IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Messrs. Wirth & Co., Patent Solicitors, of
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, Acting as Agents of
Heinrich Hartmann, of Mannheim, in the Empire of Germany, Architect.]
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to machines for excavating earth in the construction of
canals, railways and other works. It is especially adapted for use in clayey or
loamy soil; it can however be employed in other kinds of ground.
In carrying the invention into practice I provide a carriage adapted to run upon
a track or rails. Upon this carriage is mounted in suitable bearings so as to rotate
therein, a horizontal shaft.
With the said shaft are connected segmental pieces by means of a frame similar
to a grate. Upon the said pieces are arranged closely beside each other small
rollers. A second shaft which is somewhat stronger than the horizontal shaft is
placed at right angles to the latter, being provided with a hole through which the
horizontal shaft passes in a suitable manner s that the latter can turn in the
former. Upon the said second shaft is arranged an excavating wheel so that it
can revolve. It consists of an outer ring and of a somewhat smaller ring arranged
below the outer ring. Both rings are connected by iron spokes with each other
and with the hub. A third ring is firmly secured on the lower side to the spokes
and is provided with holes arranged at suitable distances from one another, with
which holes a toothed wheel of the driving gear engages. The said toothed wheel
is loose upon the horizontal shaft and can be rotated thereon Between the outer
and second rings of the wheel are firmly inserted at definite distances apart the
scoops or buckets. These buckets are open in front and below and the portion of
the ring upon which the scoop stands is also perforated The lower opening can,
however, be closed by a plate which can be turned on a hinge. The edges of the
opening in front are sharpened similar to knives.
Immediately beside these scoops or buckets are fastened preliminary cutters
upon the external periphery of the second ring.

page_text: .
The excavating wheel is so placed upon its axis that it rests with the lower side
of the second ring upon the small rollers upon the segmental pieces. A screw-nut
screwed upon the axis secures the wheel upon the same, so that it cannot be dis-
placed in the direction of the axis thereby preventing its revolution which is
facilitated by the rollers arranged upon the segmental pieces:
Upon the said carriage is also arranged the engine or motor driving the
machine.
In the rotation of the excavating wheel each hinged plate, on passing the
segmental piece on the right hand side is pressed upon the lower opening of
the scoop or bucket so that the latter is closed from below and is open only in
front. The scoop now remains closed below even when during the continued
rotation of the excavating wheel it leaves the segmental piece and cuts into the
earth; the solid ground in the rear of the bucket preventing the hinged plate from
opening. The entrance of the scoop into the ground is facilitated by the knives
secured to the second ring, which knives similarly to the share of a plough cut the
ground open before the scoop, which is then filled with the earthy material and
passes in the continued revolution of the excavating wheel upon the segmental
piece on the left hand side by means of which, in a similar manner to that herein-
before described, the hinged bottom-plate is pressed against the lower opening of
the scoop. When, however, the latter leaves the segmental piece, the bottom or
hinged plate loses its support and the earth it contained now falls through the
opening, which is no longer obstructed by the hinged plate, onto the shoot con-
nected by a hinge to the frame. From the said plate the earth passes onto trucks
below, by which its transport is effected.
As soon as the scoop which is open below passes again upon the segmental piece
on the right hand side, it is closed in the manner described, and the same operation
is repeated at every revolution of the wheel with respect to each single scoop.
In proportion as the ground is cut away, the carriage which supports the whole
apparatus advances automatically. For effecting this advance, upon one of the
axles is arranged a worm wheel with which engages a worm driven in any suitable
manner by the motor.
For transporting the apparatus the excavating wheel can be turned upon the
horizontal axis into a horizontal position or nearly so. In this position it does not
interfere with the removal of the machine from one place to another.
When the ground is removed by the machine for a certain distance, the rails
upon which the carriage stands are shifted correspondingly and work is again
commenced so that at every back motion of the machine the ground is excavated
to the width of the scoops.
The normal angle at which the excavating wheel is to operate usually is
45 degrees, but the wheel can, according to local requirements be placed at any
angle to the horizontal plane by turning it upon the horizontal shaft.
The wall of the scoop by which the ground is cut is horizontal at the operating
point, whilst the scoop immediately above the shoot stands vertical, upon which
latter fact depends the discharge from the scoop, of the earth contained in the
same.
Between the several scoops may be arranged, at will, rakes or preliminary
breakers by which the earth, when the ground is firm, is loosened and thus
prepared for being taken up by the scoops.
It is to be understood that instead of the perforated ring, a bevel-wheel can,
in certain cases, be arranged on the lower side of the spokes of the wheel, the said
bevel-wheel engaging with the driving gearing.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to excavators or machines for excavating earth in the
construction of canals, railways and other works. The said machines are especially
adapted for use in clayey or loamey soil they can however be employed in other
kinds of ground.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavator constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 2 shows the excavating wheel in plan and vertical section.
Figure 3 is a view of the mechanism supporting the said wheel, and
Figure 4 is a view of a portion of the excavating wheel showing one of the
buckets or scoops drawn to an enlarged scale.
A indicates the excavating wheel and B B segmental pieces forming a table upon
which the said wheel is mounted. This table is carried upon a carriage C adapted
to run upon a track or rails.
In suitable bearings upon the carriage C is mounted the shaft i Figures 2 and 3
which shaft is adapted to rotate in the said bearings. With the said shaft are
connected the segmental pieces B B by means of a suitable frame. Upon the said
segmental pieces are arranged closely beside each other small rollers.
A shaft which is somewhat stronger than the shaft i is placed at right angles
to the latter and is provided with a socket having a horizontal hole through
which the shaft i passes in such a manner that the latter can turn in the said
socket.
Upon the shaft k and adapted to rotate thereon is mounted the excavating
wheel A. Figures 1 and 2. This wheel consists as shown in Figure 2, of the outer
ring a, and of the somewhat smaller ring b arranged below the outer ring. Both
rings are connected by the iron spokes c with each other and with the hub e.
A third ring d is firmly secured to the spokes c upon their lower sides and is
provided with holes arranged at suitable distances from one another, with which
holes the teeth of a toothed wheel of the driving gear G Figure 1 engages.
The said toothed wheel is loose upon the shaft i and can be rotated thereon.
Between the rings a and b of the wheel are firmly inserted at suitable distances
apart the scoops or buckets f. These buckets, as shown in Figure 4, are open in
front and are adapted to open at the bottom. For this purpose portions of the
ring b adjacent to the scoops or buckets are cut away to form openings f¹. Each
of these openings is closed by a plate h which can turn upon a hinge. The
edges of the scoops or buckets at the front openings are sharpened to form
cutting edges.

