US2786720A - Means for distributing discrete material in ships' holds and the like - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1957 W L. KUTTNER ETAL MEANS FOR DESTRIBUTING DISCRETE MATERIAL IN SHIPS HOLDS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 8, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet l March 26, 1957 w. L. KUTTNER ETAL 2,786,720

MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING D SCRETE MATERIAL IN SHIPS HOLDS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY i tes 'MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTENG DISCRETE MATE- RIAL IN SHIPS HQLDS AND THE LIKE Warner Lennard Kuttner, George Collins, Thomas Arnold Thomson, and Vincent Joseph Smith, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia This invention relates to improvements in means for distributing discrete material such as powdered, crystalline or granular materials, including seed, grain, fertilisers or insecticides in ships holds and like confined spaces without the need for mechanical trimming means such as power or manually operated scoops.

The problem of distributing powdered, crystalline or granular materials and the like inside ships holds during loading operations is to-day of considerable importance. In order to avoid dust nuisance, these materials are usually conveyed into the ship holds through a restricted opening above the holds in the hatch covers, thus resulting in the piling up of materials in the centre of the hold. As the simple expedient of moving the said opening is cumbersome and difiicult, and sometimes impossible, drag scoops have been used for trimming in the past, these scoops being guided by ropes pulleys inside the hold and assisted by a large number of men working barefooted under most uncomfortable circumstances.

An object of the present invention is to provide means directed to overcome the above disadvantages and to this end it is proposed to assist the above form of distribution by means of a powerful jet of air from a nozzle directed and controlled in such manner that the flow of air under pressure through the said nozzle is not restricted by slipstream rotation behind an axial rotor, nor by slip-stream rotation or velocity asymmetries behind a radial flow fan, such control being etfected by the use of fans from which said rotation or velocity asymmetries are removed by aerodynamic straighteners or tunnels.

According to the present invention the apparatus issupported by guys from a ships derrick, or the ships beams 01' from a circular irame allowing rotation in a horizontal plane for example, and comprises an adjustable range flap, and a steering rudder, control means for the rudder, which may be manual or automatic to give the unit rotation about its vertical axis or alternatively an oscillationabout the said axis.

A fan assembly is disposed in a tunnel and directs high .velocity air past the steering rudder to the range flap; an anchor rod may extend downwardly from the said unit and has a suitable anchor carried at the lower end thereof :for placement in the material being stowed in the said hold,

.ltwill be appreciated-that owing to the large gyroscopic couples, it isnecessary for ease of handling, by one operator, to'provide some sort of aerodynamic controls, and :to this end the said rudder is situated the nozzle and is operated either manually or mechanically to provide the necessary oscillations or rotation of the unit about its vertical axis, the mechanical linkage to the said rudder being such as to provide periodic oscillations or steady revolu iou o th unit- Relatively large fans are required to deflect the material, being distributed, during its free fall from the feed openings in a vertical direction, to a trajectory with a horizontal range of sufficient length to enable the filling of remote corners in the ships holds. However, most atent 2,786,720 Patented {Man :26, 1957 m te a r spo ab e more readily-when in an fi gized boundary layer. For reason the ,said range flap which is adjustable in elevation .to give a variety of throws, as well as transportation to the material, has been added. By using a flap shaped in the hinge region a satisfactory seal against back fioyv may be arranged for all flap deflections. Alternatively, the hinge could be formed by a piece of .sheetrubber running the full width of the flap; however the overlap at the :sides is required in any case.

The said anchor with its foot submerged in the said material could be used to take care of thrust.

in order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made "to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating h p esent invention.

Figure 2 is a view looking in the direction from right to left in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the invention wherein radial flow fans are used.

Figure 4 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 3 showing the two fans.

The air tunnel it) has a bell mouth 11 and receives therein the fan assembly for producing an air stream at high velocity, the said tunnel being suspended by guys 12 from a ships derrick, for example, (not shown) or from an overhead support 13 shown diagrammatically in Figure 2.

The said air tunnel 10 has a telescopic anchor rod 14 to the lower end of which an anchor 15 is mounted for placement in the material already distributed to enable the said air tunnel l0 and the respective parts carried thereby to be turned as upon a vertical axis at will; in a ice horizontal plane to distribute the material, the said telescopic anchor rod 14- is mounted upon a bracket 16 carried by the forward end of the air tunnel it].

The tunnel it has a cylindrical portion 17 extending from the bell mouth 13 and terminates in a fiat frustoconical portion 18 from which the high velocity air is discharged upon the material to be distributed as it falls upon a range flap is after passing between a guide plate assembly 20 having plates 21spaced in angular relationship by spacing members 22.

