IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING LOADS OR WEIGHTS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, GO,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING LOADS OR
WEIGHTS." A communication from abroad by Jean Paul Poirot, of Paris, in
the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, GG, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING
AND LOWERING LOADS OR WEIGHTS." [A communication from abroad by Jean
Paul Poirot, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
A great want has been felt for some suitable apparatus to raise loads in places
where it is not convenient to employ a windlass or tackle, such places, for instances,
as the cellars of wine merchants, where casks are placed in tiers, or work-shops,
whore heavy parts of machinery require to be lifted into place.
Now the object of the present Invention is to provide an apparatus for effecting
this purpose in a safe and expeditious manner.
The apparatus is composed of three parts, namely, 1st, of an iron frame-work
which is mounted on wheels so that it may be readily transported from place to
place; 2nd, of a moveable platform on which the load to be raised or lowered is
placed; and, 3rd, of a windlass which serves as a means for raising the platform.
The frame consists of two horizontal side picces, which are connected together
by tie rods or in any other convenient manner, and it is mounted on two pairs of
wheels or castors for convenience of transport. To this frame are pivotted at their
lower ends a pair of rocking frames, to the upper ends of which is attached by
hinges or their equivalents the platform on which the load to be raised or lowered
is placed.
This platform may be provided with rollers or rails to facilitate the loading, and
is so arranged with regard to the rocking frames and the main framing as to form
in all positions a parallelogramı.
The platform with the load thercon is raised by means of a rope or chain which
passes round the back of the platform, and is attached to and wound upon pulleys

page_text: which form part of a windlass. This windlass is mounted between two vertical
standards, bolted or otherwise secured to one end of the main frame, and actuated
by a handle. A pawl is fixed on either side of one of the rocking frames which
takes into the teeth of a rack fixed to each of the side pieces, and by means of
these pawls the platform may be supported at any desired height.
In order to render the apparatus portable the parts forming the vertical standards
may be hinged together and pivotted to the frame in such a manner that the
standards may be laid down onto the side pieces. In this case the main frame is
provided with rings by which the apparatus may be slung under the floor of the
waggon or vehicle.
It will be evident that the lowering of loads or weights is effected by reversing
the action of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
September 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING
AND LOWERING LOADS OR WEIGHTS." A communication from abroad by Jean
Paul Poirot, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
A great want has been felt for some suitable apparatus to raise loads in places
where it is not convenient to employ an ordinary windlass or tackle; such places,
for instance, as the cellars of wine merchants, where casks are placed in tiers, or
workshops, where heavy parts of machinery require to be lifted into place.
Now the object of the present Invention is to fill this void by providing an
apparatus for raising loads under such and similar circumstances in a safe and
expeditious manner.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews the improved apparatus in its lowest
position preparatory to receiving or discharging a load, the dotted lines shewing
the apparatus in its raised position.
Fig. 2 is a plan view with the platform for supporting the load removed; and
Fig. 3 is a diagram Fig. shewing the apparatus in the position to receive or
discharge the load.
The apparatus is composed, firstly, of a framework a (preferably of metal) which
is mounted on wheels so that it may be readily transported from place to place;
secondly, of a moveable horizontal platform b on which the load to be raised or
lowered is placed, and which is so arranged that it will always maintain its hori-
zontal position; and, thirdly, of a windlass which serves as the means for raising
the platform.
The frame a consists of two iron beams or girders a', firmly secured together by
tie rods . The rods a" are used only as tie-rods, but the rods c³, c¹¹, serve also

