IMPROVE. MENTS IN CRANES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Appleby at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th May 1883.
CHARLES JAMES APPLEBY, of Cannon Street, in the City of London, "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN CRANES "
This invention relates to Cranes used for lifting weights, and especially to
such cranes actuated by steam and used for discharging coal or other cargo from
vessels.
It has for its objects novel methods of constructing and arranging the several
parts of such cranes so that they are very strong and accessible, easily put together
and worked, and at the same time durable and effective for the purposes to which
they are applied.
Supposing that my invention is to be applied to a steam crane fixed upon the
edge of a wharf or in other convenient position, and used for lifting or moving
coal or other goods to or from vessels moored against the wharf, the boiler
actuating the steam Engine being situated in any convenient position in the
neighbourhood, I take a bed or foundation of wrought iron plate rivetted to angle
irons and bolted to stone or other suitable support at or near the edge of the
wharf. Upon the upper edge of this bed I bolt or fix a circular path or rail,
preferably of steel upon which wheels supporting the crane itself travel when the
crane is slewed or made to revolve round its vertical axis Inside the bed
arranged as described, I fix a frame, preferably of cast iron and consisting of a
centre with sufficiently strong radial arms, and in this centre I form a bearing
through which a hollow post or pivot of iron or steel passes round which the
carriage of the crane and the crane itself revolve,
The carriage of the crane consists of a horizontal framework, preferably of cast
iron beams bolted together; arranged transversely across the bed already described,
and provided with bearings in which revolve the radial axles of three wheels
D

page_text: which are supported by and run upon the steel path already described. Two of
these wheels are arranged at a sufficient distance apart at the front of the crane,
and the third at the back, and the part of the frame carrying the two front wheels
is preferably made separate from the remainder to which it is fitted and bolted so
that it can very easily be removed with the wheels if the latter at any time
require adjustment or repair.
Upon the outer parallel sides of the framework arranged as described are fixed
two horizontal steam cylinders, driving in the usual way a transverse horizontal
shaft upon which is fitted a toothed pinion which gears with and drives a corrre-
sponding toothed wheel fixed upon a parallel transverse shaft arranged above and
This
revolving in brackets fixed upon the framework or platform of the crane.
shaft also carries a winding drum round which is wound a wire rope or a chain by
which the weight to be raised is lifted as desired.
This method of arrangement allows the use of a drum and gearing of large
diameter. The toothed pinion is provided with a friction clutch box of any
suitable kind by which it can be connected to the Engine shaft or disconnected as
desired by means of a handle arranged in a convenient position.
Reversing links operated by a handle near that just described are connected to
the Engine, and the steam and exhaust pipes from the latter are carried down
through the central hollow vertical pivot of the crane, the steam pipe passing
through the exhaust pipe, and the steam pipe being connected to the boiler, and
the exhaust pipe conducted to any convenient position for the discharge of the
exhaust steam, suitable stuffing boxes being provided so that the crane can be
slewed or turned round its central pivot when desired.
A third handle is also provided for regulating the supply of steam to the
Engines, and a brake is also fitted to the drum and provided with a fourth handle
or foot lever by which it can be operated. This lever is provided with a ratcliet
and pawl by means of which the load can be held in any desired position.
Each of the axles of the two front bearing wheels already described has fixed
upon it a bevilled toothed wheel and between these toothed wheels is arranged a
third bevilled toothed pinion gearing with both of them and fixed upon a horizontal
shaft running in bearings in the framework at right angles to the Engine shaft,
and having fixed upon its outer end a spur wheel gearing with a corresponding
toothed pinion upon a shaft turning in bearings on the upper side of the frame.
The other or inner end of this shaft has fixed upon it a bevelled toothed wheel
gearing into two corresponding bevilled toothed pinions which revolve freely upon
the Engine shaft but are fitted with friction coupling boxes so that either of them
as desired can be connected with and driven by the Engine shaft, a moveable
coupling upon the latter being connected to a handle situated in the neighbourhood
of those already described. In this way the two front bearing wheels of the crane
can be made to turn in either direction, and the crane is thus slewed round its
central pivot to the right or left as desired.
