Improvements in Apparatus for Clearing Straining-grids in Water Courses of Deposited Solid Matter.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec.. 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Clearing Straining-grids in Water
Courses of Deposited Solid Matter.
I, FRIEDRICH CORRELL, of Frankfort-on-Maine, Germany, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention has for its object the continuous removal from flowing water
serving to supply turbines, water wheels, hydraulic engines, pumps, &c. of all solid
matter floating therein or carried along thereby, such as pieces of wood, leaves,
grass, rags, ice, and the like, and it consists in apparatus for arresting these solid
matters consisting of a straining grid or grating from which the deposits are con-
tinuously removed by clearing devices and deposited thereby upon a platform
arranged behind the grating.
Various contrivances have already been proposed for this purpose, which however
all are liable, more or less, to various disadvantages which prevent their general
adoption. Thus for example with one kind of such apparatus the moveable
mechanism, consisting of chains and chain wheels, are immersed in the water, and
with another kind, in which the chains and chain wheels are avoided, the moving
mechanism being out of the water, there is however a spindle or toothed rack
passing through the water which carries the clearing comb, and in addition, change
wheels and reversing gear are required in these constructions for the purpose of
imparting to the clearing comb from time to time the necessary up and down
motion.
The first described automatic clearing by means of moving mechanism immersed
in the water is quite impracticable, in particular where, as in most cases, such
arrangements are placed in front of or upon the grate bars, as such arrangements
are always liable to disturbances in the working, and are put out of action already
on the occurrence of a moderate degree of cold; the second described arrangement
is equally objectionable on account of the actuating spindle or toothed rack being
immersed in the water.
In addition, this arrangement is liable to the objection that the constructions are
rendered exceedingly expensive on account of the change wheels, reversing
mechanism, and other appliances necessary thereto.
My improved apparatus, of which several arrangements are shewn on the
accompanying drawings, avoids all the above mentioned defects by having all the
actuating mechanisms entirely out of the water, and by doing without all change
wheels and reversing gear, all the constructions being of the simplest form, and
capable of being applied to the grating without any appreciable interference with
the working.
The essential feature of the invention therefore consists in the use of appliances
for clearing the gratings whose actuating mechanisms are entirely out of the water
and which effect both the up and down motion of the clearing comb without the
use of change wheels and reversing gear.
As the several modifications of the main principle of construction shewn on the
accompanying drawings indicate, the object aimed at can be attained in various
different ways.
There is however common to all constructions the feature that the carrying arms
of the clearing comb, and the comb itself, can move between the chains actuating
the same and the upper chain wheels carrying the chains.
With some constructions in which the lower chain wheels are carried by a

page_text: common shaft which can advantageously serve as driving shaft, the clearing comb
can also pass over the latter.
Figs. 1 to 8 shew in sectional side and front views some of the most suitable
constructions of the improved clearing apparatus, which arrangements can however
of course be variously modified without departing from the nature of my
invention.
On the drawings the straining grid or its bars are marked A, the platform against
which these bear at top marked B, the channel bed C, and the sides of the
channel D. In all arrangements of the clearing mechanism, E are the lower chain
wheels, F the upper ones, and where there are two sets of these side by side, the
additional ones are marked G; H are the chains, I the clearing comb, K are
the arms connecting the latter to the chains; L are the guide rails that support the
clearing comb laterally during its upward motion, and M are the guide rails which
support the same laterally during its downward motion, and allow it to pass down
at some distance away from the grating A.
In the arrangement shewn in section and front view at Figs. 1 and 2, the lower
chain wheels E are fixed on the transverse driving shaft N, the chains H being led
at top on each side over two chain wheels F and G. To suitable links of these
chains H are pivotted by means of studs O the arms K carrying the clearing
comb I. On each side there are advantageously attached to the two arms K or to
the clearing comb I, rollers P which roll upon the guide rails L and M. Lastly
there are provided at a certain distance behind the shaft N, stops Q.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: On the shaft N being rotated, the
chains H are caused to travel round the wheels E, F, G, whereby the comb I is
drawn upward over the straining grid A from the position shewn on the drawing,
whereby it is made to carry up all solid matter which has been deposited against
the grid. In order to prevent the teeth of the clearing comb I from sliding with
excessive friction against the bars A of the grid, rollers P may be advantageously
provided, which during the said upward motion of the comb I, run upon rails Ĺ
fixed for this purpose either to the sides D of the channel or to separate plates.
When the clearing comb I has been raised by the chains H to such a height that
the rollers P pass off the upper ends of the rails L, the comb I together with its
supporting arms will, by the action of gravity, be made to swing backward towards
the vertical position, consequently moving towards the platform B. The arm K
will, during such swinging motion, come with sufficient force in contact with the
stops Q, (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1) to cause all the solid matter carried
on the teeth of the comb I which has not already fallen off of itself on to the
platform, to be thrown on to the latter by the impetus imparted thereto by the said
swinging motion.
The clearing comb I thus relieved of all the matter carried up thereby, will on
the continued motion of the chains H, be raised somewhat farther, and, assuming
a vertically hanging position, will be carried by the chains H first from the wheels
to the wheels G, passing over the upper ends of the rails L, between the chains H
and wheels E, and over shaft N, and as soon as the pivots O by which the arms K
are suspended from the chains H, have passed the highest point of the wheels G
the clearing comb I begins to descend again. The rollers P then pass on to the
guide rails M so that the comb I will now descend at some distance from the grid A.
When the comb I has arrived in its lowest position, passing below the lower ends
of the rails M which terminate at some distance from the bed C, it will fall against
the lower end of the grid A, and will then begin to travel upward along the same,
as before.
Figures 3 and 4 shew a section and front view of a construction in which the
lower chain wheels E, instead of being fixed upon a transverse driving shaft, are
carried by overhanging axes, like those of the upper chain wheels F. The second
set of upper wheels & are dispensed with, and rotation is imparted to both the
wheels Ffrom a driving shaft R by means of chain wheels and chain gearing, or
by toothed gearing, as shewn at Figures 5 and 8.

