Improvements in Travelling Jib Cranes.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Jib Cranes.
I, FERDINAND JOSEPH ARNODIN, of Chateauneuf-sur-Loire, France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to a travelling jib crane with variable range of jib the
crane being provided with an independent motor and capable of being raised and
lowered bodily. The combination and action of the various mechanisms have
been devised with a view to obtain the following advantages, viz. :
Ease, simplicity and safety of manipulation,
The possibility of employing any motor that may be deemed suitable under the
special circumstances under which the crane has to work for the time being
without having to modify the apparatus,
The possibility, when the crane has reached the limit to which it can raise
the load, of raising the apparatus bodily by the action of its own motor between
the four uprights of a suitably arranged scaffold, so as to instal it in a new or
more elevated position which admits of the crane to clear higher and higher
points according as the structure for which it is used itself increases in height.
It consists essentially of a carriage mounted on two pair of wheels which can
roll on rails while transporting the whole structure of a vertical post or mast
resting on the carriage with an intermediate series of balls for a bearing, this
post being at about the middle of its height guided by a ring forming the upper
end of a conical trestle frame which is fixed on the carriage; this admits of the
posts and parts carried by it to turn round;
Of a jib fixed at a point intermediate of its ends to the top of the post in such
manner that by means of a chain any desired inclination may be given to the
jib, in accordance with the range of the crane and the upper limit of field of eleva-
tion of the load.
In order that the apparatus may be as light as possible the post is made with
lattice work and of equal strength in every direction and the jib is composed of
two cheek pieces united by struts and forming a trussed beam suitably strength-
ened on its two vertical sides.
The following actions may be performed by this crane system viz.:
1. Horizontal travel of the whole apparatus.
2. Turning round of the central post into any direction.
3. Inclination of the jib.
4. Elevation of the load.
These movements may be done at the same time.
5. Elevation of the whole crane on a suitable scaffold.
All these movements may be carried out with or without the load.
All these movements are effected by a single motor of any suitable construction
and fixed detachably by screw bolts on a bed plate or platform integral with the
post. The motor may be placed on the right of the post. It moves, with or with-
out intermediate gearing, a main shaft placed horizontally across the post and
provided with the various mechanisms for separate actions as will be explained.
DR1

page_text: For the horizontal transport of the crane it is as stated mounted on a square
carriage. This carriage is mounted on two pairs of wheels which run on rails.
For rotating these wheels the main shaft carries in the axis of the post a pair
of bevel pinions which both gear with an intermediate bevel wheel on the post
so that the attendant on the platform can turn a spindle in the centre of the post
round in one direction or the other by moving a hand lever which operates a
clutch lever.
The said central spindle passes down to the bottom of the post where it engages
with a sleeve by a pin in two slots in the sleeve. Friction is applied to this
sleeve as will be described further on. The central spindle carries on its bottom
end a bevel pinion which gears with a bevel wheel and rotates its horizontal
spindle that at each end carries a bevel pinion gearing with bevel wheels on two
horizontal cross spindles that carry the travelling wheels which are thus actuated
as required for transporting the crane along the rails.
If during such motion a stop is abruptly made and especially if at the same time
the direction is reversed there might be a fear of breaking some of the gearing
by reason of the inertia opposed to the vis viva. In order to avoid that, the tooth
wheel gearing may be arranged as follows. The end pinion on the first named
horizontal spindle fits on one side against a friction cone fixed on the spindle and
on the other side against a similar friction cone which can slide lengthways on
a feather on the spindle limited by a nut on the end of the latter. When the
first named friction cone and then the bevel pinion have been put on, the secondly
named friction cone is put on and the necessary friction between the parts is then
adjusted by means of the nut. By this means a certain amount of slip is produced
in case of the sudden strain being put on as stated, and breakage of the gear-
ing is thus avoided.
