Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
SELF-SUPPORTING FLE)CIBLE SHIP-LOADING ,~1RIVI FOR PNEUMATIC
TRANSFER OF SOLIDS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for loading materials into a
ship's
hold. In particular the present invention relates to art apparatus for
pneumatic
transfer of solid particulate matter into a ship's hold.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of compressed gas such as air and a flexible material handling hose to
move particulate matter is well known in the art and is used extensively to
load
and unload transport trailers, train cars and ship holds of a variety of bulk
materials including flour, cement and minerals amongst many others. The use
of compressed air and flexible hoses has many benefits over more
conventional methods of loading bulk goods. In particular, the use of
compressed air and hoses limits the exposure of 'the bulk materials to the
outside environment, thereby on one hand protecting the bulk materials from
conditions, such as moisture, which may affect the bulk materials, and on the
other hand reducing the impact on the environment by reducing the possibility
that more noxious bulk materials are uncontrollably released into the
environment.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, in marine
applications
the distance between the storage container and a ship's hold varies constantly
in accordance with the level of the seas and the cGnrrent weather conditions.
Additionally, as the ships hold is filled or emptied the ships draft will
increase or
decrease accordingly. The combination of these factors can mean that the
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material handling hose interconnecting the storage container and the ships
hold
is flexed in a number of directions and in some cases quite abruptly,
especially
when seas are high and the ship's holds are relatively empty.
In order to compensate for changes in distance and height between ship and
shore a variety of assemblies have been proposed. These typically combine
telescoping sections of tubing with either rotating elements or flexible
portions.
One problem with these prior art assemblies is that, given the large number of
tubing sections, special afiter,tion must be paid to the seals between
sections in
order to insure proper operation when using compressed air'. Another drawback
is that such prior art assemblies are typically very limited in the am~unt
that
they can move once attached between ship and shorE:.
In order to overcome these drawbacks, it has been proposed to suspend a
flexible material handling hose between ship and shore, using an overhead
crane. The crane hoists the material handling hose ~uvhich is then attached at
each end to supports and the particulate matter pumped through the hose
using a pneumatic conveying system. Hawever, the material handling hose
continually shakes as pulses of concentrate race through the hose and; in
addition, winds can cause thc; hose to sway.
One drawback, therefore, of this prior art assembly is that the crane operator
must remain vigilant to maintain constant tension on the material handling
hose. Too much tension can cause the hose to tear under static strain. Too
little tension can cause the hose to shake violently and tear under dynamic
shock load. In order to help the crane operator assess the amount of tension
on
the hose a sophisticated hook tension indicator is in some cases provided.
Where such an indicator is not available, a second person located below and to
one side of the material handling hose is typically required to aid the crane
operator during operation of the system.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a
loading arm for conveying particulate matter under c~as pressure. The loading
arm is comprised of a flexible hose with a substantially rigid outer casing
surrounding the flexible hose and a plurality of hinge mechanisms. The outer
casing includes a plurality of elongate casing segments disposed end to end
and one of the hinge mechanisms interconnects adjacent casing segments
allowing the adjacent segments to pivot relative to one another around an axis
of rotation normal to a surface of the outer casing. The hinge mechanisms also
limit rotation about the axis of rotation to within a predetermined range and
the
axis of rotation are parallel to one another.
Additionally, the loading arm can be further comprised of a first swivel
assembly attached to a charging end of the flexible hose and also to the outer
casing. The first swivel assembly allows the charging end to rotate around an
axis which is substantially perpendicular to the ground.
Furthermore, the loading arm can also be comprised of a second swivel
assembly in addition to the first swivel assembly. The second swivel assembly
is attached to a discharging end of the flexible house and also to the outer
casing. The second swivel allows the discharging end to also rotate around an
axis which is substantially perpendicular to the ground.
