AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION TO CRANES, AND REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Barry, of Bromley Grove, Shortlands, in the
County of Kent, Wharfinger, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
AND MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION TO CRANES, AND REGULATING AND
CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE SAME."
Sealed the 3rd December 1867, and dated the 7th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Barry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th June 1867.
I, ALFRED BARRY, of Bromley Grove, Shortlands,, in the County of Kent,
Wharfinger, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION TO CRANES, AND
REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more especially to cranes for warehouse and other
work in which great expedition is required, and where care is necessary to
prevent injury to the goods being lifted and other accidents, and is more par-
ticularly adapted to cranes employed in connection with those engines whose
force is obtained by the explosion of hydrogen gas.
The said Invention consists in the employment of an adjustable guide
roller in combination with the driving belt which communicates motion from
the engine to the crane. When this roller is adjusted to tighten the belt the
latter will bind on the driving pulleys on the crane and engine shafts, but
when the adjustable roller is released the belt becomes slack and the crane will

page_text: stop though the engine continues running. The crane may be constructed
in any ordinary manner, and may be provided with either single or double
gear. The journals of the barrel are supported to turn freely in suitable
bearings cast upon or otherwise securely attached to strong upright side
frames, which also support the bearings for the other shafts. The driving
pulley is formed with flanges, and is placed upon the countershaft, which is
by preference arranged at or near the middle of the framing, and the driving
shaft of the engine may be supported in bearings at the foot of the same.
The adjustable roller is fitted to turn freely upon a pin or stud fixed on one
end of a lever, which is pivotted upon an arm or bracket secured to the side
of the framing between the belt pullies of the crane and engine; the said
roller is of the proper width to allow the belt to pass freely over it, and is
provided with flanges to prevent the displacement of the said belt. The other
end of the lever is provided with a cord or chain which is carried over guide
pulleys near the aperture through which the rope or chain of the crane
passes, so that the look-out man may also regulate the action of the crane
and engine without quitting his post, and work the break line for stopping or
lowering the goods.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Barry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BARRY, of Bromley Grove, Shortlands, in the County of Kent, Wharfinger,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Barry, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Barry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred.
Barry, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF. AND
MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION TO CRANES, AND REGULATING AND CONTROLLING

page_text: THE OPERATION OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alfred Barry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Barry, do hereby declaro
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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification :-
The said Invention relates more especially to light cranes for warehouse
and other work in which great care is necessary to prevent injury to the
goods being lifted and other accidents, and is more especially adapted to cranes
employed in connection with those engines whose force is obtained by the
explosion of hydrogen gas.
The said improvements consist in the employment of an adjustable guide
roller or rollers in combination with a driving belt which communicates
motion from the engine to the crane. The roller or rollers can be adjusted to
tighten the belt, the latter being then caused to bind on the driving pulleys
on the crane and engine shafts, but when the adjustable roller is released the
belt becomes slack and the crane will stop though the engine continues
ruuning. The crane may be constructed in any ordinary manner, and may be
provided with either single or double gear. The journals of the barrel aro
supported to turn freely in suitable bearings cast upon or otherwise securely
attached to strong upright side frames, which also support the bearings for the
other shafts. The driving pulley is placed upon the countershaft, which is by
preference arranged at or near the top of the framing, and the driving shaft of
the engine may be supported in bearings at the foot of the same. The adjustable
roller is fitted to turn freely upon a pin or stud fixed on one end of a lever,
which is pivoted upon an arm or bracket secured to the side of the framing
between the belt pullies of the crane and engine; the said roller is of the
proper width to allow the belt to pass freely over it, and is provided with flanges
to prevent the displacement of the said belt. The other end of the lever is
extended into a convenient position to be operated by the attendant in charge
of the crane, or may be provided with a cord or chain which is carried over
guide pulleys to the aperture through which the rope or chain of the crane
passes, so that the look-out man may also regulate the action of the crane and