The movements all round and of inclination are effected from the main shaft
by means of bevel wheel gearing rotating a spindle which carries two sets of bevel
pinions. By means of the first set the attendant can turn a vertical spindle
carrying an intermediate bevel wheel in one direction or the other and thereby
by pinion and wheel turn the post round. To clutch this mechanism into gear
the attendant works a lever before him at his left hand and thereby in the desired
direction a clutch fork. In order to facilitate this movement the post rests on
the one hand on the carriage by an intermediate ball bearing and on the other
hand it is at about the middle of its height provided with a ring which can turn
freely against a series of rollers carried by a ring on the upper end of the conical
trestle frame. The four slanting corner posts of this frame are by means of
gussets fixed to the floor of the carriage.
The second set of bevel pinions mounted on the aforesaid spindle permits the
attendant to turn in one direction or the other a horizontal spindle at right angles
thereto by actuating a clutch lever and a lever placed to the left of the attendant.
The just named horizontal spindle by means of worm and worm wheel actuates
the chain pulley.
This pulley pulls a chain that passes round a pulley on the post and round a
snatch block attached to the one end of the jib and then to the post where its end
is attached. This chain serves to raise or lower the beak or other end of the jib
which is suspended to the upper end of the post by a fork bracket in which it
can oscillate freely.
The raising of the load is effected by a hoisting barrel around which coils a rope
or chain passing round a pulley in the fork bracket on the top of the post and
round a pulley on the end of the jib, the bight of this rope carries a loose pulley
for the load to be suspended from by a hook.
To actuate the hoisting barrel the main shaft carries a friction gear wheel with
V grooves which engages with a second similar wheel when the latter is brought
sufficiently in contact therewith (as will be presently explained) on the spindle of
this latter wheel there is a pinion which transmits motion to the hoisting barrel

page_text: spindle by gearing with a tooth wheel on it. The friction wheels are put into
driving contact as follows. The spindle of one friction wheel passes through an
eccentric which the attendant can turn partly round in its plummer block by
means of a lever on his right side; when he pushes this lever towards the axís
of the crane he makes the friction wheel approach the other friction wheel and if
they are pushed sufficiently into contact they will engage so that the hoisting
barrel is put in rotation. If on the other hand he lets the lever drop back by
its own weight the eccentric will be turned the other way and the one friction
wheel becomes disengaged from the other when pulling the lever back the atten-
dant may as required bring the friction wheel against a fixed brake block which
retards the descent of the load.
It will be understood that the other fixed bearing of the spindle in order to
permit of the movement for putting into gear must be specially constructed, but
as the spindle is only slightly moved the bearing may be a ball bearing in which
the balls have a slight play in the outer ring.
I shall now describe the mechanism and action which permit of producing
automatically by the motion of the motor the successive elevations of the crane.
The longitudinal members of the carriage are in pairs and set off at the ends
having between them the four uprights or corner posts of the scaffolding up which
the crane is to be bodily elevated and which serve as guides as well as supports.
Safety pawls are provided to prevent down sliding. In the whole height which
the crane is to mount the scaffolding posts must be without connections between
them which would be obstacles to the elevation of the crane.
The carriage is provided with four horizontal bevel wheels gearing with bevel
pinions on the rail wheel axles; the bevel wheels form nuts whereby as will be
seen presently the crane is elevated. The axes of these bevel wheels and pinions
do not meet and I have to use wheels with skew teeth.
The action is as follows; the crane being within the four uprights of the scaffold,
four long screws suspended from the top of the scaffold enter the internally
screwed bosses of the four horizontal bevel wheels, and by turning these latter by
any suitable means the crane is elevated to the required height. Then the
pinions which are loose on the railway wheel axles and can be stopped at any
point by a simple means such as a set screw having been moved, one may turn,
first by hand and then by levers the horizontal bevel wheels which are rotated
until the rail wheels have been raised free of the rails. The bevel pinions on
the rail wheel axles are then by the attendant put into gear with the horizontal
bevel wheels whereupon he, standing on the platform of the crane clutches in as
if for transporting the crane on the rails. The rotation of the rail axles will then
cause the rotation of the horizontal bevel wheels through the pinions on the rail
axles.
