IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER TRAVELLING AND OTHER CRANES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN FIELDING of the Atlas Works, Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER TRAVELLING AND OTHER CRANES," to be as follows:-
Travelling cranes constructed according to this invention are arranged so that
all the motions for hoisting and lowering, and for travelling the load to and fro in
the longitudinal and transverse directions, are derived from two belts only. The
driving pulleys which put the belts in motion may be driven by ropes, belts or
shafting or by any of the usual means employed for such purposes.
When driven
by ropes, the latter are so arranged that they turn the two driving pulleys in
opposite directions. In one arrangement of crane thus driven the pulleys from
which the belts receive their motion run loose upon a vertical spindle. At some
distance are placed two horizontal shafts parallel to each other and running in
suitable bearings, the shaft nearer to the vertical spindle drives by worm genring,
a barrel or pitch chain wheel for the purpose of hauling the carriage to and fro
across the crane gantry, the other shaft extends the whole length of the crane and
by means of a sliding worm drives the lifting gear on carriage.
At a point near to the vertical spindle is placed another shaft which is vertical
also and which serves to operate the travelling wheels of crane for the longitudinal
motion. Each of the two horizontal shafts carries two fixed and two loose pulleys,
whilst the second vertical shaft carries one fixed and two loose pulleys.
The belts are arranged as follows. viz from the upper driving pulley a belt is
carried over the top and around the loose pulleys on the farther horizontal shaft
and then from the underside back to the lower loose pulley on second vertical
shaft. This belt serves to drive the farther horizontal shaft in either direction, for
by guiding one part of the belt by a suitable guide, upon one fixed pulley the latter
is driven in one direction and by guiding in a similar manner the other part of the
belt upon the other fixed pulley the shaft is driven in the opposite direction.
The belt guides are so arranged that only one can be moved at the same time.
The same belt also serves to drive the second vertical shaft in one direction by
means of a suitable guide for throwing it upon the fixed pulley.
The pulleys on the farther horizontal shaft are sufficiently larger than those on
the inner or nearer one to allow of them and their belt to run clear of the first

page_text: belt. The second belt is led similarly to the first except that it passes over loose
pulleys upon the nearer shaft and serves to drive the latter in either direction, it
is also carried around the second loose pulley upon the vertical shaft which drives
the longitudinal motion so that it serves for operating the transverse motion in
both directions and the longitudinal motion in the opposite direction to that
imparted by the first belt.
In another arrangement of travelling crane driven by a horizontal shaft extending
along one side of the gantry upon which the crane runs the belts are somewhat
similarly arranged-One belt driving the longitudinal motion in both directions
and the other the transverse motion in both directions, both belts however drive the
motion for hoisting load, the lowering being done by means of a brake.
It is obvious that the arrangement of belts above described may be modified in
various ways such as for instance driving the rounding motion of pillar cranes as
well as the hoisting and racking motions or in all cases where three motions have
to be transmitted in reverse directions.

