Improved Means for Moving Trees and other Heavy Loads.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Moving Trees and other Heavy Loads.
I JESSE MARTIN of 23 Sumner Street Glossop in the County of Derby,
Foreman Landscape Gardener do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The principal object of this invention is to provide convenient means for moving
trees from place to place in order to dispense with the greater number of the
labourers at present required for such removal and to perform the operation much
more quickly than has hitherto been possible.
My invention is also especially applicable to the conveyance of such trees or
other cumbersome and heavy loads over rough and uneven ground or over lawns or
other places where wheel tracks would be objectionable or detrimental.
For these purposes I provide a moving platform made of say three wooden
planks of the usual width and suitable thickness fixed side by side between two long
bearers. Beneath this platform and between the bearers I mount one or more
horizontal loosely revolving rollers of such diameter that the said bearers are
raised clear of the ground and at each corner of the platform, I mount beneath the
bearers and running upon a vertical spindle fixed to the said bearers a small pulley
or roller serving to guide the platform along and keep it upon the track which 1
make in the following manner.
I provide a number of ordinary rough wooden planks of suitable strength placed
end to end in pairs set at a certain distance apart each pair being held together by
hooks and staples so as to be readily separated so that when the tree or other load
is to be removed to a considerable distance the planks over which it has already
travelled can be taken up and placed at the front end of the track until the
destination of the tree has been reached.
The space between the parallel planks forming the track is such as to allow a
little play between the said track and the guide pulleys or rollers under the bearers
of the platform above described and these pulleys or rollers work or run along the
outside edges of the track and their spindles are so attached to the bearers of the
platform that they can be removed therefrom to facilitate the conveyance of
the platform round a sharp curve angle or bend in the track.
<<
Suitable rings or staples are fixed at the ends of the bearers through which the
'guy-ropes" supporting the tree can pass, and also for attaching the ropes for
hauling the platform along.
I mount at each end of the platform a break plate hinged between the bearers
and abutting (when let down into use in the front of the said platform) against
stops, which raise the front roller off the track and cause the platform to slide upon
this front break plate when descending an incline.
This will lighten the labor and diminish the number of the men required to let
the platform and its load slide down a steep hill side.
When ascending a hill I place gripping plates mounted upon removable pivots at
each side of the rear of the platform and serrated at their free edge so as to bite
into the surface of each of the parallel planks forming the track. The sockets or
bearings of these removable pivots being placed at both ends of the platform so
that it can be drawn either end forwards.
The gripping plates are made with stops so that they cannot move too far back
on their pivots after gripping into the planks of the track, and thus after hauling
the load up an incline it cannot run back but will be arrested by these gripping
nlates

page_text: It will be seen therefore that by my improvements a large tree can be removed
to a considerable distance over most irregular ground and even over narrow streams
and this work can be accomplished by less than half the number of labourers that
are at present necessary; also such work can be done in ornamental grounds or
gardens without damage to the lawn or walks.
Dated this 27th day of May 1891.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Moving Trees and other Heavy Loads.
I JESSE MARTIN of 23 Sumner Street Glossop in the County of Derby
Landscape Gardener, 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:-
The principal object of this invention is to provide convenient means for removing
trees from place to place in order to dispense with the greater number of the
labourers at present required for such removal, and to perform the operation much
more quickly than has hitherto been possible.
My invention is also especially applicable to the conveyance of such trees or
other cumbersome and heavy loads over rough and uneven ground, or over lawns
and other places where wheel tracks would be objectionable or detrimental.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet
of illustrative drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing is a longitudinal section of my improved apparatus, and
Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the same with the principal part of the
covering platform or planks removed in order better to show the construction of
the apparatus.
For the purposes of my invention I provide a movable platform made of (say)
three wooden planks a of the usual width, and of suitable thickness fixed side by
side between two long bearers connected together by iron cross stays c.
Beneath the platform a and between the bearers I mount two or more
horizontal loosely revolving rollers d of such diameter that the bearers bare raised
clear of the ground, and at or near each corner of the platform a I mount beneath
the bearers and running upon vertical spindles passing through the said bearers b
and bolted thereto, a small pulley or roller e serving to guide the platform along,
and keep it upon the track which I make in the following manner.
I provide a number of ordinary wooden planks of suitable strength placed end
to end in pairs parallel to each other and set at a certain distance apart, each pair
being held together by hooks and staples g so as to be readily separated, so that
when the tree or other load is to be removed to a considerable distance the plauks
over which it has already travelled can be taken up and placed at the front end of
the track until the destination of the tree has been reached.
-
The space between the parallel planks f forming the track must be such as to
allow of a little play between the said track and the guide pulleys e above
mentioned and these pulleys work or run along the outside edges of the track, and
their spindles are so attached to the bearers of the platform that by unscrewing
the bolts the side pulleys or rollers e can be removed therefrom to facilitate the
conveyance of the platform a and its load round a sharp curve angle or bend in the
track
and I may here observe that for this same purpose I provide a certain
number of short angular junction pieces for the track (some right and some left.
handed) to allow the track to follow any curve or bend required.

page_text: Suitable rings or staples are fixed at the ends through which the guy ropes
supporting the tree can pass and also for attaching the ropes for hauling the
platform along.
I mount at each end of the platform a a break plate i hinged between the
bearers and abutting (when let down for use in front of the platform as shown by
the dotted lines at the right hand of Fig. 1) against stops which raises the front
roller off the track and causes the platform to slide upon this front break
plate when descending an incline in the direction of the arrow.
This will lighten the labor and diminish the number of men required to let the
platform and its load slide down a steep hill-side.
When ascending a hill 1 place gripping plates (see left hand of Figs. 1 and 2)
mounted upon removable pivots m at each side of the rear of the platform and
serrated at its lower or free edge so as to bite into the surface of each of the
parallel planks / forming the track.
The sockets or bearings of these removable pivots are placed at each end of the
platform so that it can be drawn either end forwards.
The gripping plates are made with stops so that they cannot move too far back
on their pivots after gripping into the planks of the track, and thus when hauling
the load up an incline it cannot run back but will be arrested by these gripping
plates 7. nare curved guards over the axes of the long rollers d to prevent dirt or
grit falling thereon.
It will be evident that by the use of this apparatus a large tree can be removed
to a considerable distance over most irregular ground, and even over narrow
streams, and this work can be accomplished by less than half the number of
labourers that are at present necessary; also such work can be done in ornamental
grounds or gardens without damage to the lawn or walks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said- inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination of a movable platform supported on long rollers running upon
a movable and adjustable plank track, and fitted with break plates and gripping
plates all constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 18th day of January 1809
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.