The four horizontal bevel wheels being turned at exactly the same speed the
crane will rise squarely upon the four screws which are kept from turning.
When the crane has reached the desired height it is stopped and the lower part of
the scaffold may be stayed and braced.
As regards the employ of any kind of motor it should be understood that the
most convenient if applicable is an electromotor and if such be employed the cur-
rent should be conveyed by fixed conductors. For this purpose the carriage of
the crane is provided with a simple movable sledge or trolley consisting say of
an angle piece with strengthening ridge and provided with two holders for brushes
serving to clean the angular conductor rail on which the sledge is made to <lide
by means of a push bar. The conductor rail is fixed on a longitudinal wooden
sleeper on the ground with an interposed insulator. A conducting wire conveys
the current from the sledge to the motor.
TL
1000

page_text: I, FERDINAND JOSEPH ARNODIN, of Chateauneuf-sur-Loire, France, 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:-
This invention refers to a travelling jib crane with variable range of jib, the
crane being provided with an independent motor and capable of being raised and
lowered bodily. The combination and action of the various mechanisms have
been devised with a view to obtain the following advantages, viz..
Ease, simplicity and safety of manipulation,
The possibility of employing any motor that may be deemed suitable under the
special circumstances under which the crane has to work for the time being
without having to modify the apparatus,
The possibility, when the crane has reached the limit to which it can raise the
load, of raising the apparatus bodily by the action of its own motor between the
four uprights of a suitably arranged scaffold, so as to instal it in a new or more
elevated position which admits of the crane clearing higher and higher points
according as the structure for which it is used itself increases in height.
In order to make the characteristic features of my crane system clearly under
stood I shall now describe the apparatus shewn in the accompanying drawings as
an example.
It consists essentially (Figs. 1, 2, 3)
Of a carriage A mounted on two pairs of wheels which can roll on rails while
transporting the whole structure;
Of a vertical post or mast B resting on the carriage with an intermediate series
of balls for a bearing, this post being at about the middle of its height guided by
a ring E forming the upper end of a conical trestle frame F which is fixed on the
carriage; this admits of the post B and parts carried by it to turn round.
Of a jib G fixed at a point intermediate of its ends to the top of the post Bin
such a manner that by means of a chain H any desired inclination may be given
to the jib, in accordance with the range of the crane and the upper limit of field
of elevation of the load.
In order that the apparatus may be as light as possible the post B is made with
lattice work and of equal strength in every direction and the jib is composed of
two cheek pieces united by struts and forming a trussed beam suitably strength-
ened (Figs. 1 and 2).
The following actions may be performed by this crane system viz. :-
1. Horizontal travel of the whole apparatus.
2. Turning round of the central post into any direction.
3. Inclination of the jib.
4. Elevation of the load.
These movements may be done at the same time.
5. Elevation of the whole crane on a suitable scaffold.
All these movements may be carried out with or without the load.
All these movements are effected by a single motor of any suitable construction
and fixed detachably by screw bolts on a bed plate or platform integral with the
post B. The motor may be placed on the right of the post. Fig. 4. It moves,
with or without intermediate gearing, a main shaft Q placed horizontally across
the post and provided with the various mechanisms for separate actions as will
be explained.

page_text: For the horizontal transport of the crane it is as stated mounted on a square
carriage A shewn in front elevation, side view and plan of underside respectively
in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This carriage is mounted on two pairs of wheels which run
on rails.
