IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR EXCAVATING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark of the firm of A M and W Clark of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR EXCAVATING A com-
munication to him from abroad by Alfred Dewing Fox of New York in the
County and State of New York United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd October 1882.
WILLIAM CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS FOR
LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES APPLICABLE ALSO
FOR EXCAVATING" [A communication to him from abroad by Alfred Dewing Fox
of New York in the County and State of New York United States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising substances by
means of buckets attached to endless belts or chains, which apparatus may be used
either as an elevator for coal, grain, or the like, or as an excavator or dredger for
lifting earth or mud, or for other purposes.
The Invention relates to the means of adjusting, balancing, and giving direction
to the elevator leg and its appurtenances. The Invention will be described as
applied to a barge or boat loaded with coal or grain and moored alongside a ship
and employed for transferring the contents of said barge to a ship, but the
apparatus may be used in a building for an analogous purpose; or instead of
making the elevator leg project upwardly from the hold of a boat, it may be
arranged to project downwardly to serve the purpose of an excavator.
The Invention consists in the several arrangements of parts that are hereinafter
more particularly described for moving the leg of an elevator up and down and
horizontally backwards and forwards, and crosswise, and oscillating it and giving it
any inclination that may be desired, also in means for poising it so that it will
readily maintain its balance; also in the particular arrangement of the buckets and
of the bucket chains of the carriage on which the elevator leg is suspended, and in
other details.
The barge or boat carries an upwardly projecting frame, to the upper portion of
which are secured pairs of horizontal parallel rails on which rest longitudinally

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:
movable carriages provided with friction rollers that run upon said rails. The
carriages on each side of the frame are joined together by a brace or cross bar to
constitute one rigid structure on each side, and the two sets of carriages on opposite
sides of the boat are united by cross bars so that by taking hold of one of said
cross bars and pushing or pulling thereon, both sets of carriages will simultaneously
be moved either forward or backward as may be desired. One of the bars that
joins the two sets of carriages, constitutes the means of supporting the elevator leg.
This elevator leg consists, as far as its body is concerned, of two face or cheek pieces
between which are hung the upper and lower rollers, around which pass the endless
chains that carry the buckets. The shafts have suitable notched or toothed discs
for guiding and receiving the chains so that by imparting rotary motion to any one
of these shafts, the endless chains that carry the buckets will be revolved. The
two chains are joined by a network of wire or equivalent fabric so that the
contents of the fabric, especially when the buckets reach the upper portion of the
elevator leg, will not drop into the inner part of the leg but will be retained on the
net until the bucket is in position to discharge its contents into the receiving shoot.
The buckets themselves are, at their outer edges (that is, the edges that are lowest
when the buckets dip into the hold of the boat) furnished with projecting teeth,
whereby the substances to be raised are more or less loosened by the buckets as
they revolve, thereby avoiding injury to the substance to be raised and liability of
compressing the same against the bottom of the boat.
The clevator leg is slotted vertically or otherwise at the point where its shaft or
rod passes through it so that the whole leg can either be raised or lowered at will.
There being such a slot on each side, the elevator leg can also be oscillated
transversely and inclined in the lateral direction, into any desired position.
This enables the attendants to bring the lower part of the elevator leg into
contact laterally with any part of the boat or ground from which the substance is
to be lifted.
Downwardly projecting teeth are attached to the lower end of the elevator leg
on each side of its cheeks, which teeth serve when the elevator leg is lowered, to
enter into the material to be lifted, preventing the same from injuring the buckets
and enabling the leg to be lowered farther into the material than it otherwise
could be.
In order to move the endless belt, a crank, or set of cranks can be attached to
either one of the shafts over which the chains pass and rotary motion may be
imparted to such shaft by manual labor.
