IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES APPLICABLE TO OVERHEAD RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Moulton, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TURNTABLES APPLICABLE TO OVERHEAD RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 18th November 1864, and dated the 25th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Moulton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
May 1864:
I, GEORGE MOULTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TURNTABLES APPLICABLE TO OVERHEAD RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement and adaptation of turntables to
overhead railways employed in transporting heavy goods from one place to the
other in warehouses and other places. The various lines of railway are
connected by hangers to the beams of the ceiling or other overhead place, but
hitherto these railways have been only in parallel lines, in consequence of the
non-existence of suitable turntables, and the object of my Invention is to
remedy that defect, and enable lines to be placed at any angle with the main
parallel lines.
| One arrangement of the turntable is constructed in the following manner :-
To a beam overhead I fix a hollow cylinder or frame of the same depth as the
hangers which support the rails. In the interior of this cylinder there is a
projecting cylindrical ledge carrying a number of rollers, pulleys, or spheres,
on which is placed the turntable. At the lower part of the hollow cylinder
there are two or more openings to which the rails are attached, and through

page_text: the turntable there is a space or opening, the bottom of which is level with
the tops of the rails, and of sufficient size for the travelling carriage to enter
and pass through, and at the bottom of the turntable there is a slot or opening
for allowing the passage of that part of the carriage to which the weight is
suspended. At the top of the turntable there are projections or stops arranged
in positions to suit the angles of the lines of railway, and to the hollow
cylinder is jointed a latch for stopping the table at its right position after it
has been turned, the latch being lifted by the travelling carriage when it is
pushed on the turntable, and falls when the carriage is leaving the table. The
rollers, pulleys, or spheres are for lessening the friction of the turntable, but
in some cases they may be dispensed with, and a swivel joint used instead, or
other modifications may be employed for turning the goods on to lines at
angles with the main lines, and thereby supply a desideratum which has long
been required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Moulton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
MOULTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Moulton, Her special license that I, the said George
Moulton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Moulton, 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 Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES APPLICABLE TO OVERHEAD RAILWAYS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Moulton, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Moulton, 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 (that is to say):
:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement and adaptation of turntables to
overhead railways employed in transporting heavy goods from one place to
the other in warehouses and other places. The various lines of railway are
connected by hangers to the beams of the ceiling or other overhead place, but
hitherto these railways have been only in parallel lines, in consequence of the
non-existence of suitable turntables, and the object of my Invention is
to remedy that defect, and enable lines to be placed at any angle with the
main parallel lines, and thereby supply a desideratum which has long been
required.
One arrangement of the turntable is constructed in the following manner:-
To a beam overhead I fix a hollow cylinder or frame, in the interior of which
there is a projecting cylindrical ledge carrying a number of rollers, pulleys, or
spheres, on which is placed the turntable. At the lower part of the hollow
cylinder there are two or more openings to which the rails are attached, and
through the turntable there is a space or opening, the bottom of which is
level with the tops of the rails, and of sufficient size for the travelling carriage
to enter and pass through, and at the bottom of the turntable there is a slot
or opening for allowing the passage of that part of the carriage to which the
weight is suspended. At the top of the turntable there are projections or stops
arranged in positions to suit the angles of the lines of railway, and to the
hollow cylinder is jointed a latch for stopping the table at its right position
after it has been turned, the latch being lifted by the travelling carriage when
it is pushed on the turntable, and falls when the carriage is leaving the table.
This Invention will be clearly understood by the following more particular
description thereof, reference being had to the figures and letters on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of
my improved overhead turntables and carriage in connection with rails for the
purpose of transmitting or travelling bales, boxes, packages, barrels, and other
goods to any required part of the room, or placing them one upon another to
very near the ceiling; Fig. 2 a plan of the under side, shewing the openings
for the rails and travelling carriage; Fig. 3 a vertical section of Fig. 1 at
the line A, B; Fig. 4, a sectional plan of Fig. 1, at the line C, D, but placed
at right angles; Fig. 5, an elevation of the rails, hangers, and beams, and

