Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
I, ROBERT BAILLIE of London Yard, Isle of Dogs in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for coaling ships
from floats or barges wherein the coals are conveyed from the float or barge to the
ship by means of an arrangement of chain buckets and shoots constructed and
operating as follows:-
Upon the deck of the coaling float, above the holds, I arrange a staging of suitable
height, provided with vertical guides between which work cross heads carrying the
upper drums of one or more sets of endless chain-buckets, the lower drums of which
are arranged to move longitudinally along horizontal guides formed at the bottoms of
the holds. By preference I arrange two sets of chain buckets, one on each side
of the staging which is situated between two holds, so that each set of chain
buckets serves to discharge one of the holds, both being made to operate at the same
time.
The crossheads carrying the upper ends of the chain buckets also carry a
hopper between them, into which the coals raised by the buckets are discharged,
and from which they descend down lateral shoots to the ship that requires to be
coaled. These shoots are by preference made tubular and telescopic, and they are
connected to the hopper by a moveable or flexible joint so that they can be directed to
any part of the ship where the coals are to be received, the shoots being extended or
shortened as circumstances may require.
When the coaling float is being charged with coal, the chain buckets are situated
in a vertical or nearly vertical position at one end of the coal bunkers, so that the
lower ends are imbedded in the coal, which is however kept out of contact with the
back part thereof by means of suitable guards, the front part being also provided
with lateral guards so formed as to guide the coal to the front of the buckets. In
commencing the operation of coaling, the shafts of the upper drums are driven by
го

page_text: any suitable motor engine which may be situated either upon the deck of the float or
below the staging, or on a platform on top of the staging, whereupon the chain
buckets carry up the coal and deliver it into the hopper, whence it is conveyed by the
shoots to the ship or ships alongside. As the coal is removed from in front of the
chain buckets, it falls or is shovelled towards them from the sides, and when the coal
has thus been exhausted from the immediate vicinity of the chain buckets the guides
carrying the lower ends are moved along so as to keep the buckets up to the coal in
front, such motion being effected either by lowering the sliding crosshead carrying
the upper drums, which may be effected by a motor engine situated immediately
below the staging, driving vertical screwed shafts working through screwed bushes,
or the slides of the lower ends may be moved along by means of horizontal screwed
shafts.
These slides work in trough shaped recesses at the bottom of the holds so that the
buckets will clear out the coal right to the bottom of the latter.
As the crosshead carrying the upper ends of the chain buckets descends, it either
carries the hopper and the upper ends of the coal shoots down with it, or these may
be independently lowered by means of tackle by which they are suspended from the
top of the staging, the position of the coal shoots being adjusted from time to time by
suitable guy ropes.
Dated this 17th day of July 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Apparatus for Coaling Ships from Floats.or
Barges.
I, ROBERT BAILLIE, of London Yard, Isle of Dogs, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil 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 relatos to an improved method and apparatus for coaling ships from
floats, or barges, wherein the coals are conveyed from the float or barge to the ship by
means of an arrangement of chain buckets and shoots, constructed and operating as
follows.
Upon the coaling float is arranged a staging upright, or mast of suitable height
carrying at its upper end a crosshead capable of controlled vertical travel, which
crosshead carries a shaft, or shafts on which is or are hinged a boom or booms having
pullies or sprocket wheels at each end over which run endless chains or wire ropès
carrying buckets.
These booms rest with bearing rollers or wheels on their lower ends either upon
the surface of the coals in the float, or upon the weather deck thereof or over
the ceiling in the bottom of the hold, or on any other convenient surface, so that
the coals are either gripped by the travelling chain buckets or are fed into them.
The crosshead carrying the upper ends of the booms as also the upper framework
on which it is mounted is adapted to be raised and lowered by screws or other
mechanical appliances which are worked by small steam engines placed conveniently
either above or below the weatherdeck, which may also serve to drive the shafts on
the crosshead by which the travelling motion is imparted to the chain buckets. Thus
according to the height to which the crosshead is adjusted, the lower ends of the
boom may either be situated at a point close alongside of the staging, upright or
mast, or they may be made to extend any desired distance therefrom, according to the
point of the float from which it is desired to take the coals, and by gradually raising
or lowering the crosshead either while the chain buckets are at work or while they
are not in operation the lower ends of the booms may be made to travel gradually
along the surface on which they rest. The upper part of the staging, uprights or
masts may conveniently be made to slide telescopically in the lower part, and be
provided with suitable locking gear for holding the staging &c. in whatever position
it is raised or lowered to, such locking gear being controlled from the weather deck,
and the raising and lowering of the crosshead &c. may be effected by means of-the
gear thereon that drives the chain buckets or by independent gear.
The coal raised by the chain buckets to the crosshead is there delivered into a
hopper also carried by the crosshead, to which are jointed shoots through which the
coal is conveyed to the coal bunkers of the ship to be coaled. These shoots, may
either be fixed or, by preference, they are made with hinge joints so as to be capable
of both horizontal and vertical motion, and they may have hinged spouts or funnels-at

