ACHINE FOR SWEEPING OR SCRAPING STREETS, ROADS AND OTHER PLACES وو
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bryan William Stevens of Birmingham in the County
of Warwick Merchant for an invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bryan William Stevens at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1882.
BRYAN WILLIAM STEVENS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Merchant
A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SWEEPING OR SCRAPING STREETS, ROADS AND
OTHER PLACES
وو
My invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner hereinafter
described the parts of machines for sweeping or scraping streets, roads, and other
places, whereby a locomotive engine is made to sweep or scrape the street, road, or
place over which it passes to collect or take up the swept dirt or mud and deposit
it in a travelling receptacle from whence at convenient times and places, it may be
transferred to carts to be finally disposed of.
The locomotive engine which I employ to propel and actuate the scraping or
sweeping mechanism differs in no essential respect from locomotives employed on
common roads for various purposes.
Underneath or behind the locomotive is a horizontal axis crossing the machine
obliquely, making with the sides an angle of about forty five degrees. The axis
carries a series of brushes and by the rotation of the said axis and brushes the
dirt or mud is swept to the side of the road. In place of the rotary brushes, a
series of scrapers may be employed by the action of which the dirt or mud is
collected on the side of the road. An inclined trough and collector are fixed at
the delivering end of the brush. The front and lowest end of this trough
terminates in a blade or scraper which just bears upon the ground and passes under
the ridge of dirt or mud as the machine advances. As the machine advances
.

page_text: a series of brushes or scrapers on an endless band raises the dirt or mud in the
trough and the said mud or dirt is delivered into a receptacle from which it is
raised by another chain of brackets or scrapers into another receptacle which
contains a screw so arranged as to be stationary whilst the brushing apparatus is
travelling but which on the stoppage of the machine may be driven directly or
otherwise from the engine, and thus force the dirt or mud to that end of the
trough which contains a trap door and thus facilitate its discharge into the cart
below the said trough or receptacle being placed at such a height in the machine
that the carts can conveniently stand below it. Or the dirt or mud may be
tipped or otherwise transferred from the receptacle to the cart.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Bryan William Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th November 1882.
BRYAN WILLIAM STEVENS of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Merchant
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SWEEPING OR SCRAPING STREETS ROADS AND
OTHER PLACES
"
1
My invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner hereinafter
described the parts of machines for sweeping or scraping streets, roads and other
places, whereby a locomotive engine is made to sweep or scrape the street road or
place over which it passes to collect or take up swept dirt or mud and deposit it in
a travelling receptacle from whence at convenient times and places, it may be
transferred to carts to be finally disposed of. The locomotive engine which I
employ to draw and actuate the scraping or sweeping mechanism differs in no
essential respect from locomotives employed on common roads for various purposes.
Underneath or behind the locomotive is a horizontal axis crossing the machine
obliquely making with the sides an angle of about forty five degrees. This axis
carries a series of brushes and by the rotation of the said axis and brushes the dirt
or mud is swept to the side of the road. In place of the rotary brushes a series of
scrapers may be employed by the action of which the dirt or mud is collected on
the side of the road. Or scrapers and brushes may be combined in the same
machine. An inclined trough and collector are fixed at the delivery end of the
brusb. The front and lowest end of this trough terminates in a blade or scraper
which just bears upon the ground and passes under the ridge of dirt or mud aš
the machine advances. As the machine advances a series of brushes or buckets or
scrapers on an endless band raises the dirt or mud in the trough and the said mud
or dirt is delivered into a receptacle.
