Improvements in an Automatic Dredger Bucket or Grab, Workable on any Ordinary Crane or Portable Block with a Single Chain without the Aid of Springs.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in an Automatic Dredger Bucket or Grab,
Workable on any Ordinary Crane or Portable Block with
a Single Chain without the Aid of Springs.
We WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Foundry Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH
27 John St, Traveller, both of Hull, in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AUTOMATIC DREDGER BUCKET
OR GRAB, WORKABLE ON ANY ORDINARY CRANE, OR PORTABLE BLOCK, WITH A
SINGLE CHAIN, WITHOUT THE AID OF SPRINGS," to be as follows:-
We employ an ordinary pair of scoops, series of forks or prongs, or partially
close scoops, and partially forks or prongs, jointed at one, or more centres to the
lower ends of a frame; a barrel, the centre portion of which, is preferably of
greater diameter than the two end portions, and, instead of being round, we may
make it triangular, or of any other shape to cause an intermittent, or jerking
motion to the machine, to loosen or lighten up the material to be excavated;
a cross bar, on which are jointed four arms, which on being drawn down by the
chains round the barrel, press the outsides of the scoops, or forks down and close
the machine, and on being drawn up, open it-On this cross bar, we joint a chain
catch or stopper, being a piece of flat iron, something in shape like the letter S,
through the upper or right-hand curve of which, is cut an aperture, narrow at the
highest part, and widening out towards the lower end of the curve, sufficiently to
allow the operating chain to pass freely,-To the left hand or lower curve of the
catch, we joint a rod, or rods, or a tube having a slot hole the entire length,
sufficiently wide for the operating chain to run in; these rods, or tube pass
through the top of the frame, and are surmounted by a disc with a flange under-
neath, or by a cambered plate, this, when it is desired to open the machine,
engages one, or more of the hooks or catches of the pendant to be hereafter
explained; the machine is then lowered a little, and opened by the cross-bar being
held up by the rods, or tube, by which the machine is then suspended, and the
catch on the cross bar is forced forward, bringing the narrow part or neck of the
aperture, in contact with the operating chain, which then slides down the upper
surface of the catch or stopper until the machine is fully open, when, upon the
crane hoisting up, it locks underneath, and the machine will be held open, and can
D

page_text: be so lowered, or dropped on to its work-If preferable, we may insert a couple of
larger links, or shackles, or a ball, at that particular part of the operating chain
which engages the chain catch or stopper when the machine is fully open-The
pendant hooks or catches previously referred to may consist of one two, or more
hooks or catches so formed, and kept in position by the operating chain passing
through a guide ring, that the disc on the machine shall, on its ascent, push them
back, and, at the same time raise a slide or skid which is jointed a little above, and
falls over each hook or catch The machine is then to be lowered a little to open
it, which is effected by the disc resting on the hooks or catches, when, after its
contents have been discharged, on its being raised a few inches for the disc to clear
the points of the slides or skids (which will then have been raised by it) they fall
down again over the hooks or catches, and allow the machine to be lowered, or
dropped; the disc sliding down the skids & pushing the entire pendant back-The
distance of the pendant from the crane jib, consequently the altitude at which the
machine may be opened, we regulate and fix from the crane platform, by passing
the chains by which it hangs, over pulleys at the crane jib; it may also be lowered
down the operating chain, to open the machine under water, or elsewhere, should it
lay hold of any fixed object.
The machine, being landed open, on its work, the weight of the rods or tube and
disc will force the chain stopper or catch on the cross-bar back (the operating
chain then being slack) and bring the wide part of the aperture in a line with the
operating chain, allowing it to pass freely on the crane hoisting up, and the
machine will be closed on its load.
.
We may dispense with the frame of the machine; in that case, the long opening
rods, or tube would be unnecessary; or if we retain the frame, we may have the
horizontal top opened out into a ring, to admit of the entire opening pendant hooks
or catches to pass through it, to engage the disc much lower down, & thus dispense
with the long rods or tube.
Dated this Thirteenth day of November 1885