There is also provided an apparatus for pneumatically canveying particulate
matter held in a first storage chamber into a second storage chamber. The
apparatus comprises a source of compressed air, a rnixer having an output for
combining the compressed air with the particulate matter held in the first
storage chamber, a flexible hose having a charging end and a discharging end,
the charging end attached to the output, a substantially rigid outer casing
surrounding the flexible hose, the outer casing including a plurality of
elongate
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casing segments disposed end to end, and a plurality of hinge mechanisms,
one of the hinge mechanisms interconnecting adj2icent casing segments to
allow the adjacent segments to pivot relative to one another around an axis of
rotation normal to a surfaces of the outer casing. The hinge mechanisms also
limit the rotation about the axis of rotation to within a predetermined range
and
the axis of rotation are parallel to one another. 'The particulate matter is
conveyed along the flexible hose by the compressed air and discharged
therefrom at the discharging end into the second storage chamber.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become
more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of
specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DR~IVIiINGS
In the appended drawings:
Figure 1a is a side view of a flexible ship-loading arrn according to an
illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 1 b is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a flexible ship-
loading
arm according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2a is a side view of two segments of a flexible ship-loading arm
according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2b is a top view of the two segments in Figure :2a;
Figure 3 is a side view of a material handling hose according to an
illustrative
embodiment of the present invention;
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Figure 4 is a side view of a mid-link and two sE:gments according to an
illustrative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along 5-5 in Figure 4;
Figure 6a is detailed assembled view of a swivel Gossembly according to an
illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 6b is an exploded view of the swivel assembly of Figure 6a.
DESCRIPTION OF TtiE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figure 1 a there will now be described a first illustrative
embodiment of the present invention.
More precisely, the embodir~,ent provides a flexible ship-loading arm
assembly,
generally referred to using tree numeral 10, flange bolted at either end
between
a rigid ground-end support assembly 12 and a rigid slhip-end support assembly
14. The loading arm assembly 10 includes one or more subsections 16
comprised of a series of segments as in 18 interconnected by a series of hinge
mechanisms 20 and terminated at each end by a pair of terminating segments
as in 22, 24 or, alternatively, a mid-fink assembly 28. The hinge mechanisms
20 are arranged such that the axis around which the interconnected segments
2~ 18 rotate is essentially parallel to the ground and normal to the outer
surface of
the segments 18. The hinge mechanisms 20 allow the displacement between
the ground-end support assembly 12 and the ship-end support assembly 14 to
vary in terms of relative height and distance apart. The series of
interconnected
segments 18, terminating segments 22, 24 and, if present, mid-link assembly
26 surround and support a standard material handling hose 30 which is
typically fabricated from a reinforced flexible rubber pipe.
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The terminating segments as in 22 are attached to tt~e support assemblies 12,
14 by a pair of swivel assemblies as in 28. As the support assemblies 12, 14
are both rigidly mounted to their respective supporting infrastructures, the
swivel assemblies 28 allow the terminating segments 22 to rotate relative to
the
support assemblies 12, 14 around an axis which is substantially perpendicular
to the ground. Lifting tugs 32 are provided for on at IE~ast a pair of
segments 18
for allowing the attachment of wire cable 34 thereby allowing the loading arm
assembly 10 to be hoisted into position by a crane (not shown).
In an alternative embodiment a similar loading arm assembly 10 is disclosed
wherein, instead of being ati:ached to a ship-end support assembly 14, the
ship
end of the loading arm assembly 10 is equipped with a discharge chute 35
attached to the terminating segment 24 and allowed to swing free, as disclosed
Figure 1 b. The loading arm assembly 10 is held up primarily by a crane (not
shown) attached to the loading arm assembly 10 via the wire cables 34 and
lifting lugs 32. In this alternative embodiment particulate matter being
conveyed
though the loading arm assembly 10 is discharged directly into the ship's hold
(no shown). It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that
the
swivel assembly 28 interposed between the ground-end support assembly 12
and the loading arm assembly 10 may in some implementations also not be
necessary, with the terminating segment 22 being attached directly to the
ground-end support assembly 12.
Referring now to Figure 2a, each segment 18 includes a steel cylinder 36
fabricated from, for example, CSA X40.21-M grade 300W steel having a
nominal diameter of approximately eighteen (18) inches and a wall thickness of
about 0.562 inches. A pair of outer hinge support karackets 38 and a pair of
inner hinge support brackets 40 fabricated from, for example, 300W steel are
lap welded to the outside and towards the ends of each steel cylinder 36.
