A Combined Street-sweeper, Snow-scraper, and Earth Excavator or Grader.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Street-sweeper, Snow-scraper, and Earth Excavator or
Grader.
I, CHARLES HENRY LA DUE, of 107 East 104th Street, in the City of New
York, County and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, 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:-
My invention consists in a combined street-sweeper, snow-scraper and earth
excavator or grader, the parts being so constructed and arranged that it may be
used for either of the above stated purposes, and in the operation of the device the
material, whatever its character may be, is automatically deposited in a receiver in
which it may be removed to such dumping place as desired.
In the drawings the same reference letters indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
Fig. 1 illustrates an clevation of the invention.
Fig. 2 illustrates a plan and partial horizontal sectional view.
Fig. 3 is a detail in section on the line ac of Figure 2 of part of the bucket
frame and buckets.
AA are the wheels. They turn loosely on the shaft. B, which is practically
their axle; C. C. C. is a frame to which the shafts D, D, are attached. A pole
may of course be substituted for the shafts if desired. E is a seat for the driver
set upon a spring F. G is the brush or broom, it is of the ordinary rotary form
H, H, are two wheels which I call the broom driving wheel to distinguish them
from the main wheel of the machine marked A, may be simply grooved or they
may be sprocket wheels as preferred. I is a chain which passes over the wheels H
and also over sprocket pulleys J set one on each end of the broom shaft. There
are of course two such chains, one on each side of the machine passing over the
wheels H and J on each side. The wheels H are independent of the driving
wheels A, and are like them set loosely on the shaft or hub of wheel A, and to one
of the spokes of the driving wheels on each side, or at such other place as may be
preferred, a pawl K which is normally thrown inwardly by a spring L is fastened
which engages with a ratchet M on the rotary bucket frame hereinafter to be
described. Thus the forward revolution of the driving wheels A and A imparts
motion to the said bucket frame in a manner well known. N is the rotary annular
bucket frame just alluded to. It has circular end plates, although they may be
spoked frames, wheel like in construction is preferred and they turn loosely upon
the shaft B, and stretching across the machine and connecting these two annular
frames are a series of ✓ shaped buckets P, P, &c. (see Fig. 3) constructed and
arranged as shown. Q, Q, are two arms, one on either side of the machine out-
side of the driving wheels A, A, and which are fulcrumed on the shaft or axle B.
They are spliced at R, R, by bolts R', R', and to the spliced on end, the broom is
attached. S, S, are depending arms bolted to the arms Q, Q, and connected by a
cross rod or beam T upon which is fastened an apron or scoop plate U, the lower
edge V whereof, clear across the machine, lies directly in front of the broom and
close to the ground. It rises at the front to a ridge W which is close to the arc
described by the buckets P, so that the dirt swept up by the machine upon the
scoop plate will be received by the buckets and carried up and over into th.
