US1252474A - Load hoisting and transfer apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

I. s. MILLER. LOAD HOiSTlNG AND TRANSFER APPARATUS ="'APPLIOAT -l0N FLED APR. 16. 1915- Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

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T; S. MILLER.

LOAD noasrme AND TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. I915.

Patented J an. 8, 1918.

4 SHEETS-:SHEET 2- T. s. MILLER. MAD HOISTING AND TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR I8. 1815- Patented Jan. 8; 1918.

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T. S. MILLER. LOAD HOISTING AND TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILE D APR. 16, l9 l5.

Patented J an. 8, I918.

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. erally to load-hoisting and 'ratus, and more particularly to apparatus J'rnonms srnncnn MILLER, onsournonnnon, NEW annsnr.

LOAD HOISTING AND TRANSFER APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. s, 1918.

.Application men April 16, 1915; Serial No. 21,666.

7 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvemerits in Load Hoisting and Transfer Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates oroaaly and gen -transfer appaof that type adapted to form part of the equipment of a sea-going vessel, such as a c-ollier, for the purpose of transferring loose material from the hold of the vessel to another vessel or dock, or for loading said vessel from another ship or dock.

Among other objects of the invention which will appear from the following description, I desire to provide an apparatus which will be simple of construction, which will permit of easy and rapid handling of the material, and in which will be employed an opening and closing bucket, the holding and closing lines of which will serve as a means for transferring the bucket, as well as for raising and lowering the same.

The invention consists in the improvements to be more fully described hereinafter, and the object of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a' part of this specification and wherein:

Figure 1 1s a v1ew in vertical cross section of the hull of a vessel equipped with my invention, the latter being shown in ont elevation. a 7

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof a portion of the hull of the vessel showing two hatchways, each provided with my present invention for transferring loads therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective diagrammatic view of the bucket and rope leads for operating and controlling the same.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section,

' of asteam-operated rope engine for operating and-controlling the rope leads.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the rope engine shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of an electrically operated engine which may be used inconnection withmy invention for operating the rope leads;

Fig. 7 is a detail view in side elevation of that part of the engine shown at the left of Fig. 6. I

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a rope drum employed in connection with the invention when the rope leads are controlled by the engine shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference: 1 designates the hull of a vessel, the construction of which may be varied to suit the conditions under which it is to be employed, which construction does not in any way affect or limit the scope of my present invention. The hull 1 has a hold 2 to contain the material to be transferred, and 3 designates the deck of the vessel provided with one or more hatchways 4 leading to said hold.

Supported on thedeck 3 of the. vessel between the hatchways, and extending transversely of the vessel, is a superstructure,

preferably in the formof a tower 5, comprising vertical uprights 6 joined at their upper ends by a transverse beam 7 from the upper ends of which uprights rises a structural iron frame 7 of any suitable design and dimensions. The tower may be braced by side brace- members 8, 8, connecting the deck and the posts 6 at a point adjacent the upper ends of the latter. 9, 9 designate booms, each of which is pivotally mounted at its inner end, as at 10, on said tower at a point adjacent the upper ends of the members 6, said booms extending from their pivotal points in opposite directions from each other so that their ends take a position to one side of the hatchway and preferably outboard of'the vessel, as shown in Figs. 1 'and 2. The boonis may be braced in position by means of guys 11 connecting the .outer ends of said booms with the upper end of the frame/7, and by guys 12 connecting the outer ends of the booms with a convenient point on the vessel. I desire it understood that the construction and arrangement of the tower and the booms may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I will now describe a preferred arrange.- ment of rope leads supported by said structure and booms for transferring a load from the hold of the vessel to aspoint outboard of the vessel, or vice versa. Connected at its opposite 9, 9 is a main cable or trackway 13, said ends to the. outer ends of the booms of the vessel over one of the hatchways, and

preferably in a vertical plane extending through the center of the latter. Mounted on this main cable is a load-carriage 14, which may be of any suitable construction,

