Improved Means and Apparatus for Supplying Ships with Fuel, also applicable to Feeding Boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Supplying Ships with Fuel,
also applicable to Feeding Boiler Furnaces.
I, JOHN MKIRDY, of No. 34 Leadenhall Street, in the City of London,
Commander of Royal Naval Reserve, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to effect a more speedy and economical delivery
of fuel to ships, whether at sea or in harbour, than is possible with the means
now employed, while at the same time such delivery can readily be effected
in rough weather when it would be very difficult if not impossible to coal ships
with the existing appliances.
My invention consists mainly in forming the fuel into globular shape, and
propelling such fuel by air blast or suction through flexible tubing from the
coaling vessel to the ship to be coaled.
The apparatus employed for carrying out the said invention can be variously
arranged. Thus there may be provided on board the collier a blowing engine for
producing the requisite air blast, from which engine a flexible metal or other tube
passes first into the hold or holds of the collier, and thence over the stern to the
In the hold
bows of the ship to be coaled, whence it is led to the coal bunkers.
of the collier there is provided at a suitable point of the tube a branch tube
opening into a hopper or feeding trough, into which the globular fuel is charged,
and, if necessary, a feeding device is provided in the branch tube, such as
a revolving wheel or a reciprocating slide, for allowing the fuel balls to pass into
the tube without permitting any appreciable amount of air blast to escape through
the branch.
The flexible tube is of such a diameter internally that the fuel balls can just
pass freely through it without leaving too much windage; it is by preference led
over a grooved wheel at the stern or other part of the collier, the groove being
padded so as to protect the tube, and it is passed over a similar wheel at the bows
or other part of the ship to be coaled. Or instead of the said wheels, simple pads
of sufficient size may be provided for the tube to pass over with an easy
curvature.
If the ship is to be coaled at sea, the collier may be made to tow it out by one
or more hawsers, and when these are taut, the conveying tube, which was previously
coiled up on board the collier, is paid out and conveyed along the hawsers till its
end is passed over the bows of the ship, where a sufficient length is hauled in for
enabling the end of the tube to be brought to any desired point where the fuel is
to be delivered.
I necessary, a special hawser may be provided from which the flexible tube is
suspended at points suitable distances apart. When the apparatus is being used
in harbour or in smooth water the tube for conveying the fuel from the collier to
the ship may be of rigid metal instead of flexible.
In combination with the said tube is arranged any suitable electrical signalling
apparatus for enabling those on board the ship to communicate with the crew of
the collier, for indicating when a sufficient length of tubing has been paid out, and
when the blast for conveying the fuel on board is to be started or stopped.
To prevent the fuel balls from being broken up when falling from the tube,
a suitable thick mat may be provided at the mouth of the latter against which they

page_text: strike on issuing. The fuel balls may be dipped in some suitable solution to give
them a smooth surface, and the hopper or feeding trough may be provided with
a sieve bottom for screening off any dust or small fragments that may gather, so as
to prevent these from passing into the tube.
It will be evident that the above described apparatus may also be employed for
conveying the globular fuel from the bunkers of a ship directly into the boiler
furnaces.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Supplying Ships with Fuel, also
applicable to Feeding Boiler Furnaces.
I, JOHN MCKIRDY, of No. 34 Leadenhall Street, in the City of London,
Commander of Royal Naval Reserve, 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 has for its object to effect a more speedy and economical delivery
of fuel to ships, whether at sea or in harbour, than is possible with the means now
employed, while at the same time such delivery can readily be effected in rough
weather when it would be very difficult if not impossible to coal ships with the
existing appliances.
My invention consists mainly in forming the fuel into globular shape, and
propelling such fuel by air blast or suction through flexible tubing from the coaling
vessel or other store to the ship to be coaled.
The apparatus employed for carrying out the said invention can be variously
arranged. Thus there may be provided on board the collier, preferably in the
hold thereof, a blowing engine for producing the requisite air blast, from which
engine a flexible metal or other tube passes first into the hold or holds of the
collier, and thence over the stern to the bows of the ship to be coaled, whence it is
led to the coal bunkers. In the hold of the collier there is provided at a suitable
point of the tube a branch tube opening into a hopper or feeding trough, into which
the globular fuel is charged, and, if necessary, a feeding device is provided in the
branch tube, such as a revolving wheel or a reciprocating slide, for allowing the
fuel balls to pass into the tube without permitting any appreciable amount of
air blast to escape through the branch.
The flexible tube is of such a diameter internally that the fuel balls can just pass
freely through it without leaving too much windage; it is by preference led over
a grooved wheel at the stern or other part of the collier, the groove being padded
so as to protect the tube, and it is passed over a similar wheel at the bows or other
part of the ship to be coaled. Or instead of the said wheels, simple pads of sufficient
size may be provided for the tube to pass over with an easy curvature.
If the ship is to be coaled at sea, the collier may be made to tow it out by one
or more hawsers, and when these are taut, the conveying tube, which was
previously coiled up on board the collier, is paid out and conveyed along the
hawsers till its end is passed over the bows of the ship, where a sufficient length
is hauled in for enabling the end of the tube to be brought to any desired point
where the fuel is to be delivered.
If necessary, a special hawser may be provided from which the flexible tube
is suspended at points suitable distances apart.
When the apparatus is being used in harbour or in smooth water, the tube for
conveying the fuel from the collier to the ship may be of rigid metal instead
of flexible.