page_text: Immediately beside these scoops or buckets upon the external periphery of the
ring bare fastened cutters g which enter the soil slightly in advance of the edges
of the buckets.
b
The wheel A is so placed upon the axis that it rests with the lower side of the
ring upon the pieces B B, the small rollers thereon facilitating its movement.
A nut screwed upon the upper end of the shaft and provided with a washer
secures the excavating wheel upon the said shaft k, so that it cannot be displaced
in the direction of the axis and thereby moved out of engagement with the wheel Z
and prevented from revolving.
Upon the carriage C is arranged an engine or motor for rotating the wheel A
through the medium of the gearing G which rotation takes place in the direction
of the arrows shown in Figures 2 and 4.
In the rotation of the wheel A each hinged plate on passing the segmental
piece B on the right hand side is moved into the opening f¹ of the scoop or
bucket f, so that the latter is closed upon the lower side and is open only in front.
The hinged plate remains in this position when, during the continued rotation of
the wheel A, it leaves the segmental piece B and enters the ground; the solid soil
in the rear of the bucket preventing the said hinged plate from opening. The
entrance of the scoop f into the ground is facilitated by the knife secured to the
ring b which knife similarly to the share of a plough, cuts the ground before the
scoopf reaches it. The scoop when filled with earth passes during the continued
revolution of the wheel A upon the segmental piece B on the left hand side, by
means of which, in a similar manner to that before described the hinged bottom-
plate is pressed against the lower opening of the scoop f. When however the
latter leaves the segmental piece, the bottom or hinged plate h loses its support
and drops, and the earth contained in the scoop or bucket now falls through the
opening f¹, onto the inclined plate or shoot E connected by a hinge to the
frame B B. From the said plate the earth passes to trucks by which its transport
is effected.
As soon as the scoopf which is open below passes again over the segmental
piece B on the right hand side it is closed in the manner before described. This
operation is repeated at every revolution of the wheel with each scoop or bucket.
In proportion as the ground is cut away, the carriage C which supports the
apparatus advances automatically. For effecting this advance a worm wheel H is
arranged upon one of the axles of the carriage with which worm wheel engages a
worm driven in any suitable manner by the motor.
For transporting the apparatus the wheel A can be turned upon the axis i as
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. In this position it does not interfere
with the removal of the machine from one place to another.
When the ground has been removed by the machine for a certain distance the
rails upon which the carriage C stands are shifted back a distance corresponding
to the width of the scocps or buckets and work is again commenced so that every
time the machine is moved backwards the ground is excavated to the width of the
scoops or buckets f.
The angle at which the excavating wheel A operates is usually 45 degrees, but
the wheel can, according to local requirements, be placed at any angle to the
horizontal plane by turning it upon the shaft i.
As shewn in Figure 1 the cutting edge of the scoop or bucket f by which the
ground is being cut is in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position at the operating
point, whilst the edge of the scoop or bucket immediately above the inclined plate
or shoot E stands vertically or nearly so which latter position is most advan-
tageous for the proper emptying of the scoop or bucket f of the earth contained in
the same.
If desired breakers, by which the earth, when the ground is firm, is loosened
and thus prepared for being taken up by the scoops or buckets may be arranged
between the latter.

page_text: It is to he understood that instead of the perforated driving ring da bevel-
wheel can in certain cases be arranged below the spokes c of the wheel, the said
bevel wheel engaging with the gearing G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First. An excavator in which the wheel A, consisting of the rings a and b
(connected by the spokes c with each other and with the hub e) of the perforated
rings & and of the scoops f having knives g fixed beside them, is constructed and
arranged in such a manner that in its revolution the said scoops or buckets f which
effect the excavation of the earth when at the operating point have their edges, by
which the earth is cut, in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, whilst the
scoops or buckets when at the opposite side, that is to say directly above the
inclined plate or shoot E where the emptying takes place have their edges in a
vertical or nearly vertical position.
Second. The wheel described in the preceding claiming clause, in combination
with the segmental pieces B B connected with each other and with the shaft i
(which latter is capable of turning in bearings) by an open frame, and provided
upon the surface with rollers arranged closely beside each other, by means of which
segmental pieces the wheel is supported and guided during its operation on the
one hand, whilst on the other hand the proper opening and closing of the openings f¹
of the scoops f by means of the hinged plates is effected by them.
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,.
For the Applicant.