AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANSING AND SCRAPING STREETS, ROADS, OR WAYS."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Long, of Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANSING AND SCRAPING
STREETS, ROADS, OR WAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Long at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd Sep-
tember 1862.
I, JAMES LONG, of Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANSING AND SCRAPING
STREETS, ROADS, OR WAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting certain improved mechanical arrange-
ments within a rectangular-shaped vessel mounted on sliding wheels so placed
and adjusted as to allow one end to be near to the surface of the road, street,
or way to be cleansed or scraped, and the other end to be connected tempo-
rarily to an ordinary cart to receive the dirt raised by the machinery, said
machinery being arranged and actuated as follows:-Within the aforesaid
rectangular-shaped vessel, and crosswise thereof near its ends, two square
shafts are mounted so as to revolve; over these shafts endless chains formed
of links each of the length of the side of the square shafts aforesaid are
passed, and have affixed thereto at certain distances from each other scoops of

page_text: sheet metal. The hindermost of the aforesaid square shafts has a pair of
running wheels fixed thereon, which, as they roll on the surface of the road,
street, or way, impart rotary notion to the endless chains and scoops. The
dirt is collected by spring scrapers mounted loosely side by side on a spindle
fixed to the hindermost end of the rectangular receiving vessel aforesaid, said
end being made curved to allow the scoops aforesaid to remove therefrom the
dirt which enters same, and carry it forward, and deposit the same in the cart
before mentioned designed to receive the dirt. Beneath the bottom of the
receiving vessel aforesaid a false bottom is fitted, and connected by levers at
each side to the curved end of the said receiving vessel, said curved end
being movable upon the axis of the running wheels aforesaid by means of
curved toothed racks and sectors worked by hand for the purpose of keeping
the scrapers aforesaid always in proper contact with the surface of the road,
street, or way, as the sliding wheels of the receiving vessel are simultaneously
moved either forward or backward to alter the elevation of the front end of
the receiving vessel aforesaid either for connecting same to the receiving cart,
or disconnecting same therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Long in the Great Seal -Patent Office on the
21st March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LONG, of Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year, of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Long, Her special licence, that I, the said
James Long, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Long, my executors, administrators, and 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
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CLEANSING AND SCRAPING STREETS, ROADS, OR
WAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Long,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under. my, or

page_text: their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer
tain 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.
I NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Long, do: hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner; the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in adapting certain improved' mechanical arrange-
ments within a rectangular-shaped vessel mounted on sliding wheels so placed
and adjusted as to allow one end to be near to the surface of the road, street,
or way to be cleansed or scraped, and the other end to be connected. tempo-
rarily to an ordinary cart to receive the dirt raised by the machinery, said
machinery being arranged and actuated as follows:-Within the aforesaid
rectangular-shaped vessel, and crosswise thereof near its ends two square
shafts are mounted, so as to revolve over these shafts endless chains formed
of links each of the length of the side of the square shafts aforesaid are
passed, and have affixed thereto at certain distances from each other scoops
of sheet metal. The hindermost of the aforesaid square shafts. has a pair of
running wheels fixed thereon, which as they roll on the surface of the road,
street,, or way, impart rotary motion to the endless chains and scoops. The
dirt is collected by spring scrapers mounted loosely side by side on a.
spindle fixed to the hindermost end of the rectangular receiving vessel. afore--
said, said end being made curved to allow the scoops aforesaid to remove
therefrom the dirt which enters same, and carry it forward and deposit thes
same in the cart.. before-mentioned designed to receive the dirt... Beneath
the bottom of the receiving vessel. aforesaid a false bottom is fitted and con--
nected by levers at each side to the curved end of the said receiving vessel,
said curved end being moveable upon the axis of the running wheels- aforesaid
by means of curved toothed racks and sectors worked by hand for the purpose
of keeping the scrapers aforesaid always in proper contact with the surface.of.
the road, street, or way as the liding wheels of the receiving vessel. are.
simultaneously moved either forward or backward to alter the elevation of the
front end of the receiving vessel, aforesaid either for connecting same to. the
receiving cart or disconnecting same; therefrom.
.:
In order to explain, my said Invention as completely. as possible, L:now
proceed to describe, the best means I am acquainted, with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of

page_text: Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal and vertical section of my improved
machine (taken through about the middle thereof), and as it would appear
when adapted to a cart; Figure 2, a top plan view of Figure 1; Figure 3, a
side elevation of my improved machinery; Figure 4, a detached portion
herein-after particularly described and referred to. At each of the fore-
going Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding
parts.
A, A, is a case formed closed at its ends and partly at the bottom; B, C,
are openings for the entrance and escape of dirt or mud; D, a lid or cover
shewn removed at Figure 2; E, E¹, are square iron axles, the ends whereof
are formed cylindrical, and work in suitable bearings fixed to the sides of the
case A; the axle E has pinions G fixed on each end thereof, which gear into
spur wheels H, fixed on an axis I, suitably supported; K are pullies fixed
on I, and L are endless straps or bands passing over said pullies, and also
over other larger pullies M fixed on the nave or box of each of the wheels of
the cart N, which is of the ordinary kind; O are a series of scoops fixed to
plates of sheet iron P; said plates are hinged together at a, a, and fit the
sides of the square axles E, E', which as they rotate advance said system of
scoops; Q are a series of scrapers shewn detached in bottom plan view at
Figure 4. The scrapers are mounted loosely upon a rod 6 fixed across the
case A; c, c, are springs for pressing said scrapers against the surface of the
road or way to be cleansed; also allowing said scrapers to adapt themselves to
the irregularities of the surface of the road. R is a shield shewn by dotted
lines at Figure 2; this shield is securely fixed to the sides of the case A, and
is furnished with a roller d, which runs on the surface of the ground; the
use of this shield is to remove loose obstructions such as large stones. S are
other scrapers fixed to the sides of the case A, and employed to collect and
force the dirt or mud under the scoop mechanism; T is a screw fitted with a
castore and handle U for adjusting and maintaining the scrapers Q at any
desired height from the surface of the road or way to be cleansed; W are
screws for adjusting and maintaining the axle E¹ tightly within the hinged
endless system of plates P at Figure 8; X is a forked lever mounted on a
pin at f; Y, a wheel connected loosely to the lever X by a pin at g; the
opposite end of the lever X has a hole h formed therein, and there is a cor-
responding hole formed in the case A at i, so that when it is desired to

page_text: detach the case A from the cart, the attendant must first push the lever ✗
and wheel Y into the position denoted by dotted lines at Figure 3, and then
insert a pin into the holes h and i. There is a similar arrangement at the
opposite side of the case A, so that said case when detached rests upon these
wheels, and may be transported thereon from place to place as desired.
OPERATIONS OF THE MACHINERY.
As the cart is drawn forwards the mud or dirt will pass up the scrapers
into the case A, and simultaneously the scoops O will be moved round by the
bands L, and the dirt or mud raised and carried up and discharged into the
cart to which the case A is connected by hooks at k.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "An Improved Machine for Cleansing and Scraping Streets,
Roads, or Ways," together with the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I
hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim the general com-
bination and arrangement of parts above described. and represented for the
purpose above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Long, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES LONG. (..)