IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO SELF-ACTING GRAPPLE BUCKETS AND FORKS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Dent Priestman and Samuel Priestman, both
of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the County of York, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO SELF-ACTING GRAPPLE BUCKETS
AND FORKS,"
Sealed the 5th November 1878, and dated the 29th May 1878,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Dent Priostman
and Samuel Priestman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
29th May 1878.
WILLIAM DENT PRIESTMAN and SAMUEL PRIESTMAN, both of Kingston-upon-
Hull, in the County of York, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING
TO SELF-ACTING GRAPPLE BUCKETS AND FORKS."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in self-acting grapple buckets
and forks, such as those described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
William Dent Priestman and Samuel Priestman on 29th day of March 1877, No.
1243, and described at line 30 and following lines of page 3 of such Specification
thus, "The self-acting bucket, shown at Figures 9 and 103 and the self-acting
fork, shown at Figure 11, require two chains or their equivalent for working,
one chain being the lifting chain, and the other chain the discharging chain. The
lifting chain is attached to the barrel i, and the discharging chain is attached to
the sliding cross head j. The barrels k are connected by short chains to the eyes
of the cross head j." Now this present Invention consists in dispensing with the
sliding cross head ; and the eyes 7, 1, and also dispensing with the levers which
connect the sliding cross head with the halves of the bucket or fork itself. The
height of the frame which carries the sliding cross head, and which has hitherto
acted as a guide, is also considerably reduced.
In constructing a bucket or fork according to these present improvements four
side levers are used, which are securely fixed to the sides of the bucket, and con-
nected with the centre barrel or barrels by four short chains leading from the ends

page_text: of the levers and connected to the said barrel or barrels. The lifting and dis-
charging chains are both carried on the centre barrel, or the barrel heretofore used
for the lifting chain only.
A modification of this Invention consists in dispensing altogether with the
barrels, being the lifting and discharging barrels, and in place thereof fixing the
four levers to the sides of the bucket or forks before mentioned, and connecting
such levers direct to the lifting chain, the discharging chain being connected to
any convenient part of the bucket or fork best adapted to open the bucket or fork.
By this present Invention the necessary motions for opening and closing self-
acting grapple buckets and forks are obtained, and with a reduction and simplicity
of parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Dent Priestman and Samuel Priestman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th November 1878.
WILLIAM DENT PRIESTMAN and SAMUEL PRIESTMAN, both of Kingston-upon-
Hull, in the County of York, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING
TO SELF-ACTING GRAPPLE BUCKETS AND FORKS."
68
"
This Invention relates to certain improvements in self-acting grapple buckets
and forks, such as those described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
William Dent Priestman and Samuel Priestman on the 29th day of March 1877,
No. 1243, and described at line 30 and following lines of page 3 of such Specifi-
cation thus, "The self-acting bucket, shown at Figures 9 and 10, and the self-
acting fork, shown at Figure 11, require two chains or their equivalent for
working, one chain being the lifting chain, and the other chain the discharging
" chain.
The lifting chain is attached to the barrel i, and the discharging chain
" is attached to the sliding cross head j. The barrels k are connected by short
"chains to the eyes of the cross head j." Now this present Invention consists in
dispensing with the sliding cross head ; and the eyes 1, 1, and also dispensing with
the levers which connect the sliding cross head; with the halves of the bucket or
fork itself. The height of the frame which carries the sliding cross head, and
which has hitherto acted as a guide, is also considerably reduced.
In constructing a self-acting bucket or fork according to these present improve-
ments four side levers are used, which are securely fixed to the sides of the bucket
and connected with the centre barrel or barrels by four short chains leading from
the ends of the levers, and connected to the said barrel or barrels. The lifting
chain is carried on the centre barrel, and the discharging chain is led and fastened
to the sides of the bucket.
A modification of this Invention consists in dispensing altogether with the
barrels and their shaft and levers aforesaid, and in place thereof fixing the four
levers to the sides of the bucket or fork before mentioned, and connecting such

