IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DISCHARGING GRAIN, MUD, AND OTHER MATERIALS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George James Hone of Poplar in the County of Middlesex
Mast and Block Maker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ELEVATING AND DISCHARGING GRAIN, MUD, AND OTHER MATERIALS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George James Hone at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th May 1883.
GEORGE JAMES HONE of Poplar in the County of Middlesex, Mast and Block
Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DISCHARGING GRAIN,
MUD AND OTHER MATERIALS."
The object of the present invention is to simplify the construction of grab skips
for hoisting grain, mud ballast and other materials, whereby their efficiency will
be increased and the cost of production greatly reduced.
To this end I use a grab skip of the usual form of two segments of a cylinder
which I pivot near their outer edges to a horizontal rectangular frame which
frame is raised and lowered by a chain and windlass.
The two halves of the skip are drawn together by means of chains attached
near their lower meeting edges the opposite ends of the chains being secured to
blocks which slide vertically in guides carried by the rectangular frame.
The hauling chain is attached to a second block which slides in the vertical
guides above the first block.
This second block is recessed at its under side to receive a pin which stands
vertically from the upper side of the first block, and this pin is notched on its side
to allow of a tumbling bolt, carried by the second block, entering therein to secure
the two blocks together.
The tumbling bolt is provided with a weighted tail-piece which is connected by
a short chain with a trigger arrangement. This trigger arrangement is attached
to a link of the hauling chain at any convenient height, and the working of the
trigger is caused by its striking against a ring through which the hauling chain
passes, which ring is fixed horizontally in any convenient manner at a proper
distance below the jib head of the crane or derrick.

page_text: .
The operation is as follows :—
On lowering the apparatus the first mentioned block will be at the bottom of
the vertical guides and the skip will be open. The whole arrangement is then
lowered, being supported by the second block which is at the top of the vertical
guides. On reaching the surface of the grain, or the bottom of a river, as the
case may be, the skip buckets will rest thereon. The continual paying out of
the hauling chain will allow the second block to descend onto the first block and
the two will be locked together by the tumbling bolt.
On hauling up the apparatus the two blocks will be drawn up together to the
top of the vertical guides, thereby closing the skip which will be now raised full of
grain or other material until the trigger before mentioned strikes against the fixed
ring and trips the locking bolt which releases the second block and allows the two
halves of the skip to open and discharge their contents.
India rubber or other springs may be placed below the first block, so that when
the block is released to discharge the contents of the skip it may fall onto a
yielding surface, and thus shock to the parts will be avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George James Hone in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1883.
GEORGE JAMES HONE of Poplar in the County of Middlesex Mast and Block
Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DISCHARGING GRAIN
MUD AND OTHER MATERIALS
"
This invention relates to that class of elevator apparatus in which grabs skips
buckets or forks are used for hoisting grain mud ballast and other materials
and the object of the invention is to simplify the construction of such apparatus
whereby its efficiency will be increased and the cost of production greatly
reduced
In the accompanying drawing Fig: 1 is a side elevation of my improved
apparatus Fig 2 is an end view of the same and Fig. 3. shows a means for
discharging the loaded buckets
A are the grabs skips or buckets (or they may be forks) of the usual form of
two segments of a cylinder and pivotted near their outer edges to a rectangular
frame B Standing up from this frame are vertical guides C. C. which are held
in their proper position by stay rods C². C¹. secured to the angles of the frame B
and connected together by a crosshead
These stay rods C. C. serve not only to support the guides C. C. but also to
prevent the skips or buckets catching under the hatch way as they are being hauled
up from the hold.
The two halves of the skips or buckets are drawn together by means of chains D
secured thereto near their lower meeting edges, or to a T iron cross stay E or in
any other convenient manner.
In some kinds of materials the leverage required to close the skips or buckets
is very great, and in that case I prefer to secure the chains D in any convenient
manner to cross bars E¹ carried by the frame B and carry them round pullies
conveniently secured to the cross stays E of the skips or buckets A as shewn in
fig 1 The upper ends of the chains D I attach to a slide piece F which slides in
the guides C. C. The upwardly projection portion of this slide F is intended to
enter a socket formed in the underside of a second slide piece F' also sliding in the
guides C. C. and to which the hauling chain G is attached thus forming a
permanent attachment between the hauling chain and the bucket frame B The
two parts F and F¹ are secured together by means of a tumbling or rocking
catch or pin a (shewn detached at Fig 1a) the rounded part of which fits into a
notch formed in the projection of the piece F As the parts F and F¹ are brought
together (by paying out the hauling chain G) the projection will enter the socket
and strike against the pin a and give it axial motion in one direction which will
bring the a flattened part of the pin into position to allow the projection to pass it.
When the projection is in position the pin will rock in the opposite direction under
the influence of the counter weight al, and the two parts F and F¹ will be securely.
locked or coupled together as shewn in the drawing
The coupling up will be effected when the piéce F with the buckets A is in
the position shewn in dotted lines Fig 1. When the parts F F' are coupled
it will be only necessary in order to close the buckets and hoist, to haul on the
chain G
The discharge of the buckets may be effected directly by the attendant at
the winch who by means of a chain or line a³ attached to the counterweight a¹
and carried over the jib head will trip the catch or pin a at the proper time and

