IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING TRENCHES FOR DRAIN PIPES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING TRENCHES FOR DRAIN PIPES." A com-
munication from abroad by Mrs. Mary E. Pidgeon, of Saugerties, in the County
of Ulster, State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1882.
.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING
TRENCHES FOR DRAIN PIPES." [A communication from abroad by Mrs. Mary E.
Pidgeon, of Saugerties, in the County of Ulster, State of New York, United States
of America.]
This Invention relates to machines adapted for making narrow trenches for drain
pipes, and consists in a method of and means for making trenches wherein a
tapering weighted drop knife is employed sliding between two vertical posts
resting on a platform mounted on wheels or rollers and carrying a steam or hand
windlass by means of which this knife can be alternately raised and dropped, thus
causing it to cut a trench in the ground.
The platform is supported by a series of axles or shafts resting in braced wheels
or rollers, and carries. at one end a vertical guide frame composed of a pair of
uprights united by a top cross piece and bottom side cross bars, which frame is
parallel with the length of the platform. The drop knife slides vertically between
the uprights and is attached to a rope passing over pulleys on the top of the guide
frame and wound on the drum of the windlass which may be operated by a steami
engine or by hand or other suitable power. The drum is provided with a clutch for
throwing it in and out of gear as circumstances require. The drop knife may either
be provided with a tapering cutting edge at the bottom or it may have a longi-
tudinal groove adapted to receive a removable cutting die which can be secured in
the lower edge of the knife by clips and bands. This die may be cylindrical or

page_text: oval in cross section according to the shape of the bottom the trench is to have,
and may be readily removed and replaced by another when necessary. For
moving the platform lengthwise a rope is made fast to a tree or some other object
and passes over a pulley on the platform at the base of the vertical guide frame of
the knife and is attached to a cleat on the knife as hereafter described. The
rollers or wheels of the frame may either rest on the ground or on track beams
parallel with the frame which track beams are provided with rollers or wheels
running on the ground. These track beams are longer than the frame so that the
latter can be moved longitudinally on these beams, or the beams themselves
together with the frame can be moved. For shifting or moving the frame sidewise,
the frame is furnished at each end with a longitudinal bar which is parallel with
the end of the frame and is held loosely thereto by vertical loops or sockets which
permit of a vertical adjustment of the bar. These bars are furnished with small
wheels or rollers and with set screws that pass through lugs or a flange projecting
inwardly from the upper edge of the bar, the lower ends of the screws being held
in suitable sockets in the lugs of the frame. If the frame is to be moved or shifted
sidewise, the bars are raised until the lowest points of the wheels or rollers are
flush with the tops of the track beams upon which a beam or track plate is placed
under the wheels. The frame is then raised so that it can clear the top of the
track beams, which is accomplished by means of the set screws which when turned
draw the frame upward, for as stated, the bars have been previously raised and are
held in the raised position by the beam placed under the wheels. The platform
can however be raised by means of other suitable devices if desired.
The operation is as follows:-The knife is raised and dropped in the same
manner as the ramming block of a pile driver, and as this knife has a considerable
weight, it cuts a narrow and tapering trench in the ground. The earth is not
scraped or scooped out but is pressed and jammed to the sides. According to the
nature of the ground and the resistance it presents, more or less cuts by the knife
will be required to form a trench having a certain cross section. When a portion
of the trench equal to the width of the knife is formed, the platform may be moved
forward, and this is effected by means of the rope which is made fast to a tree, post,
or other suitable fixed object some distance in front of the platform passed around
the pulley at the lower end of the knife frame and fastened to the cleat on the
knife when the latter is in the lowered position. On raising the knife the length
of rope between the pulley and the tree or post must necessarily be shortened and
the platform is moved a distance equal to the distance the knife is raised by the
windlass.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th July 1882..
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING
TRENCHES FOR DRAIN PIPES." A communication from abroad by Mrs. Mary E.
Pidgeon, of Saugerties, in the County of Ulster, State of New York, United States
of America.
This Invention relates to machines for making narrow trenches for drain pipes,
and it consists in a method of and means for making trenches wherein a tapering
weighted drop knife is employed sliding between two vertical posts resting on a
platform mounted on wheels or rollers and carrying a steam or hand windlass by
means of which this knife can be alternately raised and dropped, thus causing it to
cut a trench in the ground. To propel the platform, a rope tied to a tree or other
object some distance from the platform, is passed through a pulley block on the
platform and attached to a cleat on the drop knife when the same is in its lowered
position, so that' when the knife is raised by means of the windlass, the rope will
be drawn upon, causing the platform to be moved the necessary distance towards
the tree.
The Invention further consists in adjustable dies adapted to be attached to the
cutting edge of the. drop knife, these dies having different cross sections according
to the formation the bottom of the trench is to have. The Invention also consists
in devices for moving the trenching machine sidewise as will be fully described.
