New or Improved Means for Lifting Hides, Butts, Offal, and the like from Tan Pits.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means for Lifting Hides, Butts, Offal, and the like
from Tan Pits.
I THOMAS JOSEPH SIMMONS of The Tannery Southborough, Kent, Tanner
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 :—
Heretofore it has usually been customary for two men to lift the hides or butts
one at a time from the tan pit by means of pointed hooks fixed on long handles.
The object of the present invention is to economise time and labour in lifting
hides, butts, offal and the like, from tan pits, by the employment of means as
hereinafter described, which enable the entire contents of a pit to be lifted
simultaneously.
In the accompanying drawings
-
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the entire contents of a tan pit lifted
simultaneously by means of my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of a convenient form of rope cradle.
A A are the tan pits, B is a rope cradle. The construction of cradle illustrated
in Figure 2 is suitable for lifting hides and butts, but for lifting offal a net would
be substituted for the cross ropes a². a a are lengths of rope attached to or
extending from each corner of the cradle B and terminating in loops a¹ a¹. bis one
of a pair of or other suitable section girders secured to the beams c of the shed
and extending over a row of tan pits. CC indicate suitable hoisting pulleys or gear
hung from shackles d in which are mounted rollers e which travel along the
girders b.
The tackle of each hoisting pulley is hooked to one of the loops a' the cradle
being thus suspended by each corner. Any suitable arrangement of hoisting pulley
or gear C may be employed provided the same be so arranged, as will be readily
understood, as to prevent the cradle and its contents from descending by its own
weight when the lifting stress is relieved. A convenient construction is that
indicated in the drawings the hoisting pulley C being intended to represent what
are commonly known as "self sustaining pulley blocks."
In using my invention the cradle B is first sunk to the bottom of the tan pit, the
ends of its ropes projecting out of the pit and being kept from slipping therein by
any suitable means, as by a pole thrust through their loops. The hides, butts, or
offal, are then placed in the pit and when it is desired to lift them therefrom the
hoisting tackle is connected with the cradle, and the entire contents ƒ may then be
hoisted simultaneously as shewn clearly in Figure 1. By sliding the hoisting
pulleys C along the girder b the apparatus and its contents may be placed over any
desired pit in the row.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. For the purpose set forth, in combination, a cradle or net B, and suitable
hoisting gear adapted for lifting the same by its four corners, substantially as
Asamihed and illustunted

page_text: 2. The use in combination with a row of tan pits, of a pair of girders 6, hoisting
gear C suspended by travellers from such girders, and a rope cradle or net B
adapted to be elevated by the hoisting gear, substantially as and for the purpose
.described and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1894.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.