page_text: release the piece F and with it the buckets, which can thus be discharged either in
mid air or on the ground as desired. A suitable apparatus will be employed to
take up the slack of the tripping chain or line.
I prefer however that the discharge of the skips buckets or forks shall be
effected automatically by means of a trip lever arrangement such as that shown
at fig: 3
:
This arrangement consists of a collar b or its equivalent which surrounds
the hauling chain G and is secured thereto by a pin & passing through a link of
the chain To the collar are pivotted in any convenient manner two bell crank
levers done arm of each of which is connected with the tripping chain or line a²
the other arms having a tripping extension piece
At a suitable distance below the jib head of the crane, is fixed or suspended so
as to be capable of vertical adjustment a ring e through which the trip lever
arrangement will pass as the chain G is hauled in the jointed arms of the bell
cranks & permitting of such passage.
To effect their discharge, the buckets will be lowered the jointed arms of the
bell cranks coming into contact with the ring. As the lowering continues the bell
cranks d will be turned into the dotted position thereby pulling on the tripping
chain a and tripping the catch or pin a as before explained
Instead of altering the position of the trip lever arrangement on the chain G
according to the level at which it is desired to discharge, the ring e which may
be supported by chains passing through eye bolts at the Jib head of the crane
and secured by tackle in any convenient manner, may be adjusted at any
desired level for the same purpose By this means the buckets may be filled
at one level and discharged at a lower level a matter sometimes of great
convenience.
It will be evident that that the trip lever arrangement instead of being made
automatic may be actuated by an attendant on the wharf or elsewhere
At Fig 4 I have shown a mode of applying the ordinary multiplying gear to my
improved apparatus In this case I form the sliding piece F¹ with upwardly
projecting lugs or straps f which slide in the guides C. C. and in which are formed
the bearings for the axles of the hoisting drums, It will be observed that the
multiplying drums are outside the guides C. C. I am therefore enabled to change
or remove them with great facility as desired. When the multiplying gear is not
required the multiplying chains will be unhooked and the main drum will be
locked in any convenient manner
The operation of multiplying gear as applied to this class of apparatus is well
understood and further reference thereto will be unnecessary.
"
Having now described the nature of my Invention for " 'Improvements in
Apparatus for elevating and discharging Grain Mud and other materials and
explained the means for carrying the same into effect I would have it clearly
understood that my Invention is not limited to the precise form and configuration
of the sliding coupling pieces and releasing device shown in the Drawings so long
as the essential feature is retained, that is to say, the working of self acting grabs
or skeps by an apparatus which comprises a coupling device which engages the
lifting chain with the closing mechanism of the skep and is operated by a trigger
either automatically or otherwise and so as to effect the opening and discharging
of the skep when in suspension the lowering raising and suspending of the skep
being effected by one chain but what I claim as my Invention and secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid is:
First: The arrangement of apparatus for elevating and discharging grain and
other materials substantially as herein shown and described.
Second: The means substantially as herein shown and described for connecting
the hauling chain to the skep or bucket chains and disengaging it therefrom as
and for the purpose setforth.
Third: The means substantially as herein shown and described for effecting the

page_text: discharge of the skips or buckets such means consisting essentially of a trip lever
arrangement carried by the hauling chain and operated automatically or otherwise
for the purpose of effecting the disconnection between the sliding coupling pieces
to which the hauling and skip or bucket chains are respectively attached.
In witness whereof I the said George James Hone have hereunto set my hand
and seal the ninth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
G. J. HONE (L.S.)