Abstract: A loading apparatus for a cargo vessel comprising conveyor means including a loading-in conveyor, a first turning conveyor, a traversing conveyor, a second turning conveyor and a lowering conveyor; and conveyor switching means to move said first and second turning and traversing conveyors transversely of said vessel either to a first position in which one of said first and second turning conveyors projects from one of the sides of said vessel over a quay, or to a second position in which the other turning conveyor projects from the other side of said vessel over the quay. In the first position of the movable conveyors, the loading-in conveyor is arranged between the one turning conveyor and the quay in an inclined manner while the lowering conveyor is arranged between the other turning conveyor and the bottom of the uppermost hold of said vessel in an inclined manner.

Abstract: A cargo loading apparatus for a cargo vessel having a multi-story construction with a plurality of holds each defined by the adjacent decks of the cargo vessel, there being at least one partition separating each of the holds into a plurality of hold sections, selected ones of the hold sections being arranged so that the deck sections corresponding to the selected hold sections are vertically movable; and lifting apparatus to move the corresponding movable deck sections upwardly and downwardly.