Referring now to Figure 2b in addition to Figure 2a, a hole as in 42 is
machined
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in both hinge support brackets 38, 40 and successive segments are
interconnected by inserting a suitable galvanised or stainless steel nut and
bolt
assembly as in 44. A slotted hexagonal nutlspring pin assembly is used to
secure the nut and bolt assemblies 44 in a manner well known in the art
v~rhile
at the same allowing the hinge support brackets 38,40 to freely pivot relative
to
one another.
Note that although steel has been used in the illustrative embodiment for
fabricating a number of the components of the present invention, it will
apparent to one of ordinar)i skill in the art that other materials, for
example
aluminum, fibreglass or plastic may in some cases be suitable or even
preferable.
Referring back to Figure 2a, segment 18a is able to rotate through a
predetermined angle relative to adjacent segment 18b. The angle through
which adjacent segments can rotate is limited by pairs of upper stopper blocks
as in 46 and lower stopper blocks as in 48 which extend into the space
between adjacent segments 18 and butt together when the extent of the
predetermined angles are reached. The stopper blocks 4E~, 48 are fabricated
from, for example, rectangles of 300W steel and are lap welded to the outside
of the steel cylinder 36, typically at a location which is centred on the
steel
cylinder 36 substantially between the pairs of hinge support brackets 38 or
40.
In an illustrative embodiment the upper stopper block:> 46 extend into the
space
between adjacent segments 18 such that adjacent segments 18 are aligned
along their longitudinal when the upper stopper block:> 46 of adjacent
segments
18 abut. The abutting faces 50 of the upper stopper bllocks 46 are machined
flat
such that the abutting faces 50 of adjacent upper stopper blocks 46 are in
full
contact when abutting.
In an illustrative embodiment the lower stopper block:a 48 extend into the
space
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between adjacent segment s 18 such that adjacent segments 18 are able to
rotate through a predetermined angle. in the illustrative embodiment an angle
of five (5) degrees between adjacent segments 18 has been found to be
sufficient for the purposes ~of the present implementation, although it will
be
understood to persons of ordinary skill in the art that: in other
implementations
other maximum angles of deflection may be preferred. !t will also be
understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that that the degree of
deflection
allowable between adjacent segments 18 will depend on a number of factors
including the overall length of the segments 18, the width of the material
handling hose 30, the number of segments 18 of which the loading arm
assembly 10 is comprised, etc.. The abutting faced 52 of the lower stopper
blocks 48 are machined at an angle to match the maximum angle of deflection
such that the abutting faces 52 of adjacent lower stopper blocks 48 are in
full
contact when abutting.
As can be readily seen from Figure 2a and 2b, the material handling hose 30 is
substantially encased by the steel cylinder 36 although the hose 30 is
partially
exposed as it traverses the gaps between adjacent segments 18. As will be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the siropper blocks 46, 48
also
serve to limit the degree of articulation between adjacent segments 18 such
that the portion of the material handling hose 30 which traverses the gap
between segments 18 is not pinched or otherwise i:oo severely deformed by
this pivoting action. This in turn reduces the stresses placed on the material
handling hose 30 thereby improving its reliability.
Referring now to Figure 3, in an illustrative embodiment the material handling
hose 30 is fabricated from lengths of 'J4" rubber tubing as in 54 having a 12"
internal diameter and wrapped in a high tensile cord with a wire helix and a
longitudinal Mylar stripe. The hoselwire assembly is encased in a corrugated
outer housing. An example of such a material handling hose is GoodFIexT""
S1242 material handling hose manufactured by Goodal.
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Still referring to Figure 3, rubber lined steel nipple/flange assemblies 56
are
inserted into each end of the reinforced rubber tubing 54 and securely
attached
thereto by vulcanising the ends of the rubber tubing 54 or applying a suitable
adhesive. Each nipplelflange assembly 56 is equipped with a flange 58. As is
known in the art, a series of bolt holes as in 60 are machined in the faces of
the
flanges at regular spacing around the circumference thereof. The flanges 58 of
successive sections 18 of hose 30 can be attached together simply by bolting
the flanges 58 together using nut and bolt fasteners as in 62. In order to
ensure
good sealing befinreen successive sections 18 of the material handling hose
30,
a suitable gasket 64 can be interposed between the flanges 58.
