IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER TRAVELLING CRANES
Year: 1885

page_text: I FREDERICK WILLIAM WALKER Engineer Goodman Street Works Leeds
do bereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
TRAVELLING CRANES' to be as follows:-
»
This invention has for its object the improvement of travelling cranes and relates
to that class of crane in which the power is communicated by means of a shaft
running the length of the shop or space over which the crane is erected.
The crane is as usual composed of two elevated rails parallel with one another
and running lengthwise of the shop one along either side of it. A girder passes
across the space between these rails and wheels on the ends of the girder run upon
the rails. There is also a crab which can be made to travel to and fro along the
girder.
In cranes of this class motion is usually transmitted to the parts for performing
the various operations of hoisting and lowering, travelling and traversing either by
means of belts or by a nest of clutches made in the usual way with mitre or bevil
wheels.
According to my invention
employ spur wheels for driving a series of shafts
on which are mounted screw worms from which the various movements required in
the crane are obtained.
This I effect as follows:-At that end of the cross girder at which the driving
gear is carried is a spur wheel carried by a socket which can slide along the driving
shaft. This spur wheel drives another spur wheel on a shaft which is mounted
crosswise of the end of the girder and parallel with the driving shaft. On this cross
shaft two spur wheels are fixed one at each end.
These are made to drive two other spur wheels loose on a second shaft parallel
with the first. One of these two spur wheels is made to run in the opposite direction
to the other by means of an intermediate wheel.
The two wheels which are loose on the second cross shaft give motion to other
spur wheels loose on a third shaft also parallel with the others.
This third cross shaft carries a worm which through a worm wheel and
spur wheel
gearing can be made to transmit motion to a shaft which runs lengthwise of the
cross girder and which is used for giving motion to the hoisting gear on the crab.
A pair of clutches is provided by which either one or other of the spur wheels on
the shaft can be made fast to it whenever desired so as to drive the worm and drive
it in either direction desired.

page_text: The second cross shaft carries a worm which by a worm wheel and spur wheel
gearing can be made to give motion to one of the wheels upon which the end of the
girder is supported and so cause the girder to travel to and fro along the side sup-
porting rails and similarly a pair of clutches is provided by which this shaft can
be made fast to either one or other of the spur wheels upon it.
Another worm is used to give the traversing motion to the crab-it is carried
by a sleeve loose on the second shaft but which by a pair of clutches can be made
fast to either one or other of the two spur wheels which are loose on this shaft and
be so driven in either direction. The worm drives a worm wheel on a short shaft
lengthwise of the girder and this by bevil toothed wheels gives motion to a cross
shaft on which are two chain wheels-over each chain wheel passes a chain one end
of which is attached to one end of the crab the other end after being led over a
pulley at the opposite end of the girder is led back and its end attached to the
opposite end of the crab.
Another worm is used for turning the porter bar if the crane is for use in large
forges. This worm is carried by a sleeve loose on the third cross shaft and can
be made fast by one or other of two clutches with either one or other of the two
loose driving wheels on this shaft-it gives motion to a worm wheel on a vertical
shaft which by bevil wheels drives a horizontal cross shaft carrying a chain wheel
over which an endless chain is passed. The chain after passing over the chain wheel
is conducted over a pulley on the under side of the crab then around a chain
wheel on the block hook and again upwards over a second pulley on the underside
of the crab then over a pulley at the far end of the girder and back again to the
chain wheel by which the chain is driven. On the axis of the chain wheel on the
block hook is a worm which turns a worm wheel on the shaft on which is the wheel
carrying the chain used for supporting the forgings.