the same being provided with running pulleys on wheels to travel on the cable 13 and having a portionjdepending below said main cable and provided with oppositely disposed pulleys or sheaves 16, 17, as shown in Figsfl and 3 of the drawings, for a purpose to be presently-set forth. '18 designates a i 24 the line 23 is kiarried. backflengthwis'e of the cablewayand passed over a 'sh'e'ave 25,: preferably supported Ollthe frame 7, from which is load carrier, preferably in the form of an opening-'and-closing bucket of the clam-shell 7*. From'the pulley 21, the line 19 passes downward and is wound upon a drum 22, provided with means for running it in opposite directions to-take up and out-fsaid holdin .line, which means will be presently descried. Connected at one end to the bucket opening-and-closing means is a closing'line 23 which passes from *the bucket upward and over the, sheave- 16,

whenceit is'carried lengthwise of the maincable and doubled over a sheave 24 onthe outer end of the boom 9. From the sheave which .point it is carried downward and wound upon a drum ;26. provided withmeans for running the same in opposite directions to take up and payout said closi-ng line, whichl/means will be presently"described.

By the arrangement of rope leads de-" scribed I am enabled to dispense Wit-h a purposes set forth, I p'ay'out both f-linesat separate-line or lines, in addition to the closing and holding lines, for the purpose of traversing the load-carriage back and forth, 5

' mg connect on w th the drum 26 for the and'employ the bucket-closing line and the holding line not only for opening and clos- 'ing the bucket and raising"andlowering the same, but alsofor accomplishing the traversin of the carriage and bucket. In employthe holding-and-closing lines 1 for the the same speed in lowering the bucket and take them up atithe same speed in -i'aising the bucket, and, when it is desired to raise or lower the b'ucket throHgh ,an angle, say,

of 45 degrees, to the vertical or horizontal, I hold one line and take up the other. When it is desired to traverse the carriage after the-hoisting of thebucket, I pay out one or the lines and. take up at equal speedon the other, so'that the carriage and bucket traverse the main cable in a straight line. I ,do not desire to limit myself to the specific means shown and hereinafter described for operating the closing-and-holding lines in the manner just. set forth, [but'have devised simple and effective means for accomplishingv these results, which means will now be described.

I will first describe a steam or fluid pres sure-operated means for controlling the closing-and-holding lines, which means comprises a bed-plate 27 atthe opposite ends of which are arranged pairs of steam engine cylinders 28, 29, each pair constituting an independent steam motor driven independently of the other. pistons of the cylinders 29 are connected by .piston connections 30, indicated by dot-anddash linesin Figs. 4 and 5, to crank pins 31 power shaft 33 mounted in suitable bearin s on the side members of the bed-plate 2 This power shaft carries a .pinion 34 mesh- ,pistons the cylinders to drive the power shaft 33in either direction, and which has a which may be Theneutral position at which the steam will be cushioried in the cylinders to hold the piston against movement. I have indicated such ayalve at 37, but have not specifically illus trated the details thereof, as it may be of any 1 of the well-known types which may be suitable for- .the purpose The -valve operating lever is shown at 38. In a manner similar to that just described, the engine cylinders 28 are connected to crank pins 39 on crank disks 40 driving a power shaft 41, which I carries a gear 42meshing with a drum gear I 43 on a drum shaft 44, and having a driv- "closing line. "The engine 28 is also provided with. a valve similar to that employed ,by

levers'38 .and 46 being arranged with theirv hand grasps in such relation that they may both be readily operated by the same operator grasping one of-said\hand-grasps in, each. hand. Bythis arrangementi it will be 7 apparent that each drum may "be' operated independentlyjof the other to either' payout or take-up the line wound thereon, or each drum maybe held stationary so as to hold its-dine; When it is-.-desired.to traverse t I can'iage along'the cableway to transport the 85 mounted on crank disks 32 rotating with a bucket from the hold of the vessel to a point outboard, or to return it to the hold after having discharged its load outboard, it is desirable to pay out one line and take up the other accordingly as the bucket moves outboard or inboard, at the same speed, and, in orderto accomplish this, I provide means for driving both the drums 22 and 26 from the-same engine, and preferably accomplish it by interlocking the drums so that they both revolve in the same direction, it being'taken for granted that one rope is wound on its drum in a reverse directionfrom that in which the other rope is wound on its drum. -This means may take a number of forms, but, in the present instance, I employ -a counter-shaft47 journaled in the side members oftheb'ed-frame and having loosely mounted thereon at one end a gear. 48 arranged in mesh with the gear 35, said shaft being provided with a clutch member 49 adapted to engage a clutch member50 on said gear whereby saidgear may be connected to said shaft to rotatetherewith. Any suitable means may be pro vided for applying and relieving the fric-' tion between the clutch members 49 and 50, but I prefer to employ a well-known-wtype of screw thrust 51 operated from a footlever 52 journaled on the frame, as at- 53, and connected to the crank member 54 of the thrust by a connecting rod 56. This lever is preferably moved automatically to release position by a wei'rht 57. Rigidly' mounted on the shaft 47 is a second gear 58, whichv meshes with the-gear 43, heretofore" de-' scribed. By this arrangement it will be seen that either drum' may be driven from the other by operating the elutch to-conne'ct the gear 48 to the shaft 47 and that, when said gear is disconnected from driv'ingconnection with its shaft, said drums may be run independently. of each other. Means is provided whereby the carriage may beheld stationary during the opening and closing. of the bucket, as it will-be apparent that the carriage would shift its position on themain cable due to the slacking or takingin of V the closing line if such means were not provided -"ll i'is means preferably consists ofa 1 line 59 having one end connected, as at 60,

