A schematic diagram showing the "The Despatch" Patent Anti-Breakage Box as used at Penarth Dock. South Wales coal varies a great deal in its physical properties from east to west within the coalfield. The coal dispatched at Penarth Dock and Harbour was friable steam coal which readily breaks when subject to the impact of loading into a ship's hold. To minimise this, various anti-breakage boxes were invented, the first being by the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Despatch Box simply used a chain system to open the box as it was lowered into the hold of the ship thus limiting the height of drop and protecting the lumps from being degraded into nutty slack! [246]