The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

THE WAREHOUSING OF GRAIN '699 The interesting and complex equipment for handling the grain by conveyors and elevators was supplied by the New Conveyor Co., of Smethwick. They are designed to carry grain at the rate of 400 tons per hour continuously from the wharf side to the granary, where it is automatically weighed, checked, and deposited in the various silos or upon the floors. This result is attained by the adoption of subways, without in any way obstructing the traffic at the wharf or in the neighbouring roads and railway sidings. In the rear of the dock wall is a tunnel for the conveying bands. The width of this tunnel, which extends along the entire length of the dock wall on the east side and is returned thence at an angle of 90° to the new granary, varies according to the number of belts in a particular position. Abreast of No. 1 transit shed at the south end of the dock, the tunnel is 9 ft. wide in the clear and 7 ft. in height. At No. 2 shed it is 16 ft. wide and increases to a maximum of 45 ft. in width near the granary itself. The total length of the tunnel is about 1,740 ft. It is constructed throughout of ferro- concrete. The conveyors are of the endless-band type, arranged in parallel lines in the tunnel. The bands, which are made of cotton and india-rubber, are 22 in. wide, and are capable of sustaining a tensile stress of 800 lb. per inch of width. The idlers are about 6 ft. apart, and automatic tension gears are provided. The speed of the band is 650 ft. per minute, which speed represents 100 tons of grain carried per band per hour. The grain is, in the first instance, elevated and discharged from the ship into portable hoppers on the wharf. These hoppers fit over cast-iron shoots built into the wharf and com- municating with the above-mentioned tunnel. Valves are provided in the hoppers, and on the lower ends of the wharf shoots for the proper regulation of the grain as it is discharged into the shoots and upon the conveyor bands. The first section of the tunnel contains two conveyor bands 570 ft. long between terminals, and each band is fitted with portable distributing shoots, which receive the grain from the wharf shoots, which are spaced about 52 ft. apart along the dock side, enabling the bands to receive grain practically at any part of their length. The wharf shoots are covered by a special water-tight cover when not in use. The two conveyors in the first section of the tunnel are continuous throughout the section, forming with the addition of two other bands four complete and independent conveyors, each having its own 30 B.H.P. motor, tension gear, and receiving shoots. These four conveyors are 750 ft. long between terminals, and are broken at about 200 ft. from the forward end for convenience in driving, each motor being arranged to drive approximately an equal length of band. The two conveyors in the first section of the tunnel are disposed at the dock side of the tunnel, and can be fed directly from the wharf shoots. In the second section the third and fourth conveyors are fed indirectly from the wharf shoots by means of short cross conveyors mounted on travelling carriages above the main bands. These carriages traverse ths whois length of ths second section of the tunnel, the cross band receiving grain from any one of the wharf shoots and discharging upon either of the second pair of main bands by way of a two-way distributor. The cross travelling bands are each driven by a 15 B.H.P. enclosed motor mounted on the carriage. 1 he four conveyor bands are continued through the second tunnel section to the junction with the third section, where the tunnel makes a square turn and runs from the dock wall to the basement of the granary. The conveyors in the third section are about 320 ft. between terminals, and to equalise the drive some 200 ft. length of bands in the second section are driven at the angle by means of cut bevel gearing and roller chain drives. Thus each length of band per motor is approximately equal, and similar 30 B.H.P. motors