into position for discharging
the coal into the hatchway. In each of these modes of shipment, the apparatus
employed is not adapted to the other mode.
"
This Invention relates to an apparatus which may be termed a shoot platform,"
and which is applicable to both modes of shipment, and can be used for either, as
desired.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1. is a side elevation of "a shoot platform,” and shows a portion of a coal
staith, with one side removed.
•
Figure 2. shows a plan of the "shoot platform," and
Figure 3. a cross-section thereof, on the line 1-1 in Figure 2.
The same letters of reference, indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
£5
The shoot platform" is constructed of two pairs of longitudinal girders A,
and A framed together with transverse girders B, and bracing pieces B¹. Upon
this frame is laid a flooring of plate-iron C, which may be an entirely plain
flooring, or may have iron bars C₁, introduced to form a screening area. Upon the
Hooring C, iron rails D are laid, to a gauge suitable for receiving railway trucks.
These rails D are bolted down to the flooring plate, and to the longitudinal
girders A¹. The "shoot platforın" is mounted at its back end upon, and secured
to, a transverse box girder E, with shafts or pivots El projecting at each end, and
working between the usual guides, F. fixed on the vertical front legs, or uprights
of the staith. The "shoot platform" is supported, and raised, or lowered, by
means of chains G, and G₁ attached to the front, and back, parts respectively.
The chains G pass upwards from the back part of the "shoot platform" over
guide sheaves at the top of the staith, and thence to a hydraulic ram, or hydraulic
winding drum, to which they are secured. The chains G. pass upwards from the
point of attachment H over guide sheaves at the top of the staith, and thence to a
hydraulic ram, or winding drum, and are secured thereto. By operating these
hydraulic rams, or winding drums, the "shoot platform" may be raised, or lowered,
and placed in a horizontal, or inclined position, as desired The "shoot platform
is provided with plate iron sides I. of the usual description.
"
When required as an ordinary shoot for passing coal from the staith to the
vessel's hatch way, the apparatus is adjusted to the necessary inclination by

page_text: chains G. and G¹ as above described, or, may be operated for this purpose by
gearing such as is used for ordinary shoots. When required to be used as a
platform for receiving the waggon from the staith platform K it is placed in a
horizontal position at a suitable height for the vessel's hatchway, and the loaded
waggon is brought to the same level upon the staith platform K, and transferred to
the "shoot platform." The waggon may then be tilted by attaching to the back
end thereof the chain L. which passes over a guide sheave L' at the upper part of
the staith, and is secured, at its other end, to a hydraulic ram, by operating which
the tilting may be effected. To bring the waggon into a closer position to the
hatchway for tilting, the front end of the "shoot platform
lowered, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1. To enable the waggon to pass
may be slightly
from the staith platform to the "shoot-platform," the staith platform should have
adjustable, or removable stops, so as not to hinder the passage of the waggon; and
when the "shoot platform" is used for receiving waggons, a stop of bar or angle
iron of any convenient form should be inserted through the openings M. in each
side of the "shoot platform" and extend across, between the two sides, and be
temporarily secured thereto, so as to retain the wagon in the required place.
"
Instead of tilting the waggon by attaching the chain L to the back-end thereof,
the inner portion of the "shoot platform" comprised within, and including, the
longitudinal girders A¹ may be made separate, and form a central tilting platform,
having at its front end a shaft, the ends of which pass into the outer longitudinal
girders A in a manner similar to that shown by Figure 3. in my Specification
relating to Letters Patent No 2696. 30th May 1883. In this case a second pair of
fixed longitudinal girders, similar to those marked A, would be introduced in the
outer platform, alongside the longitudinal girders A' of the central platform To
effect the tilting in the case of a central platform, the chain L. would be attached
to it at the back end instead of to the waggon.
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
I claim is.
1. A "shoot platform," or apparatus, capable of being used in combination with
a staith, or hoist, either as a shoot for conveying, to a vessel's hatchway, coal
discharged on to it from a railway truck, or as a platform whereon to receive a
loaded railway coal-truck, in order to discharge therefrom direct into the vessel's
hatchway.
2. The general construction, and arrangement of a "shoot platform," substantially
as herein described, and illustrated, and for the purposes specified.