Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes, Hoists, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes, Hoists, and the like.
We, HENRY CLAUde Walker and ROBERT CAREY, both of the Newington Iron
Works, Falmouth Road, London S.E. Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to Improvements in hydraulic cranes, hoists and the like
and has for its object to provide simple appliances for economising the pressure
water.
When hydraulic cranes as ordinarily constructed are used for lowering goods, as
much pressure water is required to bring back the empty chain as would be used in
lifting the load. Various kinds of apparatus for bringing back the empty chain have
been devised such as for instance a small auxiliary ram connected to the main cross-
head or in some cases two chains applied in such a manner that when one chain
descends the other ascends and vice versa so that the load in descending pulls up the
empty chain.
The apparatus of our invention consists of an air vessel of convenient shape and
capacity with pipes and valves for controlling the water, such apparatus being easily
applicable to existing hydraulic machinery..
In carrying out our Invention we provide an air vessel or vessels of convenient
shape and of a capacity greater than that of the lifting cylinder. This air vessel is
connected to the lifting cylinder by suitable pipes and valves so that when a load is
lowered the water in the lifting cylinder instead of passing away into the waste pipe
may be passed into the air vessel and compress the air therein. To bring up the
empty chain the air vessel is again put into communication with the lifting cylinder
and the compressed air forces the water back into the lifting cylinder and so brings up
the chain. An additional valve automatic or otherwise and communicating with the
pressure main is placed in connection with the air vessel so that pressure water inay
be admitted to the said air vessel to give sufficient pressure to bring the hook on chain
up to the height required as owing to the friction of the lifting apparatus sufficient
power would not be stored up by the descent of the load. This said additional valve
may be arranged with a piston or other mechanism to cut off the pressure or admit
the same when the required highest or lowest pressure respectively is reached. If
desirable a safety valve may be placed on the air vessel to prevent the pressure therein
accumulating above a desirable limit.
With this apparatus, when once the air vessel is charged at a sufficient pressure,
loads may be lowered one after the other without using any water from the pressure
mains with the exception of the small amount used to lift the load off the floor or other
support before lowering and the amount required to make up any loss that may be
incurred by having to allow some of the water in lifting cylinder to pass into the
waste pipe when the load reaches its lowest position in order to let out the chain a
little to free the hook from the slings or other attachments.
The valves used for opening communication between the air vessel and lifting
cylinder may be operated by a chain or other appliance separate from and additional
to the one which controls the ordinary lifting and lowering valve. or when desirable
the same appliance may be arranged to operate both sets of valves arranged either
separately or combined in one casing.
Dated this 8th day of February 1889.
G. E. HIGGINBOTHAM,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes, Hoists, and the like.
We HENRY (LAUDE WALKER and ROBERT CAREY both of Newington Iron
Works, Falmouth Road London S.E. Engineers, 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 & by the following statement:—
Our Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic cranes, hoists & the like
and has for its object to provide simple appliances for economising the pressure-
water.
When hydraulic cranes as ordinarily constructed are used for lowering goods, as
much pressure-water is required to bring back the empty chain as would be used in
litting the load. Various kinds of apparatus for bringing back the empty chain
have been devised such as for instance a small auxiliary ram connected to the main
eros-head or in some cases two chains applied in such a manner that when one chain
descends the other ascends and rice versa so that the load in descending pulls the
empty chain up.
The apparatus of our invention consists of an air vessel of convenient shape and
capacity with pipes and valves for controlling the water, such apparatus being easily
applicable to existing hydraulic cranes, hoists & the like.
In carrying out our invention we provide an air vessel or vessels of convenient shape
and of a capacity greater than that of the litting cylinder. This air vessel is connected
to the lifting cylinder by suitable pipes and valves so that when a load is lowered the
water in the lifting cylinder instead of passing away into the waste pipe may be
passed into the air vessel and compress the air therein. To bring up the empty chain
the nir vessel is again put into communication with the lifting cylinder and the com-
pressed air forces the water back into the lifting cylinder and so brings up the chain.
An additional valve automatic or otherwise and communicating with the pressure
main is placed in connection with the air vessel so that pressure water may be
admitted to the said air vessel to give sufficient pressure to bring the hook on chain up
to the height required as owing to the friction of the lifting apparatus sufficient power
would not be stored up by the descent of the load. This said additional valve may he
arranged with a piston or other mechanism to cut off the pressure-water or admit the
same when the respective highest or lowest pressure is reached. If dosirable a
safety valve may be placed on the air vessel to prevent the pressure therein
accumulating above a desirable limit.
With this apparatus when once the air vessel is charged at a sufficient pressure
loads may be lowered one after the other without using any water from the pressure
main with the exception of the small amount used to lift the load off the floor or
other support before lowering and the amount required to make up any loss that
may be incurred by having to allow some of the water in lifting cylinder to pass
into the waste pipo when the load reaches its lowest position in order to let out
tho chain a little to free the hook from the slings or other attachments.
The valves used for opening communication between the air vessel and lifting
cylinder may be operated by a chain or other appliance separate from and addi-
tional to the one which controls the ordinary lifting & lowering valve, or when
desirable the same appliance may be arranged to operate both sets of valves
arranged either seperately or combined in one casing.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference in the two figures
indicate the same or corresponding parts. Fig. 1 is a general view of a hydraulic
wall crane and Fig. 2 a similar view of a hydraulic suspended hoist or lift.
A is the lifting cylinder and B the ordinary controlling valve with pressure
inlet and exhaust outlet b¹. This valve communicates with lifting cylinder by
a branch pipe O to which also is connected a regulating valve D by means of
which water may be admitted to or allowed to pass from an air vossul which
is of ordinary construction. A relief valve F may be placed in communication with
the air vessel to relieve any excessive pressure therein.

page_text: In these figures we have not shown any special automatic valve for charging
the air-vessel for the purposes mentioned and assume that it is charged when
necessary by the controlling valve B although if necessary one based on any known
principles might be added. We have shown valves B and D separate but they
may be combined and worked by separate or one and the same lever or might be
of any other known construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that
we do not bind ourselves to any particular construction or arrangement of valves but
we do declare that what we claim is :-
1. In hydraulic cranes, hoists & the like, the employment of an air-vessel or vessels
of suitable capacity together with the necessary valves and pipes in order that the
lifting cylinder may exhaust into or be supplied from this said air-vessel or vessels, at
will, for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1880
HENRY CLAUDE WALKER.
ROBT. CAREY.