It is preferred however to attach a small power engine to the elevator leg,
between its cheeks and connect the piston rod of said engine with the lower shaft
of the endless belt or apron, so as to cause said engine to revolve said shaft, and,
thereby the chains, and move the buckets. The engine being rigidly attached to
the elevator leg will always be in the proper relative position to the shaft to be
driven, and may be connected to its boiler by elastic tubing if desired. I prefer to
have two such engines or steam cylinders one on each cheek, and so set that when
the piston of one has finished its stroke, that of the other will be near the
middle of its stroke, thus avoiding any stoppage of the buckets by reason of a
dead center.
:
As a precaution against accident or stoppage of the apparatus in case one of the
chains should break I attach the buckets to another set of chains which pass
around the same rollers or shafts but which ordinarily are not used, but follow.
idly with the other chains. If one or both of the chains should break the reserve
chains will take up the load and will retain the buckets in the proper operative
position, and continue to hold the whole apparatus in operation if desired.
To the outer and inner faces of the elevator leg where otherwise the buckets
would be exposed to view, 1 fasten, by any suitable means covers or caps, which
are hollowed on their inner sides to allow the buckets pass, and which protect
the buckets against rain and snow, and also prevent the contents of the buckets
from being lost by falling over the ends thereof. One of the covers also serves the

page_text: purpose of preventing the chains from sagging and the buckets with them,
especially in case the elevator leg is placed into a more or less horizontal position.
The caps also protect the engines that are placed between the cheeks of the
elevator leg, from dirt, &c.
The shoot into which the elevator discharges should be connected in suitable
manner to the upper part of the elevator leg. It reaches over the framing to the
place into which the load is to be deposited. If this load is to be discharged into
the hold of a vessel, the shoot should lead into telescopic tubes so that the grain
coal or other material can be by these telescopic tubes led into any part of the
vessel, without requiring adjustment or attention further than that necessary to
properly adjust the length of the telescopic tubing, and direct it into the necessary
hatch.
In order to move the elevator leg lengthwise, that is, parallel to the direction of
its rails, I connect the two ends of a chain or rope, with the cross bar or brace
that unites the carriages and pass said rope around friction rollers on the framing
so that by revolving any one of these friction rollers, the entire supporting framing,
and with it the elevator leg, will be moved. For moving the elevator leg
laterally, on its shaft its two sides are connected with ropes or chains that pass
over friction rollers on the framing or support and thence over winding shafts so
that by turning one of these shafts by a crank handle, the necessary lateral motion
of the elevator leg will be obtained. For oscillating the elevator leg longitudinally
its lower part is connected to the ends of a rope that passes over drums which hang
in laterally movable frames. By revolving one of these drums the rope or chains
will swing the lower part of the elevator leg in either direction.
For maintaining the elevator leg properly balanced in either direction ropes or
chains are attached to it and pass over friction rollers that hang in a laterally
sliding frame which is supported on one of the cross bars which unite the carriages,
said ropes or chains being provided with counterbalance weights. In addition to
these counter balance weights springs can be applied to the elevator leg, above and
below its supporting shaft or rod. The elevator leg, if moved laterally on its
supporting rod would distort its connections with the laterally adjustable frames,
and it is consequently necessary to have these frames take part in any lateral
motion of the elevator leg. This is effected by passing ropes that extend from the
ends of these laterally sliding frames and around the same drums or shafts, over
which the ropes or chains that control the lateral motion of the elevator leg are
passed, as already stated. Then by turning either drum the elevator leg will be
move laterally, and in the same ratio said sliding frames or carriages will also be
moved laterally.
With this movable and adjustable elevator leg is combined the shoot which in fact
is a travelling platform, suspended under the top of the elevator, when the buckets
discharge into said shoot or platform. Or the material elevated Thay by the
elevator leg be first discharged into a hopper placed on scales to weigh what is
raised, and then discharged into the shoot and then into a flexible or other further
shoot. The travelling platform or shoot may be supported on springs if desired.
For the more convenient working of the machinery, open deck boats are
preferable. Such boats can have movable and adjustable cross-tie or deck beams,
that are easily removed from the front of the elevator leg to allow of the free
motion thereof in all directions.
