IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING MACHINES AND IN EXCAVATING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Brady, of 6, St. John's Terrace, North
Gate, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING MACHINES AND IN EXCAVATING MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th March 1869, and dated the 15th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Brady at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, .on the
15th September 1868.
I, FRANCIS BRADY, of 6, St. John's Terrace, North Gate, Regent's
Park, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING MACHINES AND IN EXCAVATING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in sweeping machines
and in excavating machines. The sweeping machine consists of a
carriage suitable to be fixed at the back of a cart or other travelling
receptacle for the material collected and further supported by a pair of
road wheels with which it is furnished. On these wheels rings of teeth
are fixed, and the toothed rings drive the working parts of the machine,
which consist of an endless chain of sweeping brushes, and of an

page_text: endless elevating apron receiving the material swept up by the brushes
and conveying it into the cart or travelling receptacle. These parts
are carried by a frame supported on the axis of the road wheels. The
pulleys or drums over which the endless chain of brushes works are at
the lower end of the frame, and they are driven by pinions on the axis
of one of them gearing with the toothed rings on the road wheels.
The brushes as the drums rotate come in succession in contact with
the road or surface to be swept, and remain in contact therewith whilst
they travel between the axes of the pulleys; they then ascend around
the front pulley and discharge the material which, they have swept up
on to the elevating apron. The elevating apron passes around two other
pulleys or drums; one at the upper and the other at the lower end of
the frame, and the pulley at the upper end is driven from pinions in
gear with the rings of teeth on the road wheels. Both the brushes and
the elevating apron are arranged to travel at a high speed. The pulleys
and the driving pinions are arranged so as to be able to slide a short
distance on the frame, and they are connected by links with the carriage.
The frame is so mounted that it can be rocked on the main axis through
a small arc, and this motion is given to it by means of a rack and
pinion. By rocking the frame in one direction the machine is thrown
out of gear, the links thrusting the pinions away from the toothed
driving rings, and by rocking the frame in the contrary direction the
links draw back the pinions into gear. A similar arrangement is
applicable to an excavating machine, rapidly travelling teeth being
substituted for the brushes, and the toothed rings or wheels being
suitably driven.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Brady in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th March 1869.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, FRANCIS 30
BRADY, of 6, St. John's Terrace, North Gate, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty- 35

page_text: second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Francis Brady, Her special licence that
I, the said Francis Brady, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Francis Brady, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING
MACHINES AND IN EXCAVATING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Francis Brady, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Brady, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In constructing sweeping machines according to my Invention I'
carry the sweeping and elevating machinery on a frame or case
supported on road wheels and adapted to be fixed to the back of a cart
or other travelling receptacle for the material collected. I also employ
an endless chain of sweeping brushes and an endless elevating apron to
receive the material swept up by the brushes, and deliver it into a
cart or receptacle. The axes of the back rollers which support the
endless chain of brushes is so carried that the brushes may fall into
and sweep out all the hollows and inequalities passed over by the
machine. The machine is so arranged that by rocking the frame. on
the main axis through a small arc of a circle in one direction the
sweeping and elevating apparatus may be thrown out of gear with the
driving wheels, whilst by rocking the frame in the opposite direction,"
the apparatus may be put into gear therewith.
On Sheet 1 of the. Drawings. hereunto annexed I have shown a.
sweeping machine constructed in the manner. I prefer for carrying out:
my Invention
;

