Year: 1887

page_text: Date of App.ication, 1st Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 29th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 30th Dec.. 1887
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention comprises improvements on and modifications of apparatus
described in the Specification of my Patent No. 16939 of 1884.
"
In the said Specification there are described certain arrangements for effecting the
sluing of the crane jib and the raising or lowering of its outer end, the latter
operation being hereinafter referred to as topping. By my present Invention
I propose to effect the operations mentioned by means of improved arrangements
of apparatus.
When the jib is constructed as described in my earlier Specification with two beams
or girders having between them an hydraulic cylinder with tackle pulleys for working.
the hoisting chain, I fix on the outer side of each girder a long hydraulic cylinder of
small diameter, and on each ram I fit a pulley. A rope or chain having one end
fixed to the jib is passed round the ram pulley, next round a pulley on a stud fixed to
the jib, and then round a pulley on a block which can be adjusted and clamped at any
suitable part of the jib.. The pulleys and folds of the rope or chain may be increased
in number when the power required renders it necessary. From the last mentioned
pulley the rope or chain is led to a fixed point at the side of the ship, and by making
the hydraulic ram act on it the crane can be slued, the two hydraulic cylinders being
used for sluing in opposite directions. When with a raking mast only one cylinder is
required for sluing the other may be used for topping, the rope or chain acted on by
it being led to a pulley at the outer end of the jib, and thence up to a fixed point or
pulley on the mast, with such tackle arrangements as may be required for the weight
to be dealt with. In cases in which both hydraulic cylinders at the sides of the jib are
required for sluing, an additional cylinder may be provided for topping being fixed
either on the jib or on the mast but by preference on the latter.
When she topping
has to be done in concert with the sluing, as for example when the jib has to be raised
as it is slued inboard and vice versa the valve of the topping cylinder may be moved
automatically by a grooved cam fixed to or turning with the jib and acting on a rod
or lever connected to the valve.

page_text: The pipes for leading the water to and from the sluing or lateral hydraulic cylinders
of the jib are entered into stuffing boxes having the same horizontal or nearly hori-
zontal axis as the studs or trunnions on which the forked lower end of the jib is jointed.
These stuffing boxes are connected by pipes to a central tubular piece having its axis
coincident with the vertical or nearly vertical axis about which the jib slues, this
tubular piece being passed through stuffing boxes, and being capable of turning, with
the sluing motion, in a fixed valve box having two pipes connected to it, which pipes
by separate passages in the valve box and tubular piece communicate respectively with
the pipes communicating with the two lateral hydraulic cylinders. The pipes of the
fixed valve box are connected to the valve apparatus by which the actions of the
apparatus are controlled.
In some cases, and whero considered convenient the arrangements herein before
described may be modified by fixing one or both of the sluing cylinders on the mast
instead of on the jib, and arranging it or them to effect both the topping and sluing
operations.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of February 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Hydraulic Cranes for Ships.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention comprises improvements on and modifications of apparatus
described in the Specification of my Patent No. 16939 of 1884.
In the said Specification there are described certain arrangements for effecting the
sluing of the crane jib and the raising or lowering of its outer end, the latter
operation being what is briefly termed " topping." By my present Invention I
provide for effecting the operations mentioned by means of improved arrangements
of apparatus, which I have shown on two accompanying sheets of explanatory
drawings.
Figure, 1, is a side elevation showing the jib of the crane in a lowered position and
part of the mast to which it is connected; and figure, 2, is a plan of the jib or a view
of it as turned at right angles to the position in which it is shown in figure, 1.