page_text: In combination with the said tube is arranged any suitable electrical signalling
apparatus for enabling those on board the ship to communicate with the crew of
the collier, for indicating when a sufficient length of tubing has been paid out, and
when the blast for conveying the fuel on board is to be started or stopped.
To prevent the fuel balls from being broken up when falling from the tube,
a suitable thick mat may be provided at the mouth of the latter against which they
strike on issuing.
The fuel balls may be dipped in some suitable solution to give them a smooth
surface, and the hopper or feeding trough may be provided with a sieve bottom
for screening off any dust or small fragments that may gather, so as to prevent.
these from passing into the tube.
It will be evident that the above described apparatus may also be employed for
conveying the globular fuel from the bunkers of a ship directly into the boiler
furnaces, or from a collier into store or from a store into a collier.
The accompanying drawings shew by way of example one arrangement of the
apparatus for propelling the balls of fuel along the tube according to my above
described invention; Fig. 1 shews a side elevation, Fig. 2 shews an enlarged part
vertical section and Fig. 3 a front view. The balls of fuel A are fed in any con-
venient manner into a trough B whence they descend in a manner regulated by
flaps CC to a revolving feed drum D which delivers them one by one into the
conduit tube E. Into this tube is delivered a blast of air of the required pressure
produced either by a fan F when the apparatus is of small dimensions, such as for
feeding furnaces, or by a blowing engine of any suitable construction.
Thus the fuel balls A will be propelled by the air blast from the tube E into the
flexible conduit tube E¹ to wherever required, the tube being made sufficiently
larger in diameter than the balls to allow of their free motion along the same,.
without giving too much windage.
The fan is driven by a pulley and belt G on a shaft driven through
gearing H by any suitable motor, the motor shaft also imparts motion by a belt
and pullies I to the feed drum D. The axis hereof carries tappets JJ' which
in revolving act alternately on the levers K K' fixed to the regulating flaps C C¹
which are kept in the closed position by springs L, the action of the flaps being
so timed as to deliver a ball into one of the pockets of the drum D when presented
uppermost.
Although I have only shewn two pockets on the drum, this may of course be
provided with any larger number thereof, as may be required.
As before stated, when coaling a vessel, the flexible hose E' is led over a grooved
wheel or surface at the stern of the collier and on to the vessel to be coaled, being
supported by one or more hawsers connecting these.
I prefer to arrange the blowing machinery with the feed drum in the lower part
of the hold of the collier, in which case the fuel balls may be conveniently supplied
to the feed trough B by an arrangement such as is shewn in vertical section and
plan at Figs. 4 and 5, where a vertical shaft P is constructed in the middle of the
hold, in which shaft is arranged a helical trough M the lower end of which
communicates with a shoot N leading to the feed trough of the apparatus. The
sides of the shaft are formed by removeable or sliding boards OO which, as the
level of the fuel sinks in the hold, are removed or raised so as to enable the
operatives to deliver the fuel balls at any level from the store Q into the trough M
in which they roll down to the shoot N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of propelling globular fuel by air blast or suction along tubing
to the locality where the fuel is to be delivered, substantially as described.
2. The use for conveying globular fuel by air blast in the manner referred to in
the first claim, of apparatus consisting of the combination of a blowing engine

page_text: or fan, delivering the air blast into a tube that communicates with a feeding device
by means of which the globular fuel is delivered from a hopper or trough in
a regulated manner into the tube, so as to be carried along the same by the blast,
substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of February 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.