page_text: Figure 1 shews a side view of the machine; Figure 2, a vertical
section of the same taken through the centre of the machine; Figure 3,
a vertical section taken through the line a, b, Figure 4; Figure 4 is a
vertical section taken through the line c, d, Figure 3; Figure 5 is a
vertical section, the right-hand lower portion being taken through the
line e, f, Figure 2, the left-hand lower portion through the line g, h,
Figure 2, and the upper portion through the line i, k, Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a vertical section taken through the line m, n, Figure 2,
and Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken through the line o, p,
Figure 3.
The machine consists mainly of three parts:-1st, the frame or case
which carries the sweeping and elevating machinery; 2nd, the road
wheels and axle which carry the frame or case; and, 3rd, the shafts
by means of which the machine is drawn along and thrown in or
out of gear. The shafts a are attached to the axle by means of horn:
plates securing the brasses in which the axle turns. The frame
or case turns on the axle brasses which are extended beyond the
shafts and horn plates so as to form bearings for the brasses of the
frame. The sweeping machinery consists of two drums or cylinders
placed at the bottom of the frame and a series of brushes b, b, connected
or jointed together so as to turn freely round the drums and form one
continuous brush or broom. The forward drum is fitted with projections
to prevent any slip of the broom upon it. The elevating machinery
consists of two drums or cylinders placed one at the bottom and the
other at the top of the frame or case, and carrying a broad endless
band c of waterproof material to which two light endless chains and a
series of semicircular troughs are attached. The drums at top and
bottom of the machine have slight projections or teeth where the endless
chains pass over them to work into the links and so assist the motion
of the elevator.
The action of the machine depends upon the centrifugal force
generated by the motion of the endless brush round the leading drum,
and therefore the speed of the brush must be so regulated that the
matter swept up by each row of tufts will fly freely off from the brush
in turning round the leading drum and lodge upon the elevator. The
machinery is driven by the motion of the road wheels, to one of which
a cog wheel or a friction wheel is attached on the inside and sufficiently.
within the periphery to be clear of mud in travelling. This cog or
"

page_text: friction wheel sets in motion a pinion d which is keyed on the shaft
of the leading brush cylinder. The diameter of the pinion is to be
regulated by the amount of centrifugal force required in the machine.
In addition to the pinion there is a small cog wheel keyed on the
shaft, and this gives a reverse motion to another cog wheel in contact
with it, which motion is transferred to the top drum of the elevator by
means of connecting rods attached to cranks and working round the
axle of the road wheels as shewn. The machine is so balanced with
weights as to move easily round the axle of the road wheels. It is
thrown in or out of gear by raising the head of the frame (or case), or
drawing it down towards the shafts. When raised or lowered it is
secured in its position by means of a pin or a spring catch acting on the
curved arm which passes through the shaft. The bearings of the leading
drum shaft, to which the driving pinion and cog wheel are attached, are
secured in boxes which slide in openings cut for them in the sides of
the case. These sliding boxes are attached to the shafts by means of
connecting rods which turn on journals at each end. Each rod is
attached to its shaft at a point which is tangent to a circle drawn from
the centre of the axle so that the downward motion of the head of the
frame will tend to bring the centres of the connecting rods into line
with the centre of the axle and so thrust the pinion and small cog
wheel out of gear, and the upward motion of the head of the frame
will carry the shaft end of the connecting rod away from a line drawn
through the centres of the driving shaft and the axle and so draw back
the pinion into gear; this is most clearly seen in Figure 3 of the
Drawings. The hinder brush cylinder turns in bearings which are
slung so as to move freely with the motion of the front cylinder, and
the distance between the cylinders is preserved by means of links
connecting the shafts or spindles of both cylinders.
The hinder cylinder is so slung to the frame as to admit of being
raised or lowered at pleasure, so that the brush can be adjusted to fall
into and sweep out all the hollows and inequalities passed over by the
machine. When the machine is sweeping the axle carries both road
wheels round with it so as to make the bite of both wheels on the road
available for driving the machinery; and when the head is lowered and
the machine is out of gear one of the road wheels is free to turn on the
axle, so that short turns may be made with ease. The road wheel
is alternately secured and released by means of a clutch which moves
round with the axle and also slides upon it. This clutch has a short

