AN IMPROVEMENT IN LIGHTERS FOR FACILITATING THE DISCHARGE OF DECK LOADS
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lano, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT
IN LIGHTERS FOR FACILITATING THE DISCHARGE OF DECK LOADS a communication
to me from abroad by John Dunn of Jacksonville in the county of Duval and
State of Florida, Marine Engineer and Alfred Ames Howlett of Syracuse in the
county of Onondaga and State of New York, Contractor, both in the United Sates
of America to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the discharging of a load from a
lighter or barge either altogether or in separate parts or quantities as may be
desired.
The invention consists of the combination with a lighter or barge of a tilting
deck or decks and it consists. further of details of construction and combinations
therewith of other parts substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.
In the well of the lighter there is a central fore and aft bulkhead the well at
either side of which is covered by inclined decks extending from the top of the
bulkhead down to the sides of the lighter. Above these decks are pairs of wings
or leaves hinged to a trunnion bar running along the bulkhead, said wings or
leaves being normally supported flush with the main deck of the lighter the free
end of each wing resting on cross heads on the rams of a pair of hydraulic cylinders
fixed within slotted standards projecting up through the inclined fixed decks
near the sides of the lighter and passing through slots in the hinged leaves or
wings.
The two hinged leaves or wings of each pair are separated by an upright
partition to prevent the load on one leaf or wing when the same is lowered from
slipping under the other raised leaf or wing.
The two bydraulic cylinders supporting each leaf or wing are connected by a
pipe and the several pipes are respectively connected by four main pipes with the

page_text: casing of a multiple way cock whose hollow plug has a thoroughfare which by
turning the plug in its socket may be made to coincide with any one of said four
pipes, the said plug being in permanent communication with the cylinder of a
pump which is in connection with an oil or water tank. The four main pipes
are provided with three way cocks and branch pipes connected with the said
tank.
Before the lighter is loaded, oil or water is forced into the several cylinders
whereby the wings or leaves are raised into a horizontal position or flush with the
main deck.
The load is then deposited on the leaves or wings. When the lighter is to be
emptied the wings are lowered together or separately by turning the three way
cocks so as to permit the oil or water to escape from the cylinders into the tank.
The leaves decend until they rest on the inclined decks below, and then the
load on the wings which are now inclined, slides down the said wings or leaves
and drops overboard-The lighter can thus be unloaded without being tilted or
opening traps in the bottom.
I,, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT
IN LIGHTERS FOR FACILITATING THE DISCHARGE OF DECK LOADS (a communication
to me from abroad by John Dunn, of Jacksonville in the County of Duval and
State of Florida Marine Engineer and Alfred Ames Howlett of Syracuse in the
County of Onondaga and State of New York Contractor both in the United States
of America) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the, discharging of a load from a
lighter or barge either altogether or in separate parts or quantities as may be
desired.
The invention consists of the combination with a lighter or barge of a tilting
deck or decks and it consists further of details of construction and combination
there with of other parts substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and
claimed.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures..
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the improved lighter or barge, parts being:
in section. Figure 2 is a cross sectional elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a plan
view of the same. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the five way cock.
Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line x. x. Figure 4.
The lighter A is provided in its well with a bulk head B running fore and aft
and provided in its top. with a longitudinal groove C for receiving a trunnion.rod
or bar D surrounded by eyes E secured to the undersides of wings, leaves, or
platforms F at their inner ends, thus adapting the said leaves to swing up and
down. The free ends of said leaves extend to the sides of the scow. Below the
leaves, platforms G are arranged which extend from the top of the bulk head
downward and outward to the sides of the well. At the outer end of each swinging
leaf or wing F two standards H project upward from the bottom of the scow, one
at each side of each wing or platform, the said standards projecting through notches
or recesses J in the ends of the leaves or platforms.
The standards are each formed of two posts between which a cross head K is
adapted to, slide vertically, the said cross head being secured to the upper end of a
piston rod L projecting from the top of a cylinder M. held vertically between the
posts of the standard at the lower ends of the same.
Anti friction rollers N are held in the upper edge of the cross head outside. of
the standard H and on the said rollers the leaves or wings F rest at their free ends..
Between the wings or leaves F upright sheet metal partitions O are formed on the
inclined platforms G to prevent the load on one leaf or wing, when the same is
lowered from sliding on the platform G under the adjacent raised wing or leaf F.
The two evlinders M of each leaf or wing F are connected by a pipe Q and the
several pi
are connected by the pipes P¹. P. P³. P. with a closed cylindrical
vessel or cup n in which an inverted cylindrical cup S is held to turn, the cup S
having an aperture 8 in its side near the top and four apertures 8¹ in its sido near
the bottom. A square headed round boss T projects from the inverted cup S through
the top plate of the cup R and serves to turn the cup S in the cup R. The cup S is
connected by a pipe V with the pump cylinder W also connected by a pipe a with an
oil or water tank b connected by four pipes c with the four pipes P¹. P². P³. P., the
said pipes being provided with three way cocks Pat their junctions with the pipe c.
The lighter or barge is operated in the following manner :-Before the lighter is
loaded, oil or water is forced into the several cylinders M to force the several piston
rods L upward, whereby the outer ends of the wings or leaves F are raised and the
leaves brought into a horizontal position or flush with the deck of the scow, as
shown in Figure 2. The load is then deposited on the leaves or wings F. When
the lighter is to be emptied the wings are lowered together or separately by
permitting the oil or water to pass from the cylinders M through the pipes Q,
P. P. P. and P. and a into the tank b.
The leaves descend until they rest on the inclined platforms G below them and
then the load on the wings which are now inclined slides down the said wings or
leaves and drops into the water. The wings or leaves are again raised when they are
ready to receive a fresh load. The scow can be dumped or unloaded without
requiring it to be tilted or traps in the bottom to be opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a lighter or barge for discharging deck loads the inner hinged decks or
wings disposed to stand normally flush with the main or fixed deck, said inner
decks having their opposite hinged edges supported about centrally of the boat and
their outer free edges arranged to have movement within a well in the boat
below the plane of the main deck substantially as and for the purpose set forth

page_text: 2. In a lighter or barge the combination with the bulk head B of the trunnion
bar D on the top of the same, the inclined platform G, the the wings or leaves F
hinged on the said bar, and of devices for raising and supporting the wings at their
free ends, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a lighter or barge the combination with the hinged wings or leaves F, of
the standards H passing through slots in the leaves or wings, the cylinders M, and
the piston rods Isupporting the outer free ends of said leaves or wings, substantially
as herein shown and described.
4. In a lighter or barge the combination with the hinged wings or leaves F, of
the standards H passing through slots in the leaves or wings, the cylinders M, the
piston rods L having the cross heads K provided with the rollers N supporting the
outer free ends of the said leaves or wings, substantially as herein shown and
described.
5. In a lighter or barge the combination with hinged wings or leaves, of cylinders
arranged below the free ends of the wings and containing piston rods moving in
guides and supporting the outer free ends of said wings or leaves and a pump
for pumping oil or water into the cylinders substantially as herein shown and
described.
6. In a lighter or barge the combination with hinged wings or leaves, of cylinders
below the free ends of the wings and containing pistons supporting the outer free
ends of said wings or leaves, and of a multiple way cock connected with a pump
and with the cylinders below the several wings by-pipes, substantially as herein
shown and described,