IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CRANES FOR WORKING BUCKETS OR GRABS USED FOR EXCAVATING, DREDGING, OR LIFTING PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hays Wilson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CRANES
FOR WORKING BUCKETS OR GRABS USED FOR EXCAVATING, DREDGING, OR
LIFTING PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hays Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1880.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO CRANES FOR WORKING BUCKETS OR GRABS USED FOR
EXCAVATING, DREDGING, OR LIFTING PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object a system of working and arrangements of parts
and gear in connection with crancs or hoisting apparatus used for working that
class of dredging, excavating, and hoisting and discharging appliances, known as
grapple buckets or grabs.
Under the first part I construct cranes or hoisting apparatus for working the two
chains, namely, the chain for lifting the load (which I term the lifting chain) and
the chain for working the bucket or grab (which I term the discharging chain)
with three barrels, namely, a main barrel for the lifting chain receiving motion
from the crank shaft of a steam or hydraulic engine, or a hand crank shaft, and
a barrel for the discharging chain, which receives motion by toothed or other gear
from the main barrel shaft. The third barrel consists of a supplementary barrel
in connection with the discharging chain barrel, and is provided with a friction
break, and may be placed either above or below the main barrel, but must be in a
suitable position for the discharging chain (which has several turns round this
barrel which I term the break barrel) to lead to the discharging barrel to which it
is attached. When placed above the main barrel a chain wheel may be substituted
for the break barrel, the discharging chain being led over such chain wheel and
then round the discharging barrel. The chain wheel is provided with a break,
such as a strap friction break on a wheel or disc.
For example of the said first part, I will describe a steam crane constructed
according to my Invention. This may consist of a steam boiler and engine of any
known type, preferably a vertical boiler and engine fixed upon a table or platform,
pivotted on a truck made to revolve thereon by suitable gear. The platform is

page_text: provided with a jib of suitable construction stayed to the framing which carries
the engines and gear. The main barrel of the crane is driven by a toothed wheel
receiving motion from a pinion on the crank shaft, the toothed wheel being mounted
on the barrel shaft, and provided with a suitable strap friction break. The
discharging barrel is mounted in bearings in the frame below the main barrel, and
is driven by a toothed wheel fixed on the said discharging barrel shaft, and
receiving motion from a toothed wheel on the main barrel shaft. In front of
the discharging barrel is placed the third or supplementary barrel, to which is
attached a wheel and strap friction break worked by a hand lever. The lifting
and discharging chains lead from their respective barrels over pulleys at the upper
extremity of the jib, and thence to the bucket or grab which they are to operate,
and which may be of any ordinary type, for example, such as that described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted one Newton, No. 3025, A.D. 1866. The
table or platform, as before mentioned, may be mounted upon a truck, and may be
used for working upon railways, roads, docks, or for any other purpose to which it
is applicable, and it can also be fitted to a barge for dredging and other work to
which floating cranes are at present applied.
The operation of the crane may be thus described-The lifting chain is fastened
to the lifting barrel; the discharging chain has several turns round the break
barrel, and is fastened to the discharging barrel. Presuming the grapple bucket
to be lying open on the material to be raised, a sufficient amount of slack or loose
chain is allowed to the discharging chain between the break barrel and the
discharging barrel to permit of the lifting chain closing the bucket in the process
of raising before the discharging barrel commences to wind from the break barrel
the discharging chain, to which when winding it never applies tension, and merely
serves the purpose of taking in the slack of the discharging chain when the
bucket is being lifted by the lifting chain. When the bucket is lifted and swung
to the required position, the break is applied to the break barrel, and the lifting
barrel thrown out of gear with the engine and allowed to reverse. The result of
this is that the weight of the bucket is thrown on the discharging chain which
causes the bucket to open. While reversing the lifting barrel through the gear
also reverses the discharging barrel; the slack of the chain between the discharging
barrel and the break barrel collects in a box, and is ready to run out when the
break barrel is released, when the bucket descends for another load.
Under the second part I place on the main barrel shaft a double or twin barrel.
I also fix a double or twin barrel on the framing below or above the innin barrel
shaft, which serves as the discharging and break barrel. The function of one part
of the main barrel is to receive the lifting chain, and the function of the other part
of the main barrel is to work a messenger chain, which imparts motion to the
discharging twin barrel below or above. I dispense with the supplementary barrel
described under the first part; I also dispense with the spare gearing for actuating
the discharging barrel. The twin discharging barrel is provided with a break
in like manner to the break barrel under the first part. In lieu of the twin
discharging barrel I may use a chain wheel sliding on a keyway, or by a keyway
on a shaft above one part of the main twin barrel, the said chain wheel shaft being
provided with a suitable strap break.
In operation when the bucket or grab is being raised with its load, the main
barrel winds upon it the lifting chain; the messenger from the lifting barrel to the
discharging barrel drives the latter, which takes in the slack by winding in the
discharging chain. When the bucket or grab is raised or swung to the desired
position, the break of the discharging barrel is applied, and the main barrel reversed,
the bucket or grab thus opens or discharges. The messenger chain (which is a
single length of chain) one end being attached to the discharging barrel, and the
other to the main barrel) accumulates in slack between the barrels in a suitable
receptacle. Upon releasing the break from the discharging barrel the bucket a
descends for another load.