For rotating these wheels the main shaft Q carries, in the axis of the post B,
a pair of bevel pinions R which both gear with an intermediate bevel wheel on
the post so that the attendant on the platform can turn a spindle S Figs. 4 and 7
in the centre of the post round in one direction or the other by moving a hand
leverd which operates a clutch. This lever d is by the rod di connected to the
fork lever which engages with a clutch for putting one or the other of the bevel
pinions into gear with the intermediate bevel wheel and causes its spindle S
to be turned in one direction or the other.
The said central spindle S passes down to the bottom of the post B where it
engages with a sleeve T Fig. 5 by a pin s in two slots in the sleeve T.
The spindle S carries around the sleeve T which rotates in the step bearing.
The sleeve T carries on its bottom end a bevel pinion u which gears with a bevel
whee Fig. 3 and rotates its horizontal spindle that at each end carries a
bevel pinion gearing with bevel wheels on two horizontal cross spindles that
carry the travelling wheels which are thus actuated as required for transporting
the crane along the rails.
If during such motion a stop is abruptly made and especially if at the same
time the direction is reversed there might be a fear of breaking some of the gear-
ing by reason of the inertia opposed to the vis viva. In order to avoid that, the
tooth wheel gearing may be arranged as follows. The end pinion Fig. 6 on
the horizontal spindle u fits on one side against a friction cone fixed on the
spindle and on the other side against a similar friction cone which can slide
lengthways on the spindle limited by a nut e on the end of the latter. When
the first named friction cone and then the bevel pinion v have been put on, the
secondly named friction cone is put on and the necessary friction between the
parts is then adjusted by means of the nut e. By this means a certain amount of
slip is produced in case of the sudden strain being put on as stated, and breakage
of the gearing is thus avoided.
The movements all round and of inclination are effected from the main shaft Q
by means of bevel wheel gearing X'X' (Fig. 4) rotating a spindle X which carries
two sets of bevel pinions R and R. By means of the first set R¹ the attendant
can turn a vertical spindle Y carrying an intermediate bevel wheel in one direc-
tion or the other and thereby by pinion y and wheel y turn the post round. For
as the wheel y¹ is fixed or the carriage. A the pinion y when rotated will travel
round the wheel y¹ and thus cause the post B to rotate round its axis. To clutch
this mechanism into gear the attendant works a lever f before him at his left hand
and thereby in the desired direction a clutch fork through the rod f¹. In order
to facilitate this movement, the post B rests on the one hand on the carriage by
an intermediate ball bearing (Fig. 5) and on the other hand it is at about the
middle of its height provided with a ring C, Fig. 2, which can turn freely against
a series of rollers D carried by a ring E on the upper end of the conical trestle
frame F. The four slanting corner posts of this frame are by means of gussets
fixed to the floor of the carriage:
.!
The second set of bevel pinions R mounted on the aforesaid spindle X permits
the attendant to turn in one direction or the other a horizontal spindle Z at right
angles thereto by actuating a clutch lever hª by the rod h' and the lever placed
to the left of the attendant. The just named horizontal spindle Z by means of
worm and worm wheel i actuates the chain pulley I.
:
I -
This pulley pulls a chain H that passes round a pulley Kon; the post and
round a snatch block J attached to the one end of the jib and then to the post B
where its end is attached. This chain serves to raise or lower the beak or other
end of the jib G which is suspended to the upper end of the post B by a pin on
which it can oscillate freely.

page_text: The raising of the load is effected by a hoisting barrel N around which coils a
rope or chain M passing round a pulley on the pin on the top of the post and
round a pulley on the end of the jib; the bight of this rope carries a loose
pulley L for the load to be suspended from by a hook.
