A SELF TRIMMING RESERVOIR. ELEVATOR
Year: 1885

page_text: BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE C.E. 37 Victoria St. Liverpool JAMES NEVILLE
Engineer 41 Paley St. Liverpool do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for A SELF TRIMMING RESERVOIR. ELEVATOR to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in novel mechanical arrangements by which grain or
other material is elevated and carried to any desired distance where it may be
transferred to a shoot or bands.
We preferably use two elevators provided with the ordinary buckets or scoops
but the lower ends of the side guides of the elevators are supported on wheels, so
that if the upper ends of the elevators are lowered-the bottom ends of the
elevators spread or run out horizontally, it will be seen that the ends thus arranged
would pass under the hatches of ships so that the grain or other material is
followed and picked up by the elevator-instead of the reverse-with the present
elevators to which the grain has to be trimmed or carried to the elevators.
The grain or other material is lifted to the upper ends of the elevators by the
buckets and is then tipped into the inner periphery of a hollow distributing
drum, one elevator tips its material into one side of this distributing drum
or reservoir, and the other into the opposite side of the distributing drum by
means of specially shaped shoots.
The periphery or side of the distributing drum or reservoir is provided with holes
or perforations to allow the grain or other material to fall into the buckets which
are so arranged mechanically, as to be brought under these holes or outlets as they
come under-or at the lowest level of the revolution of the drum-When the out-
let holes have passed over the buckets the grain or other material falls from the
elevator shoots on to the side or periphery of the drum which is swelled out to
form a fitting receptacle or reservoir for storing the grain until the outlet holes of
the distributing drum come over the buckets-when the material accumulated in the
sides runs out into the said buckets.
The buckets are hung on link chains or ropes which pass over slot rimmed
pulleys or drums which are mounted on each side of the revolving distributing
drum or reservoir-the chains or ropes pass over pulleys-hung from the floors
and immediately over those on the arms of the distributing drum-and we make
these chains carry the revolving distributing drum-its gearing and the upper ends
of the two elevators.

page_text: The chains with their swivel suspended buckets are continued along the under-
side of the floors or roofs-to the position where it is desired that the grain or other
material is to be deposited. At this point we provide a bucket tilting carriage
arrangement-which we may hinge or losely attach to a shoot-so that when the
tilting carriage is moved forward or backward the tilting carriage follows its
movement.
The bucket and elevator carrying chains pass over pulleys mounted on the
tilting carriage which runs on girders-suspended from the floors-The pulleys on
the tilting carriage are driven by bevel gearing and a worm wheel mounted on a
square shaft So that the motion can be transmitted to the pulleys and chains-in
whatever position the tilting carriage may be the weight of the elevators would
draw the tilting carriage along its rails or girders-but it is held in position by a
chain or rope which passes around the two pulleys at the head and at the feet of
a hydraulic ram and cylinder-on the application of water pressure the tilting
carriage is drawn forward-lifting up the upper ends of the two elevators and
distributing drum-as it will easily be seen that as the two buckets and elevator
carrying chains are endless-the movement of the tilting carriage must necessarily
lift or lower the distributing drum and its two elevators proportionatly.
The motion for moving the bucket carrying chains is transmitted to it by the
bevel gear and worm wheel motion already mentioned which receives its motion
from any ordinary motive force and by any known method of transmitting motion.
The elevator bucket chains and distributing drum have their motion transmitted
to them from the chains which transmit the horizontal motion and which carry
the said elevators and distributing drum by a bevel gear arrangement.

page_text: I BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 37 Victoria Street Liverpool Civil Engineer
THOMAS NEVILLE 21 Harcourt Street Liverpool Administrator of the late James
Neville deceased, formerly of 41 Paley St. Liverpool, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for A SELF TRIMMING RESERVOIR ELEVATOR and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
Our Invention has for its object improvements in the manner of effecting the
trimming elevating and transmission of grain or other material.
The various parts of apparatus connected therewith as made according to our
Invention, are shewn upon the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings, but
we wish it to be understood that we do not contine ourselves to the exact details
shewn herein.
Referring to the Sheet of drawings.
Figure 1 is a complete side. elevation of our Invention in multiple application or
with four bands of elevator buckets.
Figure 2 is a side elevation when vertical.
Figure 3 shews the elevators lowered and spread out and shewing the self
trimming action.
Figure 4 is a plan of réservoir or hollow revolving drum for distributing grain
or other material into conveyor buckets, also shewing method of transmitting
motion.
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail shewing reservoir or hollow revolving drum
shewing conveyor buckets in position when being fed with grain or other material
from reservoir.
Figure 6 is a section of same shewing reservoir when it is collecting grain until
one of the conveyor buckets comes into position to receive it.
Figure 7 is a part section and end elevation, shewing bucket tilting carriage,
and motive power apparatus for actuating the conveyor bucket chain, and for
moving the carriage backwards and forwards when the elevator requires raising
or lowering.
Figure 8, shows the tilting of conveyor bucket arrangement.
Figure 9 shows side roller girder arrangement for lowering grain elevators
between ships hatchways.
Figures 10 and 11 shew scoop attachement to lower end of elevators.
Referring to figures,-The hydraulic ram cylinder a is permanently fixed, and
is provided with multiple pulleys b at the head of its ram c. Ropes & connect the
motion of ram with the tilting and cbain pulley carriage e, so that when the ram
is forced out of the cylinder, the carriage e is drawn forward lifting the upper
ends of the elevators f, which are partly suspended by the conveyer bucket
chain g. By simply allowing the water to escape from ram cylinder, the upper
ends of elevators are lowered.
The conveyer chains g carrying the conveyer buckets h, are actuated as follows-
attached to the cast iron bed plate i of hydraulic ram cylinder, are two oscillating,

