UNLOADING GRAIN BY AIR POWER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 219, 10 June 1919, Page 5

UNLOADING GRAIN BY AIR POWER

The two .powerful floating pneumatio | grain elevators recently put into service <\t the Port of Loudon are admirable examples of modern British labour-saving equipment. Each elevator floats on a GOft. pontoon currying a 220 horsepower oil engine which drives a highspeed turbo-exhauster by means of which a partial vacuum is.caused in a suction pipo'lino. Tho air rushing in at the free end of the line sucks up the jjrain from the vessel's hold and deposits it in a receiving chamber, from which it is discharged through n. valve and thereafter handled mechanically. Two suction pipes j arc provided \vitli each float, and they | are raised and lowered by means of an electric winch driven bv an. explosionproof electrio motor. A similar typo ol' motor (rendered necessary by tho infUunmiU)lo dust' raised in handling groin) drives an elevator which delivers tho grain into a weigh-house, whero the grain is automatically weighed. Thonco it passes through shoots into sacks or into hopper barges alongsido tho pontoon. A 35 liorse-powor oil supplies the current for power and lighting purposes. All tho plant and equipment wore British throughout. Pnoumatic elevators ot this type not only save labour by thoroughly oleaning out a ship's hold without rotrimming, but they are much healthier for tho workmen than any other equipment, as spccial machinery is used lor extracting the dust Botli pontoons have been in regular service for some time, and havo proved thoroughly satisfactory. Bach lias a capacity of l(lO tons per hour when working with wheat.