page_text: I, JOHN FIELDING of the Atlas Works Gloucester in the County of Gloucester
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER TRAVELLING AND OTHER CRANES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
Travelling cranes constructed according to this invention are arranged so that
all the motions for hoisting and lowering, and for travelling the load to and fro
in the longitudinal and transverse directions are derived from two belts only.
The driving pulleys which put the belts in motion may be driven by ropes, belts
or shafting, or by any of the usual means employed for such purposes. When
driven by ropes, the latter are so arranged that they turn the two driving pulleys
in opposite directions. In one arrangement of crane thus driven the pulleys from
which the belts receive their motion run loose upon a vertical spindle. At some
distance are placed two horizontal shafts parallel to each other and running in
suitable bearings, the shaft nearer to the vertical spindle drives by worm gearing,
a barrel or pitch chain wheel for the purpose of hauling the carriage to and fro
across the crane gantry, the other shaft extends the whole length of the crane and
by means of a sliding worm drives the lifting gear on carriage.
At a point near to the vertical spindle is placed another shaft which is vertical
also, and which serves to operate the travelling wheels of crane for the longitudinal
motion. Each of the two horizontal shafts carries two fixed and two loose pulleys
whilst the second vertical shaft carries one fixed and two loose pulleys.
The belts are arranged as follows viz, from the upper driving pulley a belt is
carried over the top and around the loose pulleys on the farther horizontal shaft
and then froin the underside back to the lower loose pulley on second vertical
shaft. This belt serves to drive the farther horizontal shaft in either direction for
by guiding one part of the belt by a suitable guide upon one fixed pulley the latter
is driven in one direction and by guiding in a similar manner the other part of the
Lelt upon the other fixed pulley the shaft is driven in the opposite direction.
The belt guides are so arranged that only one can be moved at the same time:
The same belt also serves to drive the second vertical shaft in one direction by
means of a suitable guide for throwing it upon the fixed pulley.
The pulleys on the farther horizontal shaft are sufficiently larger than those on
the inner or nearer one to allow of them and their belt to run clear of the first
belt. The second belt is led similarly to the first except that it passes over loose
pulleys upon the nearer shaft and serves to drive the latter in either direction,
it is also carried around the second loose pulley upon the vertical shaft which
drives the longitudinal motion so that it serves for operating the transverse motion
in both directions and the longitudinal motion in the opposite direction to that
imparted by the first belt.
In another arrangement of travelling crane driven by a horizontal shaft extending
along one side of the gantry upon which the crane runs, the belts are somewhat
similarly arranged. One belt driving the longitudinal motion in both directions
and the other the transverse motion in both directions, both belts however drive
the motion for hoisting load the lowering being done by means of a brake.
It is obvious that the arrangement of belts above described may be modified in
various ways such as for instance driving the rounding motion of pillar cranes as
well as the hoisting and racking motions, or in all cases where three motions have
to be transmitted in reverse directions.
::
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page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. Is a side elevation of a travelling crane operated according to my
invention, the main girders, cross shaft and chains being shewn broken in order to
condense the drawing.
Figure 2. Is an elevation of the crane shewing more fully the new arrangement
of driving belts.
Figure 3. Is a partial plan of the crane shewing more fully the new arrangement
of driving belts.
Figure 4. Is a diagram of one of these belts, having arrows for the purpose of
indicating more clearly its mode of action.
Similar letters in the various Figures represent corresponding parts.
Referring to the several Figures A A are the main girders. B B the end
frames to which A A are connected. CC the travelling wheels. D is the hoisting
crab which may be of ordinary design E El are the driving pulleys receiving
motion in opposite directions from the rope F as indicated by the arrows,.
G G¹aré groved guide pulleys for the purpose of enabling the rope to take a half
turn round the driving pulleys E. E¹. H. H¹ are belt pulleys formed. preferably
with the rope driving pulleys E. E' and running loose on vertical spindle e. I is a
driving belt receiving motion in the direction indicated by the arrow i from the
pulley H. This belt passes over pulleys J J running loose on crankshaft j, and
thence around loose pulley K on short vertical shaft k. Similarly another driving
belt L, receiving motion in an opposite direction as indicated by the arrow from
the pulley H, passes over pulleys M M² running loose on short horizontal shaft m
and thence around pulley. K' on short vertical shaft k J2 J3 are pulleys keyed
upon cross shaft j, M³ M³ similarly are keyed upon short horizontal shaft m and
K is a pulley keyed upon short vertical shaft k.
The cross shaftj is groved and carries a sliding worm which drives the hoisting
motion in crab D in the usual manner, the short horizontal shaft m by means of
worm N and worm wheel N¹ drives the shaft n upon which are keyed two wheels
into which fits a chain attached to the opposite ends of crab D, this constitutes the
gear for hauling the crab D to and fro across the main girders A. A.
The short vertical shaft k by means of the worm O and worm wheel O¹ drives
the longitudinal travelling motion, the axle P being carried from one end of the
crane to the other and having two of the travelling (C C) wheels keyed upon it.
The hoisting or lowering may be done by causing the belt I to run either upon
fast pulley J or J' similarly the crab D may be hauled to or fro across the
girders A A, by causing the belt L to run upon pulleys M* or M³, and the crane
may be travelled in either direction longitudinally by causing either belt I or
belt L to run on pulley K² It is preferred to use such a form of belt shifting
gear as will permit one belt to be moved whilst the other remains stationery in
a lateral sense, this enables narrower pulleys to be used than are required when
both belts are moved together.
Figure 4 shews in a diagram form the mode of operation of one such belt so
clearly as to require no further description.
I would have it understood that the arrangement of the various gears may be
modified in a great many ways and that I do not limit myself to the particular
arrangement shown in the drawing, for instance the rope driving wheels may be
carried upon horizontal shafts and in some cases this is preferable, also the belt
gearing may be carried upon the crab D if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
•
1st In a power crane the arrangement of a driving belt or strap such as shewn
T

page_text: may be operated independently or simultaneously, one such shaft being driven in
either direction, or allowed to remain idle, at will, whilst the other may be driven
in one direction or allowed to remain idle, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
2nd In a power crane the arrangement and combination of two driving belts or
straps such as shewn at I and L, Figs 1, 2 & 3 in the drawings, whereby motion
may be imparted to one, two, or three shafts simultaneously or independently,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
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