Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
JOHN HOPKIN MORGAN of 3 Princes Dock Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to an opening and closing grab operated from a crane winch
or like appliance having raising and lowering and opening and closing chains for
dredging excavating and removing mud earth and like matter. The object is to
provide a grab which shall do its work well and efficiently, shall be simple in con-
struction, comparatively light in proportion to the weight raised, durable and not
liable to get out of order or become injured during action.
To obtain the advantages above set forth a grab under my invention has one or
more, preferably all of the following novel features. The jaws of the grab are pivotted
to the shaft carrying opening and closing gear, and arms, controlled as to angular
position by stops, pivot the said jaws to a raising and lowering crosshead. The jaws
are made of one piece of metal stamped or cut to the necessary shape and afterwards
fashioned to the desired form. The arms pivoting the jaws to the raising and lowering
crosshead, the angle of opening of the said arms, and the outline of the lower edges of
the jaws are so regulated that the distance between the surface on which the opened
jaws rest and the raising and lowering crosshead decreases as the jaws close. The
opening and closing gear consists of snail shaped cams carried on the shaft above
mentioned and connected to the crosshead and to the raising and lowering chain by
suitable flexible agents. The sides of the jaws of the grab are so disposed as to overlap
when the said jaws are closed. Suitably disposed stay pieces connect the jaws to the
shaft above mentioned.
For excavating the grab is made of a number of blades threaded on shafts to which
the raising and lowering arms are pivotted and are bound together by other shafts
passing through suitable eyes; the whole being hinged to the opening and closing
shaft by means of stay pieces.
Strengthening pieces may be secured inside or outside of the jaws of the grab.
Dated this 9th day of June 1887.

page_text: I JOHN HOPKIN MORGAN of 3 Princes Dock Liverpool in the county of Lancaster
Engineer 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 invention relates to an opening and closing grab operated from a crane winch
or like appliance having raising and lowering and opening and closing chains for
dredging, excavating, and removing mud earth and like matter. The object is to
provide a grab which, will do its work well and efficiently, and shall be simple in
construction, comparatively light in proportion to the weight raised, durable and not
liable to get out of order or become injured during action.
To obtain the advantages above set forth a grab under my invention has ono or
more preferably all of the following novel features. The jaws of the grab are pivotted
to the shaft carrying opening and closing gear and arms controlled as angular
position by stops pivot the said jaws to a raising and lowering crosshead. The jaws
are made of one piece of metal stamped or cut to the necessary shape and afterwards
fashioned to the desired form. The arms pivotting the jaws to the raising and
lowering crosshead, the angle of opening of the said arms and the outline of the lower
edges of the jaws are so regulated that the distance between the surface on which the
open jaws rest and the raising and lowering crosshead decreases as the jaws close.
The opening and closing gear consists of snail shaped or equivalent cams or devices
carried on the shaft above mentioned and connected to the crosshead and to the
raising and lowering chain by suitable flexible agents. The sides of the jaws of the
grab are so disposed as to overlap when the said jaws are closed. Suitably disposed
stay pieces connect the jaws to the shaft above mentioned.
For excavating the grab is made of a number of blades threaded on shafts to which
the raising and lowering arms are pivotted and are bound together by other shafts
passing through suitable eyes the whole being hinged to the opening and closing
shaft by means of stay pieces.
Strengthening pieces may be secured inside or outside of the laws of the grab

page_text: grab are made so as to overlap when closed as shown in fig. 1 and prevent loss of
material. The internal strengthening pieces 3 carry a spindle 6 to which arms 7 are
pivotted. The said arms are also pivotted to a crosshead 8. 9 and 10 snail shaped
cams pivotted to the shaft 2. The cam 9 is connected to the crosshead 8 by the link
and chain 11 which prevent the jaws from opening too wide so that the distance
between the crosshead 8 and the surface on which the open jaws 1 rest will be
decreased when the jaws close and the sides and cutting edges of the jaws are made
straight so that they may readily cut into the ground. The cam 10 is connected to
the opening and closing chain 12. 13 lowering chain attached to the crosshead 8.
14 bracket and pulley on the crosshead 8 for guiding the chain 12.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The excavating grap is suspended by the chain 13 from any suitable crane or
derrick the chain 12 being left free so that the jaws are open, when the grab is lowered
the desired distance the weight of the said grab is allowed to rest on the ground
or material to be raised and the chain 12 is then hauled in and the bucket is closed by
the action of the said chain on the cam 10.
Fig. 5 is a front view fig. 6 a cross section closed and fig. 7 a cross section open of
a dredging grab constructed in accordance with my invention. Here the jaws are
made of blades 15 threaded on shafts 6 to which the arms 7 are pivotted and are
bound together by shafts 16 passing through eyes. The jaws so made are hinged to
the shaft 2 by means of stay or stiffening pieces 3 the pieces 3 also serve as guides for
the chains. The same figures of reference are used in figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are views of modifications of actuating cams. Fig. 8 shows a
worm cam and double barrel figs. 9 and 10 double excentric cams by using two pairs
of cams and two chains the bracket 14 may be dispensed with and the crosshead 8 cut
away at the centre, fig. 11 is a view of a single excentric with a double cam.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
First. Dredging and excavating grabs constructed substantially as herein set
forth.
Second. Grabs with jaws pivotted to the shaft carrying the opening and closing
gear and provided with arms coupled to the crosshead and regulated as to position
substantially as set forth.
Third. Constructing jaws of excavating grabs of one piece of metal treated
substantially as set forth.
Fourth. Constructing grabs with overlapping jaws substantially as set forth.
Fifth. Constructing grab jaws of blades threaded on shafts substantially as set
forth.
Sixth. Constructing grabs with stay or strengthening pieces substantially as set
forth.
Seventh. The combination of the jaws of grabs with arms cams chains and cross-
head substantially as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of March 1888.
JAMES JOHNSON,
Agent.