In practice, in many cases, the travelling clevator, leg and the machinery for
moving it will be mounted on a vessel having an open longitudinal channel for
the vessel to be unloaded. Thus the elevator ship may be constructed of two
parallel boats or floats far enough apart to let the boat to be unloaded float in
between. Of course the said two parallel boats or floats are connected above by a
proper superstructure such as has hereinbefore been described

page_text: b
+
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd April 1883.
WILLIAM CLARK of the Firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agents. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELEVATORS FOR
LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, APPLICABLE ALSO
FOR EXCAVATING" A communication to me from abroad by Alfred Dewing Fox
. of New York in the County and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for raising substances by
means of buckets which are attached to endless belts or chains and is available for
use either as an elevator for coal, grain, or the like, or as an excavator or dredger
for lifting earth or mud, or for other analogous purposes. The Invention relates to
the means of adjusting, balancing, and giving direction to the elevator leg and its
appurtenances.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the improved
elevator showing it placed in a boat for use in loading ships from said boat.
Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the same. Figure 3 is a vertical
⚫cross section of the same. Figure 4 is a detail side view showing the arrangement
of longitudinally movable carriages from which the elevator is suspended.
Figure 5 is a detail face view of the arrangement for counterbalancing the elevator
'leg.
In the drawings the Invention is shown as applied to a barge or boat loaded
with coal, grain, or other cargo and moored alongside a ship, the apparatus being
employed for transferring the contents of the boat to the ship. The apparatus may
however be used in a building for a similar purpose instead of being mounted in a
.boat, or instead of making the elevator leg project upwardly from the hold of a
boat, it may be arranged to project downwardly to serve the purpose of an
excavator.
The Invention consists in the several arrangements of parts that are herein-
after more particularly described for moving the leg of the elevator up and down
and horizontally backwards and forwards and crosswise, and oscillating it and
giving it any inclination that may be desired; also in means for poising it so that
it will readily maintain its balance; also in the particular arrangement of the
buckets and of the bucket chains, of the carriage on which the elevator leg is
suspended, and in other details that are hereinafter more fully described.
A in the drawing represents a boat carrying an upwardly projecting frame B to
which are secured horizontal parallel rails CC on which rest (as is more clearly
shown in Figure 4) longitudinally movable carriages D D provided with friction
rollers that run on said rails. The carriages DD on each side of the frame aro
joined together by a brace E to constitute one rigid structure on each side, and the
two sets of carriages on opposite sides of the boat are united by cross bars F G so
that by taking hold of one of said cross bars and pushing or pulling thereon, both
sets of carriages will simultaneously be moved either forward or backward, as may
· be desired. One of the bars G that joins the two sets of carriages constitutes the
⚫means of supporting the elevator leg H. This elevator leg H consists, as far as its
.body is concerned, of two face or cheek pieces a a, between which are hung the shafts
. of the upper and lower rollers b b around which are passed the endless chains d d
that carry the buckets e e. The shafts b b have suitable notched or toothed discs
for guiding and receiving the chains d, so that by imparting rotary motion to any
one of these shafts, the endless chains that carry the buckets will be revolved.
The two chains d d are joined by a network ƒ of wire or equivalent fabric
(figure 3) so that the contents of the fabric, especially when the buckets reach the
$

page_text: upper curved portion of the elevator leg, will not be dropped into the inner part of
the leg but will be retained on the net until the bucket is in position to discharge
its contents into the receiving shoot I. The buckets themselves are at their outer
edges (that is, the edges that are lowest when the buckets dip into the hold of the
boat A) furnished with projecting teeth g that are clearly indicated in Figure 3,
whereby the material or cargo to be raised is not liable to be pressed tight against
the bottom of the boat, but is loosened by the progressing buckets, and the
buckets thereby enabled to take it up freely.
