IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND TRANSPORTING OBJECTS.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Behrns and Gustav Unruh, both of the Firm of
Jaacks and Behrns, Civil Engineers, of Lübeck, in the German Empire, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND
TRANSPORTING OBJECTS.".
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Behrns and Gustav
Unruh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April.
1881.
GUSTAV BEHRNS and GUSTAV UNRUH, both of the Firm of Jaacks and Behrns,
Civil Engineers, of Lübeck, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND TRANSPORTING OBJECTS."
This Invention has for its object to enable grain and other materials or objects
to be conveyed by machinery to or from a locality, such as the bold of a ship, that
may vary in position or distance relatively to the point to or from which the
materials are to be conveyed, and it consists mainly in the employment for this
purpose of an articulated framework constructed on the principle of the "lazy
tongs," one end of which is attached to a fixed point, while the other is free and
carries pullies or rollers, over which pass endless travelling bands or chains carrying
a series of buckets or receptacles for the grain or other material, so that the said
bands or chains being kept stretched by a moveable regulating pulley, the free end
of the "lazy tongs" framing can be moved nearer to or farther from the fixed end,
so as to cause the said buckets to take the grain or other material from or deliver
Various
it at points varying in distance or position in a corresponding manner.
arrangements of apparatus may be employed in carrying this main feature of our
Invention into practice according to the purpose to which it is to be employed.
We will by way of example describe an arrangement applicable for raising or
elevating grain from the hold of a ship.
A crane-like structure having a projecting jib and fixed either on a floating
lighter or on a quay has at the end of its jib a framing mounted in gimbals, so
that it can assume different angles with the jib. To this framing is pivotted the

page_text: uppermost link of the before mentioned lazy-tongs frame, the links of which may
be constructed as trussed beams or in any other suitable manner for combining
strength with lightness, and which may be either single or double. This lazy-tongs
frame when in use is distended so as to extend down into the hold of the ship, and
it is held at whatever degree of distension may be necessary by means of ropes or
chains connected to its bottom link, and passing up over guide pullies or pitch
wheels on to the jib, and thence to a winch barrel, so that by drawing in the chain
the lower end of the lazy tongs frame is raised, the links being made to fold
together, while by letting the chain out the frame descends by its weight.
On the lowest links of the frame are mounted pullies, over which pass endless
bands extending upwards and over guide pullies on the jib, and thence horizontally
along the jib and over guide pullies at the other end, whence they descend some-
what, and are led round the before mentioned regulating pullies. Upon these
endless bands or chains are mounted buckets or scoops, which when causing the
endless bands to travel by driving the said regulating pullies by any suitable gear,
take up the grain from the hold of the ship, and carry it up and horizontally
along the jib, and then deliver it into shoots as they pass down towards the
adjusting pullies, after which the emptied buckets pass along the jib and down into
the ship again.
As the level of the grain falls, or as the ship itself falls with the tide, the lazy-
tongs frame is extended as before described, the regulating pullies of the endless
bands being at the same time moved so as to allow the bands to follow such
extension; or if the ship rises with the tide the lazy-tongs frame is contracted by
drawing up its lower end, and the regulating pullies are moved so as to draw in
the bands in a corresponding manner.
The lazy tongs frame carries one or more sets of guide pullies at intermediate
points of its length, between which the endless bands pass so as to be steadied in
their motion. When the apparatus is not in use the lazy-tongs frame is drawn up
by the regulating chains or ropes, so as to be entirely folded together out of the
way.
The buckets or scoops are by preference made of some depth, with a beak
shaped mouth so as to readily penetrate the grain and take up a charge there-
from, and to retain it both when in the vertical and the horizontal position.
The crane from which the lazy-tongs frame is suspended is by preference mounted
on a turntable, so that the elevating apparatus can be turned into any position that
may be desired. On the turntable inay be fixed the motor engine and boiler for
working the apparatus. The grain delivered by the scoops may be led by the
shoot directly into a weighing machine, such as is generally employed for this
purpose, from which it passes to an elevator leading it to wherever required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Gustav Behrns and Gustav Unruh in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th October 1881.
GUSTAV BEHRNS and GUSTAV UNRUH, both of the Firm of Jaacks and Behrns,
Civil Engineers, of Lübeck, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND TRANSPORTING OBJECTS."