page_text: Fig. 6 a plan of the same looking above with the flooring removed; Figs.
1, 2, 3, and 4 are drawn to a scale of three inches to the foot, and Figs. 5
and 6 to a scale of one-eighth of an inch to the foot, and similar letters in all
the Figures refer to similar parts.
The outer stationary casing of the apparatus is shewn at a, it is provided;
with an external flange 6 for enabling it to be suspended and bolted to an
overhead beam or support. In the interior of the casing there is an internal
flange c, on which there is any required number of pulleys, rollers, or spheres d,
for carrying by means of the flange e the turntable f, through which there is
an opening or passage g, and in the lower part of the casing there are four
openings h for allowing the entrance and exit of the carriage which travels on
the rails k, the ends of which rails rest on projections 1, and are serewed or
bolted to the sides of the openings h, it being understood that the bottom of
the passage in the turntable is in line with the tops of the rails. At the top
of the turntable there are projections or stops m, Figs. 3 and 4, and in the
middle a boss n, -Fig. 3, in which there is a pin o, the top of which is in
contact with the latch p, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, which at one end is held loosely
to the outer casing, and at the other end is capable of moving up and down
in a slot in the casing, and in the middle of the latch in line with the pin
there is an adjusting screw q, to which access is obtained through an aperture
or armhole r, Figs. 1 and 3. The travelling carriage consists of a thick
plates, Figs. 1 and 8, carrying the pin t for forming the bearing for the two
wheels u, the sides of which correspond with the rails k, and their peripheries
travel upon them. The lower part of the plate passes through an opening v
at the bottom of the turntable, and through the space v¹ between the rails,
which part of the plate is made wide to act as a guide and keep the pulleys
in line with the rails. At the bottom of the plate there is a bearing w, to
which the lifting blocks are attached, and at the upper part of the plate there
is a small roller or pulley x for raising the latch and releasing the turntable
when the said pulley strikes the bottom of the pin o as the carriage is going
on the table. The pulleys, rollers, or spheres d are for lessening the friction
of the turntable, but in some cases they may be dispensed with and a swivel
joint used instead, or other modifications may be employed for turning the
goods on to lines of railway at angles with the main lines. The rails are
connected to hangers y, Figs. 5 and 6, constructed so as to leave ample space
for the carriage to pass along, the hangers being fastened to longitudinal and
cross beams z, or to any other suitable supports. The number of longitudinal
and cross rails, and consequently the number of turntables, will depend upon
the size of the room and the description of goods to be removed or raised.

page_text: In Fig. 6 five rows of rails k are shewn, two between each row of pillars a¹,
to which they are sufficiently near to allow a free passage between each pile
of goods. The said goods are received at the door 6', Fig. 5, above which at
or about the centre I place a line of rails with the turntables as at c, Fig. 6.
The goods are hoisted up by means of differential or other pulley blocks
connected to the bearing of the travelling carriage, and are then run along
the line and through the turntables without stopping, until they arrive at the
one connected to the line in which the goods are required to be placed.
When the carriage enters the outer casing, and arrives at the centre of the
turntable, it raises the latch so that the table can be turned one quarter round,
and place the openings in the right direction for the exit of the carriage, and
before the final exit the latch falls and holds the turntable right for the return
of the carriage. The goods are then pushed or drawn along the rails and
lowered in the place required, after which the carriage is returned for a fresh
load. Although I have shewn the openings in the outer casing, and the stops
or projections on the turntable arranged for lines of railway placed at right
angles, it is evident that the positions of these parts can be changed to suit
lines of rails placed at any angle required, and also that the strength and
dimensions of the apparatus can be varied according to the weight of the
goods to be moved.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim, the construction and application of overhead turntables, as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, or any mere
modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Moulton, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-second day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named George Moulton,
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
GEORGE MOULTON. (L.S.)