IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARatus for EXCAVATING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Waller Stoney, of Madras, India, but
at present of Cornhill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARatus for
EXCAVATING."
Scaled the 10th August 1875, and dated the 2nd April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Waller
Stoney at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 2nd April 1875.
I, EDWARD WALLER STONEY, of Madras, India, but at present of
Cornhill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
naturo of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved double-
acting combined helical and cylindrical excavator, and a simple and
efficient handle for working the same, the principal object of the
Invention being the making of apparatus which will be equally effective
for excavating clay, "kunker," "silt," or other similar stiff material

page_text: (whether under water or not) as for excavating more yielding matorial
such as sand.
The peculiar novel features of this improved excavator are that it can
be opened at parts of its bottom or of its bottom and cylindrical side for
and during the process of excavating, and it can be closed when full of
excavated material for and during the process of lifting or raising tho
same to the surface of the well or cylinder being sunk to bo omptied.
In cach modification of its construction the body of the excavator is
made cylindrical in shapo with an open top
In one modification in its bottom are cut or made two, three, or more
triangular openings at opposite sides of the centre, the portions cut arc
bent or turned downwards at one edge and sharpened, so as upon the
rotation of the excavator to act as a screw and form helical cutters,
which penetrate into-and excavate the material, and in its cylindrical
side are cut or made other openings corresponding in position with those
in the bottom, the portions cut are bent or turned outwards at one edgo
and are sharpened, so as upon the rotation of the excavator to form cylın-
drical cutters. The excavator when constructed thus is provided with
an inner false bottom and false sides made together, and of such a shape
and size as to be capable of covering and closing the openings in the
bottom and side of the body. The connection of the false bottom and
sides to the body of the excavator is effected by a cross bar rivetted or
otherwise secured to the former, and provided with an upper and a lower
circular centre, the upper one of which can turn freely in a circular
hole in a guide bar attached to the body, and the lower one of which
can turn freely in a circular recess or hole in the bottom of the
body Through these circular centres are formed square holes through
which the square excavating rod is passed. The false bottom and sides
can thus be turned by turning this rod at its top by the improved handle
herein-after to be described, so as to close the openings in the bottom
and side of the excavator, or leave them open for the purposes and
during the times mentioned; the extent of motion of the falso bottom
and sides is limited by suitable stops fixed to the inner sides of the body.
This modification of excavator I prefer to use for stiff clays and for
small sizes.
In another modification the material differences are that the openings
in the cylindrical side are omitted and the false sides are also omitted,

page_text: bottom (and cylindrical side) of the excavator, which is then raised by
means of the rope and crab winch to be opened and emptied at the top
of the well or cylinder.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
(
filed by the said Edward Waller Stoney in the Great Seal Patent &
Office on the 17th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
WALLER STONEY, of Madras, India, but at present of Cornhill, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successois, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Waller Stoney,
Her special licence that I, the said Edward Waller Stoney, my execu-
tors, admmistrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Edward
Waller Stoney, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR
EXCAVATING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Waller Stoncy, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: by the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
65
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved double-
acting, combined helical and cylindrical
"
cxcavator (which is
illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings in Figures 1 to 10)
and of a simple and efficient - handle for working the same (which is
illustrated on the Drawings in Figures 11 and 12), the principal object of
the Invention being the making of apparatus which will be equally as
effective for excavating clay,
" kunker,"
," "silt," or other similar stiff
material (whether under water or not) as for excavating more yielding
material such as sand.
"
The peculiar and novel features of the improved "oxcavator are that
it can be opened at parts of its bottom, or of its bottom and cylindrical
side for and during the process of excavating, and closed when full of
excavated material for and during the process of lifting or raising the
same to the surface of the well or cylinder being sunk to be emptied
In each modification of its construction the wrought-iron body of the
excavator is made cylindrical or nearly so in shape, with an open top.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, in its bottom ○ are
cut or made two, three, or more triangular openings 1, equidistant or at
opposite sides of the centre, the portions 2 cut are bent or turned down-
wards at one edge and sharpened so as upon the rotation of the excavator
to act as a screw and form helical cutters which penetrate into and
excavate the material, and in its cylindrical side × are cut or made other
openings 3 corresponding in position with those 1 in the bottom; the
portions 4 cut are bent or turned outwards at one edge and are sharpened
so as upon the rotation of the excavator to form cylindrical cutters.
The excavator when constructed thus is provided with an inner falsc
bottom 5 and false sides 6 made together, and of such a shape and
size as to be capable of covering and closing the openings 1 and 3
respectively. The connection of the false bottom 5 and sides 6 to the
body of the excavator is effected by a cross bar 7, rivetted or otherwise
secured to the former and provided with upper and lower circular centro
plates 8 and 9 of which the one 8 can turn freely in a circular hole in a
guide bar 10 rivetted to the body, and of which the one 9 can turn freely
in a corresponding hole or recess in the bottom o of the body, see Figures
1, 3, and 5, a bar 15 being attached to the bottom o to strengthen it.