To actuate the hoisting-barrel the main shaft Q carries a friction gear wheel n
with V grooves which engages with a second similar wheel n¹ when the latter is
brought sufficiently in contact therewith (as will be presently explained); on the
spindle of this wheel there is a pinion ² which transmits motion to the
hoisting barrel spindle by gearing with a tooth wheel ³ on it. The friction
wheels nn are put into driving contact as follows: The spindle of the
friction wheel n passes through an eccentric p (Figs. 7 and 8) which the atten-
dant can turn partly round in its plummer block 9 by means of a lever r on his
right side; when he pushes this lever towards the axis of the crane, he makes
the friction wheel n' approach the other friction wheel n and if they are pushed
sufficiently into contact they will engage so that the hoisting barrel N is put in
rotation. If on the other hand he lets the lever drop back by its own weight,
the eccentric will be turned the other way and the one friction wheel a' becomes
disengaged from the other n; when pulling the lever back, the attendant may
as required bring the friction wheel n against a fixed brake block n' which
retards the descent of the load.
It will be understood that the other fixed bearing of the spindle in order to
permit of the movement for putting into gear must be specially constructed, but
as the spindle is only slightly moved the bearing may be a ball bearing as shewn
in Fig. 7 and in which the balls have a slight play in the other ring.
I shall now describe the mechanism and action which permit of producing
automatically, by the motion of the motor, the successive elevations of the crane.
The longitudinal members of the carriage are in pairs and set off at the ends hav-
ing between them the four uprights or corner posts of the scaffolding up which
the crane is to be bodily elevated and which serve as guides as well as supports
(Figs, 1 and 3). Safety pawls a are provided to prevent down sliding. In the
whole height which the crane is to mount the scaffolding posts must be without
connections between them which would be obstacles to the elevation of the crane.
The carriage A is provided with four horizontal bevel wheels b (Fig. 3) gearing
with bevel pinions on the rail wheel axles; the bevel wheels b form nuts whereby
as will be seen presently the crane is elevated. The axes of these bevel wheels
and pinions do not meet (Fig. 9) and I have to use wheels with skew teeth.
The action is as follows: the crane being within the four uprights of the scaffold
(Figs. 1 and 3), four long screws & suspended from the top of the scaffold enter
the internally screwed bosses of the four horizontal bevel wheels b. Then the
pinions which are loose on the railway wheel axes and can be stopped at any
point by a simple means such as a set screw having been moved, one may turn,
first by hand and then by levers the horizontal bevel wheels b which are rotated
until the rail wheels have been raised free of the rails. The bevel pinions con
the rail wheel axles are then by the attendant put into gear with the horizontal
bevel wheels b, whereupon he, standing on the platform of the crane, clutches in
as if for transporting the crane on the rails. The rotation of the rail axles will
then cause the rotation of the horizontal bevel wheels 6 through the pinions € on
the rail axles.
The four horizontal bevel wheels being turned at exactly the same speed
the crane will rise squarely upon the four screws which are kept from turning.
When the crane has reached the desired height, it is stopped and the lower part
of the scaffold may be stayed and braced.
As regards the employ of any kind of motor it should be understood that the
most convenient, if applicable, is an electromotor and if such be employed the
current should be conveyed by fixed conductors. For this purpose the carriage of
the crane is provided with a simple movable sledge or trolley consisting say of
an angle piece k, Fig. 10 with strengthening ridge and provided with two holders

page_text: for brushes m m serving to clean the angular conductor rail o on which the sledge
is made to slide by means of a push bar 7. The conductor rail o is fixed on a
longitudinal wooden sleeper on the ground with an interposed insulator. A con-
ducting wire conveys the current from the sledge to the motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The general arrangement of the crane and of the mechanisms for actuating
it substantially as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement of the mechanisms which serve to effect the transport and
rotation of the crane, the inclination of the jib and the raising and lowering of
the load, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
3. The combination of parts for gradually raising the crane to greater and
greater heights, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9.
4. The combination and arrangement of the levers and operating gear, sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figs. 4, 7 and 8 of the drawings.
5. The application and arrangement of the ball bearing shewn in Fig. 5 of the
drawings.
6. The frictional device shewn in Fig. 6 substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. The arrangement of sledge or trolley, substantially as described with refer-
ence to Fig 10.
Dotad this Ninatoanth day of January 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.