Self-unloading ship with two tunnel belts and a central reclaimer

Abstract

A self-unloading ship includes two longitudinal tunnels with conveyor belts below two rows of hoppers at the bottom of the holds which extend nearly from one end of the ship to the other for unloading bulk material such as coal, iron ore, gypsum or the like. During unloading, the hopper gates are opened and the bulk material on the starboard and port sides of the cargo holds flows by gravity through the open hoppers onto the tunnel belts. A central ridge of bulk material remaining on the bottom floor of the holds between the two rows of hoppers is moved to the hoppers by a wheeled reclaimer having oppositely pitched augers which split the central ridge of bulk material, moving one half to the starboard row of hoppers and one half to the port row of hoppers. The reclaimer includes a power driven, endless chain harrow which drags down the central ridge of bulk material to prevent avalanching and an endless belt brush for cleaning the hold floors between the two rows of hoppers. The forward hold of the ship extends into the area of the bow having diminished width with the outboard walls of the forward hold converging to a reduced distance therebetween. Such ship construction (which affords increased capacity) is possible because of the use of two laterally spaced rows of hoppers and a central reclaimer for clearing bulk material from the floor between the hoppers. The inclined surfaces of the holds and their hoppers may be lined with a smooth plastic or similar material to improve the gravity flow of bulk material from the holds.