page_text: their outer ends for the convenient delivery of the coal into any bunker or other place
intended for its reception.
The before mentioned engines for working the coaling apparatus may either be
supplied with steam from special donkey boilers or steam from the main boilers of the
float or barge (when this is propelled by steam power) may be supplied to these
engines through pipes, and the exhaust steam may also be conveyed by pipes to the
condenser of the ship's engines, the condenser being kept in active condition by the
ordinary engine-room donkey pump.
In order that my above described invention may be readily understood I will
proceed to describe by way of example the arrangement for carrying the same into
effect shewn on the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of
part of a coaling float, with the coaling apparatus in the elevated position, ready to
discharge coal; Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing the same position of the
Tapparatus Fig: 3 is a side elevation showing the coaling apparatus lowered in sea
going trim, Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the coaling float, also with the apparatus in
the lowered position, Fig. 5 is a plan shewing the space occupied by the coaling
apparatus on the weather deck when in sea going trim.
T
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the figures."
The staging for the coaling apparatus consists firstly of the lower standards or
masts A, which are fixed on deck and braced diagonally so as to form a rigid
structure and secondly the upper part consisting of standards or masts B B framed
together at top, that slide telescopically in the lower ones A and which carry at top
the crosshead C, such upper part and crosshead being raised or lowered by elevating
'screws attached to the crosshead C and driven from below deck by engines in the
engine room D.
The standards B are locked in the position to which they are adjusted, by locking
bolts EE which are shot in position by small levers from the deck and attached to
the lower part A. When the standards are locked in position the wire rope guys F
are tightened up and belayed, thus rendering the structure sufficiently rigid.
The crosshead (carries the hopper G forming part thereof and which receives the
coal from the chain buckets and conveys the same to the coaling shoots being provided
internally with a hinged flap adjustable to an angle to either side, so as to guide the
descending coals either to the port or the starboard shoot as required.
To the shoot G are attached the telescopic coal shoots H H which are arranged to
swivel in a horizontal direction on pivots at II Fig. 2 attached to the crosshead C
and they have also a hinge joint at K whereby they are enabled to swivel also in a
vertical direction; the shoots have also pivotted spouts or funnels L L at their outer
ends and they are guyed into any desired position for dropping these spouts into the
bunker holes or hatches of the vessel to be coaled, as indicated by the full and dotted
lines at Fig. 2, the latter shewing the extreme extended position of the shoots and
spouts MM are the booms, which are hinged on the shafts N carried in bearings on
the crosshead C and having fixed thereon sprocket wheels over which pass the endless
chains or wire ropes carrying the steel plate buckets P, P, and passing over other
sprocket wheels on shafts at the lower ends of the booms, which also carry bearing
wheels O by means of which the booms rest upon the surface, thus allowing these
ends to travel easily along, as the crosshead C is raised or lowered, to the most.
convenient position for the buckets to pick up the coal. The dotted positions
shewn in Fig. 1 shew the extreme positions of the booms when discharging the
coal, these positions being given by the same screw or other gear that raises or lowers
the upper standards B B.
*
When these standards are locked in position and guyed the crosshead is free and
can be lowered or elevated to any position on the standards that is most convenient
for working the cargo.
The chain buckets are worked by means of suitable toothed gearing driving spur or
bevil wheels on the ends of the shafts N, and receiving motion from the engines at D
through a vertical shaft attached at the upper end to the crosshead. C or in any other
convenient manner.

page_text: It will be seen from the foregoing description that the mechanism for raising and
lowering the crosshead with coal shoots booms and chain buckets is quite independent
of the gear actuating the sprocket wheels and buckets, so that the one motion may be
effected independently of the other, or they may both be effected simultaneously at
the will of the person in charge of the work.
The small engines for working the above described apparatus are as before stated
placed below deck and may be supplied with steam from the main boilers S of the
float and the exhaust steam is led to the condenser of the float's engines; this arrange-
ment has the advantage of dispensing with donkey boilers and of keeping the main
boilers in their normal working condition with regard to water. If desired however
or where the float or barge is not propelled by steam special donkey boilers may be
provided for working the coaling engines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of coaling ships from floats or barges whereby the
coal is raised from the float to an elevated discharge by means of endless chain
buckets carried by supports or booms whose upper ends are arranged to move
vertically up or down so as to bring the lower ends to any point of the coaling float
from which it is desired to take the coal.
2. Apparatus for coaling ships from floats or barges wherein booms carrying
endless chain buckets are hinged at their upper ends to an elevated crosshead on a
staging, upright or mast which crosshead can be raised or lowered so as to bring the
lower ends of the booms to any point from which it is desired to take the coal a
hopper being provided on the crosshead for receiving the coal from the chain buckets
and for delivering the same to pivotted shoots for conveying the coal to the ship,
substantially as herein described.
3. Apparatus for coaling ships from floats or barges combined and operating sub-
stantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
க
0
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.