page_text: as the pivots on which a pair of rocking frames C, C', for supporting the platform b
oscillate, and the rods d', c¹¹, serve as the axles for the running wheels all, a.
The frames C, C, are connected to the moveable platform by hinges clll, and the
rods c', c", which carry the frames are placed in the same horizontal plane, the
whole being so arranged as to form at every point of devolopment a perfect
parallelogram. The running wheels all are placed as near as possible to the point
of equilibrium of the apparatus, so that the latter may be readily tipped on those
wheels in order to change the direction in which it is being moved; or, if preferred,
the wheels a' may be castor-wheels, in which case the necessity of tipping will bo
avoided.
The platform b is covered with sheet metal at that part which receives the load,
and it may also be provided with runners to facilitate the sliding of the load onto
the platform. The rocking frames Caro provided with pawls e which, tako iuto
the ratchet teeth of racks c¹, e, secured in any convenient mannor to the sides
of the frame a, and thus during the elevation the charge will bo at all points
assured against the results of any breaking of the hoisting ropo or chain." The
pawls e arc connected together by a tie rod d³.
At the end of the frame a opposite to the platform bis a pair of standards f, which
are firmly secured to the frame a and to one another by bolts f¹, or otherwise.
These standards carry the bearings for the shafts f", f, f, on which pinions g
and spur wheels h forming part of a windlass aro mounted. The shaft f¹¹ carries
also a pair of grooved pullios or winding drums i, i, placed one on either side of
the apparatus and outside the standards f. To these pullies or drums i, i, the
opposite ends of a rope or chain jare attached by means of the bolt . This rope
or chain passes over the pullies K mounted on the shaft f", under the pullios K¹
fixed to the sides of the platform band round the back of the platform. The shaft f¹¹
is also provided with a handle by which motion can be communicated to the
windlass. Instead of a single rope or chain two ropes may be used to raise the
platform. In this case one end of cach rope will be secured to the standards at ƒ³,
and the rope or chain after passing under and round the pullies K¹ will be brought
over the pullies K (as shewn by the rope 7 on the Drawings), and attached to the
pullies or drums i, i, as above explained.
The employment of a single rope or chain is however preferred, as it has the
advantage of permitting automatically the equalization of the drag of the rope
on both sides of the platform 6 both before and during the raising of the load.
The distance between the checks of the grooved pulley or winding drums i, i, is
such as to adinit of only one coil of the rope; the coils therefore superpose at cach
turn; thus the speed of the winding up increases in proportion as the resistance
diminishes.
Keyed on the shaft f" is a ratchet wheel o, into the teeth of which the pawl p
takes. This pawl is mounted on the rod f¹, and it is provided with a counter-
weight D which serves to maintain it in contact with the ratchet wheel.
In order to facilitate the loading of the platform an inclined plano m, which may
bo attached to the apparatus, is employed, and during the loading the apparatus is
tipped up, as shown at Fig. 3, by inserting wedges n under the wheels a³.
When it is desired to use the apparatus it is brought up to the load to be raised
and is tipped up, as before explained.
The load is then placed on the platform (by the aid of the rope or chain j if
necessary), and the platform is raised by winding up the windlass to the height
required, in which position should it be below the maximum height the platform
will be retained in position by the pawls e. When the load is removed the plat-
forin is lowered by disengaging the pawls e and p and reversing the direction of
the handle.
A brake arrangement may be adapted, if desired, to the windlass.
In Fig. 4 an arrangement of apparatus suitable for being sent out with transport
vehicles in order to facilitate the charging or discharging of the same is shewn in
diagram in sida elevation

page_text: In this arrangement the apparatus is so constructed that its height may be
reduced sufficiently to permit of its being carried under the floor of the vehicle.
The standards which carry the windlass are in this case formed of arms r, r², con-
nected together with a compass joint on the axle 8, which also receives the handle.
The arms which carry the axles for the gearing g', h, aro pivotted to the side
pieces a, a, at u³, and each arm i is formed at bottom with a tail piece t, which is
secured to the side pieces a, a, by the rod u. The arms r¹ are secured at u to the
side pieces a in a similar manner. The formation of these rods u and u' is shewn at
Fig. 5. When it is desired to place the apparatus under the vehicle it will be
neccessary only to withdraw the rods u, and the arms can then be extended and
laid down upon the platform b, as shown in dotted lines in the Figure. The
apparatus is swung from the floor of the vehicle by chains, which are secured to
the rings v.
If desired a dynamometer or other suitable weighing mechanism may be adapted
to the apparatus to determine approximately the maximum weight of the loads to
be raised in proportion to the strength of the apparatus and of the transporting
vehicle.
Having now described the nature of this Invention for "Improvements in
Apparatus for Raising and Lowering Loads or Weights," as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, the apparatus for raising and lowering loads, consisting of a frame
work a mounted on wheels, a moveable platform b, and a windlass or equivalent
hauling mechanism, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.