Patent ID: 6863484

Claim:
A transshipper for floating on water, comprising: a pair of elongate buoyant vessels arranged in parallel spaced relationship for receiving a feeder barge to be unloaded between the vessels; a platform supported by upright supports on the buoyant vessels in a raised position above the buoyant vessels; a transfer conveyor supported by the buoyant vessels extending transversely of the buoyant vessels in a raised position above the buoyant vessels; a first lifting conveyor suspended from the platform by means of a carriage which is movable relative to the platform in a direction longitudinally of the transfer conveyor for raising material to be unloaded from a feeder barge located between the buoyant vessels and depositing said material onto the transfer conveyor; a second lifting conveyor mounted on the transshipper adjacent to the transfer conveyor for receiving the material from the transfer conveyor, the second lifting conveyor having a material discharge end located above the platform; and an unloading boom mounted on the platform and having a material receiving end located beneath the material discharge end of the second lifting conveyor for receiving the material from the second lifting conveyor and for delivering said material to a receiving vessel located alongside one of said buoyant vessels.