In order to effect the raising and lowering of the jib of the crane, I use the
following novel method of construction and arrangement. I make the lower end
of the jib turn in the usual way upon horizontal pivots at the front of the frame-
work of the crane, and upon the same pivots I fit the lower end of sufficiently
strong struts arranged at or about at right angles to the jib their upper ends being
jointed to the lower ends of tension rods the upper outer ends of which are attached
to the outer ends of the jib. The struts are fitted with stay bolts between them,
and at their upper end is fitted a pulley round which passes a chain or rope by
means of which the entire jib can be raised or lowered as desired. One end of
the chain or rope is fixed to an attachment at the back end of the framework of
the crane, and its other end after passing round the pulley upon the jib as described
is brought back and attached to a hoisting pulley or drum fixed upon a transverse
shaft turning in bearings below the back end of the framework. This transverse
shaft also has fixed upon it a tangent toothed wheel gearing with and driven by
an endless screw upon a longitudinal shaft carried in bearings upon the side of the

page_text: framework of the crane, its front end having fixed upon it a second tangent toothed
wheel gearing with and driven by an endless screw fixed upon a transverse shaft
also revolving in bearings upon the framework of the crane, and having fixed upon
it at a convenient part of its length a toothed wheel gearing into a corresponding
toothed wheel fitted upon the engine shaft, and. provided with a clutch box by
which it can be connected to or disengaged from the latter, the clutchbox being
operated as desired by means of a handle situated in the neighbourhood of those
already described. By the means described therefore the drum round which the
chain or rope which raises or lowers the jib is wound, can be connected with or
disconnected from the Engine shaft, and the jib raised or lowered as desired.
Instead of the method of arrangement as described in which the boiler is not
situated upon the crane, I sometimes arrange it in the ordinary well known way
upon the back of the platform of the crane, and in such case the steam and exhaust
pipes are not brought through the centre round which the crane turns. In this
method of construction the platform of the crane may be mounted upon a carriage
the wheels of which, preferably six, run upon a railway, and these wheels may be
coupled together by endless chains passing round suitable wheels upon their axles,
one of the latter being actuated by bevilled toothed wheels driven by a vertical
shaft passing through the hollow centre round which the crane turns, the upper
end of the shaft being driven by toothed gear connected with the driving shaft of
the Engine, a suitable clutchbox being arranged by which it can be thrown in or
out of gear as desired by a handle arranged in the neighbourhood of those already
described. By these means the entire crane can be made to travel in either direction
along the railway.
Where it is not required that the jib should be capable of being raised and
lowered as above described, the chain or rope and gear for actuating it are omitted,
and the upper ends of the struts are connected directly to the backend of the
platform by tension rods.
In some cases I adapt to the crane apparatus by which the coals or other goods
raised by it are weighed at the same time that they are suspended to the end of
the jib.
For this purpose, I arrange weighing apparatus at the outer end of the jib, the.
apparatus consisting of a horizontal lever one end of which is pivotted in the end
of the jib whilst its other end carries a pin upon which the sheave or pulley revolves,
the end of the pin moving freely within sufficient limits in vertical holes or slots
in the jib end.
When the weight is suspended from the sheave it depresses a vertical rod the
lower end of which operates upon the short end of a bell crank lever to the longer
arm of which a tension rod is jointed which passes down the jib and is connected
at its lower end to the short arm of a second bell crank lever the longer arm of
which is connected to a spring balance or equivalent device by which the weight is
indicated. This longer arm is also provided with a moveable balance weight by
which the permanent weight of the levers and skip is adjusted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent filed by
the said Charles James Appleby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1883.
CHARLES JAMES APPLEBY, of Cannon Street in the City of London "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CRANES
"
This invention relates to cranes used for lifting and lowering weights, and
especially to such cranes actuated by steam power and used for discharging coal
or other cargo from vessels. It has for its objects novel methods of constructing
and arranging the several parts of such cranes so that they are very strong and
accessible, easily put together and worked, and at the same time durable and
effective for the purposes to which they are to be applied.
The accompanying Drawings are in illustration of my invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation, figure 2 a plan, and figure 3 a front view shewing my
invention applied to a steam crane, which is supposed to be fixed upon the edge of
a wharf or in other convenient position, and used for the purpose of lifting and
moving coal or other goods to or from vessels moored against the wharf, the boiler
actuating the steam engines being situated in any convenient position in the
neighbourhood.
a is a bed or foundation of wrought iron plates rivetted to angle irons and
bolted to stone, wood, or other suitable support at or near the edge of the wharf.
