AN IMPROVED CRANE, CALLED A DYNAMOMETRIC CRANE
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
ARMAND LE COMTE DE FONTAINEMOREAU, of No. 21, Skinner's Place, Size Lane,
in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth
day of November, in the seventh year of Her reign, did give and grant unto
me, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority that I, the said Pierre
Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de
Fontainemoreau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention for "AN IMPROVED CRANE, CALLED A
DYNAMOMETRIC CRANE," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso requiring me,
the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, do hereby declare that the
nature of the said Invention communicated to me, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being made to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
which letters and figures indicate the same parts wherever they occur (that
is to say):
The Invention consists in constructing a crane with a horizontal lever,
supporting at one of its extremities, by means of a pulley, the chain to which
the load is suspended, and having its other extremity communicating with a
scale board receiving the proportional weight, and which crane is also
constructed so as to be always by itself in a perfect state of equilibrium, and
by which crane I am able to ascertain the weight of loads in a state of suspen-
sion, whilst they are either elevated or lowered, and also during the time they
are stationary.
The apparatus, Figures 1 and 2, Drawing 1, is composed of a strong
iron pivot E, F, fastened to solid masonry work, by means of strong iron pins.
Two gibs G, H, Figures 1, 2, and 3, support the pullies and gearing, which
are to lift or lower the load suspended by the hook I. When a load, the
weight of which is to be ascertained whilst in a state of suspension, is attached
to the hook I; the pulley K, and the chaps or keepers, L, Y, which
encircle it, support the whole load. These chaps are placed on the extre-
mity L of the lever L, M, having its points of support upon the fulcrum N,
and consequently they act upon that lever so as to cause the points of
the lever L, M, N, to be lowered, and the point M of the same lever
L, N, M, to be raised. The lever L, M, N, has a fulcrum at M, to which is
fixed an iron rod M, O, communicating to the point O with the elbowed lever
O, P, Q, which turns round the point P, and describes round that point an
arc of a circle Q, R, proportioned to the weight suspended to the hook I.
Let us suppose that a load of one thousand pounds be suspended to the extremity
of the chain at I, the arms of the lever N, L, N, M, being 1 10, the
weight required to produce the equilibriums will be equal to one thousand
pounds 0.10 100 lbs. That pressure of one hundred pounds will be
transmitted by the rod M, O, to the elbowed lever O, P, Q, which will turn
round the point F until the counterpoise Q be lifted up to an elevation corre-
sponding to that pressure, and the hand S, Figure 11, fixed on the axis P, will
shew on the scale dial, placed at a convenient place on the interior of the gib
G, the exact weight of the raised, suspended, or lowered load. When I use
weights with a board, I disconnect the rod M, O, from the lever O, P, Q, and

page_text: link to it at O the rod O, S, Figure 1, Drawing 1, communicating at S with the
lever A, B, supporting at B a board, upon which are to be placed the weights
corresponding to the load suspended at I; that load suspended at I will depress
the arm L, M, N, of the lever L, M, and raise the arm N, L, which communicates
with the point S of the lever B, S, A, by means of the rods M, O, O, S, and it
will therefore elevate the scale board P until B receives the weight required to
put it in equilibrium with the exact amount of the load suspended at the hook I.
It is easy to conceive that when a load is either raised or lowered the hand of
the dial, as well as the scale board, cannot indicate the exact weight unless
that load be raised or lowered to the same elevation, because the more or less
length of the chain or rope A', under the strap of the pulley K, gives a more
or less weight to the load suspended at I. It is therefore necessary, if all
the loads are not to be carried to the same elevation, to ascertain the weight
of the quantity of chain or rope which is to be used, in order to deduct that
quantity from the weight exhibited on the dial or on the board. The weight
of the chain or rope used in each operation of the crane can be easily ascer-
tained by several colored divisions previously known and marked on the full
length of the chain or rope. However, to avoid the necessity of making and
weighing the chain A¹, I adopt the following simple means -When the chain
or rope A which sustains the hook I is unrolled upon the drum D, passing
over the pulleys T, X', the former of which T is attached to the gibs, the
other to the lever L, M, a small chain U, X', T, V, is unwound from the
small drum V, Figure 1, Drawing 1, in a quantity exactly proportional, and
such that the weight of the unrolled small chain U, X', T, V, multiplied by the
length of the arm of the lever M, N, on which the said chain acts, be equal to
the weight unrolled from the large chain a¹ multiplied by the length of the
small arm of the lever L, N. When the crane is in operation the chain or
rope A¹ has a tendency to pull the chaps L, Y, of the pulley K into an
inclined position, which is the result of the two forces acting on that pulley.
To remedy that tendency, it is necessary to place two horizontal iron pins or
straps X, Y, one on each side of the pulley K moving at these points, and
communicating each of them at one end to the point X upon the gibs G, H,
and having their other extremity at Y, on the chap L, Y, of the pulley, and
by that means that chap L, Y, is maintained in a vertical position. I can
also suspend to the hook I, Figure 2, a board, the weight of which I have
previously ascertained, and by that means small articles can be weighed. To
prevent the jolts from being felt on the knives, which serve as bearings to
support the lever L, M, and in order to be able to use the crane indepen-
dently of the weighing system, it suffices to raise the counterweight O fixed