page_text: Improvements in an Automatic Dredger Bucket or Grab,
Workable on any Ordinary Crane or Portable Block with
a Single Chain without the Aid of Springs..
We, WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Foundry, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH
27 John St Traveller, both of Hull, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AUTOMATIC DREDGER &C as
per above title, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
We employ an ordinary pair of scoops, series of forks or prongs, or partially
close scoops, and partially forks or prongs, jointed at one, or more centres to the
lower ends of a frame; a barrel, the centre portion of which, is preferably of
greater diameter than the two end portions, and instead of being round, we may
make it triangular, or of any other shape, to cause an intermittent or jerking
motion to the machine, to loosen or lighten up the material to be excavated.
A cross-bar A. on which are jointed four arms, which, on being drawn down, by the
chains round the barrel, press the outer sides of the scoop or forks, down, and close
the machine, and on being drawn up, open it.
On this cross-bar, we joint a chain stopper or catch, being a piece of flat steel or
iron, something in shape like the letter S, and marked B. in the accompanying
drawings, through the upper, or right hand curve of which is cut an aperture,
narrow at the highest part, and widening out towards the lower end of the curve
sufficiently to allow the operating chain C. to pass freely through it. To the left
hand, or lower curve, of the catch, we joint a rod, or rods, or a tube D. having a
slot hole the entire length, sufficiently wide for the operating chain to run in;
these rods, or the tube, which are jointed to the left hand curve or lever of the
catch B. pass through the top of the frame, and are surmounted by a disc marked E.
with a flange underneath, or by a cambered plate, this, when it is desired to open
the machine, is made to engage one or more of the hooks or catches of the pendant
to be hereafter explained; the machine is then lowered a little and opened through
the cross-bar A. being held up by the rods, or tube D. by which the machine is then
suspended, and the catch B. on the cross-bar is forced forward, bringing the narrow
part or neck of the aperture in contact with the operating chain C. which then
slides down the upper surface of the stopper B. as it (the chain) is being slacked
out to open the machine, when, upon the crane hoisting up, any one of the links
locks underneath, and the machine will be held open, and can be so lowered, or
dropped on to its work.
We may, if desired, employ a small roller L-Fig. 5. so jointed as to set the
operating chain C. off into the wide part of the hole, when it (the chain) is running
out to open the machine, and to be raised by it when reversed, to allow a link to
lock in the narrow part of the aperture.
We may also, if desired, introduce a couple of larger links, or shackles, or an
ordinary ball at that particular part of the operating chain which engages the
stopper B. when the machine is fully open, this addition, however, is not necessary
to our principle, as any link will take effect immediately the crane lifts the
machine after having been emptied of its contents, and hold it either partially or
fully open. The hooks or catches F. suspended from the head of the crane jib,
and previously referred to, may consist of one, two, or more hooks, and are kept in

page_text: position by the operating chain C. passing through the guides G. & H. the latter of
which, is a long loop, and rises and falls with the disc E. which, on its ascent,
pushes the hooks back, and at the same time, raises the slides or skids L. which are
jointed a little above, and fall over each hook or catch.
The disc, now being over the points of the hooks, the machine is lowered a little
to open it, when, after its contents have been discharged, it is raised a little for
the disc to clear the points of the slides or skids I. (which will then have been
raised by it) they fall down again over the hooks or catches, the disc travels over
them, pushes the entire pendant back, and the machine may be lowered, or dropped
on to its work.
The distance of the pendant from the crane jib, consequently the altitude at
which the machine may be opened, we regulate and fix from the crane platform,
by passing the chains by which it is suspended, over pulleys at the head of the
crane jib.
The pendant may also be lowered to open the machine under water, or elsewhere,
should it lay hold of any fixed object.
The machine being landed open, on its work, and the operating chain becoming
slack, the weight of the rods or tube D. the disc E. and a suitable balance weight
(see K. Fig. 2) force back, the chain stopper or catch B. on the cross bar A, which
brings the wide part of the aperture, in a line with the operating chain, allowing
it to pass freely, on the crane hoisting up, and the machine will be closed on
its load.
We may dispense with the entire frame of the machine, together with the long
rods or tube D. which, as shewn in Fig. 1. have to pass through the top of the
frame, and may also joint the stopper B. to work underneath, instead of, above the
cross-head, or cross-bar A. as shewn in Fig. 2. or if we retain the frame, we may
have the horizontal top opened out into a ring, to admit of the entire opening
pendant hooks or catches F. to pass through it, to engage the disc much lower
down, and thus dispense with the long rods or tube D. Other modifications in the
manufacture or shape of the pendant hooks or catches, the slides or skids, and the
guide ring and loop, also, of the chain stopper, lever, and rods or tube, may be
adopted without departing from the nature of our invention, and we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details shown by the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed-we declare that what
we claim is
1. The principle of the pendant hooks or catches by means of which, the machine
is opened through the disc engaging the hooks, and when emptied, lowered or
dropped on to its work through the disc surmounting, and sliding over the slides
or skids, clear of the hooks.
2. The principle of the chain stopper or catch being forced forward, to engage
the operating chain (to hold the machine open) through the weight of the machine
hanging by the disc on the hooks, and of its falling back and releasing the chain,
for another grip, on the machine landing."
3. The triangular or similar shaped barrel to cause a jerking motion to loosen or
lighten up the material being worked.
The various forms or modifications of above substantially as described and
illustrated.
WILLIAM COOPER.
JOHN HOLDSWORTH,