page_text: engines, driven by water pressure, their two pistons j working on to a crank shaft l
having at its end, a bevel wheel working into another one m, on a shaft n, having
a continuous key way and which works through bearings o on carriage e. Between
the said bearings is a worm working into spur wheel p, of carriage e, its shaft q
carries the conveyer bucket chain g. The conveyer buckets hare tipped over, by a
tipping piece 8 by which their contents are fed into hopper t of a shoot u, or onto
travelling bands.
The carriage e runs on rails v supported at each end by strongly constructed
sheaves w, or in any other ordinary and well known manner-On each side of
travelling or conveyer bucket chains g, we may provide rolled or other girders x on
which run carriages or dogs y, carrying rope pulleys, these girders are also supported
by large end pulley sheaves w, or hung from roof or floors in any well known manner.
The carriages y can be drawn along by ropes passing around large end pulleys w,
and utilised for hoisting and traversing goods.
The conveyer buckets / pass along horizontally until they reach the chain
pulleys 1, the buckets then descend vertically to the distributing reservoir or
revolving drum 2, which is held suspended and revolved by the bucket conveyer
chains, which are made sufficiently strong for the purpose.
The motion of reservoir 2 is transmitted by a chain or band 3, to a shaft 4, the
bevel wheels 5 on this shaft work into bevel wheels 6, by which the elevator
shafts 7 are revolved and with them the elevator buckets.
The reservoir 2 revolves in side pieces or frames 8 by means of friction roller
bearings 9. The contents of the elevator hoppers 10 are fed into side shoots 11
and 12, which lead the grain or other material by curved branches on each side of
reservoir 2, into the interior of said reservoir, the notion of which is so adjusted that
when the horizontal conveyer buckets h pass directly under the centre of reservoir
2, the outlet holes 13 in periphery of said reservoir, come directly over the mouth
of said conveyer buckets and the contents of reservoir thus fall therein.
When the conveyer buckets h are not under the centre of reservoir or drum the
grain or other material from elevator hoppers falls into the side thereof, which
between the outlet holes is bellied or curved outwards in such a way as to provide
a grain accumulating space 17 until the reservoir 2 revolves so that the outlet
holes 13 come over the conveyer buckets h, then the grain accumulated gravitates
through the holes 13 into the conveyer buckets the notion of reservoir conveyer
bucket chain, and elevator hopper chains or bands being mutually adjusted, the
lower ends of elevators run out or extend on heavily constructed wheels 14, on
axles 15 strongly mounted on elevator frames 16.
I also provide scoops attached to lower ends of elevators as shewn in figures 10
and 11, to assist the trimming of the grain.
The elevators plough into the grain, and as it is removed they gradually move
forward, the motion or extension of elevators being easily controlled by the valves
of hydraulic ram.
The grain or other material is carried up to the reservoir, and by it transferred
to the conveyer buckets by which it is taken to almost any distance and position
desired.
Instead of the bydraulic ram and water pressure engines, we may use other well-
known means of transmitting energy for the purpose of our Invention.
It will be seen that our Invention, particularly when applied in multiple, will
enormously accelerate the unshipment of grain, or like material and greatly reduce
the manual labour required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is--
1st. The arrangement whereby elevators for grain or other material are made
to self trim or to follow the material in the manner substantially as herein shewn
And the

page_text: 2nd. The arrangement of reservoir or hollow drum, whereby the feed from
several elevators can be distributed into horizontal conveyer buckets in the manner
substantially as herein shewn and described.
3rd. The arrangement of conveyer bucket, tipping carriage, and the manner in
which said carriage is propelled horizontally to lower or raise reservoir and ends of
elevators substantially as herein shewn and described.
4th. The manner of transmitting motion to conveyer pulley chains, and to tilting
carriage, and the method of attachment to shoots, and the arrangement of side
girders and pulley carriages, and end pulleys, as well as moveable attachment to
shoot substantially as herein shewn and for the purpose described.
5th. The moveable scoop arrangement attached to the feet of elevators substan-
tially as herein shewn and described.
6th. The manner of lowering elevators between ships hatchways substantially as
herein shewn and described.
Dave Layou
B. H. THWAITE.
THOMAS NEVILLE.
Administrator of the late James Neville, deceased.