page_text: levers direct to. the lifting chain, the discharging chain being connected to any
convenient part of the bucket or fork best adapted to open the bucket or fork.
By this present Invention the necessary motions for opening and closing self-
acting grapple buckets and forks are obtained, and with a reduction and simplicity
of parts.
In order that our Invention may be clearly understood and distinguished from
self-acting grapple buckets and forks as heretofore made we have hereunto attached
a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of this our present Invention, and distinguishing
the same from the present known self-acting grapple buckets and forks.
The Drawings are marked with letters and figures of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation.
In all the Figures the same letters of reference where they occur are used to
denote the same or similar parts.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 illustrate fac similes of the self-acting grapple bucket and
fork as illustrated by the corresponding numbers of Figures in the Specification
and Drawings of Letters Patent, No. 1243, granted to William Dent Priestman and
Samuel Priestman on the 29th day of. March, 1877, and may be used in reference
to the first part of this Specification.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a self-acting grapple bucket constructed according to
our present Invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1; Figure 3 illus-
trates Figure 1 in an open position.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a grapple fork constructed according to our present
Invention; and Figure 5 is a front elevation of Figure 4.
Upon reference it will be seen that in working the grapple buckets and forks, as
illustrated, two chains or their equivalent are used, one chain A being the lifting
chain, and the other chain B being the opening or discharging chain.
In Figures 9, 10, and 11 the lifting chain A is attached to the barrel i, and the
discharging chain B is attached to the sliding cross head j, the barrels k being
connected by short chains to the eyes of the cross head j.
It will be further seen that the bucket and fork are composed of two parts C, C³,
hinged at D to the guide E, and connected to the cross head ; by the links or
levers F.
Upon reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive it will be seen that this our present
Invention consists in dispensing with the sliding cross head ; and the eyes 1, 1, the
levers F, F, and also in reducing the height of the frame or guide E, and in lieu
thereof using the four side levers H, H¹, H", H, which are fixed to the sides of
the bucket, fork, or digger C in manner such as shown at L. The ends of the
levers H, H', H", H, are connected by means of the chains h, h¹, h¹, h¹¹¹, to the
chain barrels M, M', M, M The lifting chain A is connected to and partly
wound on the barrel N, which, together with the barrels M, M', M, M¹¹, are
mounted and keyed or otherwise secured on the shaft I, which is supported by and
runs in bearings in the frame E. The opening or discharging chain B is attached
by a double bridle to the halves C, C', of the bucket or fork at O.
The action of a bucket or fork constructed as shown at Figures 1 to 5 inclusive
is, by holding the discharging chain B and letting the lifting chain A run out, the
bucket or fork C opens into the position shown at Figure 3, the chains h unwind
on the barrels M, and the chain A winds round the barrel N. The bucket or fork
is lowered down in the position shown at Figure 3 upon the material required to
be lifted. When the chain B is left at liberty or slack, and by pulling on the
lifting chain A it winds off the barrel N, and the chains h wind on to the barrels M,
thereby bringing the bucket or fork into the position shown at Figures 1 and 4.
When closed the bucket or fork is lifted to the required position by the crane,
winch, or other lifting mechanism, and discharged by holding on to the chain B
and slacking the chain A, the process being repeated.
It will be readily seen that our Invention, as illustrated at Figures 1 to 5 inclusive,
may be modified by dispensing with the shaft I and the barrels M, N, and con-

page_text: necting the levers H, H³, H¹¹, H, direct to the lifting chain, but such arrangement
is only suitable for treating very soft and loose material.
It will be also evident that two levers may be used instead of four, and that
they may be connected to the bucket or fork otherwise than as shown in the
Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction and
arrangement of self-acting grapple buckets, diggers, or forks, and the method of
operating the same, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying
Drawings and herein-before described, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Dent Priestman and Samuel Priest-
man, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight
WILLIAM DENT (L.s.) PRIESTMAN.
SAMUEL
(L.S.) PRIESTMAN.