page_text: arm upon it which fits loosely into a groove in the road wheel, and
moves in it until stopped by a cross bar in the groove. The clutch itself
has a T-shaped groove into which a button-headed bolt fits so loosely as
to admit of the clutch turning easily with the axle. The button-headed
bolt is jointed to a crank which turns on a pivot fixed in an opening
left for it in the axle bearings. The crank is connected with and
actuated by one of the rods attached to the back of the axle shafts, and
used for throwing the machinery into and out of gear as described. In
place of employing an endless chain of brushes supported upon two
drums a cylindrical brush may be used in machines such as above
.described. The brush and the elevator may also be driven by separate
pinions, as shewn on Sheet 2, Figure 8, each pinion being thrown
into and out of gear by one motion of the head of the frame, as shewn..
The full-sized sweeping machines are intended to have ordinary cart
shafts fitting on and secured to the short shafts shewn when required;
they are also to be provided with a long cross bar fitting into the pins
shewn at the ends of the short shafts, and secured by a strap, so that
two men can draw the machine about when necessary.
The large
sweeping machine is intended to be attached to the back of an ordinary
dust cart when in operation by means of the pins shewn at the ends of
the short shafts. When the cart has been backed on to and secured to
the machine the head of the machine is raised and the brush brought
into contact with the ground; the cart is then drawn ahead, and the
machine commences sweeping, and continues pouring the swept-up
matter into the cart until the forward motion is stopped. When the
cart is filled the machine is unhooked and attached to another cart, and
so on.
Smaller machines are to be fitted with ordinary cross-head handles,
so as to be drawn along by hand; these fill square close baskets placed
across the shafts under the mouth of the elevator. The baskets are 3
made of wickerwork, and lined with gutta percha, so as to hold mud as
well as dust.
These machines can be adapted to scraping as well as sweeping by
fitting the drums with gutta percha or india-rubber scrapers instead of
a brush, and the bite of the road wheels can be increased by substituting a
for the ordinary iron tyres a softer and more flexible material.
The Drawings on Sheet 2 shew an excavating machine constructed
for the most part like the sweeping machine above described. Figure 8:

page_text: is a vertical section; Figure 9, an end view, with part of the casing
removed; Figure 10, a vertical section; and Figure 11, a horizontal
section of the machine. The machine is fitted with road wheels for
occasional use when travelling, but it is intended to be driven by a
stationary engine or other power placed on a moveable frame, so
arranged as to traverse in any required direction either vertically 'or
horizontally. The elevator in this case is formed of two endless chains;
to which are secured rows of semicircular troughs fitting close together
on the straight, and perforated with holes when necessary to let out
water. The endless chains turn round top and bottom drums fitted
with projections to catch the links. The top drum of the elevator is
driven by a cog wheel keyed upon its shaft. The shaft has also keyed
upon it a smaller cog wheel which gives a reverse motion to another
with which it is in contact, and which drives the cutting drum by means
of an endless chain, as shewn, or if necessary by means of cranks and
connecting rods, as described in the sweeping machine. The shaft of the
top drum has to be made long enough to fit into and turn in bearings
which are attached to the driving machinery so as to keep the cog wheel
which receives the driving power always in its place with reference to
the pinion which drives it; the elevator can be made of any required
length. When the machine is at work it is intended to be slung from a
jib by the axle of the road wheels, so that the position of the cutting
drum can be regulated as required. The excavating drum is fixed at
the bottom of the machine close to the elevator; this drum carries steel
teeth and chisel edges in alternate rows. The machine is intended to
work with a quick skimming cut instead of a slow deep cut, as in
common dredgers, and is intended for use in running sand, mud, and
other soft soils.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,-
1. Constructing sweeping machines substantially in the manner
herein described, the sweeping and elevating apparatus of the machine
being carried upon a frame supported on road wheels, and adapted for
being attached to a cart in order that the material swept up by it may
be delivered into the cart.
I also claim the similarly constructing excavating machinery so that
it may be attached to a cart, or barge, or other receptacle.

page_text: I also claim constructing sweeping machines in such manner that by
tilting the frame carrying the sweeping machinery upon the axle which
supports it the sweeping and elevating mechanism may be thrown into
and out of gear with the road wheels.
I also claim constructing 'sweeping machines with an endless chain
of sweeping brushes working in conjunction with an endless elevating
apron as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Brady, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.'
FRANCIS BRADY
(T.)