page_text: I FREDERICK WILLIAM WALKER Engineer Goodman Street Works Leeds do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention has for its object the improvement of travelling cranes and relates
to that class of crane in which the power is communicated by means of a shaft
running the length of the shop or space over which the crane is erected.
The crane is as usual composed of two elevated rails parallel with one another
and running lengthwise of the shop one along either side of it. A girder passes
across the space between these rails and wheels on the ends of the girder run upon
the rails. There is also a crab which can be made to travel to and fro along the
girder.
In cranes of this class motion is usually transmitted to the parts for performing
the various operations of hoisting and lowering, travelling and traversing either
by means of belts or by a nest of clutches made in the usual way with mitre or
bevil wheels.
According to my invention I employ spur wheels for driving a series of shafts
on which are mounted screw worms from which the various movements required in
the crane are obtained.
This I effect as follows:-At that end of the cross girder at which the driving
gear is carried is a spur wheel carried by a socket which can slide along the driving
shaft this spur wheel drives another spur wheel on a shaft which is mounted
crosswise of the end of the girder and parallel with the driving shaft. On this cross
shaft two spur wheels are fixed one at each end.
These are made to drive two other spur wheels loose on a second shaft parallel
with the first. One of these two spur wheels is made to run in the opposite direction
to the other by means of an intermediate wheel.
The two wheels which are loose on the second cross shaft give motion to other
spur wheels loose on a third shaft also parallel with the others.
This third cross shaft carries a worm which through a worm wheel and spur
wheel gearing can be made to transmit motion to a shaft which runs lengthwise of
the cross girder and which is used for giving motion to the hoisting gear on the
crab. A pair of clutches is provided by which either one or other of the spur
wheels on the shaft can be made fast to it whenever desired so as to drive the worm
and drive it in either direction desired.
The second cross shaft carries a worm which by a worm wheel and spur wheel
gearing can be made to give motion to one of the wheels upon which the end of
the girder is supported and so cause the girder to travel to and fro along the side
supporting rails and similarly a pair of clutches is provided by which this shaft
can be made fast to either one or other of the spur wheels upon it.
Another worm is used to give the traversing motion to the crab-it is carried by
a sleeve loose on the second shaft but which by a pair of clutches can be made fast
to either one or other of the two spur wheels which are loose on this shaft and be
so driven in either direction,

page_text: The worm drives a worm wheel on a short shaft lengthwise of the girder and
this by bevil toothed wheels and other gear gives motion to a cross shaft on which
are two chain wheels-over each chain wheel passes a chain one end of which is
attached to one end of the crab the other end after being led over a pulley at the
opposite end of the girder is led back and its end attached to the opposite end of
the crab.
Another worm is used for turning the porter bar if the crane is for use in large
forges. This worm is carried by a sleeve loose on the third cross shaft and can be
made fast by one or other of two clutches with either one or other of the two loose
driving wheels on this driving shaft-it gives motion to a worm wheel on a vertical
shaft which by bevil wheels drives a horizontal cross shaft carrying a chain wheel
over which an endless chain is passed. The chain after passing over the chain
wheel is conducted over a pulley on the underside of the crab then around a
chain wheel on the block hook and again upwards over a second pulley on the
underside of the crab then over a pulley at the far end of the girder and back
again to the chain wheel by which the chain is driven. On the axis of the chain
wheel on the block hook is a worm which turns a worm wheel on the shaft on
which is the wheel carrying the chain used for supporting the forgings.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure is a plan of a portion of a cross girder with the gear upon it and the
crab which it supports-A portion of one of the elevated rails on which the cross
girder is carried is also seen.
Fig. 2. is an elevation of a portion of the cross girder and gear.
Fig. 3. is an elevation of a portion of the cross girder with the crab upon it and
in this Figure the block hook for carrying the porter bar is also shown.
A is the elevated rail running the length of the shop and there is another rail
parallel to it on the other side. B is the cross girder and C, C, the wheels by
which this girder is supported on the rail A. D is the longitudinal driving axis,
and E is a spur wheel carried by a socket which can slide along the axis D but
which always rotates with the axis. The wheel E drives another wheel F and on
the same axis with the wheel F there are other wheels F¹, F. G is a second axis
mounted on the girder B. The spur wheels G¹ G³ revolve loosely on this axis the
wheel F engages directly with the wheel G₁ but the wheel F drives G³ through
an intermediate wheel Fx G³ and G' are clutches by which the axis G can be made
fast with the wheel G or G* at pleasure, and so caused to rotate in either direction.
H is the third cross shaft carried by the girder B it carries spur wheels H H*
which are constantly in gear with the wheels G1 G2 and they revolve loosely upon
the axis H. H³ and H are friction clutches by which either wheel H or H' can
be made fast with the axis. The clutches are actuated by means of rods passing
through the axes which are hollow H' is a worm fast upon the axis H it drives a
worm wheel on an axis K on which are two spur wheels K¹ K'. L* is a sliding
sleeve upon an axis L which also carries two spur wheels L' L' and by sliding the
sleeve along its axis the wheels K¹ and L or K and L* can be caused to gear
together and so the axis L can be driven with a fast speed or slow speed as may
be required.
"
On the axis L there is also a pinion L³ which can slide upon the axis it is carried
along it by the crab when the crab travels along the cross girder The pinion L³
gears with a spur wheel M on an axis which also carries a pinion N and this gears
with a wheel 0-0¹ is a chain wheel on the axis of the wheel O it engages with
the boisting chain which also passes around sheaves 03 and other corresponding
sheaves on the block P.-Os is another chain wheel on the axis of the wheel O with
'it a lifting chain is employed when required.

