IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXTRACTING PEAT
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, of No. 123, Rue de
Brabant, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, but at present of
No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
EXTRACTING PEAT."-A_communication from abroad by Ernest
T
D de Constantinople Paris France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th September 1874.
I, KAREL JURRIAAN VIEHOFF, of No. 123, Rue de Brabant, Brussels,
in the Kingdom of Belgium; but at present of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
EXTRACTING PEAT," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of
machinery for extracting peat, which is of the following description :-
A platform is provided with wheels on which it can be moved in a

page_text: direction parallel to the face of the peat bank to be operated on, these
wheels running on planks or rails laid on the higher level of the bank.
On the platform is placed the steam engine with the necessary gearing
for working the extractors, which consist of buckets arranged to slide
. vertically in guide frames fixed to the platform. There is attached to
one platform a number of such frames, with their extractors arranged in
echelon order, that is to say, the front of each successive extractor is in
line with the back of the extractor immediately preceding it, so that as
the platform is gradually advanced each extractor removes peat from the
bank in a line behind that removed by the extractor preceding it. Each
of the extractors is provided with valves, which open upwards to admit
the peat when the extractor is pressed downwards, but which close so as
to prevent the escape of the peat from the extractor when it is raised.
The several sets of screw or other gear for causing the extractors to
descend and ascend are connected to the engine shaft by reversing
clutches, so that the several extractors may be caused to make their up
or their down strokes either simultaneously or successively.
In order to balance and steady the platform a framing projecting from
its front face beyond the line of the extractors is attached to a truck or
carriage, which runs upon planks laid on the lower level of the peat; or
in the ordinary cases, where there is water at this lower level the pro-
jecting framing is attached to a barge or raft which floats on the water,
and which by its buoyancy furnishes the required support to the
platform.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th March 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, KAREL
JURRIAAN VIEHOFF, of No. 123, Rue de Brabant, Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, but at present of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, 3
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in

page_text: the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff,
Her special license, that I, the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, 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 therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR Ex-
TRACTING PEAT," a communication to me from abroad by Ernest Balbiani,
of No. 11, Rue de Constantinople, Paris, France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, 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 had to the [accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of
machinery for extracting peat, which is of the following description:―
A platform is provided with wheels on which it can be moved in a
direction parallel to the face of the peat bank to be operated on, these
wheels running on planks or rails laid on the higher level of the bank.
On the platform is placed the steam engine with the necessary gearing
for working the extractors, which consist of buckets arranged to slide
vertically in guide frames fixed to the platform. There is attached to
one platform a number of such frames, with their extractors arranged in
echelon order, that is to say, the front of each successive extractor is in
line with the back of the extractor immediately preceding it, so that as
the platform is gradually advanced each extractor removes peat from the

page_text: bank in a line behind that removed by the extractor preceding it. Each
of the extractors is provided with valves, which open upwards to admit
the peat when the extractor is pressed downwards, but which close so as
to prevent the escape of the peat from the extractor when it is raised.
The several sets of screw or other gear for causing the extractors to
descend and ascend are connected to the engine shaft by reversing
clutches, so that the several extractors may be caused to make their up
or their down strokes either simultaneously or successively.
In order to balance and steady the platform a framing projecting from
its front face beyond the line of the extractors is attached to a truck or 1
carriage, which runs upon planks laid on the lower level of the peat;
or in the ordinary cases, where there is water at this lower level, the
projecting framing is attached to a barge or raft which floats on the
water, and which by its buoyancy furnishes the required support to the
Fig. 1 shows a plan of the before-described peat extractor; Fig. 2
shews a back elevation; and Fig. 3 shews a transverse section.
A is the platform, having wheels B on which it can be moved in a
direction parallel to the face C of the peat bank to be operated upon. The 2
wheels B run upon planks D laid on the surface of the ground, and when
it is desired to move the machine they are driven by means of gearing E,
receiving motion from the engine F, carried by the platform, the
gearing being put in or out of action by means of the clutch and
lever G, G¹.
At the front face of the platform is fixed a strutted framing H, having
brackets I carrying guides K, in which work strong wrought-iron
racks L, fixed at their lower ends to the extractors M, which receive a
vertical up-and-down motion by means of pinions N in gear with the
said racks, and fixed on shafts N₁ driven by bevil gearing O¹ from a
shaft O. This shaft receives rotary motion from the steam engine F in
one direction or the other, according as the extractors require to be
raised or lowered, by the following arrangement:-The engine imparts
motion by the pulley P and belt P¹ to the pulley Q, on the same shaft
with which is a drum R; this drum can drive the shaft S either in one
direction or the other by means of an open belt R' and a crossed belt R²,

page_text: which are alternately brought by the shifting lever T on one or other or
the pullies S1, S2, fixed on the said shaft, the one belt being always on
the loose pulley S. The shaft S has a spur pinion U in gear with a spur
wheel V on the shaft O, which is thus rotated in one direction or tho
other. The bevil gearing O' to each extractor is connected to the shaft O
by a clutch, so that the extractors may either all be made to work simul-
taneously or in succession, or one or more may remain stationary, while
one or more others are at work, according as the said clutches are thrown
in or out of gear.
The extractors M consist of vertical scoops or buckets, which as they
are made to descend cut into the face C of the peat bank. They are
arranged in echelon order, so that as the platform is gradually advanced
in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, each extractor removes peat from
the face C in a line behind that removed by the extractor preceding it,
as will be readily understood from the Drawing. Each extractor is pro-
vided with a series of valves or flaps M' (Fig. 1) along its length, which
open inwards so as to admit the peat when the extractor is pressed
downwards, but which close when the extractor is raised, so as to retain
the peat contained therein.
In order to balance and steady the platform A while the machine is at
work, a strutted framing W, projecting from the face of the framing H,
is secured to a float X upon the water in front of the peat bank.
In cases where the peat has to be cut from a bank entirely submerged
below water, the machine itself would be placed upon a barge instead of
running upon wheels.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I claim,-
First. The use in machinery for extracting peat of a series of extractors
or scoops arranged in echelon order and made to work up and down in
guides on a framing or carriage travelling on wheels, so that as the
framing advances each extractor removes peat from the bank in a line
behind that preceding it, substantially as herein described.
Second. In peat extracting machinery such as above referred to, the
arrangement for steadying the machine by means of a float or carriage
in front of the peat bank connected by framing to the platform of the
machine, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Third. In peat extracting machinery such as above referred to, the
before-described arrangement of wrought-iron racks and gearing for
imparting the requisite up-and-down motion to the extractors or scoops,
and for causing them to work either simultaneously or successively.
Fourth. The use in the scoops of peat extracting machines of valves
or flaps for retaining the peat in the scoop, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Karel Jurriaan Viehoff, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
the year
five.