'The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal elevation of the improved trenching machine. Figure 2 is a cross
section and Figure 3 an end view of the lower part of the same. Figure 4 is an
end view of a portion of the drop knife with the die attached to its lower edge.
Figure. 5 is a longitudinal elevation of the die adapted to be attached to the lower
end of the drop knife. Figure 6 represents in cross section different forms of this
die.
A is a platform supported by a series of axles or shafts B resting in braced wheels
or rollers C. This platform carries at one end a vertical guide frame composed of
uprights D-united by a top cross piece E and bottom side cross bars E¹, which
frame is parallel with the length of the platform A. A heavy or weighted drop
knife F provided with a lower tapering cutting edge, slides vertically between the
uprights D and is attached to a rope G passing over pulleys H on the top of the
guide frame and wound on the drum J of a windlass K which may be operated by
a steam engine L or by hand or other suitable power. The drum J is provided
with a clutch for throwing it in and out of gear as circumstances may require.
The drop knife F may either be provided with a tapering cutting edge at the
bottom, or it may have a longitudinal groove adapted to receive a removable
cutting die R figures 4, 5, 6 which can be secured in the lower edge of the knife by
suitable clips and bands. This die may be cylindrical or oval in cross section
according to the shape the bottom of the trench is to have, and die R can be
readily removed and replaced by another when necessary. The rollers or wheels C
of the frame A may either rest on the ground or on track beams S parallel with
the frame A, which track beams are provided with rollers or wheels s running on,
the ground. These track beams should be longer than the frame A so that the

page_text: latter can be moved longitudinally thereon or the track beams can be moved
together with the frame A on them. For the purpose of shifting or moving the
frame A sidewise, I provide a bar T on each end of the frame-which bar is parallel
with the end of the frame A and is held loosely thereto by vertical loops or
V are rollers or
sockets U which permit of a vertical adjustment of the bar T.
small wheels journalled on each end of the bar T, and W are set screws passing
through lugs or a flange projecting inwardly from the upper edge of the bar T, the
lower ends of the screws being held in suitable sockets in the lugs of the frame A.
If the frame A is to be moved or shifted sidewise the bars T are first raised until
the lowest points of the wheels or rollers V are flush with the tops of the track
beams S upon which a beam or track plate is then placed under the wheels V see
figure 3. The frame A is then raised so that it can clear the top of the track
beams S which is accomplished by means of the set screws W which when turned
draw the frame upward-for as stated, the bars T have been previously raised and
are held in the raised position by the beam placed under the wheels V. The
platform A can be raised by means of other suitable devices if desired.
The operation is as follows:-The drop knife F is raised and dropped in the
same manner as is the ramming block of a pile driver, and as this knife F has a
considerable weight it cuts a narrow and tapering trench P in the ground. The
earth is not scraped or scooped out but is pressed and jammed to the sides.
According to the nature of the ground and the resistance it presents, more or less
cuts by the knife F will be required to form a trench having a certain cross
section. When a portion of the trench equal to the width of the knife F is formed
the platform A may be moved in the direction of the arrow a'. To accomplish
this very conveniently and rapidly, the rope O which is made fast to a tree, post,
or other suitable fixed object Q some distance in front of the platform, is passed
around the pulley N at the base of the vertical guide frame and fastened to a
cleat M on the side of knife F when the said knife or cutter F is in the lowered
position. If the kuife is now raised, the length of rope between the pulley N and
the tree or post Q must necessarily be shortened, and the platform A is moved in
the direction of the arrow a' a distance equal to the distance the knife F is raised
by the windlass.
Having described the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements in and in
machinery for making trenches for drain pipes" and the manner of performing the
same, 1 declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is
1st. In a trenching machine the combination with a platform of a vertical guide
frame and a drop knife sliding in this frame, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In a trenching machine, the combination with the platform A of the
uprights D, the drop knife F, the rope G, the windlass K, the rope O, the pulley N,
and the cleat M-substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
set forth.
3rd. The method substantially as herein shown and described of making a
trench consisting in cutting it by means of a drop knife as set forth.
4th. The method substantially as herein shown and described of propelling the
platform A carrying a drop knife consisting in attaching the end of the rope ()
passing through a pulley Ñ to the knife F when the same is lowered and then
raising the knife as set forth.
5th. In a trenching machine the combination with the supporting frame A pro-
vided with rollers C of the track beams S provided with rollers 8 substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
6th. In a trenching machine the combination with the supporting frame A of
the vertical loops or guides U U at the ends of the frame, the bars T held loosely
by these loops and the wheels or rollers V on these bars T substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 7th. In a trenching machine the combination with the supporting frame A of
the vertical loops or guides U U at the ends of the frame, the bars T held loosely
by these loops, the wheels or rollers V on these bars and the set screws W,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this nineteenth day of July A.D. 1882.