Referring back to Figure 1, as stated above, in order to attach successive
sections l6 together a mid--link assembly 26 is provided for. Referring now to
Figure 4, each mid-link assembly 26 is comprised of a generally cylindrical
shaped outer casing 66 fabricated from, for example, 300W steel. The outer
casing is larger towards the middle in order to provide extra spacing for the
flanges 58 of the material handling hose 30. The mid-link assembly 26 is
provided with two pairs of hinge support brackets 38 which mate with hinge
support brackets 40 mounted on adjacent segments 18. Similar to the
segments 18, the mid-link assembly 26 also includes upper stopper blocks 46
and lower stopper blocks 48 which extend into the space between the mid-link
26 and each of the adjacent segments 18. Referring now to Figure 5 in addition
to Figure 4 the outer casing 66 of the mid-link assembly 26 is fabricated from
two separable half-pieces 68, 70 which are fastened together along pairs of
matching raised ribs as in 72, 74. A series of holes as in 76 are machined in
each rib 72, 74 through which nut and bolt assemblies as in 78 can be
inserted.
Alternatively, a portion of each hole 76 can be machined with a suitable
thread
as is known in the art thereby allowing the half pieces 68, 70 to be secured
together using a series of suitably threaded bolts. At this point it will
clear to
one of ordinary skill in the art that the separable nature of the half-pieces
68, 70
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allows the material handling hoses 30 of successive subsections 16 to be
joined together while at the same time providing support for the material
handling hose 30 in the region of this join.
Referring to Figure 6a, the loading arm assembly 10 is terminated at each end
by terminating assemblies 22, 24. Each terminating assembly 22, 24 is
fabricated from a hollow cylinder 78 of, for example, 300W steel to which is
welded at a first end a lower stopper block 46 and an upper stopper block 48
which oppose the lower stopper block 46 and upper stopper block 48 of the
adjacent segment 18. At the opposite of the hollow cylinder 78 a steel flange
80
is attached, typically by means of a weld. A series of steel braces as in 82
are
disbursed around the perimeter of the hollow cylinder 78 and securely welded
to both the hollow cylinder 78 and the flange 80 in order to provide
additional
strength to the terminating assembly 22, 24 which at times is supporting a
great
portion of the weight of the loading arm assembly 10.
Still referring to Figure 6a, the terminating assembly 22, 24 is in turn
mounted
to a swivel assembly 28 by means of a series of fastening assemblies as in 84,
typically twelve (12), evenly distributed around the circumference of the
flange
80. Each fastening assembly 84 is typically comprised of a threaded galvanised
or stainless steel nut 86 and bolt 88 and a pair of galvanised or stainless
steel
washers as in 90. Additionally, a galvanised or stainless steel spacer 92 is
included in each assembly 84, thereby spacing the terminating assemblies 22,
. 24 from the swivel assembly 28. The flange 58 of the material handling hose
30
is also mounted to the swivel assembly 28 by means of a series of galvanised
or stainless steel nut and bolt fastening assemblies 94, typically twelve
(12),
evenly distributed around the circumference of the flange 58. In order to
ensure
proper sealing of the material handling hose 30 with the swivel assembly 28 a
gasket 96 manufactured from a suitable material such as BiltriteTM Style 26
Ghute Lining/Skirtboard.
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The swivel assemblies 28, of which one is located at each end of the loading
arm assembly, is interposed between the loading arm assembly 10 and either
the ground-end support assembly 12 and the ship-end support assembly 14.
The swivel arm assembly allows the ends of the loading arm assembly 10 to
rotate relative to the ground-end support assembly 12 and the ship-end support
assembly 14 which are fixed securely either to the ground (the ground-end
support assembly 12) or to the deck of a ship (the ship-end support assembly
14). This in turn allows a ship located dockside to move laterally relative to
the
loading arm assembly 10 without tearing or other wise damaging the material
handling hose 30. it also allows the loading arm assembly 10, once
disconnected from the ship-end support assembly 14 to be swung away from
the ship while still attached 'to the ground-end support assembly 12.