page_text: Figure, 3, is a section of a detail and is hereinafter referred to. Figure, 4, is an
enlarged sectional plan of the part connecting the bottom or inner end of the jib to the
mast. Figures, 5, and 6, are a vertical section and a side elevation corresponding to
figure, 4; and figure, 7, is a face view of a cam by means of which the "topping"
operation is automatically effected in connection with the sluing movement. The jib
and other parts of the apparatus are constructed as described in my earlier Specifica-
tion hereinbefore referred to, excepting the parts in my former arrangement which are
to be replaced by the improved apparatus comprised in my present Invention and
hereinafter described.
The jib as shown in the accompanying drawings is constructed as described in my
earlier Specification, with two beams or girders, 10, having between them an hydraulic
cylinder, 11, with tackle pulleys, 12, for working the hoisting chain, 13, (shown by
dotted lines). By my present Invention I fix two hydraulic cylinders, 14, 15, of
considerable length and small diameter, one on the outside of one girder, 10, and the
other on the outside of the other girder, both being placed at the lower or inner end
of the jib. The ram of each of these cylinders, 14, 15, has fitted on its outer end a
pulley, 16, 17, and a rope or chain, 18, having one end fixed to the jib at, 19, is
passed round one ram pulley, 17, next round a pulley, 20, on a bracket fixed to the jib,
and then round a pulley, 21, on a bracket, 22, which can be adjusted and clamped at
any suitable part of the jib. The section figure, 3, shows the bracket, 22, as made in
two parts which are bolted together and thereby clamped on the jib girder, 10, the
pulley, 21, being held in a fork, 23, fitted in the bracket, 22, so as to be able to swivel.
Where the power required renders it necessary the number of pulleys and folds of the
rope or chain may be increased. From the pulley, 21, the rope or chain, 18, is led to
a fixed point, 24, at the side of the ship, and by making the hydraulic cylinder, 15, act
on it the crane can be slued. In some cases the two hydraulic cylinders, 14, 15, are
used for sluing the jib in opposite directions, both acting on similarly arranged pulleys
and ropes or chains but with the ropes or chains connected to fixed points on
opposite sides of the ship. With a raking mast only one of the hydraulic
cylinders, 14, 15, is required for sluing to one side of the ship, and the other can be
used for "topping."
When one, say, 14, of the side cylinders is used for topping, the rope or chain, 25,
acted on by it proceeds from a fixed point, 19, on the jib round the ram pulley, 16,
then round a guide pulley, 26, held in a bracket fixed to the jib, and next round a
pulley, 27, and back to a fixed point on the jib. The pulley, 27, has attached to it the
topping rope or chain, 28, which proceeds round a pulley, 29, held by a pair of
links, 30, jointed to the outer end of the jib and thence up to a fixed point placed
sufficiently high on the mast, 31.
The arrangement of the pipes for leading the water to and from the sluing or lateral
cylinders, 14, 15, is best shown in figures, 4, 5, and 6. The cylinders, 14, 15, have
fixed to their bottom ends blocks, 33, 34, communicating internally with the cylinders
and provided with stuffing boxes having pipes, 35, 36, entered into them and having
the same axis as the studs or trunnions, 37, on which the joint eyes, 38, of the lower
ends of the jib girders, 10, are jointed. The studs or trunnions, 37, are, as in my
former arrangement, fixed into the sides of a centre block, 39, which is fitted so that
it can turn about a vertical or nearly vertical axis in a bracket, 40, fixed to the
mast, 31, and which has connected to its lower end through a stuffing box, 41, a
pipe, 42, by which the water passes to and from the main jib cylinder, 11. At the
upper end of the passage with which the pipe, 42, communicates there is a stuffing
box, 43, having its axis the same as that of the studs or trunnions, 37; and into this
stuffing box there is entered one end of a bent pipe, 44, which has its other end
connected to the cylinder, 11. The pipes, 35, 36, which as herein before described are
in communication with the lateral cylinders, 14, 15, also communicate with passages
in a piece, 45, fixed to the top of the centre block, 39; and one of these passages
communicates with a central vertical pipe, 46, and the other with an outer pipe, 47.
The outer pipe, 47, fits in a stuffing box in a box, 48, to which a pipe, 49, is connected,
and the inner pipe, 46, passes up through the box, 48, and through a stuffing box in an

page_text: upper box, 50, which has a pipe, 51,.connected to it. The box, 48, is fixed to an upper
bracket, 52, fixed to the mast, 31.
6:
If the cylinder, 14, with which the pipe, 49, communicates is arranged for sluing,
then the pipe, 49, is led to a position near the hatchway where it is provided with a
valve which can be conveniently controlled by the person attending to the operations
of the crane.
And if the cylinder, 15, with which the other pipe, 51, communicates is
arranged for topping" then this pipe, 51, is connected to a valve box; 53, fixed on a
bracket, 54, fixed to the main bracket, 40, and the valve rod, 55, is arranged to bo
acted on by a grooved cam, 56, fixed to the centre lock, 39, and shown separately in
figure, 7. When the jib is slued inboard the cam, 56, acting on the valve rod, 55,
moves the valve in the box, 54, so as to cause the jib to be raised and the opposite
action takes place when the jib is slued outwards again.
If found preferable in any case the sluing action may be made automatic instead of
the topping action; and in such a case the valve controlling the topping action will
be worked by means of a hand lever, and the valve controlling the sluing action
will be worked by means of a lever or rod connected to the jib so as to be moved
thereby.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved combination of parts of hydraulic cranes for ships substantially as
herein before described and as shown on the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination consisting of a jib having fixed on it a main hoisting cylinder,
and two cylinders fixed at the sides of the jib, one of these two cylinders being arranged
for actuating sluing gear and the other for actuating sluing or topping gear, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
3. The pipe and stuffing-box connections for the bydraulic cylinders on the jib,
arranged so as to be independent of the movements of the jib substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of a cam (56) turning with the sluing motion of the
jib, with a suitably placed valve and valve rod (55) arranged to cause the topping
action to take place automatically substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The modified arrangement in which the sluing motion of the jib is derived
automatically from the topping motion, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of November 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.