page_text: With this construction there are arranged, in a sloping position over the upper
ends of the guide rails L, short guide rails T, against which bear the upper ends
of moveable guide bars U pivotted to the upper ends of the rails M. In addition,
there may be provided behind the guide rails T a fixed comb V with downward
directed teeth, for clearing the teeth of the clearing comb I.
The action of this construction is as follows:-The clearing comb I moved
upward by the chains H, on losing the support of the rails L, swings backward,
until its rollers P come in contact with the rails T; on rising along these, the
comb I is again moved forward, and after passing the pivotted bars U, it begins to
descend again, when it is guided by the bars U on to the guide rails M, along
which it descends at some distance from the grating A, as before.
As the comb I rises along the rails T, the teeth of the comb V enter those
of I and in consequence of the lateral sliding motion of the teeth of I relatively
to those of V produced by the inclination of the rails T, the teeth of V are
made to strip off any matter that may still adhere to the teeth or in the spaces of I.
Figures 5 and 6 shew two constructions in which the rear guide rails L are
extended upward to such an extent that the rollers P do not leave them, and
consequently the comb cannot swing backward, the forward motion of the comb I
to the guide rails M being effected entirely by the. pivotted guide bars U. Both
arrangements shew different modes of clearing the comb I. That in Figure 5
consists of a pivotted comb W which during the upward motion of the comb I is
turned backward into the dotted position, but which, when the comb I has nearly
reached its highest position, moves forward into the position shewn in full lines,
in order to enter with the points of its teeth between the teeth of the comb I as
this begins to descend, so that as this at the same time moves forward along the
guide bars U, the teeth of the comb W strip off its teeth and from its spaces, the
solid matter adhering thereto, causing it to fall on to the platform B.
The clearing arrangement shewn at Figure 6 consists of a comb Y mounted on
pivotted arms X, which, by the upward motion of the clearing comb I are turned
into the dotted position, while on the commencement of the downward and simul-
taneous forward motion of I the comb Y descends with it, and in entering between
I's teeth clears them of adhering matter. The same result will be obtained by
mounting the comb Y in lateral inclined guides in which it can slide up and down,
instead of mounting it on pivotted arms.
Figure 7 shews a front view of a construction described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2, adapted for water channels of greater width, in which all guide
rails, the lower bearings of the driving shaft N, as also the stops Q, are cast in
one with or otherwise fixed to cast iron side cheeks Z, while the upper chain
wheels F G are fixed to the side walls or to the top enclosure.
The cheeks Z could also be extended upward sufficiently to carry the supports
of the upper chain wheels F and if desired also the wheels G as indicated at
Figure 8. This figure shews lastly a further arrangement of the apparatus for
wide water channels according to the constructions described, with reference to
Figs. 3, 4 and 5, with the driving gear shewn in Fig. 5, the clearing apparatus
shewn at the left hand side being the same as that at Fig. 5, while that at the
right hand side is the same as shewn at Fig. 6.
Of course in this arrangement, as also in those at Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the lower
chain wheels E might be carried by one and the same transverse shaft, which may
then conveniently serve as the driving shaft, as the clearing combs I in their
motion, do not move sufficiently far forward to come in contact with such transverse
shaft.
Fig. 5 also shews a side view of one of the side cheeks Z of Fig. 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-

page_text: mechanism is situated entirely out of the water, and in which both the upward
and the downward motion of the clearing comb I is effected without the use of
change wheels or reversing gear, the clearing comb I being for this purpose
connected by supporting arms K to chains H which pass over chain wheels E
and F, or E, F, and G, the upper ones of which are carried on overhanging axes,
so as to allow the arms K of the clearing comb to pass between them, while the
lower chain wheels are carried either by the driving shaft N, or also by over-
hanging axes, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for clearing straining grids such as is referred to in the first
claim, the arrangement at the sides of the water channel, or both at the sides and
on a middle wall thereof, of inclined guide rails L M arranged one above the other,
of which the first L support the clearing comb I, preferably by means of rollers P,
during the upward motion, while the guide rails M support the clearing comb
during its downward motion, at some distance from the guide rails L, until the
clearing comb on arriving at its lowest position leaves the guide rails M, which do
not extend to the bed of the channel, so that the comb can again fall against the
lower end of the straining grid, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for clearing straining grids of the kind referred to in the
preceding claims, the use, for conveying the clearing comb from the guide rails L
to the guide rails M, either of two upper chain wheels F and G, for guiding the
chains H, so that the clearing comb, in hanging down perpendicularly from the
chains, passes on to the guide rails M, or of pivotted guide bars U at the upper
ends of the rails M which either lie against the extended guide rails L, or against
other guide rails T arranged behind the rails L and sloping forward above them,
substantially as described."
4. In apparatus for clearing straining grids such as is referred to in the preceding
claims, providing behind the upper ends of the guide rails L either stops Qor
short guide rails T against which the arms K or their rollers P strike with such
force that the whole of the solid matter carried up by the comb I is thrown off
when, on the rollers P losing their support from the rails L, the suspended arms K
with the clearing comb tend to swing backward into the vertical position,
substantially as described.
5. In combination with the apparatus for clearing straining grids referred to in
Claims 1 and 2, the use of either fixed clearing devices such as V, or moving
clearing devices such as Y or W, carried by pivotted arms X or sliding in guides,
serving to free the clearing comb I of any matter that may remain adhering thereto,
which devices either pass through the clearing comb I or otherwise act upon the
same for removing the said solid matter, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of October 1892.