Improvements in Scrapers or Scoops for Loosening and Removing Soil for Levelling, Excavating, and other like Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Scrapers or Scoops for Loosening and Removing
Soil for Levelling, Excavating, and other like Purposes.
I, GEORGE EDDY of Kennford near Exeter in the County of Devon Agricultural
Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The earth scoop will take the place of the now common three wheel butt-which has
to be loaded with shovels by manual labour. The earth scoop when drawn by 1 horse
or horses or any other motive power will when put into its work fill itself & when
taken to the required place can he easily tipped by simply raising the handles the horse
pulling it over discharges the load into a heap the handles then falling on the cross
har. The whole machine will be made of wrought iron with the exception of the front
steel cutter which will be rivetted to the front edge of same & can be replaced 'when
worn out. The scoop will be drawn by chains or solid bars which can be adjusted for
making it draw into its work when loading itself. They will be made in several sizes.
The wheels will be fixed to the sides & so arranged as to work up & down & under the
control of the man's foot. The machine can also be used for cleaning out mill streams
or any water channels when polluted with mud etc. the bottom & sides would then be
made perforated, & it would be still further improved.
Dated this 18th day of April 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Scrapers or Scoops for Loosening and Removing
Soil for Levelling, Excavating, and other like Purposes.
I, GEORGE EDDY, of Kennford, near Exeter, in the County of Devon, Agricultural
Implement Maker, 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 relates to scrapers or scoops drawn by horses, cattle, steam or other
power and used in making and levelling roads, excavating or cleaning out ditches or
water channels and the like and generally in loosening and removing soil or gravel.
Hitherto such scrapers or scoops have been so constructed, that when being drawn
along, their whole bottom surface las borne directly upon the ground, the great
friction thereby produced adding considerably to the draught of the load and causing
the scraper to rapidly become worn out.
According to my invention I provide such scrapers with wheels connected thereto
in such a manner, that while the scraper is excavating they are raised nearly clear of
the ground and can, by the driver operating a lever, be instantaneously lowered
when the scraper is required to transport its contents.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be carried
into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation and
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a scraper, for loosening and removing soil, constructed
according to my invention, the wheels being shewn in the position which they occupy
when excavating.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same, and,
Figure 4 is also a perspective view of the scraper but shewing it turned over in order
to dump or deposit its load and the wheels lowered for travelling.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
a is the body of the scraper which is advantageously made of wrought iron and 6 is

page_text: the cutter made of steel and rivetted to the front of the body a so that it can be
replaced when worn out; c, c are the handles of the scraper used by the driver
for directing and controlling it; d, d are the draught chains, to a swivel crook
at the ends, of which the horses are attached; e, e are the wheels carried upon
vertical bars, adapted to slide.in guides g, g fixed to the sides of the scraper.
The bars with the wheels e, e are kept in the raised position, (as shewn in
figures 1, 2 and 3) when excavating, by means of pins or bolts g, g₁ engaging in
holes or notches in the bars ff. The rear ends of the bolts g; gare jointed at h, h
to the two portions i, i.of a jointed foot lever working on pivots j, j at the rear
of the scraper so that when the said lever is moved forwards by the pressure of
the foot, the bolts g; g₁ are disengaged from the holes or notches in the bars f, f.
The draught chains d,: d. are attached to the lower. ends of curved levers k, k.
fulcrummed at 1, 1 to the sides of the scraper and having their upper ends working
in slots mm in the bars f, fso that directly the bolts g' are withdrawn the levers k
will be caused by the pull of the chains d to move into the position shown by the
dotted lines in Figure 1 and thereby raise the scraper so that the wheels e project
further from the bottom thereof and allow the scraper with its load to be easily drawn,
along over the ground.
The load is discharged by the driver raising the handles c and overturning the.
scraper as shewn in figure.4, the handles falling onto the bar n which breaks their fall
and prevents them from becoming broken. as they probably would be if they were
allowed to fall. direct onto the ground.
The scraper, having been emptied, is turned back onto its wheels, and, having been
taken to the place where it is required to work, the bolts g', g¹ are re-engaged in the
bars f,f.
My improved scraper is especially useful for taking out soil and removing it from
valleys and sides of hedge rows to the tops of hills where it would be of greater
use to the farmer. It can also be used with advantage for cleaning out small streams
or other water channels in which mud has accumulated, the bottom and sides of the
scraper being in this case perforated.
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
(1.) A scraper or scoop for loosening and removing soil having wheels connected
thereto in such a manner that they can be raised and lowered as required, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(2.). The improved scraper or scoop for loosening and removing soil herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 20th day of January 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.