AN IMPROVED ADJUSTABLE CRANE ASCENDING AND DESCENDING A VERTICAL POST AND SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO CONCRETE BUILDING
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, FRANK WEST, Computing Clerk, of 12 Limes Grove Lewisham in the
County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
ADJUSTABLE CRANE ASCENDING AND DESCENDING A VERTICAL POST AND SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE TO CONCRETE BUILDING to be as follows:-
The crane consists of three principal parts:-
I. A jib and stay the head of the latter intersecting with the former from
beneath and connected therewith by a hinge-joint.
II. A suitable modification of the ordinary builder's crab the cheeks of which
are fixed between the plates of the jib at its foot.
III. A rack-post to which the foot of both the jib and stay is each connected by
means of two metal boxes each fitted with a worm-wheel et cetera and encircling
the rack-post, up and down which the whole, by means of the worms and wheels, is
made to travel.
The principle upon which the machine acts is that laid down for triangles, viz:
that the altitude of a triangle having two of its sides of fixed length and its angles
capable of variation is dependent upon the length of its base. In practice, how-
ever, the side representing the jib is produced beyond the apex of the triangle to a
distance equal to about half the length of its side.
•
L. The jib and stay are each constructed of light steel plates transversely
parallel but longitudinally inclined to cach other, and, in width, tapering towards
their upper ends. These plates, or webs, are kept apart and bolted with shouldered
bolts and either the jib or stay, (or both), if necessary, is further stiffened by a
herring-bone-bracing of narrow steel between the platos. The head of the stay is
connected to the jib at a point about two thirds of its length (measured from. the
foot) by a hinge-joint whilst the foot of both the jib and stay is each inserted into
a forked-arm, or shoe, and secured therein by a pin passing through horizontally.
The arm, or shoe, is connected to the metal boxes by a hinge-joint the pin of
which is vertical. The shoes, therefore, being connected to the foot of both the jib
and stay by a horizontal pin and to the boxes by (a hinge-joint and) a vertical pin,
allow the end of the jib, in the former case, to be elevated or depressed and, in the
latter, to assume a horizontal rotary movement.
II. The machinery for raising the load is constructed in the ordinary way as for
builders' crabs and such like, except that it is adapted to be fixed between the
plates or webs of the jib. The chain coils upon the drum and passes over a pulley
at the head of the jib and is prevented from getting out of place by suitable
guides.
III. The post is vertical and is preferably constructed of light rolled steel of
section filled-in with wood flitch-pieces and has, extending from the top to the
[Price Ca

page_text: bottom, a metal rack. This post and rack also form part of my "Portable-
travelling-machine-scaffold" which has been fully described in Specification 8929
of 1884. This post may be constructed in one length or more, according to
requirements, and in the latter case the sections are connected together by fish-
plates.
The two metal boxes to which the feet of the jib and stay are attached each
have three sides and are fitted to the vertical post with the open side of each box
appearing on the face of the post farthest from the crane. In this open side are
fitted rollers which are intended to keep the box up to the rack as well as to lessen
the friction and which press upon the side of the post opposite the rack. The
opposite side of the metal box contains a pinion gearing into the vertical rack and
keyed to a shaft or spindle passing through the two other sides of the box. Upon
one end of this shaft is keyed a worm-wheel working into a worm. By turning
the worm, which is provided with a hand-wheel for that purpose, each box may be
raised or lowered on the post, according to the direction in which the wheel is
turned and the worm moreover secures the boxes in position at any height by
locking the worm-wheel. In order to further steady the boxes with their gearing
and to distribute the pressure upon the rack more evenly, extra pinions (not
necessarily with gearing to their spindles) are inserted in the front side of the
boxes.
The stage described in Specification 8929 of 1884 being generally used in con-
junction with the crane need not be here described except to say that it may
ascend the vertical post with the crane and that a segmental stand pivoted to it,
follows the crane in its rotary movements and enables the crane to be worked in
any position.
:
The benefits conferred by the use of this invention are:—
1. In practice the crane instead of being perched at the great elevation indis-
pensible in the case of other cranes used in building operations travels up with
the progress of the work and commands only the parts where it is actually
required; thus effecting the same results as the present system with greater
precision, with greater economy in time and labour, and with a reduction in the
liability to accident.
2. The simplicity of the arrangement dispenses with the costly stagings usually
erected, as one post properly stayed is all that is actually required. [a small stage
to enable the man to work the crane is also essential but this can be constructed to
ascend the same post as the crane].
3. The combination of a light crane with ordinary scaffolding or any improve-
iment on ordinary scaffolding, supplies a want long felt in practical work especially
in the newest systems of concrete building construction and more especially in
those systems of slab construction.
I claim as my invention :-
Ist The use of a jib and stay so connected together that the jib may be elevated
or depressed by altering the length of the base of the triangle formed by the
jib and stay and the post up and down which they travel: as hereinbefore
described.
IInd I further claim the construction of a crane to travel bodily up and down a
post.
IIIrd The method of constructing the jib of light steel and of fixing the gearing
for hoisting.
All substantially as before described herein.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, FRANK WEST of No 12 Limes Grove Lewisham in the County of Kent,
Computing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
ADJUSTABLE-CRANE ASCENDING AND DESCENDING A VERTICAL POST AND SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE TO CONCRETE BUILDING and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The crane consists of three principal parts, viz:
1. A jib and stay; the head of the latter intersecting with the former, from
beneath, and connected therewith by a hinge-joint.
2. A suitable modification of the ordinary builder's crab, the cheeks of which are
fixed between the plates of the jib, at its foot,
3. A rack-post to which the foot of both the jib and stay is each connected by
means of two metal boxes, each fitted with a worm-wheel et cetera and encircling
the rack-post, up and down which the whole, by means of the worms and wheels,
is made to travol.
The principle upon which the machine acts is that laid down for triangles, viz :
that the altitude of a triangle having two of its sides of fixed length and its angles
capable of variation, is dependent upon the length of its base. In practice, how-
ever, the side representing the jib is produced beyond the apex of the triangle to a
distance equal to about half tho length of its side.
In the drawing attached, figure 1 shews a side elevation and figure 2 a plan of
the crane, whilst figures 3 and 4 shew respectively the elevation and plan of the
upper portion of the jib.
The jib A and stay B are both constructed of light steel plates transversely
parallel but longitudinally inclined to each other and, in width, tapering towards
their upper ends. These plates, or webs, are kept apart and bolted with shouldered
bolts and either the jib or stay (or both), if necessary, is further stiffened by a
herring-bone bracing of narrow steel between the plates. The head of the stay B
is connected to the jib A at a point (a) about two-thirds of its length (measured
from the foot) by a hinge-joint, whilst the foot of both the jib and stay is each
inserted in a forked arm or shoe (C and D), and secured therein by a pin passing
through horizontally. The arm, or shoe, is connected to the metal boxes G and H
by a hinge-joint (E and F) the pin of which is vertical. The shoes, therefore,
being connected to the foot of both the jib (A) and stay (B) by a horizontal pin
and to the boxes (G and H) by a vertical pin, allow the end of the jib, in the
former case to be elevated or depressed and, in the latter, to assume a horizontal
rotary-movement. The fork or shoe D of the lower box which supports the foot
of the stay B is not vertically beneath that (C) which supports the foot of the
jib A, obviously for the reason that it would not allow the jib to become quito
vertical; for the same reason the slay is not made so wide as the jib.
The machinery, I, for raising the load is constructed in the ordinary way as for
builders' double-purchase crabs with friction brake and such like, except that it is

