Self-unloading barge and unloading apparatus therefor
AssigneeExpress Marine, Inc.
InventorRobert A. Kaucic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A barge which is capable of offloading bulk cargoes to dockside without requiring assistance from onshore equipment or other floating equipment. The barge has a movable auger support housing and a to move the housing. An auger container is pivotably mounted to the housing with a rotating screwshaped auger mounted within the container. A first conveyor is located within the support housing to transport bulk cargo from the auger which lifts the cargo, from a lower level to a higher level, to a second conveyor located along the edge of the cargo hold. A moveable third conveyor is positioned to receive cargo from the second conveyor and to transport the material off the barge.
Claims13
Apparatus for unloading a vessel comprising:
- a vessel-mounted carriage movably mounted over a hold in said vessel such that said carriage extends over said hold;
- means to move said carriage back and forth over said hold;
- an auger carried by said carriage on its upper end and having a free engaging tip portion on its lower end, said lower end being integral with said upper end and extendable into the cargo for directly contacting and collecting said cargo for continuously directly lifting said cargo from a lower point within said hold to a higher point;
- means connected to rotate said auger;
- pivot means operatively connected to said auger for pivotal movement relative to said carriage, said pivotal movement including rotation of said lower end about a vertical axis extending downwardly from said upper end over a continuum of 360 degrees;
- and
- conveyor means carried by said carriage and movable with said carriage to receive and convey cargo from said auger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.