The receptacle may contain a screw so arranged as to be stationary whilst the
brushing or scraping apparatus is travelling but which on the stoppage of the
machine may be driven directly or otherwise from the engine, and thus force the
dirt or mud to that end of the receptacle which contains a trap or hinged door
and thus facilitate its discharge into the cart below or at the end of the said
receptacle, the receptacle being placed at such a height in the machine that
the carts can conveniently stand below it. Or the dirt or mud may be tipped or
otherwise transferred from the receptacle to the cart.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in plan and Figure 3 in end
elevation my new or improved machine for sweeping or scraping streets, roads and
other places; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent parts of the machine drawn to a
larger scale as hereinafter particularly explained; Figures 9 and 10 represent
modifications of a portion of the machine.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the framing of the machine supported on the two travelling wheels b, b and
drawn by a locomotive engine (not shown in the Drawing) the front of the said
machine being connected to and supported by the engine tender c (indicated in
dotted lines) the coupling a² of which admits of the machine turning in any
direction. In order to support the machine, when detached from the locomotive,
a third wheel may be placed at the front, or vertical props or supports may be
placed at the back and front of the framing of the machine; e e are ordinary lever
scrapers situated at the front of the machine and crossing the machine obliquely.

page_text: Behind the series of scrapers e, e is a rotating oblique brush & worked from the
horizontal axis d² by a driving chain and pulleys or other equivalent gearing (see
Figure 2). The horizontal axis d² is driven from the axle of the travelling
wheels b, b by the bevil gearing at d³. The rotating brush d may be dispensed
with and the scrapers alone be used; or a rotating brush alone may be used in the
machine. By the action of the scrapers e e and brush d, or scrapers or brush alone,
the dirt or mud in their or its path is collected on the side of the road. Projecting
from the frame of the machine is a small rotating brush f (see Figure 2) for
cleaning the gutter. The inclination of the gutter brush f is such that by its
action the mud or dirt from the gutter is swept or scraped into the path of the
advancing scrapers e, e and brush d. The manner in which the gutter brush is
supported and worked is hereinafter explained.
At the back and at one side of the machine and in a line with the ridge of dirt
or mud which has been collected by the scrapers e e and brush d is a strong scoop,.
trough or collector g. This scoop or collector as the machine advances passes
under and takes up the ridge of dirt or mud. From the said scoop or collector
the dirt or mud is lifted by the scoops or buckets i, i on the endless travelling
band h to the tank or receptacle k. The scoop, trough or collector g is not rigidly
connected to the frame of the machine but is jointed to it by the pin or joint
at g². This pin or joint permits of the rising and falling of the scoop or trough to
accomodate itself to the inequalities of the ground over which it is passing. The
jointed scoop or trough g is represented drawn to a larger scale, combined with a
portion of the endless band and buckets, in section in Figure 4. The front and
lowest end of the scoop or trough g terminates in a steel blade or scraper g³ which
just bears upon the ground and passes under the ridge of the dirt or mud to be
lifted. The endless band h carrying the lifting buckets i passes over the lower
roller supported by the hanging brackets 2 and also over the upper roller m
supported by the brackets or stays m² and the said endless band.h is driven by a
pulley n on the axis of the upper roller m taking motion by means of a driving
band from a pulley on the axle of the travelling wheels b, b.
The endless band h is geared with the rollers l, m so as to prevent the slipping
of the said band by means of studs at the back of the buckets i, i taking into
correspondingly shaped depressions in the rollers (see Figure 4). The lower roller
is of such a size and so disposed in the trough or scoop g that the travelling
buckets i, i fill or nearly fill the space between the roller and trough so that the
dirt or mud collected in the lower part of the said trough is taken up by the
buckets on the ascending side of the endless band h and conveyed by the said
buckets to the highest point of the machine. As the filled buckets pass over
the top roller and are in the act of descending, the mud or dirt is emptied there-
from into the spout p from which it passes into the tank or receptacle k. The
tank or receptacle k is pivotted or jointed at 2 to the frame of the machine so
that the said tank may have the required inclination given to it to empty it of its
contents.
The back of the tank or receptacle has a hinged door k³ by opening which door
and raising the front end of the tank k by a screw or other mechanism the
contents of the said tank may be emptied into carts brought under it. In order
to permit of the required inclination of the tank for emptying it the spout p is
pivotted or hinged at p², p² to the inside of the tank kas represented in the
enlarged views Figures 5 and 6.