receiver hereinafter to be described. The scoop plate from its apex or ridge W
again descends as at Y receding, however, from the line of travel or rotation of
the buckets, and at its most forward lower edge there is attached in any suitable
manner which will allow swinging or hinge like movement, a snow and dirt lifter or
D
77

page_text: excavator 4, to the front edge whereof are attached two chains a, a, one at each
side which at their upper ends pass around two pulleys b, b, keyed to a shaft c
which is supported on the frame C, C, C', by bearings d, d. e is a lever keyed by
a hub to the shaft c. g is a lug on the frame to which is pivoted or through
which passes a pawl / which engages with a toothed pinion i formed on or attached
to the hub of the lever e and this pawl is provided with a forwardly extending
part upon the end whereof is a foot plate K. A spring, not shown, may be
employed if necessary to hold the pawl against the ratchet wheel i against the
weight of the pedal arm and foot piece. On the ends of the shaft c, c, are two
cranks 1,, fastened by set screws 1, which engage with two links m, m³, which
are pivoted at their other ends to the upper end of the arms Q, Q. There are
holes n' in the ends of these arms in which the bolt n² may be placed as required
for the purposes of adjustment. The opening in the links m through which the
bolt n² passes is slotted so that the lever e may be pushed or dropped further
forward to depress the front edge of the lifter plate Z without being impeded by
the pressure of the broom against the street. O, O, are two eccentric rings one on
either side of the machine, they are fulcrumed at their forward ends p, p, upon the
shaft and engage near their rearmost part with the arms Q by a bolt 9 moving
in a slot r made in these arms. 3, s, are three or four pawls pivoted to each of the
large wheels H, H, on each side of the machine, their rear ends t, t, are connected
by springs t¹ to the spokes of that wheel which normally tends to pull their other
ends away from the toothed pinion which is bolted to an extension of the hubs of
the driving wheels. The arrangement and location of these pawls 3, 8, is such
relative to the eccentric rings 0, 0, that they are both in the same vertical plane so
that when the broom is depressed for work and the rear end of the arms Q, Q, are
lowered, which of course by reason of the bolts q, q, depresses the rings o, o; then
as the brush by its impact against the ground carried the large wheels H, H,
around in the wrong direction for a few feet, then the pawls 3, s, will be brought
in contact with the rings O, O, and they press the points of the pawls one or the
other of them as the case may be, on each side of the machine inwardly until
engagement with the teeth of the pinions is secured by them or at least by one of
them, immediately thereupon the motion of the driving wheels A, A, is conveyed
to the large wheels H, H, by the pawls and the brush or broom is then carried
around in the proper direction for sweeping, and during the revolution of the
parts in this direction as the pawls 8, s, necessarily engage with the eccentric
rings 0, 0, they are pressed inwardly and all of them engage with an appropriately
spaced tooth on the pinion πt. It will of course be understood that the teeth of
the ratchets are not so undercut but that the points of the pawls will readily
engage with them, and also that the number of the teeth in the pinion u is a
multiple of four, so that they shall conform to and permit of the operation above
described. It is obvious that other forms of pawl for instance a sliding pawl, may
be substituted for the pivoted pawls 8, s. V is the receiver into which the
material is conveyed by the rotary buckets. It is simply a round bottomed half
cylindrical device preferably made of metal and is supported from the axle by
means of approximately half circular discs or plates W, W, and they are keyed to
the axle so that upon turning it the receiver can be upset or at least tilted and the
contents dumped and in order that the axle may be turned, I extend it at one end
as at A' and square the end so that a wrench or lever B' may be applied thereto
which is made sufficiently long to give the requisite power to dump the load. And
in order that the operator may exert his power more beneficially, I prefer to key a
ratchet A³ upon the axle A. and provide a pawl A³ which engages with it, pivoted
to the frame C, by this means the operator may remove the wrench or lever B₁ to
take a fresh hold or one in better position as often as desired, the receiver being
meantime held in its then partly tilted position by the ratchet and pawl A², A³.
The operation of the machine has been so far set forth above that a brief-
general description only is now necessary, when desiring to use the machine as a
street sweeper only, the snow and earth lifter Z and the chains a may be removed,

page_text: and the balance of the machine constitute a street sweeper. The method of
driving the broom has been already described and the devices whereby the rotation
of the broom may be stopped, thus saving horse power, have also been described
excepting to say that the operator, by putting his foot upon the step k, will lift
the pawl from the toothed pinion i, and then the lever e being operated, the
arms Qwill be rocked on the axle by the combined action of the crank 1, 1, and
links m, m', whereby the eccentric rings O, O, will be lifted and the pawls s, s,
removed from engagement with the pinion u by their retractile springs, thus
stopping the rotation of the large wheels H, H, and the further turning of the
broom, and it has also been stated how the continuously rotating buckets P catch
the dirt which is swept up the scoop plate U and deposits it in the receiver V ;
and also the method of dumping the receiver has been set forth.