Upon the top of this bed a I bolt or fix a circular path or rail b, preferably of steel,
upon which the wheels c, c¹, c², supporting the crane itself travel when the latter
is slewed or made to revolve round its central axis. Inside the bed a arranged as
described I fix a frame preferably of cast iron and consisting of a centre d with
sufficiently strong radial arms or ribs, and through the centre d passes the hollow
vertical post or pivot e of iron or steel, round which the carriage of the crane and
the crane itself revolve. The carriage of the crane consists of a horizontal
framework f preferably of iron beams bolted together, arranged above the bed a
and provided with bearings at g, g³, and g³ in which are fitted the radial axles of
the wheels c, c, c, which are supported by and run upon the circular steel path b.
Two of these wheels c and c¹ are arranged at a sufficient distance apart at the
front of the crane, as shewn in figure 2, and the third c² at the back, and the part
of the frame which carries the two front wheels c, c¹, is preferably made separate
from the remainder to which it is fitted and bolted as shewn in Figure 2, so that it
can very easily be removed together with the wheels c, c', if the latter at any time
require repair or adjustment.
Upon the outer parallel sides of the frame f arranged as described are fixed two
horizontal steam cylinders h, h', driving in the usual way a transverse horizontal
shaft upon which is fitted a toothed pinion k which gears with and drives a
corresponding toothed wheel fixed upon a parallel transverse shaft m arranged
above and revolving in brackets or bearings n, n', fixed or formed upon the frame-
work or platform of the crane. This shaft m also carries a winding drum o round
which is wound a wire rope or chain by which the weight is lifted or lowered as
desired. This method of arrangement allows the use of a winding drum and gear
of large diameter. The toothed pinion k is provided with a friction clutch box p
of any suitable kind by which it can be connected to the Engine shaft i or
disconnected as desired by means of a handle arranged in a convenient position as
shewn at r. Reversing gear operated by a handle 8 near the handler is provided
to the Engines, and the steam pipes t and exhaust pipes u from the Engines are
carried down through the hollow central post e the steam pipe t passing through
the exhaust pipe u and being carried to and connected to the boiler, and the
exhaust pipe u being conducted to any convenient position for the discharge of the
exhaust steam, suitable stuffing boxes being provided at v, v, so that the crane can
be slewed or turned round upon its central pivot or post e when desired. A third

page_text: handle and valve at w are also provided by which the supply of steam to the
Engines is regulated, and a brake x is fitted upon the drum shaft m and provided
with a handle or foot lever at y by which it can be operated, the lever being
preferably provided with a ratchet and pall by means of which it can be held in
any desired position. Each of the axles of the front bearing wheels c, c¹, has fixed
upon it a bevilled toothed wheel 1, 2, between which and gearing with them is
arranged a third bevilled toothed pinion 3 fixed upon a horizontal shaft 4 running
in bearings at right angles to the Engine shaft i and having fixed upon its outer
end a spur wheel 5 gearing with and driven by a corresponding pinion 6 upon
the shaft 7 which revolves in bearings 8, 9, upon the upper side of the frame.
The other or inner end of the shaft 7 has fixed upon it a bevilled toothed wheel 10
gearing into two corresponding bevilled toothed pinions 11, 12, which revolve
freely upon the Engine shaft i but are fitted with friction coupling boxes so that
either of them as desired can be connected with and driven by the Engine shaft i,
a moveable coupling 13 upon the latter being connected to a handle 14 arranged
in the neighbourhood of the other handles already described.
In this way the two front bearing wheels c, c', of the crane can be made to turn
in either direction, and the crane is thus slewed round its central post or pivot e
either to the right or left as desired. In order to effect the raising or lowering of
the jib of the crane, I use the following novel method of construction and arrange-
ment. I make the lower end A of the jib turn in the usual way upon horizontal
pivots B at the front of the framework of the crane, and upon the same pivots I
fit the lower ends of sufficiently strong struts O arranged at or about at right
angles to the jib, their upper ends being attached to the lower ends of tension
rods D the upper outer ends of which are fixed to the outer end of the jib at E.
The struts Care provided with transverse stays and at their upper end is fitted a
pulley F round which passes a chain or rope G by means of which the entire jib
can be raised or lowered as desired. One end of the chain G is fixed to a lug or
attachment H at the back end of the framework of the crane, and its other end
after passing round the pulley F is brought back and attached to the hoisting
pulley or drum I fixed upon a transverse shaft K turning in bearings below the
back end of the framework.
