IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTING OR HOISTING APPARATUS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Steven, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Sealed the 1st August 1865, and dated the 6th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Steven at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1865.
I, ALEXANDER STEVEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTING OR HOISTING APPARATUS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the arranging and constructing of hydraulic
lifting or hoisting apparatus in an improved, simplified, convenient, and
economical manner; and the Invention consists in causing the hydraulic ram
to act directly upon a comparatively large winding drum or barrel, the ram
being fitted with a rack which gears with a pinion on the shaft or axle of the
drum. The rack is guided by an antifriction roller or wheel, between which
and the pinion it works. This arrangement is more particularly suited for
situations where a supply of water of sufficient pressure can be obtained
directly from the street main without the intervention of pumps. It is

page_text: preferred to employ a three-way stop-cock for admitting the water to and
discharging it from the press cylinder, and this stop-cock is connected to the
cage or other object to be lifted, or to the lifting or hoisting gear, so as to be
chut non the ton or bottom of the lift or traverse being reached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Steven in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
STEVEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Steven, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander Steven, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Steven, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC LIFTING OR HOISTING APPARATUS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Steven,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Steven, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the arranging and constructing of hydraulic
lifting or hoisting apparatus in an improved, simplified, convenient, and

page_text: economical manner. And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, may be properly understood I have hereunto appended
a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
two modifications of my improved apparatus. The same reference numerals
are used to mark the same parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a modification of my lifting or hoisting apparatus
suitable for being permanently fixed in a warehouse or other situation, and
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the upper part of the bydraulic cylinder 1,
showing the ram or piston 2, and parts attached thereto. The cylinder 1 is
fixed vertically, and upon its top are fixed brackets or standards 3, to carry
the axle or shaft 4 of a large drum or barrel 5, upon which is wound the
lifting or hoisting rope or chain 6. In this example the rope 6 is repre-
sented as working a crane 7. The drum 5, in consequence of its com-
paratively large size, can be acted upon directly by the piston or ram 2, and
for this purpose the piston is formed with or has fixed on it a rack 8, which
gears with a pinion 9 keyed on the drum axle 4. The rack 8 is guided by
a pair of antifriction wheels 10, carried by a bracket 11, and it works
between these wheels 10 and the pinion 9, the wheels 10 bearing on flanges
or cheek pieces on each side of the rack. My improved apparatus is more
particularly suited for situations where a supply of water of sufficient pressure
can be obtained directly from the street main without the intervention of
pumps. And I prefer to employ a three-way stop-cock, such as is shown
at 12, for admitting the water to and discharging it from the press cylinder 1,
whilst I usually apply an air vessel 13 upon the inlet pipe 14.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modification of the apparatus, which is
rendered portable, or so that it can be moved about from place to place by
being fixed upon a carriage frame 15, set on wheels 16. In this example
the winding drum 5 is fixed on a second motion shaft 17, which is geared by
a pinion and spur wheel to the first motion shaft 4. The stop-cock 12 is
fitted with a lever 18, for closing it automatically, this lever being connected
to a rod 19, upon which a stop 20 is adjusted to suit the extent of action
required, and is acted on by a finger 21, fixed on the end of the rack 8;
thus when the rack rises its finger 21 comes in contact with the stop 20,
and lifts the stop-cock lever 18 until the stop-cock is closed.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the constructing and

page_text: arranging or combining together of the parts of bydraulic lifting or hoisting
apparatus substantially in the improved manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Steven, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent, Glasgow..
ALEXR. STEVEN. (L.S.)