to one side of the carriage, said line being carried thence over a pulley 61 on the outer end of the boom 9, from which point it is carried inboard over a pulley 62- on the structure 7, and then down to a 63, said line being rove about the drum'and having its opposite end portion carried upward therefrom over a pulley 63 on the 'frame; thence outboard over apulley 64 on the outer end of the boom 9, from which point it is carried to the'opposite side of the carriage from the connection 60, and connected to the carriage, as at 65. i

Means .is provided for holding the drum shown in Fig. 4, and premisin 63 during the opening and closing of the bucket, so that the carriage is held stationary, and said drum is adapted to rotate ,tended outside the main frame 27, as at 64,

and is provided with a sleeve 65 feathered thereto to rotate therewith, said sleeve carrying a clutch disk 66 having an annular clutch face 67. ,The sleeve' 65 is capable of movement lengthwise of said shaft extension 64 and, on the outer end of the latter is provided an expansionsprin 68 normally urging said sleeve .and the c utch disk carried thereby inward toward the side of the bed plate. The drum63 is provided with a hub 69 rotatablymounted on said sleeve 65 and held against movement longitudinally of said sleeve in one direction y a sleeve 70 mounted on the shaft 44 between said hub 69 and the side frame of the bed-plate. This drum 63 is'provided on its face toward the clutch disk 66 with an annular clutchface 71 adapted to coiiperate with the clutchface 67, wherebythe drum 63 is driven fromsaid shaft 44. The drum 63 is provided with anannular brake-face 72 with which acoiiperatesa friction brake-band 73 of any suitable construction, whereby the drum may be held against rotation, under which conditions thefriction disk will slip rela tive therto,-due toits resilient engagement therewith by virtue of the sprin 68. The.

brake may be operated by a suita le brakethe hand-grasps 38 and 46, whereby said levers are all in 'convenient'position to be operated by the same operator.

' I will now proceed .to describe the operation of the apparatus constructed as. above described, employing the form of engine that the parts are-in the positions shown'm'Figs. 1,

2 and 3. Inorder to return the bucket from 'the outboard position to the hold to take a load, the operator relieves the brake action on the drum 63 to :permit the line-59 to run free. The operator then operates the clutch 49 to interlock the drums22 and 26 so that the line 19 is taken up and the line 23 is paid out, both at the same speed, whereby the carriage is traversed inboard. When the carriage reaches a point over the hatchway and the bucket is-to belowered therein, the carriayge is stoppiedv and the clutch 49 ope ated to real: the driving connection between the drums 22 and 26, whereupon the operator operates both .e'ngmes to cause the drums 22 and 26 to pay out their lines to permit the bucket to drop. It will be understood that the bucket is opened at the desired point by' holding the holding line and permitting the closing line to pa out. It will also be unthe material tolg'be loaded, the operator takes upon the clo'sEng linesuflicient to close the bucket,'and then drives both drums 22'and 26 independently to take up the holding line and the. closin line to raise the bucket to the carriage. load is to be shifted without trayerslng the carriage, both linesare taken up) at the same speed, the carriage being held 63, but if it be desired to hoist the bucket in a line at an angle to the vertical, this can be accomplished by releasing the carriage from the-drum 63 and taking u both the holding line and the closing line, but at different speeds, the carriage and bucket movin laterally in the direction of the line ta en up at the greater speed. For instance, in'the arrangement as shown in Fig. 3, assuming the bucket to be lowered, the bucket would bemoved in a line at an angle to the left when the closing line is taken up at the greater speed, while it would be moved to v the right, if the holding line were driven at the greater speed. "In thelatter case the pull of the bucket'on the closin tain the bucket closed.

