Improvements in Buckets or Grabs for Excavators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by JEREMIAH CAMPBELL, of Chelsea, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Merchant.]
Improvements in Buckets or Grabs for Excavators.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to improvements in grabs or automatic hoisting buckets and
pertains to a grab operated by two chains or ropes and a double drum engine.
The object of the invention is to so construct the grab that it shall have great
spread when open and not be high when closed, and to provide simple and powerful
means for its operation and a rigid frame about which the operative parts work.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grab embodying my invention, the dotted line
showing it in an open position.
Figure 2 is an end elevation when closed.
A represents the frame about which the parts operate, containing near its top the
shaft b upon which the sheaves c, c¹ turn. At its top is an eye d to which the
suspending or holding rope or chain H is attached. The shells S, S are hinged at 8
to the lower outer ends of the frame A. Connected rigidly to the shells S by means
of the rods E E are the levers L, L', these levers carrying at their upper ends the
sheaves f, f.
The closing and hoisting rope C is bifurcated, one part. passing through the top of
the frame A above one of the sheaves fon the lever 1, thence over the sheave c and
over the sheave f to the eye g where its end is secured. The other part passes in a
similar manner about the sheaves f¹ of the other lever L¹ and the sheave c¹ to the
eye g¹. The shaft b is so angled that the rope or chain will lead fairly onto all the
sheaves of each tackle.
In order to operate the grab it is suspended by the rope H, the rope C is slackened,
the levers L, L' and their respective shells S, S swing into the open position shown in
dotted lines overhauling their respective tackles. The grab is in this position lowered
onto the coal or other substance to be gathered by it. The drum which winds the
rope H is thus released and the other drum of the hoisting engine is operated to wind
up the rope C which exerts a pull on the tackles and the levers and shells are operated
to close and gather in the coal or other substance. The continued winding of the
rope C will hoist the grab and it is opened to discharge its load by holding the rope H
and slackening the rope C as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion 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 :-
1. A grab bucket comprising two parts pivotally connected at or near their upper,
outer ends to a rigid frame, carrying sheaves set at an angle, which sheaves form part

page_text: of a tackle which actuate levers rigidly connected to said pivotal parts, and said fixed
frame and said levers.
2. A grab bucket comprising two parts pivotally connected to a rigid frame, said
rigid frame, levers pivoted to said frame and rigidly connected to said parts and means
for exerting a pull upon the levers.
3. A grab bucket comprising two parts pivotally connected to a frame, and which
parts are actuated by a tackle or tackles, some of the sheaves of which have an angular
position to insure fair leading of the rope or chain.
4. A grab bucket comprising two parts pivotally connected to a rigid frame, and
levers and tackles for actuating said parts.
5. A grab bucket comprising two parts pivotally connected to a frame, which parts
are actuated by levers and tackles, one or more sheaves of which are at an angle to
cause fair leading of the rope or chain.
Dated this 29th day of March 1898.
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.