IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING. AND LIFTING BLOCKS OF STONE, MARBLE, OR OTHER MATERIALS.”
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Griffin, of Bath, in the County of Somerset,
Engineer, and George Hancock, of Corsham, in the County of Wilts, Stone
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING.
AND LIFTING BLOCKS OF STONE, MARBLE, OR OTHER MATERIALS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Griffin and George
Hancock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August
1879.
SAMUEL GRIFFIN, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, and GEORGE
HANCOCK, of Corsham, in the County of Wilts, Stone Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND LIFTING BLOCKS OF STONE, MARBLE, OR OTHER
MATERIALS."
Our Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for holding stone or other
materials to be lifted.
For this purpose a parallel bar of iron or other suitable material is employed, one
end of which is bent at right angles and terminates in a toc or claw of suitable
form for the stone or other material to be held.
On the parallel bar another shorter bar or arm slides, also at right angles with
the bar on which it slides, and corresponding with the bent end previously
mentioned.
At the end of the sliding arm a movable catch or tongue is fitted, working on a
pin joint. A lifting shackle is arranged to slide upon the main bar to which the
lifting chain or rope is attached, so as to adjust it to any desired position on
the bar.
Each holding arm and claw may be movable if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Griffin and George Hancock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd February 1880.
SAMUEL GRIFFIN, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, and GEORGE
HANCOCK, of Corsham, in the County of Wilts, Stone Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND LIFTING BLOCKS OF STONE, MARBLE, OR OTHER
MATERIALS."
Our Invention. relates to improvements in apparatus for holding and lifting
blocks of stone, marble, or other materials.
For this purpose a parallel bar (a) of iron or other suitable material is employed
(as shewn at Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed), one end of which
is bent at right angles and terminates in a toe or claw of suitable form for the
stone or other material to be held.
On or in combination with the parallel bar (a) another bar (6) slides at a right
or at any other convenient angle with it, and having one of its ends bent to
correspond with the bent end of the bar (a) previously mentioned. At the bent
end of the bar (b) a movable catch or tongue (c) is or may be fitted working on a
pin joint (d), as shewn by Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
The lifting shackle to which the lifting chain or rope is attached is arranged to
slide relatively to the bars (a, b,) so as to adjust the apparatus to any desired
position. This shackle consists of four cranked levers e, e, f, f¹, working upon the
pin (g), which levers e, e¹, f, f', are bent to a suitable angle and arranged two on
each side of the bars a and b. The two levers on either side of the bars (a, b,) are
arranged to work in a direction opposite to each other. The ends of the horizontal
arms of the corresponding cranked levers on each side of the bars (a, b,) are con-
nected, the one pair to the ends of the D shackle (1) by the bolts h, h, and the
other pair to the ends of the D shackle by the bolts i, i¹. And the ends of the
perpendicular arms of each pair of corresponding crank levers are connected by the
pins and respectively. The D shackles 1, 1, may be held by the ring m to
the lifting chain or rope, or instead of the ring m there may be substituted a
shackle of less depth, and so arranged that the lifting hook, chain, or rope may
pass underneath it between the shackles L, 1, in order further to save head room.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
To the block of stone or other material to be lifted the apparatus is adjusted by
moving the bars (a, b,) and the lifting shackle relatively to each other, so as to
bring the bent ends of the bars a, b, closer to each other. The power for lifting
is then applied. The bars a, b, by reason of the weight of the load tend to move
to a less angle relatively to each other on the pin g, and thus grip the load.
The weight of the load acting at the bent ends of the. bars a, b, tend to turn the
bars on the fulerum g, and thus prevent the apparatus taking proper hold of the
load; to obviate this action of the bars a, b, the power exerted in the act of lifting
the load is applied at the pins h, h¹, i, i', and is made to act on the upper edges of
the bars a and b, and in a direction opposite to that which the weight of the load
would give to those parts of the bars a, b, by means of the cranked levers e, e¹, f, f¹,
thus the load is held securely. The advantages gained by the use of this apparatus
are as follows:-
Economy in head room.
The head room is practically invariable, being scarcely at all affected by the
width of the load.
Facility and speed in adjusting to the load.
The apparatus standing clear of the load, except at the gripping points, the load
is not rubbed or damaged by contact with the apparatus, as with shears, dogs, or
sling chains.

page_text: Strength for strength this improved apparatus is lighter in weight than ordinary
shears.
Having thus described the nature of our improvements and the manner of per-
forming or carrying the same into practice, we would remark that we do not claim
any
of the mechanical parts separately which are well known and in common use,
nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details herein before described, so long as
the true character of our Invention is retained; but what we claim is,―
The improved arrangement and combination of apparatus for holding and lifting
blocks of stone, marble, or other materials, in which the levers a and b are caused
to grip the load by the action of the power exerted in lifting which tends to move
the bars a, b, to a less relative angle, thus gripping the load, and in which the bars
are held to their grip by the action of the crank levers and pins when the
apparatus is in work, and acting substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Griffin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
SAMUEL GRIFFIN. (L.S.)