raised to the desired pointthe drums are then interlocked by means of the clutch 49 and both may be driven from one en ethat is, the engine 28, to take 'up the c osing line 23 andpay out the holding line at equal 'speeds wherebythe carriage, with the bucket,

is moved to the outboard positionthat is, to the left of Fi gs..'1, 2 and 3. Upon the carriage reaching the desired 'outboard'position, drum 63 is held, and the bucket is dumped by paying out on the closing line,

the drums being disconnected from driving connection with each other and'the drum 26 operated for the purpose stated. If it is 'de-' sired to first lower'the bucket before dumping, the carriage may be held by the drum 63 andboth engines may be operated to out the lines 19 and 23 to lower the hue after which the bucket I holdi'ng'the line 19 and paying out on the been'loaded, the bucket is to e moved to t erightat an angle to the vertical, the engine 29 is operated to take up on the holding line and the en e 28 either remains at vrest or is o erate to payout the closin line until '51 reaches. the desire elevation; whereupon uring this operation, if the y the drum line would main en the bucket is may be dumped by' e bucket line and pay out the closing'line at equal speed. As the operations are simply reversed when the bucket is moved from the right or the left of the hold, or 'to 'or from either the right or left of the ship, it is be- I lieved that the operation of the bucket, when operated to the right of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, will beclear from the above description.

In Figs. (Sand .7 of the drawings I show another form of engine for controlling the drums for operating the lines 19 and 23. In 7 this form ofengine are shown two drums 76, 77, corresponding, respectively, to the drums 22, 26, heretofore described. These drums are mounted, respectively, on shafts.

78, 79, journaled in a suitable bed-plate or frame, and said drums are also provided with gears 80, 81, having any suitable form of driving connection with the drums. Running parallel to the axis of rotation of the drums are twodriving shafts 82, 83, arranged in longitudinal alinement, and each provided with a pinion 84,- the pinion on each shaft meshing with the adjacent gear a Each of said : shafts 82, 83, is also provided with a gear or 81 on the said drums.

85, said gears 85 meshing with driving pinions 86, 86, mounted, respectively,,on the armature shafts 87, 87, of. reversible electric motors 88, 88. By this arrangement it will be seen that each drum may be driven independently of the other, and in either direction, by its own independent motor.

Mounted on the end'of one of the shafts 87 is an internally toothed clutch member on the end of the other shaft 87, whereby said shafts may be connected to drive both 89 adapted to be engaged by a peripherally ztoothed clutch member 90 slidably mounted drums 76, 77, at the 'samespeed of revolution. The clutch member 90 is shiftab'le into and out of engagement with the clutch member 89 by-means of a yoke 91 carried by a rockvshaft 92 having suitable bearings on the main frame and carrying a lever or "arm. 93 which, in turn, is connected to-the core of a solenoid 94. This shaft 92 also carries a lever 94' operatinga switch 95, whlch serves a purpose to be presently described.

Said armature shafts are provided, respectively, with brake disks 96 which are en-- gaged by the membersv 97 of suitable. machine brakes which areapplied by means of a solenoid 98, it being understood that there is an independent so noid for operating,

eachbrake. The bra e members are con-' .nected tothe cores of the solenoids 98 by leti" vers 99 and links 100, so that, when the'sole noids are energized, the brakes will be released. The core of each solenoid is provided with a weight 101 whereby the brakes are applied when the solenoids are deenergized. Each motor is provided with an inwhich is operated from a hand-grasp 103 on a controller shaftlO l, said controller shaft 104 being geared by suitable gears 105, 106,

tothe rotating part of the controller. If desired, a suitable sleeve coupling 107 may be provided for connecting the gears '106 whereby both controllers may be operated from the same hand-lever 103, when desired, to have both motors run .at the same speed, and in the same direction.