Referring now to Figure 6b, using an exploded view, an illustrative embodiment
of the swivel assembly 28 will be described in more detail. Each swivel
assembly 28 is comprised of a lower fixed portion 98 and an upper rotating
portion 100 which sits upon the lower fixed portion 98. The lower fixed
portion
98 includes a lower flange 102, manufactured for example from 300W steel, for
attaching the swivel assembly 28, depending on the location of the swivel
assembly 28, to either the ground-end support assembly 12 or the ship-end
support assembly 14. The lower fixed portion 98 also includes a hollow
cylinder
104, also manufactured from 300W steel, which is securely attached to the
lower flange 102, typically by means of a weld. Additionally, support braces
as
in 106 are welded between the lower flange 102, thE: hollow cylinder 104 and a
bushing seat 108 in order to improve strength and rigidity of the lower fixed
portion 98. The hollow cylinder 104 is illustratively lined with a liner 110
which is
resistant to the abrasive effects of particulate matter passing through the
hollow
cylinder 104. An example of a suitable material for the liner 110 would be
REMATM Line 70.
Still referring to Figure 6b, a series of packing rings 112 are sandwiched
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between pairs of bushings as in 114 manufactured frorr~ a low friction self
lubricating material such as Ultra-High Molecular Weight Poly-Ethylene
(UHMW-PE). The packing rings 112 and bushings 114 are placed onto the
hollow cylinder 104 and held in place by a retaining ring 116 which is
fabricated
from, for example, 300W steel. A series of threaded bolts 118, typically
twelve
(12) and manufactured for example from galvanized or stainless steel, are
inserted through a series of complementary holes (not shown) machined in and
distributed evenly around the retaining ring 116. ThEae holes are aligned with
matching holes machined in the packing rings 112, bushings 114 (not shown)
and the bushing seat 108. The threaded bolts 118 are retained in place by a
complementary set of nuts 120 into which the bolts 118 are threaded.
Still referring to Figure 6b, the upper rotating portion 100 includes a hollow
cylinder 122 which depends downwards from an upper flange 124 and a
intersects a stop ring 126, all fabricated from, for example, 300W steel. The
upper flange 124 is securely mounted on the end of the hollow cylinder 122,
typically by means of a weld with addition braces as in 128 typically welded
in
between the upper flange and the hollow cylinder 122 to improve the strength
and rigidity of the assembly. A similar set of braces as in 130 are typically
welded between the stop ring 126 and the hollow cylinder 122. The upper
rotating portion 100 is inserted over the packing rings 112, bushings 114 and
retaining ring 116. Once the upper rotating portion 100 is in position the
threaded bolts 118 can be further tightened thereby compressing the packing
rings 112 and bushings 1 i14 between the retaining ring '116 and the bushing
seat 108. This in turn causes the packing rings 112 to bulge slightly, thereby
bringing the packing rings 112 into closer contact with the outside of the
hollow
cylinder 104 and the inside of the hollow cylinder 122 and effectively sealing
the arrangement.
Once the upper rotating portion 100 is in position over the lower fixed
portion
98, a retaining collar comprised of two collar halves as in 130 is placed
around
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the assembly and attached together using a pair of fastening assemblies
(comprised in this illustrative embodiment of a pair of galvanised or
stainless
steel nut 132 and bolt 134 pairs inserted through pairs of opposed bosses as
in
136). Each collar half 130 includes a casing portion 140 and counter plate
portion 142 manufactured, for example, from 300W steel. A series of bolt
holes,
typically twelve (12), as in 144 are machined in the casing portions 140 and
distributed evenly around the circumference thereof.
Once assembled, the retaining collar halves 130 are fastened to a fastening
collar 146 manufactured, for example, from 300iN steel and welded to an upper
face of the bushing seat 108. In an illustrative embodiment the retaining
collar
halves 130 are removeably attached to the fastening collar 146 by means of a
series of galvanised or stainless steel bolts as in 148 which are inserted
through the holes 144 in the casing portions 140 into corresponding holes 150
machined in the fastening collar 146 the insides of v~rhich have been machined
with a suitable matching thread. Alternatively, the bolts 148 can be inserted
and
tightened against a series of corresponding nuts as in 152 retained on the
inner
surface of the fastening collar 146.
The retaining collar halves 130 are such that when assembled the counter plate
portions 142 form an annulus closely encircling but not touching the hollow
cylinder 122 and resting slightly above the stop ring 126 of the upper
rotating
portion 100. Once assembled, any movement of the upper- rotating portion 100
away from the lower fixed portion 98 along the longitudinal axis of the
assembly
will bring the upper surface of the stop ring 126 into contact with the lower
surface of the annulus formed by the counter plate portions 142. In this
manner
the upper rotating portion 100 is retained in assembly with the lower fixed
portion 98 while at the same time allow the upper rotating portion 100 to
rotate
relative to the lower fixed portion 98.