When the tank is required to be tilted, the spout p is turned into the position
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5. It is thereby prevented on the tilting of the
tank from coming into contact with the endless band h and buckets i, i
The gutter brush f is supported and driven in the manner best seen in the
enlarged side elevation and end elevation Figure 7 and plan Figure 8.
On the shaft d² which drives the principal brush d is a second bevil wheel d
which gears with the bevil wheel d³ on the oblique shaft do. The oblique shaft d
is carried in the bracket d' secured on the shaft d². The bracket d' is made in

page_text: halves and is capable of turning on the shaft d². The oblique shaft de is thereby
permitted to have motion about the id shaft d the bevil wheels d d being at
the same time retained in gear.―The lower end of the shaft do is connected to the
inner end of the gutter brush f by a universal joint at r which admits of the said
shaft moving in all directions. The other end of the gutter brush f is supported
by an adjusting chain and spring at 8 for restoring it to its normal position after
it has been temporarily displaced by an obstacle. Near the bottom of the shaft de
is a brush u which as the shaft rises and falls works in the forked bracket t
carried by the main framing of the machine.
The ridge of mud or dirt collected by the oblique scrapers or scrapers and brush
may be projected by a rapid rotating fan (or brush) into the space between the
collector or curved trough g and the lifting scoops or buckets on the endless band
This modification which is especially suited for rough roads where the blade or
point of the trough or collector g will not efficiently collect the mud or dirt, is
illustrated in Figure 9. In the said Figure 9 the rotating fan is marked w and
has a series of radial vanes which force, on the rapid rotation of the fan, the ridge
of mud or dirt into the space at x between the collector g and the buckets i, i the
said buckets as they make their ascending motion taking up the said mud or
dirt so collected and transferring it to the tank or receptacle as herein before
described.
The rotating fan w is worked from the axle of the travelling wheels b, b by
chain gearing in the manner represented in the Drawing
Instead of the fan wa rotating brush may be substituted therefor
Instead of using scoops or buckets for lifting the dirt or mud to the tank or
receptacle k as represented in the Figures hereinbefore described, brushes or blades
or blades with flexible edges may be arranged on the endless band. In this case
the endless band of brushes or blades works in a case.
Figure 10 represents in elevation partly in section the essential parts of this,
arrangement. represents the lower roller over which the endless band h passes;
yy are the blades or plates or brushes attached at right angles to the said endless
band h; g g is the trough or case in which the ascending series of blades or
brushes works. The lower part or collector g³ of the trough or case turns upon
the same centre as the roller 6 for the purpose of giving it a power of yielding to
any obstruction
The blades or brushes y, y are rigid but may have flexible edges y³ inserted in
them an indicated by the separate detached sketch in Figure 10.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
invention of "A new or improved machine for sweeping or scraping streets, roads
and other places'
"
First The construction and combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for collecting and lifting the dirt or
mud swept or scraped into a ridge by means of scrapers or a rotating brush or by
scrapers and a rotating brush in combination, to a tank or receptacle mounted
upon a carriage drawn by a locomotive engine; that is to say, by means of the
mud or dirt trough, scoop, collector or case g, g² situated at the rear of the machine
and the endless band h carrying a series of buckets or brushes or blades, the said
parts being constructed arranged and operating substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly-The combination with the machine of the gutter brush f constructed
and worked substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings for collecting the mud or dirt from the gutter into the path of
the advancing scrapers or rotating brush.
Thirdly The combination with the collecting and lifting mechanism of the
machine of the pivotted or jointed mud or dirt tank or receptacle k and jointed
spout p
Lastly The modification hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 9 of

page_text: the accompanying Drawings for projecting the ridge of mud or dirt into the
trough, scoop or collector to be raised to the tank or receptacle by the lifting
mechanism.
In witness whereof I the said Bryan William Stevens have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty two
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
BRYAN WILLIAM STEVENS. (LS.)
Birmingham.