Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - Patent Applications by George Taylor, of Penarth, 1883 . . .

In a movable staith or tip it is necessary that the construction be such as to bear the strain arising from moving the structure and this is the more indispensable in staiths or tips of the great height requisite for the loading of ocean going steamers. It is moreover necessary in a movable staith or tip that the hydraulic and other machinery and the guides of and for the hoisting and tipping platform be so arranged and kept above the ground as to present no obstacle to the moving of the staith and further that the structure and machinery be so arranged that the whole apparatus shall be stable and not overturn in moving or owing to the freight of the shoot and coal at the front part of the staith in tipping.

In my Invention the framework of the staith is constructed of four or more strutted frames or legs suitably secured together by cross frames and braces in order to meet the requirements alluded to. When the waggons come to the staith on a railway at a low level the hoisting of the waggons is effected preferably by hydraulic cylinders and rams so placed at the back part of the staith either at the base or between or near to the rear uprights and struts as to help in counterpoising the weight of the shoot and coal at the front part.

The tipping of the waggons also is preferably effected by hydraulic cylinders and rams placed in or near to the back part of the staith for the counterpoising before referred to. The tipping is effected by either causing these tipping rams to operate on the rear hoisting chains or by having separate tipping chains connected with the tipping rams and tipping platform. To secure the necessary horizontal position of the hoisting platform I may provide a guide framing to work up and down at the back of the staith and connected with the chain gear or with the tipping platform.

For rendering the staith or tip movable I affix to the base framing at each of four or more places a carriage containing a strong wheel which may have a flat trend to travel on a slightly curved rail or a slightly rounded tread to assist in the turning of the wheel as hereinafter referred to. To this wheel there is no flange but I furnish the carriage with guides to work against the sides of the rail on which the staith travels. I may instead of such wheels and guides employ wheels having adjustable flanges or circular plates loose on the wheel axles and either placed loose by or attached to one or both of the flat sides of the wheels and capable of being raised so as to clear or pass over the rails provided for the staith to travel on or of being so secured to the wheels as to form a guide for keeping the wheels on the staith rails.