page_text: Tany designed and
Like letters
arranged for warehouse purposes, illustrating the adaptation of my improve-
ments to the same; Figure 2 is a front view of the said crane.
indicate the same parts in each of the Figures.
The side pieces or frames a of the crane may be constructed of cast iron or
other suitable material, and are firmly secured to the flooring or to beams or
rafters forming part of the building or connected with the same.
The engine
may be erected upon a separate foundation or bed plate b, or the parts of the
crane and engine may be supported upon one frame. The side pieces a are
arranged at a proper distance apart to receive the barrel c conveniently
between them. The journals c¹ of the said barrel are fitted to turn freely in
the bearings d, which are formed upon or firmly secured to the side pieces a.
The countershaft e is supported in bearings f, which are in like manner
formed or fixed upon the side pieces a. The pinion g which gears into the
wheel h may be keyed or otherwise firmly secured upon the said counter-
sbaft, or may be fitted to slide end wise on the said shaft, which may have at
its other end another pinion of different diameter also fitted to slide in and
out of gear with a wheel on the barrel shaft; the size of these wheels and
pinions may be varied according to the required speed and power of the crane,
and in cranes for heavy work an intermediate shaft wheel and pinion may be
placed between the shaft e and barrel c. The drum or pulley i is firmly keyed
upon the end of the shaft. e in line with the driving pulley j on the crank
shaft k, the two pulleys being of the proper width between their flanges i¹, j', to
allow the band to run properly over them; the adjustable guide roller m
should also be made of corresponding width between its flanges m¹; the said
guide roller is fitted to turn freely upon the pin or stud n, which is secured in
the arms o or upon other arms or supports extending from the shaft or axle p;
the said shaft is supported in the brackets q or other suitable bearings attached
to the framing a. The lever whereby the adjustment of the roller m is
effected is firmly fixed upon the shaft p, and is made of such a length as to
allow the required pressure upon the said pulley to be conveniently applied by
the attendant. The cord or chain s attached to the end of the lever may by
the aid of supporting and guiding pulleys t be extended to any desired portion.

page_text: of the building. The rope or chain of the brake lever v may also be con-
ducted over similar pulleys to the same position. In this arrangement of
parts the band is tightened, as shown in dotted lines, Figure 1, by raising
the lever r, and slackened by releasing the said lever, which falls by its own
gravity aided by the weight, but any other arrangement of the adjustable
roller and its lever may be employed if found desirable.
A cord or chain s'
is attached to any convenient support above the lever r to keep the same
from falling too low.
I prefer to use a break wheel v', which is held by a metal band v² con-
nected to the lever v, but any other suitable and convenient devices may be
employed for this purpose. A ratchet wheel and pawl of ordinary arrange-
ment or other suitable holding device may be employed to prevent the
running down of the load in case of the slipping or breaking of the band / or
other accident.
To effect the unwinding of the chain from the barrel when the said chain
is empty or unloaded I employ a crossed belt or cord w, which by means of
the adjustable rollers w¹ and lever w³ is caused to drive or release the pulley x
on the countershaft e; the said lever may be provided with a weight to insure
its falling properly when released. The said cord passes over the pulleys x
and y, and when it is desired to unwind the chain or rope z the adjustable
rollers w¹ are caused to act upon the cord w and tighten the same around the
pulleys x and y. The cord being crossed will drive the shaft e in the opposite
direction to that in which it is driven by the band 2, and will therefore unwind
the chain from the barrel without reversing the engine. When the lever w
is released the cord w being no longer tight upon the pulleys x and y will no
longer drive the latter, thus leaving the shaft e free to turn in the opposite
direction when the band is tightened. I prefer to attach a rope or chain w
to the lever w², which rope is conducted to the same position in the building
as the ropes s and u; the said ropes are thus placed all within the reach of
one attendant, who watches the load and regulates its ascent or descent and
controls the operations of the crane and engine without quitting his post.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it
understood that I do not confine myself to any particular construction or
arrangement of the crane and engine, nor to the use of an engine driven by
the explosive force of gas, as any other means may be resorted to for obtaining
the required motive power; but I claim,-
First, communicating motion to the crane from the engine by means of a
baud or belt, which can be tightened or slackened upon its driving pulleys, in

page_text: such a manner as to control or regulate the operations of the crane without
stopping or regulating the working of the engine.
Second, the adjustable roller m arranged to act upon the belt and
operated by the lever r, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Barry, bave hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ALFRED BARRY. (L.S.)