page_text: The cross girder B is carried along the elevated rails A in the following manner--
G5 is a worm on the axis G. which as already described can be rotated in either
direction, it engages with a worm wheel on an axis Q on which is a sliding sleeve
carrying two spur wheels, these are employed to drive at either of two speeds,
corresponding wheels on an axis R which has upon it a pinion engaging with
a ring of teeth C on the side of the wheel C.
The movement of the crab along the cross girder is brought about in the following
inanner-G is another worm, it is carried upon a sleeve on the axis G and it can
at pleasure be clutched fast either with the wheel G¹ or the wheel G² by means of
clutches G7 and G³.
The worm G6 then drives a worm wheel on an axis S which also carries a
bevilled wheel in gear with a corresponding wheel on an axis T.-U, U, are chain
wheels on an axis driven by spur gear from the axis T as is indicated in Figure 2
and these wheels U give motion to endless chains U U¹ by which the crab is
drawn in either direction along the cross girder B.
The porter bar has rotary motion imparted to it by means of a worm H" which
is mounted upon a sleeve on the axis H it engages with a worm wheel V' on a
vertical axis V and it drives the axis V when it is made fast with either of the
wheels H or H2 by means of the friction clutches H7 and He provided for the
purpose.
At the lower end of the axis V there is a bevilled wheel V' engaging with a corre-
sponding wheel on the axis of the chain barrel W. An endless chain passes from
this barrel to a corresponding barrel at the opposite end of the cross girder B, it
returns and passing over a guide pulley it descends to a small chain wheel X¹ on
an axis X carried by the block hook. The endless chain then ascends passes over
another guide pulley and so back to the chain barrel W. X' is a worm on the
axis X it engages with a worm wheel Y and on the same axis with this wheel is
another which receives the endless chain Z in which the porter bar lies.
In cases in which it is not required to rotate a porter bar gear may be employed
for working a supplementary hook suitable for lifting light loads at rapid speeds,
this second hook is worked by a shaft and gearing exactly similar to that belonging
to the ordinary hook.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in plan and elevation a modified arrangement in which
the crab is moved by a rope wound upon barrels at either end in place of by
an endless chain. In other respects it is very similar to that illustrated by the
preceding figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what.
I claim is
1. A power travelling crane in which the movements are conveyed by a series
of shafts on the end of the cross girder with spur gear upon them receiving motion
from a driving shaft and transmitting motion by means of screw worms in either
direction to the parts to be operated substantially as described.
2. My improved power travelling cranes substantially as described and repre-
sented by the annexed drawings.