AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OR CONSTRUCTION OF MECHANISM FOR DIGGING OR Excavating SOIL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Wood, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Inspector of Works, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OR CONSTRUCTION OF MECHANISM FOR
DIGGING OR Excavating SOIL.”
'
Sealed the 15th May 1874, and dated the 22nd November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd November 1873.
I, ANDREW WOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Inspector of Works, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of " AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OR CONSTRUCTION OF
MECHANISM FOR DIGGING OR EXCAVATING SOIL," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
This Invention which relates to an improved arrangement or con-
struction of mechanism to be used for purposes of excavation or digging
soil consists of two, three, four, or other required number of jaws which
are hinged at their upper ends to links suspended from a frame. This

page_text: frame is attached by other links to a loop by which it is suspended at
times from a crane or derrick. At the centre of the apparatus is a
vertical rod upon which the apparatus is capable of sliding upwards and
downwards.
In operating with the apparatus constituting this Invention, that is to
say, in lowering it to the place of operation it is suspended from the
cranc or derrick chain by the central sliding rod, so that the rod carries
the whole weight of the apparatus, and under which condition the jaws
are open. When lowered to the place from which the soil has to be
excavated or dug, the crane or derrick chain is shifted from the central
rod to the loop and it together with the links and framework are raised,
thereby closing the jaws. The jaws enclose the portions of soil sub-
mitted to their action, and on further lifting the apparatus the portions
of soil acted upon by it are removed, so that they may be discharged or
deposited at any required place or into any receptacle.
The apparatus is provided with drills or jumpers, and in the event of
boulders or large stones being met with in the excavating or digging
operations, one or more of the drills or jumpers are brought into
position over such boulders or stones, and they are operated over
pullies by a rope or chain in the ordinary manner of working drills or
jumpers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 21st May 1874.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
WOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Inspector of Works, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her a
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in¨
the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Wood, Her special license
that I, the said Andrew Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Andrew Wood, my executors, admini-
strators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION OF EXCAVATOR OR DIGGER,' upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Andrew Wood, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after, the
date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Wood, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
6 Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention which relates to an improved arrangement or con-
struction of mechanism to be used for the purposes of excavation or
digging soil consists of two, three, four, or other required number of
jaws, which are hinged at their upper ends to links suspended from a
sliding frame. This sliding frame is attached by links or stays to a
sliding block provided with a loop from which the apparatus is at times
suspended from the heaving chain of a crane or derrick. At the centre
of the apparatus is a vertical rod upon which a portion of the apparatus
) is capable of sliding upwards and downwards, thereby closing and
opening the aforesaid hinged jaws.
The apparatus is provided with drills or jumpers, and in the event
of boulders or large stones being met with in the excavating or digging
operations one or more of the drills or jumpers are brought into
6 position over such boulders or stones, and they are operated over
pullies by a rope or chain in the ordinary manner of working drills
or jumpers.

page_text: In operating with the apparatus constituting this Invention, that is
to say, in lowering it to the place of operation, it is-suspended from the
chain of a crane or derrick by the central vertical rod, so that the rod
carries the whole weight of the apparatus, under which condition the
jaws are open.
When lowered to the place from which the soil has to
be excavated or dug, the heaving power is shifted from the central rod
and caused to act upon the loop attached to the herein-before described
sliding block, and it together with the framework and links are lifted,
thereby closing the hinged jaws. The jaws enclose the portions of soil
submitted to their action, and on further lifting the apparatus the soil
thus enclosed is removed so that it can be deposited or discharged into
any receptacle.
When the apparatus is used for excavating or removing boulders or
large stones, the jaws are replaced by forked shears.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
-
Figure 1 is a vertical section; Figure 2, a horizontal section on the
line a, b, Figure 1 ; and Figure 3, a side elevation of the apparatus con-
stituting my Invention.
b
The scoops or jaws A are hinged on pins B to the frame C, and are
coupled at their upper parts by links D to a sliding frame E. To
strengthen the curved jaws A, stays F extend from their upper to their
lower parts. The frame E is suspended by stays G from a sliding
block H which is provided with a loop I secured by nuts to the
bracket H, as shewn. At the centre of the apparatus is a square or
other suitably shaped rod J upon which the block H and frame E are
free to slide upwards or downwards, thereby actuating their herein-
before described attachments. The lower end of the vertical rod J is
secured to the bottom framing C by a nut K, and the upper end is
formed into an eye for the reception of the hook of the heaving chain
of the crane or derrick, the loop I attached to the bracket H being
provided for the same purpose.
The apparatus is fitted with drills or jumpers L, and the frames E
and C are provided with eyes or bearings M shewn more particularly at

page_text: Figure 2, through which the drills or jumpers L pass and by which they
are supported. Weights N. are fixed to the rods of the drills or
jumpers L which also act as stoppers to prevent the drills or jumpers
from falling too deep. The drills or jumpers L. are actuated by the
ordinary arrangement of chains and pullies not shewn upon the
Drawings and forming no part of this Invention.
In operating the herein-before described apparatus, supposing it to be
suspended from the central rod J, the block H and frame E being left
unsupported would fall by their own weight and find their lowest
position upon the central rod J, thereby opening the scoops or jaws A
to the extent shewn at Figures 1 and 2. The apparatus is then
lowered to tho place of excavation and the drills or jumpers L
having been operated if necessary sufficiently to loosen the surrounding
soil or to break up boulders the heaving power of the derrick or crane
is applied to the loop I secured to the block H. The block H and
frame E are thus raised carrying with them their herein-before described
attachments whereby the jaws A are closed, as indicated by the dotted
lines, Figure 1, in which position they form an inverted gothic dome-
shaped cup inclosing such portion of soil which has been submitted to
their action. The apparatus is then lifted by the crane or derrick and
the soil removed or deposited in any required receptacle.
When the apparatus is applied to the excavation of soil wherein
boulders or large stones are met with, the jaws A are replaced by forked
shears A, as shewn at Figure 4, and the number of drills or jumpers
may be increased, as shewn in dotted lines at Figure 2, and in full at
Figure 4.
Figure 5 is a view of a derrick crane, from the heaving chain of
which the excavating apparatus constituting my Invention (drawn to a
smaller scale) is shewn suspended, having the jaws open and in suitable
position for being lowered to the-place of excavation. The excavating
or digging apparatus may be attached to the chain of the derrick or
crane by a double snatchblock, or by means of "dogs," or any other
simple and suitable arrangement, whereby the heaving power may bo`
transferred with facility from the central rod J of the apparatus to the
loop I, or vice versa.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the system mode or manner in or under which the

page_text: same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement and construction of mechanism constituting
my improved excavating or digging apparatus, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. The construction of the jaws or scoops A, so that when
brought together they form a vessel or cup, the interior contour of which
is that of an inverted gothic dome.
Third. The construction of the forked jaws A, as shewn at Figure 4,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Wood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
ANDREW WOOD Gal