page_text: adapted to be fixed between the plates or webs of the jib. The chain coils upon
the drum and passes over a pulley at the head of the jib and is prevented from
getting out of place by suitable guides.
The post Jis vertical and is preferably constructed of light rolled-steel of
| section filled in with wood flitch-pieces and has, on one face, extending from the
top to the bottom, a metal rack. This post and rack also forms part of my.
"Portable travelling machine-scaffold" which has been fully described in Speci-
fication 8929 of 1884. This post may be constructed in one length or more,
according to circumstances, and in the latter case the sections are connected
together by means of fish-plates.
The two metal boxes G and H to which the feet of the jib and stay are respec-
tively attached, each have three sides and are fitted to the vertical post with the
open side of each box appearing on the face of the post farthest from the crane.
In this open side are fitted rollers g. h. i, j et cetera, which are intended to keep
the box up to the rack as well as to lessen the friction and which press upon the
side of the post opposite the rack. The opposite side of the metal box contains a
pinion (as shewn at k) gearing into the vertical rack and keyed to a shaft or
spindle passing through the two other sides of the box. Upon one end of this
shaft is keyed a worm-wheel ( and m) working into a worm (n and o). By
turning the worm (n and o), which is provided with a hand-wheel (p and q) for
that purpose, each box G and H may be raised or lowered on the post, according
to the direction in which the wheel is turned and the worm moreover secures the
boxes in position at any height by locking the worm-wheel. In order to further
steady the boxes with their gearing and to distribute the pressure upon the rack
more evenly, extra pinions (not necessarily with gearing to their spindles) are
inserted in the front side of each of the boxes.
The stage described in my Specification No 8929 of 1884, being generally used in
conjunction with the crane, need not be here described except to say that it
provides a platform which, by ascendiug and descending with the crane (which is
further followed in its rotary movements by a small segmental stand pivoted to the
platform for that purpose), enables the crane to be worked at any height and in
any of its positions.
The benefits conferred by the use of this invention are:-
1. In practice the crane, instead of being perched at the great elevation indis-
pensible in the case of other cranes used in building operations, travels up with the
progress of the work and commands only the parts where it is actually required;
thus effecting the same results as the present system with greater precision, with
greater economy in time and labour, and with a reduction in the liability to
accident.
2. The simplicity of the arrangement dispenses with the costly stagings usually
erected as one post properly stayed is all that is actually required [a small stage to
enable the man to work the crano is also, essential but this can be constructed to
ascend the same post as the crane].
3. The combination of a light crane with ordinary scaffolding or any improve-
ment on ordinary scaffolding, supplies a want long felt in practical work, espcially
in the newest systems of concrete building construction and more especially in those
system of slab construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the naturo of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use of a jib and stay so connected together that the jib may be
elevated or depressed by altering the length of the base of the triangle formed by
the jib and stay and the post up and down which they travel; all as hereinbefore
described.
2. The construction of a crane to travel bodily up and down a post, as before
herein described.

page_text: 3. The method of constructing the jib of light-steel and of fixing the gearing for
hoisting, as well as the method of altering the length of the base of the triangle
formed by the jib and stay and the post up and down which they travel; all as
before described herein.
Dated this thirteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-