IMPROVE- MENTS IN CRANES AND OTHER LIFTING OR HOISTING MACHINES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FAIRBAIRN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventh day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Fairbairn, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Fairbairn, my
exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Fairbairn,
my exors, admiors, or assign, should at any time agree with, and no, others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CRANES AND OTHER LIFTING OR HOISTING MACHINES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Fairbairn, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal; to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Fairbairn, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described in and
by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
My Improvements in Cranes and other Lifting or Hoisting Machines con-
sist in constructing the jib of such machines of metal plates so arranged and
combined as to form a connected series of tubular or cellular compartments
instead of forming the jib of one solid piece as heretofore.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a crane constructed according to my said
Invention, and calculated for lifting or hoisting weights up to about eight tons;
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same; Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are cross sec-
tions on the lines a, b, c, d, e, f, & g, h, and Figure 7 à transverse vertical
section on the line i, k. .A, A, is the jib which in its general outline is of a
crane-neck form, but rectangular in its cross section, as particularly shewn in
Figures 4, 5, and 6. The four sides are formed of metal plates formerly
rivetted together. Along the edges the connection of the plates is effected by
means of pieces of angle iron. The connections of the plates at the cross
joints on the convex or upper side of the jib are made by the rivetting on of a
plate which covers or overlaps the ends of the two plates to be joined. The
rivets at this part are disposed as represented in Figure 8 (a plan of the top
plates), and known as "chain rivetting." B, B, is the pillar which is firmly
secured by a base plate p to a stone foundation B', and fits at top into a cup-
shaped bearing C', which is firmly secured to the side plates of the jib at or
near to the point where the curvature commences, and on which bearing the
jib is free to revolve.
Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section of the lower part of the jib, shew-
ing the manner of fitting the bearings for the chain barrel L (which is placed
in the interior), and the spindles and shafts of the wheel gearing. by which
the power is applied thereto. D is chain pulley which is inserted in an
aperture formed in the top of the jib. The chain passing over this pulley
enters the interior of the crane, and is continued down to the chain barrel.
E is a pulley or roller which is interposed about half way between the chain
pulley and the chain barrel, for the purpose of preventing the chain rubbing
against the plates. Figure 9 is a plan of the lower plates.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of another crane constructed upon the same
principle as that which has just been described, but calculated for lifting
much greater weights (say twenty tons). It differs in having the lower or
concave side A, A, of the jib strengthened by means of three additional plates

page_text: B, B, B, whereby the interior is divided into one large and three smaller
cells, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12, which are cross sections upon the lines
a, b, and c, d, of Figure 10. This arrangement of the cells to strengthen the
lower or concave side is advisable, in order to obtain sufficient resistance to
the compression exerted by the load lifted without unnecessarily increasing
the weight of the other parts. The tension exerted upon the upper or convex
plates does not require so much material to withstand it. C is the toe of the
jib which rests in a step formed in the bottom of the cylindrical casing D,
which is built into the masonry forming the basis of the machine. E, E, are
two of a set of pulleys which are mounted between two rings F, F, and serve
as antifriction rollers for the upper bearing of the jib. The lowermost of the
rings F, F, rests upon a set of rollers G, G, which are fitted into the top of
the casing D, so that as the jib is turned round the rings F, F, and the anti-
friction rollers which they carry, have perfect freedom to move along with it.
His a platform upon which the persons working the machine may stand, and
which supports a column I, within which there is mounted, a spindle K, the
lower end of which has keyed to it a pinion L, which gears into a circular
rack M, M, bolted to the top of the cylindrical casing D. N is a worm wheel
keyed to the top of the spindle K, into which an endless screw worked by a
hand wheel is geared, so that by turning the hand wheel the jib of the crane
is made to move round in any required direction. O is the chain barrel; P,
the chain wheel; R, R, pulleys or rollers which support the. chain, and
prevent its rubbing against the plates of the jib.
In the cranes and hoisting machines which I have described the chain barrels
are enclosed within the jib, and the spindles of the wheel gearing are also
inside, and this is the disposition of the parts which I prefer; but it will be
obvious that they may be also placed outside of the jib in a manner similar to
that generally followed in the construction of ordinary cranes.
And having now described my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is the constructing of cranes
and other like lifting or hoisting machines with jibs, composed of a series of
metal plates arranged and combined so as to form a connected series of tubular
or cellular compartments, as before exemplified and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Fairbairn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid, William Fairbairn came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, 'and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.