page_text: or cutters of angle iron or steel, and it may be used percussively at first
as a jumper so that such material may be cut up and disintegrated and
rendered more suitable for being excavated.
The above mentioned cutters 2, 4, and 16, may be formed of suitable
steel pieces affixed to the body of the excavator, and the cutting edges
of the cutters 2 may be made of various shapes and corrugated if
required so as to suit the different soils in which they may be used,
In each modification eye straps 17 are rivetted to the body. of the
excavator, and to these wrought-iron chains 18 are fastened, the other
ends of which are attached to a shackle 19, to the swivel 20 of which a
Manilla rope 21 is tied and passed over pulley blocks 22 placed near the
top and bottom of a derrick pole 23 set up with its head over tho
cylinder 24 or well being sunk and carried to a crab winch.
When a derrick cannot be conveniently used suitable staging may be
crccted over or fixed on the well or cylinder top or on temporary piles,
so that the excavator may be worked in cach particular case in the most
advantageous manner.
The improved handle 13 is constructed so as to grip the excavator
rod 12 tightly and so that it can be rapidly put thereon and taken off.
The two handles are forged together, as shown in Figure 12, so as to
form three sides of a square, the fourth of which is open, so that the
handle 13 can thus be fitted sideways upon the rod 12, which is then
closed in and gripped tightly by a catch piece 26, forming the fourth side
of the square, and which is pivotted to the handle, and when the rod 12
is in position the catch piece 20 is turned over so as to hold it, being
itself retained firmly in position by a single 'turn of a thumb nut 27,
working on a screw bolt 28, on and against which the catch piece 26
rests. The handle 13 can be taken off on simply returning the thumb
nut 27 and thus releasing the catch piece 26.
The improved handle is illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, which are
drawn to a scale of ¾ inch to a foot.
Figure 11 represents an elevation of the handle, being put upon the
excavator rod 12; and Figure 12, a sectional plan.
In using the excavator the rod 12 of such a length as is required is
placed in the cylinder 24, or well, by the use of the derrick pole 23 and

page_text: its accompanying tackle, the bottom of the rod resting on and in the
material to be excavated and its top some few feet above the top of the
cylinder; the excavator is then placed thereon, opened, and run down
the rod by the rope 21 till it also rests on the material to be excavated,
see Figure 2; the handle 13 having been put on the rod (and the guide
picce 29 adjusted as shown) the latter is turned by the handle a few
times in the duection of the arrow 37, which causes the cutters 2, 4,
(or 16) of the excavator to penetrate into the material till the excavator
is filled. The handle and rod are then turned in the opposite direction
which causes the false bottom 5 (and sides G) to close the openings 1
(and 3) in the bottom (and cylindrical side) of the excavator, which is
then raised by means of the rope 21 and crab winch to near the top of
the well or cylinder, when the guide piece 29 and bandle 13 are removed,
and the raising continued to a height sufficient to allow of a barrow 30
(of any simple construction) being run along rails 31 under the excavator
which is then lowered thercon (Figures 3 and 4), opened, and its contents
discharged therein; the excavator is then raised clear of the barrow,
which is run into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, and its contents
thrown over the side of the cylinder, the excavator meanwhile being
rclowered into the cylinder ready for the operation being repeated.
When working with a short length of rod 12, or when the top of the
rod sinks below the cylinder top the barrow may be dispensed with, and
the excavator raised off the rod each time and discharged over the side of
the cylinder. As the excavator is raised off the rod 12 the square holc in
its bottom centro plate 9 is closed by a small iron flap valve 32 (rivetted
to the bar 7) falling by its own weight which prevents any escape of the
excavated material The rod 12 is preferably made of wrought iron of
about two inches square, or of square tubes of iron or steel and in
lengths suited to the excavations in hand, slightly enlarged at the joints,
which may be made of steel suitably shaped, and there united by steel
cotters 38. When a rod exceeds forty feet in length it should be
suspended by a swivel 33 and rope 34, as shown in Figures 2 and 4,
which causes it to keep straight and allow the excavator to run freely
up and down. The swivel 33 is secure to the rod 12 in any suitable
manner, such as by a taper pin 39 which can be readily knocked in or
out. The rope 34 is passed through the sheave 35 of a triangular double
block 36, Figure 13 (a'sectional plan ¾ inch to a foot); and then tied to
the base of the derrick or crab. The rod 12 can thus be raised and
lowered and its position changed as desired. By the use of the triangular

page_text: block the ropes 21 and 34 are kept apart and prevented twisting
together.
The various operations described may be effected by manual or steam
power, the appliances being suitably adapted.
The size of the excavator in use may be regulated to suit that of tho
well or cylinder to be excavated; it may be made nearly equal in diameter
to the well in which it is to be used, so that the whole arca of the
interior can thus be evenly excavated at one operation, which will be of
great advantage in sinking through hard materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object
of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark
in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the application and use of
double-acting combined helical and cylindrical excavators, and of a
simple handle for working the same, both constructed substantially as
herein described, and as illustrated on the accompanying Drawings and
the general arrangement and combination of the improved details used
for effecting the working of the apparatus, substantially as heroin
described and as illustrated on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Waller Stoney, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
EDW. W. STONEY. (L.S.)