When it is desired to employ the machine as a means to remove snow or
accumulation of dirt or earth from the streets or as an excavating or grading
machine, then the bolts R', R', are loosened and the spliced extension part R of
the arms come away and with them the broom and all the coacting parts
including the chains I and if desired the large sprocket wheels H may also be
removed by a somewhat more extensive derangement of the machine, and then the
snow and earth lifter is attached to the front of the part y of the scoop plate U
and chains a, a, are attached to the pulleys b, b, and thus as will be readily seen
the lever e with the foot controlled pawl and toothed pinion and shaft c will
give the operator complete control of the snow or carth lifter, and he can
determine exactly how near the ground or how great a dip into it he will allow
to accomplish the desired work, and he may in a moment and without stopping
the horse lift or depress it as occasion may require. And it will be further seen
that the excavated or picked up material will move upwardly over the plate Z
and will be caught by the buckets P, and be carried upwardly and deposited in
the receiver by their rotation and when full the plates Z may be considerably
elevated and then the load wheeled off to the desired dumping place.
I do not limit myself to the details of construction shown because they may be
somewhat varied and still the essentials of my invention be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First-The combination of driving wheels, a rotary broom supported upon a
frame, belt wheels and belt or chain, a scoop plate upon which the broom throws
the material, buckets attached to a rotary bucket frame and a receiver, the bucket
frame encircling the receiver, substantially as set forth.
Second-The combination of driving wheels, a rotary broom supported upon
a vertically adjustable frame, belt wheels and belt or chain, a scoop plate upon
which the broom throws the material buckets attached to a rotary bucket frame
and a receiver, the bucket frame encircling the receiver, substantially as set
forth.
Third: The combination of a driving wheel, a rotary broom supported upon
a vertically adjustable frame, belt wheels and belt or chain, a scoop plate upon
which the broom deposits the material, buckets attached to a rotary bucket frame,
which encircles a receiver, the receiver itself keyed to the axle of the machine,
said axle itself and means whereby the axle may be rotated to dump the receiver,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The combination of main driving wheels, a rotary broom supported
upon an adjustable frame and means whereby the frame may be held at such
position as desired and automatically acting pawls attached to the broom driving
wheels, and eccentric rings operated by the elevation and depression of the broom
frame to throw the broom into or out of gear with the main driving wheels, and a
chain or like device which passes over the broom driven by wheels and over a
pulley in the broom shaft, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Fifth-In a sweeping machine the combination of a rotary broom supported
upon an adjustable frame embodying side arms which are pivoted upon the
axle, a rotary bucket frame which encircles a receiver-said receiver itself and
means whereby the receiver may be overturned for dumping, substantially as set
forth.
Sixth-In a sweeping machine the combination of a rotary broom or sweeper,
a scoop plate upon which the sweeper deposits the material, a rotary frame of
buckets which encircles a receiver, and the receiver, substantially as set forth.
Seventh-In a sweeping machine the combination of a vertically adjustable
rocking frame which supports a rotary broom, belt wheels and belt or chain for
driving the broom and pawls operated by the rocking of the broom frame whereby
the pawls are engaged with and disengaged from the broom driving devices,
substantially as set forth.
Eighth A combined street sweeper and snow lifter or excavator comprising
a rotary broom, a scoop board upon which it deposits material, a rotary bucket
frame, a receiver and a snow lifting plate attached to the scoop plate and chains
extending from the snow lifting plate to a rotable shaft having a pawl and lever
whereby the elevation of the lifting plate may be determined, substantially as set
forth.
:-
Ninth The combination of a snow or earth lifting plate, a rotary bucket
frame, a receiver keyed to the axle and means whereby the axle may be rotated
for dumping the receiver, substantially as set forth.
Tenth-The combination of a snow or earth lifting plate, connected by chains
or rods to a shaft provided with a lever and pawl, a rotary frame of buckets and a
receiver, substantially as set forth.
Eleventh-The combination of a snow or earth lifting plate connected to a
shaft provided with a lever and pawl, a rotary bucket frame, a receiver keyed to
the axle and means whereby the axle may be turned for dumping the receiver,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of September 1891.
CHARLES HENRY LA DUE.
H. D. Fitzpatrick,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.