Skirt lifting apparatus and method

An apparatus to direct coke from an outlet of a coking drum to a receiving location, said apparatus comprising:

• a. a skirt section which has an upper inlet end which is movable from a lower retracted position to an upper engaged position to receive the coke from the coking drum;
• b. a plurality of fluid actuators arranged to be in operative arrangement with the skirt to move the skirt between its retracted and engaged positions;
• c. each of said actuators comprising first and second cylinder and piston units, having first and second cylinders, respectively, and first and second piston members, respectively, each piston member comprising a piston and a piston rod, said first and second cylinders being positioned in side by side relationship and arranged so that the piston rod of the first piston member extends in a downward direction from said first cylinder, and the piston rod of said second piston member extends upwardly from said second cylinder;
• d. a lower end of the piston rod of the first piston member being connected to a lower base location, and an upper end of the piston rod of the second piston member being connected to said skirt section,
• whereby when each of the fluid actuators are extended, an extension of the first piston member from the first cylinder causes the first and second cylinder members to move upwardly, and an extension of the second piston member from the second cylinder moves the upper end of the piston rod of the second piston member upwardly to move the skirt upwardly toward its upper engaged position.