Wharf Management, Stevedoring and Storage

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...in the various falls, burtons, etc., in the mast-and-winch system. Cranes will undergo many changes in type in the next few years. At present it is safe to say that the relative advantage depends upon circumstances--roughly, the crane for a quay wharf and the mast for a pier wharf. Use Of Specialized Equipment 2 The greater part of the overseas freight of the world is miscellaneous package freight, the equipment for handling which differs but little from that used years ago. But there are other classes of freight whose character is such as to make it readily adaptable to transfer by specialized equipment of various sorts. These classes are (a) standardized-package freight, (b) free-flowing bulk freight. By standardized-package freight is meant that which to a predominant degree is shipped in a standardized package in cargo lots or very large shipments. The group includes bananas, sugar, sacked grain, flour, case oil, cotton, coffee, and a great number of other products. A large part of this standardized-package freight is still handled by methods already described, but specialization of equipment has followed the standardization of package in many instances where the volume of freight has been great. In some cases the specialization has been only an improvement and a standardization of the old 3 From Thomas R. Taylor, Stowage of Ship Cargoes. methods. By making careful study of a particular situation, stevedores have been able to work out the most advantageous whips, power, size of gang, etc. In other cases a new system of transfer has been devised, this applying specially to the conveyors used for cotton, coffee, and other products at widely separated piers. Since the packages are of uniform size, the value of a conveyor of limited size and power is readil...