In order to correctly mate the rotating assemblies 28 to the terminating
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assemblies 22 an adapter 154 is provided. The adapter 154 includes a hollow
frustum 156 sandwiched between a lower adapter flange 158 and an upper
adapter flange 160, all fabricated for example from 300W steel. Typically, the
lower adapter flange 158 and the upper adapter flange 160 are fastened to the
hollow frustum 156 by means of welds with the assembly being further
reinforced by the provision of a series of braces as in 162 for increased
strength and rigidity. The adapter 154 is attached to the upper rotating
portion
100 typically by a series of fasteners, in the illustrative embodiment twelve
(12),
each comprised of a galvanised or stainless steel nut as in 164 and bolt as in
166. The bolts 166 are inserted through a series of holes (not shown)
macr~ined
in the lower adapter flange 158 and evenly distributed around the
circumference thereof and through a corresponding set of holes machined in
the upper flange 124. Prior to assembly a gasket 168 is typically inserted
between the lower adapter flange 158 and the upper flange 124 in order to
hermetically seal the assembly. Similar to the hollow cylinder 104, the hollow
frustum is provided with a liner 170, with again an example of a suitable
material for the liner 170 being REMATM Line 70.
Referring back to Figure 1, once assembled the loading arm assembly 10 is
typically hoisted by a crane (not shown) attached to the loading arm assembly
10 by means of two or more lifting lugs 32 and the wire cable 34. The loading
arm assembly 10 is then secured at one end to the ground-end support
assembly 12 by means of a swivel assembly 28. When a ship puts into port the
other end of the loading arm assembly 10 can be lowered by the crane and
attached to the ship-end support assembly 14 by means of a second swivel
assembly 28.
Once the loading arm assembly 10 is securely in place between the ground-
end support assembly and the ship-end support assembly 14 the tension on
the wire cable can be released and the loading arm assembly 10 will stand
alone supported only by the swivel assemblies 28 and support assemblies 12,
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14 Located at each end. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art 'that
the support assemblies 12, 14 must be constructed from materials and in a
manner such that they are at least capable of supporting the weight of the
loading arm assembly 10, the swivel assemblies 28 and any material which is
being pumped through the loading arm assembly 10 at any one time.
As the ship rises or sinks due to wave action, tides or' change in the amount
of
ballast, the end of the loading arm assembly 10 attached to the ship-end
support assembly 14 will adjust itself accordingly without action on behalf of
the
crane operator. Similarly, if the lateral distance between the support
assemblies
12, 14 increases or decreases, the loading arm assembly '10 will compensate
accordingly. Finally, if the :;hip moves at right angles to the loading arm
assembly 10 the ends of the loading arm assembly 10 will rotate relative to
the
support assemblies 12, 14 by means of the swivel asserrcblies 28. It will be
apparent to one of ordinan,~ skill in the art that although the loading arm
assembly 10 may move considerably during loading or unloading of materials,
the stresses brought to bear on the material handling hose 30 are minimised'.
As disclosed, the loading arm assembly is suitable for moving particulate
matter, such as dry abrasive nickel concentrate powdler, with a bulk density
of
between 80 pcf (aerated) 'to 120 pcf (packed). T'he temperatures of the
materials is typically within the range of -25°C to x-25°C. In
the illustrative
embodiment the particulate matter (not shown) is fed into the conveying line
174 from a dense-phase pneumatic conveying system with a maximum
pressure of about 65 psi. iVote, however, that the loading arrn assembly 10
and
swivel assemblies 28 as described could also function within a dilute-phase
pneumatic conveying system. However, the present trend is to convey
pneumatically in dense phase since as this has th~a advantage not only of
making it possible to work wil:h lower rates of air flow, but also of keeping
dawn
the wear of the conveyor ducts over time while conserving better quality in
the
conveyed substance, compared with conveying in dilute phase.
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Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of an
illustrative embodiment thereof, this embodiment can be modified at will,
within
the scope of the present invention, without departing from the spirit and
nafiure
of the subject of the present invention.