The elevator leg H is slotted vertically or otherwise (as shown at h in Figure 2)
at the point where the shaft or rod G passes through it, so that by virtue of this
slot, the whole leg can either be raised or lowered at will. There is a similar slot
on each side so that the elevator leg can also be oscillated transversely and inclined
in the lateral direction into any desired position. This enables the attendants to
bring the lower part of the elevator leg into contact laterally with any part of the
boat or ground from which the substance is to be lifted. i are downwardly
projecting teeth attached to the lower end of the elevator leg on each side of its
cheeks (see Figure 2) which when the elevator leg is lowered, enter into the
material to be raised, thereby preventing the material from injuring the buckets
and enabling the leg to be lowered farther into the material than it otherwise
could be.
:
In order to move the endless belt, a crank or set of cranks can be attached to
either one of the shafts b over which the chains d are passed, and rotary motion
may be imparted to such shaft by manual labor. It is preferred however to
attach a small power engine J, which is indicated in Figure 2, to the elevator leg
between its cheeks a, and connect the piston rod of said engine with the lower
shaft of the endless belt or apron so as to cause said engine to revolve said shaft,
and thereby the chains and move the buckets. The engine being rigidly attached
to the elevator leg, will always be in the proper relative position to the shaft to
be driven, and may be connected to its boiler by elastic pipe if desired.
I prefer
to have two such engines or steam cylinders J, one on each cheek a, and so set that
when the piston of one has finished its stroke, that of the other will be near the
middle of its stroke thus avoiding any stoppage of the buckets by reason of a dead
centre.
As a precaution against accident or stoppage of the apparatus in case one of
the chains & should break, I attach the buckets e also to another set of chains
which also pass around the rollers or shafts b, but which in the ordinary operation
of the apparatus are not used but follow idly along the motion of the other chains.
If one or both of the chains & should break, the reserve chain will take up the
load and retain the buckets in the proper operative position and continue to hold
the whole apparatus in operation if desired
To the outer and inner faces of the elevator leg where otherwise the buckets
would be exposed to view, I fasten by means of hooks and eyes m, or by any other
analogous means, covers or caps L and M which are hollowed on their inner sides
to allow the buckets to pass, and which protect the buckets against rain and snow
and also prevent the contents of the buckets from being lost by falling over the
ends thereof. The inner cover M also serves the purpose of preventing the chains
from sagging and the buckets with them, especially in case the elevator leg is
placed into a more or less horizontal position. These caps also protect the engines
that are placed between the cheeks of the elevator leg, from dirt &c. The shoot I
into which the elevator discharges should be connected in suitable manner to the
upper part of the elevator leg and reaches over the framing B to the place into
which the load is to be deposited. If this load is to be discharged into the hold
of a vessel, the shoot should lead into telescopic tubes N indicated in Figure 3, Fo
that the grain, coal, or other material can be by these telescopic tubes led into any
part of the vessel or between any of the decks without requiring adjustment or
attention further than that necessary to properly adjust the length of the telescopic
tubing and direct it into the necessary hatch.

page_text: In order to move the elevator leg length wise that is, parallel to the direction
of the rails C-I connect the two ends of a chain or rope Ò with the brace E and
pass said rope around friction rollers n, so that by revolving any one of these
friction rollers, the entire framing D E F G and with it the elevator leg will be
moved towards the desired end of the frame B. For moving the elevator leg
laterally that is to say, on the supporting shaft or rod G-its two sides are
connected with ropes or chains P that pass over friction rollers o and thence over
winding shafts 2, so that by turning one of these shafts by a crank handle, the
necessary lateral motion of the elevator leg will be obtained. For oscillating the
elevator leg longitudinally its lower part is connected to the ends of a rope R
that passes over drums r which hang in laterally movable frames S. By revolving
one of these drums r, the fastened ends of the rope or chains R will be moved so
as to swing the lower part of the elevator leg in either direction desired.