The said fan assembly comprises an electric-motor 23 and fan rotor 24 which are carried by a transition piece 25 which together withthe said flat frustro-conical .portion 18 of the tunnel to directs the high velocity air-to the nozzle end 26 of the said tunnel 10; there are disposed in the air passage between the frustro-conical portion .18 of the tunnel 1t and the transition piece 25 adjustable rudders 27 which, as illustrated in Figure Lmay'be turned on their axis by a manually operated handle '28; when placed at an angle to the air stream the said rudders 27 cause the apparatus to turn about the anchor 15 and consequently change the direction of the spreading of the material, being discharged by the apparatus, in a horizontal plane.

The said guide plate assembly'lfl is supported by slotted arms 29 carried by the said tunnel 1'0 and which have adjustable connection respectively with the rear plate 21 by means of clamping pins 30 to ensure that the said rear guide plate 21 may be placed. :at an anglegreater than the angle of repose of the material being handled; the said rear guide plate 21 may also be provided with an adjustable rear deflector plate 3110 induce air flow, if required around the nozzle end 26 of the air tunnel 10.

The rearguide plate is related to front guide plate in such a manner as to prevent the. material falling uninterrup ed y upon the said r ng flap? The said rang p :19 .has side. members .32 and is 3 mounted upon brackets 33 by pivots 34, said brackets 33 extending from the said tunnel said range flap 19 is adjustable upon its pivots 34 with respect to the brackets 33bymeans such as chains 9.

The passage of air through the tunnel 10 is shown by arrows moving in a horizontal direction through the tunnel 10 as seen in Figure 1; the passage of the material as it falls vertically between the guide plates 21 is shown by the arrows in the guide plate assembly the path of the material to be distributed upon reaching the range flaps 19 is shown by the arrows seen in Figure l passing across the said range flap 19; induced air is shown entering the high pressure air stream by the arrows seen in Figure 1 around the nozzle end 26 of the air tunnel 10.

In the form of the invention seen in Figures 3 and 4 the principle of operation is the same as that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the tunnel 10 has disposed therein two radial flow fans 35 fed by bell mouth intake pipes 36.

We claim:

1. Improvements relating to the distribution of discrete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range flap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range flap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly comprising an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in said tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel a transition piece mounted within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material.

2. Improvements relating to the distribution of discrete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range flap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range flap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly comprising an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in said tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel, a transition piece mounted within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, said air tunnel having a telescopic anchor rod, an anchor mounted upon the lower end thereof for placement in said material already distributed, whereby said air tunnel and the parts carried thereby may be turned upon a vertical axis in a horizontal plane to distribute the material at will, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material.

3. Improvements relating to the distribution of discrete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete'material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range flap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range fiap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly containing an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in saidv tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel and a transition piece mounted within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material, said tunnel having a cylindrical portion terminating in a fiat frustro-conical portion, a nozzle formed upon the end of said frustro-conical portion from which said high pressure air is discharged upon the material to be distributed as it falls upon said range flap after passing through said guide plate assembly.

4. Improvements relating to the distribution of dis crete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range fiap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range flap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly containing an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in said tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel and a transition piece mounted Within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material, said tunnel having a cylindrical portion terminating in a flap frustro-conical portion, a nozzle formed upon the end of said frustro-conical portion from which said high pressure air is discharged upon the material to be distributed as it falls upon said range flap after passing through said guide plate assembly, adjustable rudders disposed in an air passage between said transition piece and said frustro-conical portion of said tunnel, said rudders serving to cause the apparatus to turn about an anchor whereby the direction of distribution or spreading may be varied in a horizontal plane as it is being discharged by the apparatus.

5. Improvements relating to the distribution of discrete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range flap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range flap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly comprising an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in said tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel a transition piece mounted within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material, said guide plate assembly being adjustably supported by slotted arms carried by said tunnel whereby a rear guide plate of the said guide plate assembly may be placed at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the said material.

6. Improvements relating to the distribution of discrete material in ships holds and the like and wherein the discrete material falls into the path of a current of air moving at high velocity and is directed by said current of air towards a range flap, having side members and mounted upon brackets by means of posts, said brackets extending from an air tunnel, said range flap being adjustable upon a pivot with respect to the said brackets, a fan assembly comprising an electric motor and a fan rotor mounted in said tunnel for developing said high velocity current of air, suspending or supporting means for said air tunnel a transition piece mounted within said tunnel and supporting said fan assembly, a guide plate assembly for directing said discrete material towards said current of air as it leaves said tunnel, said guide plate assembly including guide plates for preventing the material falling directly upon the said range flap, the latter being adjustable in elevation to give a variety of throws of said material, said range flap being mounted 6 upon brackets carried by said air tunnel and having side members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,719 Clapp Jan. 3, 1928 1,866,806 Holly July 12, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 140,828 Australia Apr. 16, 1951

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