page_text: at the extremity of the lever O, P, Q, up to R, and to maintain it in that
position by a click; then the point M of the lever L, M, being raised to a
certain elevation, the opposite extremity L, and the chap L, Y, of the pulley
K, which is suspended at that same point, or lowered until the axis of the
pulley K comes to bear upon bearings placed conveniently for that purpose,
I can dispense with the chap L, K, fixed on the pulley K, Figure 1, Drawings
I. and II., by fixing into the lever L, N, M, the pulley K, and suspending by
means of the knive N, Figure 4, Drawing 1, the two parallel rings N, N¹,
fixed at N on the gibs G, H, which support all the apparatus. In that manner
the vertical pressure which acts at I is withdrawn from that point, and is
entirely carried on the knife L, the knife L of the lever L, N, M, is lowered,
and the point M of the same lever is elevated. To prevent the horizontal
traction which acts in the direction of L, M, of the lever L, N, M, two rings
N, X, moving at one of their extremities at the point N on the knife N,
which is elongated for that purpose, and at the other extremity, on the point
X of the gib G, H, are placed. These rings may be made very short, as
they will scarcely have any perceivable oscillation; they can also be replaced
by an inclined supporter, as shewn in Figure 5.
I will now describe the manner in which I construct an improved crane,
which is always in a state of equilibrium during the various operations it has
to perform. The crane is provided with an arrangement for weighing, similar
to that herein-before described. It is composed of four gibs G, H, and of two
pillars connected by means of iron plates, and provided also with the gearing
drums, clicks, chains, and the necessary and customary apparatus for cranes,
The whole is set upon a pivot
as herein-before described and referred to.
E, F, cast with the plate of the moveable waggon O', O¹, supported by
the four wheels P1, P1, moving on the iron rail Q. The four iron screws
M', M', serve to level the whole apparatus. It has two upper ends, one of
which is provided with the pulley K, on which the chain A', holding the load,
is suspended; the extremities of the gibs G, H, being flat, and forming on their
upper parts an horizontal line, on which is placed an iron rail I', K', having a
small degree of inclination. At one of the extremities of one of the gibs
G, H, the same which is provided with the pulley K, supporting the hook I, is
placed the moveable counterbalance H', of half the weight of the maximum
which the crane has to support. When the crane is not in use, the counter-
weight H¹ rests at the extremity of the gibs from which the load is raised up,
and the crane is then in a perfect state of equilibrium, since the opposite end
of the other gib G, H, is loaded with a fixd weight L', exactly equal to the
counterweight H". The equilibrium of the crane will always exist as the

page_text: operation of raising a load causes at the same moment the counterweight H'
to recede from the extremity of the gibs G, H, from which the load is sus-
pended, in such a proportion that the result of the forces which act upon the
two extremities of the gibs G, H, and G, H", passes through the axis of the
pivot E, F. I obtain that equilibrium as follows:-The chain A', which
takes the load at I, runs and presses at the same time upon a pulley C fixed
upon the lever B, C, D', turning on the point D¹. The other extremity,
B', which is moved by the action of the pulley C, is provided with a chain,
which is wound up upon a conical drum E. On the axis of that drum E' is
placed the pulley F', communicating by means of the chain F', G¹, II', with
the counterweight H', in a manner such that the larger the arc that the bent
lever B, C, D', describes, the more turns the pulley F' will perform; that is
to say, that the heavier is the load suspended at I, the greater is the propor-
tionate length which the counterweight H' will recede from the extremity of the
gibs G, H, and therefore the equilibrium will continue. When the chain is
unrolling, and the load removing, the counterweight H' returns by itself to its
first situation on the gibs G, H, on account of the inclination of the iron
rail I', K'.
And having now described the nature of the Invention of the dynamometric
crane, and the manner of performing the same, I would wish it to be under-
stood that I do not claim as of the Invention communicated to me, or the
exclusive use of any of the parts herein-before described, when taken separately,
or except when they are employed in the construction of a dynamometric
crane, as herein-before described. But I declare that what I claim as of
the Invention communicated to me, and the exclusive use of, is,-
Firstly, the application of the chaps or keepers L, Y, to the lever L, M,
connected with the pulley K and the straps X, Y, as described and shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, Drawing 1, and Figure 1, Drawing II.
Secondly, the application of the small chains V, T, X', U, for the purpose
of equilibrating the weight of the chain to which the load is suspended at
hook I, as described and shewn in Figure 1, Drawings I. and II.
Thirdly, the application of a scale to cranes used for weighing when the
load is in a state of suspension, as described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2,
Drawing 1, and Figure 1, Drawing II. And,
Fourthly, the application of the counterbalancing weight H', moved
by the action of the raised load upon an iron rail, and being in combination
with the lever B, C, D', connected with the conical drum E', and to the large
pulley F', as described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2, Drawing II.
And such the Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,

page_text: entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her said
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I hereby declare that
this my Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or
disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent contain. Wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and
privilege to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Armand le Comte de Fontaine-
moreau, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Cour