For maintaining the elevator leg properly balanced in either direction, ropes or
chains Tare attached thereto, said ropes passing over friction rollers 8 that hang
in a laterally sliding frame U which is supported on the rod F, the ropes or
chains T carrying weights V at their lower ends, as clearly shown in Figure 2. In
addition to these counterbalance weights V, springs V₁ can be applied to the
elevator leg above and below the shaft or rod G, as shown in Figure 2.
It will be clearly perceived from tlie foregoing description that the elevator leg
if moved laterally on the rod G would distort its connections above described with
the laterally adjustable frames S and U. Hence it is necessary to have these
frames S and U join in any lateral motion of the elevator leg. In Figure 1 is
clearly shown how this is effected viz-by passing ropes W that extend from the
ends of these laterally sliding frames S and U around the same drums or shafts p
over which the ropes or chains P that control the lateral motion of the elevator leg,
are passed as already stated. Then by turning either drum p, the elevator leg will
be moved laterally as stated, but in the same ratio said sliding frames or carriages S
and U will also be moved laterally.
With this movable and adjustable elevator leg is combined the shoot I which in
fact is a travelling platform suspended under the top of the elevator where the
buckets discharge into said shoot or platform I. Or the material elevated may, by
the elevator leg, be first discharged into a hopper placed on scales to weigh what
is raised and then discharged into the shoot I and thence into a flexible or other
further shoot. The travelling platform or shoot I may be supported on springs if
desired.
For the more convenient working of the machinery, open deck boats are
preferable. Such boats can have movable and adjustable cross-tie or deck beams
that are easily removed from the front of the elevator leg to allow of the free
motion thereof in all directions.
In practice in many cases the travelling elevator leg and the machinery for
moving it will be mounted on vessel having an open longitudinal channel for the
reception of the vessel to be unloaded. Thus the elevator ship may be constructed
of two parallel boats or floats far enough apart to let the boat to be unloaded
float in between, the said two parallel boats or floats being of course connected
above by a proper superstructure B such as has herein before been described.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is.
1 In an elevator leg the combination of the elevator chains d d having
buckets e e, with the reticulated filling f between said chains, substantially as
described.
2nd In an elevator having an endless belt or carrier with buckets thereon, the
buckets made with projecting teeth g, substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd The elevator leg made with upright slots h through which passes the
suspending bar G of the supporting frame, substantially as and for the purpose
añecified

page_text: 4th The vertically adjustable elevator leg made with downwardly projecting
teeth, substantially as herein shown and described.
5th In an elevator, the combination of the elevator leg with one or more
engines J rigidly attached thereto, substantially as specified.
6th In an elevator, the combination of the elevator leg with the chains &
carrying the buckets, and with additional chains that pass around the shafts of
the elevator leg and are united to the buckets, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
7th The combination of the elevator leg with the removable caps or covers LM-
substantially as specified.
8th The combination of the elevator leg, with the longitudinally movable
carriage D E F G and with the rope or chain O passing over the rollers n, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
9th The combination of the elevator leg with the shaft or supporting bar G and
with the chains or ropes P, friction rollers o and winding shafts p, substantially as
described.
10th The combination of the elevator leg with the rope or chain R having its
ends fastened thereto, and with the druins around which said rope or chain passes,
substantially as described.
11th The combination of the elevator leg with the ropes or chains R having their
ends fastened to it, and with the drums r and laterally sliding frames S, substantially
as specified.
12th The adjustable elevator leg combined with the balancing weight or weights V
and laterally movable framing U, substantially as described.
13th The elevator leg combined with the balancing springs V2 above and below
its supporting shaft G, substantially as specified.
14th The combination of the movable elevator leg with the laterally movable
frames S and U, and with the ropes P W and winding drums p, all for operation
substantially as specified.
15 The combination of a movable elevator leg and machinery, substantially as
has been described, for moving it, with a supporting boat made in two parts,
allowing the boat to be unloaded to float in between said two parts, substantially
as specified.
10th The travelling platform or shoot combined with a movable elevator leg
substantially as herein shown and described.
In Witness whereof I the said William Clark have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third day of April, A.D. 1883.