Under the third part I place or construct upon the table or platform of a steam

page_text: crane, such as before described, an auxiliary engine and barrel for working the
discharging chain, the main engine being the lifting engine, and working one
barrel being the lifting barrel. The main and auxiliary engine receivo steam
through the same pipo from the same source. The auxiliary engine is, however,
of power only sufficient to take in the slack of the discharging chain, and the
instant any additional weight comes upon the barrel of the engine the motion of
the said engine is arrested. The barrel of the said auxiliary engine, which is the
discharging barrel, is provided with a break.
In operation the main engine with its barrel winds the lifting chain, and raises
the bucket and load; the auxiliary engine takes in the slack of the discharging
chain. When the load is raised and swung sufficient the break is applied to the
discharging barrel, and the lifting barrel is reversed, resulting in the discharge of
the bucket or grab. On releasing the discharging barrel the bucket descends
for another load.
Under the fourth part I arrange cranes, such as hereinbefore described, with
hydraulic engines, such as ordinary hydraulic engines or "three cylinder engines,"
arranged so that such cranes may be applied to a dock system where water under
pressure is supplied through mains.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hays Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
September 1880.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO CRANES FOR WORKING BUCKETS OR GRABS USED FOR
EXCAVATING, DREDGING, OR LIFTING PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object a system of working and arrangement of parts
and gear in connection with cranes or hoisting apparatus used for working that
class of dredging, excavating, and hoisting, and discharging appliances known as
grapple buckets, or grabs, or double skeps
The beforegoing being the object of my Invention I will now proceed to
particularly describe the same, reference being had to the four Sheets of Drawings,
making a part of this Specification, in which like letters and Figures are used to
denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the various views; such letters
or Figures also correspond with those used in the following Specification :-
Reference being had to Figure 1, which is a diagram illustrative of my Invention
under the first part, and Figure 2, which is a side clevation of a crane constructed
under the said first part. I construct cranes or hoisting apparatus for working the
two chains, namely, the chain A for lifting the load (which I hereafter term the
lifting chain), and the chain B for working the bucket or grab (which I here-
after term the discharging chain) with three barrels, namely, a main barrel C for
the lifting chain A, receiving motion from the crank shaft D of a steam or
hydraulic engine or a hand crank shaft, as shown, and a barrel E for the dis-
charging chain B, which receives motion by toothed or other gear F from the main
barrel shaft C. The third barrel H consists of a supplementary barrel round which
the discharging chain B is first wound for two or three turns and is then passed
onto the barrel E. The barrel H is provided with a friction brake and lever J,
and may be placed either below the main barrel C, as shown at Figures 1 and 2,
or above the main barrel C, as shown, for convenience of space in Figure 2. It
will be seen that the barrel H is and must be placed in a suitable position for the
discharging chain B, which has several turns round the barrel H (which I term
the brake barrel) to lead to the discharging barrel E to which the end of the
chain B is attached. When placed above the main barrel Ca chain wheel may bo
substituted for the brake barrel H, the discharging chain B being led over such
chain wheel, and thence led to and round the discharging barrel E. Tho chain
wheel H is provided with a brake J, such as a strap friction brake.
Figure 2 is an example of a crane constructed under this first part of my
Invention; Z is a steam boiler; Y is a steam engine of any known type, preferably
a vertical boiler and engine fixed upon a table or platform X pivotted on a truck,
and made to revolve thereon by suitable gear. The platform X is provided with
a jib W, of suitable construction, stayed to the framing which carries the engine
and gear (for convenience of space the jib W is shown broken off). The main
barrel C of the crane is driven by the toothed wheel V, receiving motion from the
pinion U on the crank shaft D. The toothed wheel V is mounted on the shaft of
the barrel C, and is provided with a suitable strap friction brake T. The dis-
charging barrel E is mounted in bearings in the frame and below the main barrel C,
and is driven by a toothed wheel G fixed on the said discharging barrel shaft and
receiving motion from the toothed wheel F which is fixed on the shaft of the
main barrel C. In front of the discharging barrel E I place a third or supple-
mentary barrel H to which is attached the friction brake J. The lifting chain A
and the discharging chain B lead from their respective barrels over the pulleys or
sheaves S at the upper extremity of the jib W, and from thence to the bucket or
grab which they are to operate, such as R, illustrated at Figure 3. The bucket

page_text: may be of any ordinary type, for example, such as that described in the Specifi-
cation of Letters Patent granted to one Newton, No. 3025, A.D. 1866. The table
or platform X, as before mentioned, may as in ordinary cranes of the type shown
be mounted upon a truck, and may be used for working upon railways, roads,
docks, or for any other purpose to which it is applicable, and it can also be fitted
to a barge for dredging and other work to which floating cranes are at present
applied.