As-heretofore stated, the motors are of the reversibletype and the operating lever for each controller is movable 'to' three positionsnamely, two extreme positions in one of which the motor drives its drum in the opposite direction from that when the lever 7 is in the other position, andsaid lever also has an intermediate position .which the current is off. The solenoids 98 are arranged in circuit with the controller in such a manner that, when the controlling levers 103 are in the off 01' intermediate position, the solenoids will be denergized, allowing the weights to apply the brakes to the disks 96,

and thereby hold the motors and the drums.

driven thereby against rotation in either direction. The switch 95, heretofore described,

is arranged in circuit with the brake solenoids 9 8, so that, when the clutch members 89, 90, are connected, said switch will be operated to so control the solenoid circuits that both brake solenoids 98 will be energized to release both brakes when one of the controllers is operated to drive its motor. By

' the construction and arrangement described both drums may be controlled from the same controller lever, and one motor, whenever the drum is interlocked, will be capable of conveying all that two motors of approximately the same size would be efiective to hoist.

When the electric motors are provided for operating the rope leads, I provide a sepathe hue 59, said drum being provided with a rate drum 108 for controlling and operating brake flange 109 with which cooperates a brake-band 110 operable by a brake shaft 111 and foot-lever 112. The brake is adapted to be applied to the drum 108 .to hold the same under all the conditions necessary for holding said line 59, as heretofore described in detail with reference to the drum 635and it is, therefore, not deemed necessary to repeat in detail that description here at this point. It will be understood that, when using the electric motor control, when 7 the clutch members 89, 90, are disconnected,

said 4 .76, 78, respectively, controlling the holding line and the hoisting lines 19 and-23, may be driven independently of each other at different speeds and in difl'erent di-' rections, or in'idifl'erent directions at the same speed, or in, thesame directiomat the same or difierent speeds, and that, when the .ing line same direction, one rope will be paid out and the other taken in, It will be understood that the brake solenoids are so controlled as to release the brakes whenever the motors areenergized and to apply the same when the motors are at rest. As the circuits for the motors "form no part of my present invention, and can be supplied by. any one skilled in the art, I do not deem it necessary to either illustrate or. describe the same in detail. also do not consider it necessary ,to repeat the operation of the cableway and bucket heretofore described with reference to .the form of motor shown in Fig. 4, as it will be readily understood in what manner said operation may be efi'ected by use of the motor control.

The engine shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is not my sole invention and is not claimed herein, but is 'th "joint invention of myself and Louis G. uggles, and is the subject matter of an application filed by us jointly under date of July 3, 1915, Serial Number.37,894', the same being a division'of an earlier application filed jointly by the said Louis G. Ruggles and me under date of June 3, 1913, Serial Number 771,399;

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a load-transferring means, a trackway, a carriage thereon, an opening and closin closing line for the bucket extending lengthwise of the trackway in opposite direction to the holding line,

operating said lines, separate motors for .driving said drums, and means forconnecting said drums whereby both are driven from the same motor.

2. In a load-transferring means, a trackway, a carriage thereon, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line for the bucket extending lengthwise of said trackway, a closfor the bucket extending lengthwise of the trackwayin opposite direction to .the holding line, independent drums for operating said lines, separate motors for driving said drums whereby said drums may be operated independently and at difl'erent speeds, and means whereby both drums may be driven at equal speed from the same motor.

'3. In a load-transferring means, a trackway, a carriage thereon, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line for the bucket extending jlengthwise of said trackway, a

closing line for the bucketextending. lengthbu'cket, a holding line for the bucket .exten ing lengthwise of said trackway, a

independent drums for wise of the trackway in opposite direction to the holding line, independent drums for operating'said lines, a holdin line -for the carriage extending in opposite directions 5 lengthwise of the cableway, a holding drum upon which .the said carriage-holding line is wound, and connections between one of said first-named drums andithe holding drum whereby they may run together simultaneously, and the said carriage-holding line drum may be held stationary during the running of said first-named drum.

4. In a load-transferring means, a track-" way, a carriage thereon, an opening and closin bucket, a holding line for the bucket exten mg lengthwise of said trackway, a closing line for the bucket extending length wise of the trackway in opposite direction to the holding line, independent drums for connected to the carriage and extending lengthwise of the cableway in opposite directions, a drum upon which said carriageholding line .is wound, means for coupling said carriage-holding line drum and one of said first-named drums whereby they are operable simultaneously, and means whereby the carriagerholding line drum may be held stationary during the rotation of the other drum. Y r

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.THOMAS SPENCER MILLER.

Witnesses ERNESTPUfiSFdRi), WILLIS A. DIBBLE, Jr.

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