IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC CRANES
Year: 1885

page_text: I CHARLES DAVY of Park Iron Works, Sheffield in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HYDRAULIC CRANES to be as follows:-
,,
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic cranes, more particularly
applicable to the class used in steel works and known as Ingot cranes.
The objects attained by my improvements are:-
1st The reduction to its smallest limit of the dead weight to be lifted, and as a
consequence a corresponding reduction in the quantity of water used.
2nd An easy slewing motion by reason of the ram not having to be revolved in a
tightly packed stuffing box, and also by its working upon a bottom pivot.
3rd The dispensing with the objectionable underground pipes by providing an
overhead supply of water.
4th The avoidance of side strain or twisting action upon the ram by means of a
particular arrangement of jib and ram connection.
To accomplish the objects thus set forth I so construct the crane that in slowing
the ram case, ram, crane post and jib all revolve together on one pivot at bottom
and I provide the jib with a hemispherical support on the ram whereby the lifting
strain is always exerted directly on the axis of the ram.
In a hollow column or pillar firmly bolted down to a foundation I mount the ram
case upon a bottom pivot resting in a pivot block at the bottom of the pillar and
guided and supported in a vertical position by guide rollers mounted in brackets
bolted to the crane post and running around a roller path at the top of the pillar.
The ram works through a gland and stuffing box at the top of the ram case and
its head is guided between bars rivetted to a pair of plates bolted to the ram case
and constituting the crano post, the said plates rising above the ram case to a
height sufficient to admit of the required extent of lift.
The jib is constructed of a rolled or built up girder its heel end being carried in
the foot of a strut projecting upwards and towards the back of the crane post
and its outer end being tied to the upper end of the same strut by tension rods.
In the top of the strut are mounted two guide rollers-one on either side of the
strut-which run against the rear edges of the crane post, two other guide rollers
being mounted one on either side of the jib-near its heel end and running against
the front edges of the crane post.