The transverse shaft K has also fixed upon it a tangent toothed wheel L gearing
with and driven by an endless screw M fixed upon the longitudinal shaft N which
revolves in bearings 0, 0, carried upon the framework of the crane, the front end
of the shaft having fixed upon it a second tangent toothed wheel P gearing with
and driven by an endless screw R fixed upon the transverse shaft S also revolving
in bearings carried by the framework of the crane and having fixed upon it at a
convenient part of its length a toothed wheel T gearing into a corresponding
toothed' wheel U fitted upon the Engine shaft and provided with a clutch box V
(as shewn in figure 2) by which it can be connected to or disengaged from the
latter, the clutchbox V, being operated by means of a handle X situated in the
neighbourhood of the other handles already described.-By the means described
and shewn therefore the drum or pulley I can be connected with or disconnected
from the Engine shaft, and the jib raised or lowered as desired. A hoisting drum
or pulley and chain is fixed at each end of the transverse shaft K, as shown in
figure 2.
In figure 4 is shewn an elevation of a modified form of arrangement in which
the boiler 15 is carried in the usual way upon the back of the platform 16 of the.
crane, the steam pipe t and exhaust pipe being connected directly to the boiler.
In this method of construction the platform a upon which the crane turns
may be mounted as shown upon a carriage 17 the wheels of which, preferably six,
run upon a railway 18, and these wheels may be coupled together as shewn, by
endless chains 19 passing round suitable wheels upon their axles one of the latter
being actuated by an arrangement (not shewn in the drawing) of bevilled toothed
wheels driven by a vertical shaft passing through the hollow centre e round which
the crane turns, the upper end of the shaft being driven by toothed gear connected

page_text: with the driving shaft of the Engine, a suitable clutchbox being arranged by which
it can be thrown in or out of gear so as to propel the entire apparatus in either
direction along the railway 18, as and when desired.
Where it is not required that the jib should be capable of being raised or lowered
as above described, the chains or ropes and the gear for actuating them for such
purpose are omitted, and the upper ends of the struts C are connected directly to
the back end of the platform by tension rods.
In figure 5 is shewn a novel method of arrangement which I sometimes adapt to
the crane apparatus, for the purpose of weighing the coals or other articles raised
at the same time that they are suspended to the end of the jib. For this purpose,
I arrange the weighing apparatus at the outer end of the jib, such apparatus
consisting of a horizontal lever 20, one end of which is pivotted in the end of the
jib at 21 whilst its other end carries a pin upon which the jib sheave or pulley 22
revolves, the ends of the pin moving freely within sufficient limits in vertical holes
or slots in the jib end.
When the weight 23 is suspended from the pulley 22 it depresses a vertical
rod 24 the lower end of which operates upon the short end 25 of a bellcrank lever
to the longer arm of which 26 a tension rod 27 is jointed which passes down the
jib and is connected at its lower end to the short arm 28 of a second bellcrank
lever the longer arm of which 29 is provided with a spring balance 30 or equivalent
device by which the weight is indicated. The arm 29 is also provided with an
adjustable weight 31 by which the permanent weight of the levers and skip is
balanced.
'
Having now described my invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim :-
The combination of the circular rail b, the hollow centre e, the frames f,
wheels c, c, c, and moveable bearings g, g¹, steam Engines h, h', toothed wheels k, l,
and winding drum o all arranged and operating substantially as described and
shewn in figures 1, 2, and 3. Also, in combination with the frames f, Engines h, h¹,
wheels k, l, winding drum o, and brake x, the clutch p and lever r, and the brake
lever y, arranged and operating substantially as described and shewn in figures 1, 2,
and 3. Also, the combination of the bearing wheels c, c¹, in the moveable
bearings g, gl, the toothed bevilled wheels 1, 2, and 3, the toothed wheels 5 and 6,
shaft 7, bevilled wheels 10, 11, 12, clutch 13, and lever 14, arranged and operating
substantially as described and shewn in figures 1, 2, and 3. Also, the combination
of the pivotted jib struts C, pulley F, chain G, lug H, drum I, tangent toothed
wheels and shafts K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, and U, with the clutch V and lever X
all arranged and operating substantially as described and shewn in figures 1, 2,
and 3. Also the combination of the crane, Engines, and boiler, upon a platform
revolving upon a circular rail b, with a carriage 17, upon supporting wheels
running upon rails 18, and endless chains and wheels 19, driven by a vertical shaft
contained in the hollow post e, and actuated by the Engines when desired,
substantially as described and shewn in figure 4. Also, in combination with a
crane jib, the weighing apparatus consisting of the pivotted lever 20, descending
rod or rods 24, bellcrank lever 25, 26, tension rod 27, bellcrank lever 28, 29, spring
balance and adjustable weight 30 and 31, arranged and operating substantially as
described and shewn in figure 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Appleby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this third day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.