IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION RAISING WHEAT SHEAVES, STRAW, HAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Charles Cottrell, of Eddington Iron
Works, Hungerford, in the County of Berks, Engineer, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Charles Cottrell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th August 1878.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES COTTRELL, of Eddington Iron Works, Hunger-
ford, in the County of Berks, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS OR APPARATUS FOR
RAISING WHEAT SHEAVES, STRAW, HAY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention is designed to simplify the construction of elevators or
apparatus for raising wheat sheaves, straw, hay, and other substances
for stacking or otherwise, and to render such elevators more convenient

page_text: in use and less liable to breakage or derangement than has heretofore
been usual.
In constructing elevators according to my Invention I provide the
folding trough with a slotted sliding joint, arranged to prevent undue
tightening or stretching and consequent breakage of the rake chains
when folding up or closing together the component lengths or parts of
the trough, and for the purpose of raising and lowering the trough, and
folding up or closing together, and unfolding or opening it, as required,
I communicate motion through suitable chains to grooved wheels carry-
ing side frames, whose upper ends are furnished with a roller or wheels
working between a part of the trough and suitable check bars or bows,
which prevent any sudden descent of that part or length of trough on to
the other part or length when closing or shutting it up.
For actuating the grooved wheels, as aforesaid, I prefer to use com-
pound endless chains composed partly of double links actuated by
suitable teeth or projections on a transverse shaft or spindle, and partly
of ordinary twisted links working in the grooves of the grooved wheels,
and prevented from slipping therein by a suitable attachment or
projections.
In order to facilitate the finishing of ricks I make the trough adjust-
able longitudinally by arranging it to slide or move upon or along the
carriage or main frame when actuated by suitable gearing provided for
the purpose, so as to enable the longitudinal position of the trough to be
readily adjusted, as may be requisite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said William Charles Cotrell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CHARLES COTTRELL, of Eddington Iron Works, Hungerford, in the
County of Berks, Engineer, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-

page_text: seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Charles Cottrell, Her special license,
that I, the said William Charles Cottrell, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Charles Cottrell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter-during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING WHEAT SHEAVES,
STRAW, HAY, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Charles Cottrell, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
› said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Charles Cottrell, do hereby
> declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, and the Sheet of Drawings therein
referred to (that is to say) :—
"
My Invention is designed to simplify the construction of elevators or
5 apparatus for raising wheat sheaves, straw, hay, and other substances
for stacking or otherwise, and to render such elevators more convenient
in use, and less liable to breakage or derangement than has heretofore
been usual.
In constructing elevators according to my Invention I provide the
folding trough with a slotted sliding joint arranged to prevent undue
tightening or stretching and consequent breakage of the rake chains
when folding up or closing together the component lengths or parts of
the trough, and for the purpose of raising and lowering the trough, and
folding up or closing together, and unfolding or opening it, as required. I
communicate motion through suitable chains to grooved wheels carrying
side frames, whose upper ends are furnished with a roller or wheels
working between a part of the trough and suitable check bars or bows,

page_text: pieces of wrought-iron tube fastened together at their upper ends by a
cast-iron socket piece ³, formed with two holes, one to receive the end
of each tube, which is secured therein by rivets. Each cast-iron socket
piece is formed to receive one end of a cross spindle or axle, which is
furnished with two flanged rollers %, one at each side of the trough,
working between the under side of the part o' of the trough, and an iron
check bar or bow j attached to the said part of the trough.
For the purpose of securing the lower ends of the tubes forming the
side frames to their respective grooved wheels ŉ each wheel has cast on
or in it two cast-iron shoes or channels h to receive. the lower parts of
the tubes. Each tube is held in its channel by wrought-iron straps &³,
passing round the outer side of the tube, and through holes in the shoe
at each side of the channel. These straps are screwed at each of their
ends, and are tightened up by nuts bearing against the back of the shoe.
The grooved wheels are each furnished with an endless compound
chain composed partly of double links k, and partly of ordinary twisted
links k³ working in the grooves of the wheels. Into each double link
cháin k are geared the teeth of a chain pinion 2, two of which are keyed
upon a transverse shaft m working in bearings in the main side frames
of the carriage. The shaft m carries at one end a toothed wheel n, into
which is geared a pinion o on a spindle p, carrying also a toothed wheel q,
into which is geared a pinion r, carried on a spindle s, actuated by a
handle t, as shown.
By turning the handle & the trough may be readily elevated or depressed
at will. When it is desired to fold together its two parts they are un-
hooked, and the handle t is turned so as to move the side frames ; in the
direction of the arrows, whereby the part o' will be brought down over
and on to the part o. The slotted hinges prevent any excessive strain
being put upon the rake chains 2, which pass over pullies y, and are
actuated by chain wheels attached to the trough in the ordinary way.
The lower end of the part o of the trough is provided with a couple of
brackets bored with holes to receive a spindle, which at each end passes
also through a bearing in a standard cast on the end of a sliding bar u,
one of which is arranged to slide in a suitable groove or guides on the
upper part of each of the two longitudinal main frames of the carriage.
Each bar u is formed or provided at u¹ with a rack, into which is geared
a pinion, the two pinions being carried by a cross shaft or spindle

page_text: working in bearings supported by brackets attached to the main frame.
By turning the handle w the bars u are moved along the carriage so that
the extent to which the end of the trough projects longitudinally beyond
the fore end of the carriage may be regulated at will, the extent of
projection being increased when the elevator is being used to finish off t
the upper part of a rick.
Having described my said Invention of "Improvements in Elevators
or Apparatus. for Raising Wheat Sheaves, Straw,. Hay, and other Sub-
stances," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into .
practical effect, I hereby declare that I do not claim as of my Invention 1
or the exclusive use of the several parts herein-before described or
referred to, except when the same are used in and for the purposes of
my said Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in the improved
construction of elevator herein-before described and shewn in the accom-
panying Drawings. I claim particularly the mode of connecting 1
together the parts c, c¹, of the trough by the peculiar slotted sliding
joints or connections herein-before described, and the combination of
the chain pinions 7, compound chains k, k², grooved wheels h, side frames i,
flanged antifriction wheels or rollers, and check bars or bows j, arranged
and operating in conjunction with the part c¹ of the trough, as and for a
the purposes herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Charles Cottrell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four