page_text: The jib, with the strut and tension rods, thus forms a triangular frame, guided
(on its being raised or lowered) by the rollers running on the crane post. The jib
in its complete form rests loosely by the underside of the strut, upon the upper flat
side of an exactly hemispherical block, which block is permitted to work freely in
a corresponding hemispherical socket or seat formed in the top of the ram.
As the guide-rollers and guide bars wear, the strut slides on the flat face of the
hemispherical block and the block being always, or nearly so, in the axis of the
ram, the line of strain must coincide with the axis of the crane post.
The hemispherical block by being free to move about its centre, admits of the
jib being canted in any direction without putting any indirect strain upon the ram
or the crane post.
The crane has the usual carriage for running on the top of the jib.
The supply pipe is connected by a suitable socket joint to the pipe from the
overhead hydraulic main at a point above and in the axis of the crane post.
I CHARLES DAVY of Park Iron Works Sheffield in the County of York Engineer 2
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic_cranes more particularly
applicable to the class used in steel works and known as Ingot cranes.
The objects attained by my improvements are
1st An easy slewing motion by reason of the ram not having to be revolved in a
tightly packed stuffing box and also by its working upon a bottom pivot.
2nd The avoidance of side strain or twisting action upon the ram by means of a
particular arrangement of jib and ram connection.
3rd The dispensing with the objectionable underground pipes by providing an
overhead supply of water.
4th The reduction to its smallest limit of the dead weight to be lifted and as
a consequence a corresponding reduction in the quantity of water used.
To accomplish the first objects thus set forth I so construct the crane that in
slewing the ram case, the ram, the crane-post and the jib all revolve together on
one pivot at bottom and I provide the jib with a hemispherical support on the ram,
whereby the lifting strain is always exerted directly on the axis of the ram.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation and figure 2 a front
sectional elevation of a hydraulic crane constructed according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a vertical section and underside plan of a detail. The same letters
of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is a hollow cast iron column or pillar firmly bolted down by an outside flange
at foot to a foundation and B is the ram case which is supported upon a bottom
pivot b resting in a pivot block a at the bottom of the pillar A and guided and
supported in a vertical position by guide rollers C mounted in brackets bolted
to the crane post D and running around a roller path at the top of the pillar. The
crane post is constituted by a pair of flat wrought iron or steel plates D. D. bolted
to opposite sides of the ram case B and extending down within the pillar A and
rising above the ram case to a height sufficient to admit of the required extent of
lift of the crane,
the plates D being bolted together at the top with distance pieces
between them.
The ram E works through a gland and stuffing box at the top of the ram case B
and its head rises between the plates D constituting the crane post and is guided
between pairs of flat guide bars & rivetted to the inner sides of said plates.
The crane jib is constructed of a horizontal rolled or built up girder F its heel
end being carried in the foot of a cast iron strut G projecting upwards and towards
the back of the crane post and its outer end being tied to the upper end of the
same strut by tension rods H taking onto cast iron brackets at the extreme outer
end of the jib. In the top of the strut G is fixed a pin on which are mounted two
guide rollers I, one on either side of the strut, which run against the rear edges of
the crane post D, D, the tension rods H being attached to the same pin. Two other
guide rollers K are mounted one on either side of the jib F near its heel end and
run against the front edges of the crane post D D. ·
The strut G is situated between the plates D constituting the crane post and is
supported laterally by the flanges of the guide rollers between which the edges of
the plates D are received.
The jib with the strut and tension rods thus forms a triangular frame guided
(on its being raised or lowered) by the rollers running on the crane post. The jib
in its complete form rests loosely by the underside of the strut G upon the upper
flat side of an exactly hemispherical block L, which block is permitted to work
freely in a corresponding hemispherical socket or seat M formed in the top of the
ram E.
As the guide rollers and guide bars wear the strut slides on the flat face of the
hemispherical block L and the block being always or nearly so, in the axis of the
ram, the line of strain must coincide with the axis of the crane post.
The hemispherical block by being free to move about its centre, admits of the
jib being canted in any direction without putting any indirect strain upon the ram
or the crane post.
The crane has the usual carriage N for running on the top of the jib.
The supply pipe P is connected with the ram case B and by a suitable socket
joint to the pipe Q from the overhead hydraulic main. This socket joint is shown
separately in vertical section and underside plan in figure 3. It is situated at a
point above and in the axis of the crane post.
R is a tubular plug like that of a swivel pipe joint to the lower end of which the
pipe P is connected said plug being firmly bolted on the top of the crane post D so
as to turn therewith the axis of the plug and crane post coinciding. This plug has
lateral thoroughfares r, and is received and turns within a socket S having an
internal annular passages corresponding to the holes r. This socket is prevented
from turning by the service pipe Q which is connected to it at one side as shown or
by a set of tie-bolts. The socket S is supported and retained in position by a
shoulder on the plug and by a cap T bolted to the plug by a central bolt t (or
otherwise) and turning with the plug R, and the socket S is provided with glands

page_text: and stuffing boxes at top and bottom around the cap T and plug R to prevent
leakage.
At any convenient place in pipe Q there is a valve for admitting high pressure
water to the valve case or exhausting it therefrom, under the control of an
attendant.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of a hydraulic crane in which the ram, ram case, crane post
and jib all revolve together on one pivot substantially as herein described.
2. In a hydraulic crane, the combination with the jib guided vertically by the
crane post and separate from the ram, of a loose hemispherical block interposed
between the two and received in a corresponding hemispherical socket, said block
permitting of motion between the flat and circular bearing surfaces above and
below it, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a hydraulic crane, the combination with a pivoted ram case and with a
crane post in one therewith, of a crane jib guided by pairs of rollers between and
upon the pair of plates constituting the crane post and resting loosely on the ram
with a loose hemispherical block between them, substantially as described and
shown in the drawings.
4. The hydraulic crane constructed and operating substantially as herein
described and shown in the drawings.