Improvements in Mud Lifting and Sweeping Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mud Lifting and Sweeping Machines.
I, CHARLES WALKDEN, of 3, Sydney Terrace, Green Point, Cape Town, Cape
Colony, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention a pair of inclined side frames, preferably made
of plate stiffened by angle irons, held at some distance apart by cross ties, are
mounted on a pair of road wheels at the rear which is the lower end of the frames.
One of the road wheels has on it a sprocket wheel which by means of a chain
drives a sprocket pinion at the end of a roller mounted in bearings at the lowest
part of the frame, and an endless apron of suitable fabric stiffened by transverse
slots, passes round this roller and a roller at the front upper end of the frame.
The other road wheel has on it a toothed wheel driving a similar toothed wheel,
a sprocket wheel on which drives a corresponding sprocket wheel on the axis
of a revolving broom which is thus caused to revolve in a direction opposite to
that of the road wheel and apron roller. Over the rear apron roller is
mounted, on a cross bolt, a mud conductor consisting of a number of bent plates
arranged side by side each curving backwards and partly under the revolving
broom.
The
This conductor is made up of separate plates so that, in passing over stones or
other obstructions, parts of it can rise independently of the other parts.
revolving broom consists of a number of rows of bass or other material suitable
for sweeping held in wood bars extending across between a pair of wheels mounted
on the axis of the broom, the parts being so fastened together that the bass can
be readily adjusted, removed and replaced as it becomes worn. The front of the
machine is connected to a mud cart. As this cart travels dragging the machine
after it the revolving broom sweeps mud over the conductor on to the travelling
apron which carries the mud upwards in an inclined path and delivers it from
the top of the incline into the mud cart. Under the upper apron roller is adjust-
ably fixed a slab or plate of india rubber which bears against the underside of
the apron and clears mud off it.
Dated this 10th day of November 1897
Improvements in Mud Lifting and Sweeping machines.
I, CHARLES WALKDEN, of 3, Sydney Terrace, Green Point, Cape Town, Cape
Colony, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
[Price 8d.]

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a machine which, being drawn along a road behind a
mud cart, sweeps mud on to an incline along which an endless apron provided
with transverse slats is caused to travel leading the mud up the incline and de-
livering it into the mud cart, as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings shewing one form of machine according to my invention. Fig. 1 is a
side view and Fig. 2 is a plan. AA are two side frames in which are formed
bearings for the axle B of a pair of road wheels B¹ B¹, for a counter shaft C, for
the shaft D of an upper roller D', a shaft E of a lower roller E¹, and a shaft F
of a sweeping drum F¹. On the shaft C is a toothed wheel C₁ gearing, with a
toothed wheel B2 on the shaft B; there is also on C a pulley C driving by belt
a pulley E on the shaft E. and a pulley C driving by belt a pulley F2 on the
axis F. Round the rollers D¹ E passes a chain of slats G. The two frames A. A
are held together by cross bars H which support an inclined floor K along which
the slats G travel. At the base of the floor is sunk part or well K¹ and behind
that there is a guide K2 hinged to the rear edge of K, this guide not being made
as one continuous plate but as a number of strips placed closely side by side so
as to yield separately to inequalities of the road. The side frames AA are also
connected by a cross bar L on which is mounted a caster I with screw adiust-
ment for level. The sweeping drum F¹ has a disc at each end connected by
bolts F3 which support the bass brushes F.
As the machine is drawn along the road the sweeping drum F¹ sweeps mud
along the guide K2 into the well K, whence the travelling chain slats G draw it
up along the inclined floor K and deliver it over the front end of K into a cart to
which the machine is yoked.
Instead of a chain of slats such as G an apron of suitable strong fabric with
cross slats may be employed to operate as the chain G; or such an apron could
be arranged to operate in an inverse manner, the mud being carried on the upper
side of the apron, in which case the shaft E would be driven by toothed gear or
a crossed belt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A mud lifting and sweeping machine arranged and operating substantially as
described.