The operation of the crane may be thus described. The lifting chain A is fastened
to the lifting barrel C, and the discharging chain B has several turns round the
brake barrel H and is fastened to the discharging barrel E. Presuming the grapple
bucket to be lying open on the material to be raised a sufficient amount of slack or
loose chain B is allowed to such discharging chain, between the brake barrel H and
the discharging barrel E, to permit of the lifting chain A closing the bucket in the
process of raising before the discharging barrel E commences to wind from the
brake barrel H the discharging chain B, to which when winding the barrel E never
applies tension, and merely serves the purpose of taking in the slack of the chain B
when the bucket is being lifted by the chain A. When the bucket is lifted and
swung to the required position the brako J is applied to the barrel H, and the
lifting barrel thrown out of gear with the engine or otherwiso allowed to reverse.
The result of this action is that the weight of the bucket and its contents is thrown
on the chain B which causes the bucket to open. While reversing the barrel C
through the gear F, G, also reverses the barrel E; the slack of the chain B falls
between the barrel E and the barrel H, and collects in a box, and is ready to run
out when the brake barrel H is released, after which the bucket descends for
another load.
Reference being had to Figure 3, which is an elevation (shown in two parts for
convenience of space) of a crane illustrated of my Invention under the second part,
and Figure 4, which is an end view of the barrels and framework Figure 3.
Under the second part I place on the main barrel shaft C¹ a double or twin
barrel C, C; I also fix a double or twin barrel E, H, on the framing below or
above the main barrel. This latter twin barrel serves as the discharging and brake
barrel. The function of the part C of the main barrel is to receive the lifting
chain A, and the function of the part C₁ of the main barrel is to work a messenger
chain B', which imparts motion to tho twin barrel E, H, when unwinding from the
barrel E to which it is attached. The barrel H corresponds with the supplementary
barrel H, described under the first part. I also dispense with the toothed
gearing F, G, which actuates the discharging barrel E in the first part. The twin
discharging barrel E, H, is provided with a brake J in like manner to the brake
under the first part. In lieu of the twin barrel E, H, I sometimes substitute a
chain wheel sliding in a keyway or by a keyway on a shaft above one part
of the main twin barrel C, C¹³, the said chain wheel shaft being provided with
a suitable strap brake.
In operation when the bucket or grab R. is being raised with its load, the main
barrel C winds up the lifting chain A. The messenger chain B¹ from the barrel Cl
to the discharging barrel E drives the latter, so that the barrel H takes in the
slack by winding in the chain B. When the bucket R is raised or swung to the
desired position the brake J is applied to the barrel E, H, and the barrel C, C", is
reversed. The bucket R then opens or discharges its load. The messenger chain B¹
(is a single length of chain, one end being attached to the barrel E, and the other
end being attached to the barrel C¹¹) accumulates in slack between the barrels C¹¹
and E, and falls into a suitable receptacle. Upon releasing the brake J from the
barrel E, H, the bucket R ascends for another load.
Reference being had to Figure 5, which is a side elevation of a crane illustrative
of my Invention under the third part, I place or construct upon the table or
platform X of a steam crane, such as before described, an auxiliary engine P which
works the discharging barrel E, which winds and works the discharging chain B.
The main engine Y is the lifting engine and works the barrel C, which is the lifting

page_text: barrel. The main engine Y and the auxiliary engine P receive steam through the
same pipo from the same source. The auxiliary engine P is, however, of power only
sufficient to take in the slack of the chain B, and the instant additional weight
comes on the barrel E the motion of the engine P is arrested. The barrel E is
provided with a brake J.
In operation the engine Y with its barrel C winds the chain A and raises the
bucket and load, the auxiliary engine P takes in the slack of the chain B. When
the load is raised and swung the brake is applied to the barrel E and the barrel C
is reversed, resulting in the discharge of the bucket or grab. On releasing the
discharging barrel E the bucket descends for another load.
Under the fourth part I arrange cranes, such as hereinbefore described, with
hydraulic engines, or three cylinder engines, arranged so that such cranes may be
applied to a dock system where water under pressure is supplied through mains.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and explained
my system of working buckets or grabs, and the manner in which the same may
be carried out into practical effect, under the first part of my Invention I claim,-
Constructing and arranging a crane or like hoisting mechanism with three
barrels, being a lifting barrel, discharging barrel, and a brake barrel, as herein
described, and as illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Under the second part I claim,—
Constructing and arranging a crane or like hoisting mechanism with double or
twin barrels in duplicate, one portion of one barrel being the lifting barrel, and one
portion of the other barrel being the discharging barrel, the other barrels -being
messenger barrels, as herein described, and as illustrated at Figures 4 and 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Under the third part I claim,-
Constructing and arranging a crane or like hoisting incchanism with two
independent engines, namely, a main engine for working the lifting barrel, and an
auxiliary engine for working the discharging barrel, as herein described, and
illustrated at Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Under the fourth part I claim,
Working cranes, such as hereinbefore described, with hydraulic engines supplied
with water under pressure, as herein described.
I finally claim,—
The construction and arrangement of crancs for working buckets or grabs, as
herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hays Wilson, have hereunto set my