This Invention has for its object to enable grain and other materials or objects
to be conveyed by machinery to or from a locality, such as the hold of a ship,
that may vary in position or distance relatively to the point to or from which the
materials are to be conveyed, and it consists mainly in the employment for this
purpose of an articulated framework constructed on the principle of the "lazy
tongs," one end of which is attached to a fixed point, while the other is free and
carries pullies or rollers, over which pass endless travelling bands or chains carrying
a series of buckets or receptacles for the grain or other material, so that the said
bands or chains being kept stretched by a moveable regulating pulley, the free end
of the "lazy tongs" framing can be moved nearer to or further from the fixed end,
so as to cause the said buckets to take the grain or other material from and deliver
Various
it at points varying in distance or position in a corresponding manner.
arrangements of apparatus may be employed in carrying this main feature of
our Invention into practice according to the purpose to which it is to be
employed.
We will by way of example describe the arrangement shown on the accompanying
Drawing, intended for raising or elevating grain from the hold of a ship. Fig. 1
shews a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 shews a plan of the same; Figs. 3, 4,
and 5 shew respectively a side view, a front view, and a plan of the lazy tongs
and buckets to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6 shews the buckets detached in a
vertical and a horizontal position. a is a lighter or vessel on which the elevating
apparatus is fixed, and Z is the ship from which the grain is to be elevated; b, b, is
a crane like structure rotatable round its vertical axis upon its lower bearing c
and the rollers d, d. To the crane is attached the steam generator f and motor
engine e, serving also as balance weight. At the front end of the jib is carried in
gimbal suspensions g, g, a framing y, y, carrying the lazy tongs frame and the
pullies n, n. By means of this suspension the elevator has a certain freedom of
motion in every direction, so as to enable it to adapt itself to the unavoidable
oscillating movements of the two vessels a and Z. The lazy tongs is composed of
the links h, h, connected together by bolts i and k, the lowest of the joints being
suspended by means of chains 1, l, passing over pitch wheels m, m, the number of
teeth of which are proportional to the distances passed through of the respective
points of the lazy tongs. The lower end of the chain is passed round the barrel m
of a winch, by the rotation of which in one direction the lower end of the lazy
tongs and apparatus carried thereby are consequently raised, while by its rotation
in the contrary direction they are lowered. When the apparatus is not in use it is
held suspended by the chains 1, l, in the folded position shewn at Figs. 3 and 4;
n, n, and o are guide pullies round which the endless belts 8, 8, and buckets t pass,
and n, n, Figs. 3 and 4, are intermediate guide rollers for preventing the lateral
swaying of the belt and buckets. In passing round the pullies o the buckets are
emptied.
q is a moveable stretching pulley round which the bolts 8, 8, pass, which pulley
moves in guides r, r, and keeps the belts 8, 8, with its buckets stretched to the
requisite degree by means of its weight; it also serves as driving pulley for the
belt; w, w, Figs. and 2, are two weighing machines, and v is an ordinary elevator
with its driving belt x.
For discharging the ship Z, the elevator vessel a is moored alongside it, and the
crane bis rotated by means of the toothed ring m³ and driving pinion until the jib

page_text: plumbs over the respective hatchway. The barrel m is then rotated so as to lower
the chains 1, 1, and with them the lazy tongs from the raised position at Figs. 3
and 4 into the lowered position at Fig. 1, the weight of the lazy tongs and belt
with buckets attached thereto being of course sufficient to cause them to descend
in opposition to the weight of the stretching pulley q and that part of the belts and
buckets which at that time extend from q to the top pullies n, n.
The engine being set in motion the pulley q is rotated by means of belts in a
similar manner to the pulleys of the travelling cranes, and by this means the two
endless bands 8, 8, with the buckets t hung between them, are caused to travel in
the direction of the arrows. As the buckets pass round the pullies o and o' they
are emptied of their contents, the grain falling into the shoot p, and thence into
the weighing machines w, from which it passes to the elevator v to be conveyed to
wherever required.
It will be evident that the apparatus may also be used for raising the grain from
the vessel a itself, the crane being turned round 90°; also that it may be mounted
on a travelling platform running on rails, and the lazy tongs be suspended either
from a fixed jib or from one that can be moved in and out, in which case the
stretching roller 7 may be made to move in horizontal or inclined guides. The
form of the lazy tongs and arrangement of the belts and buckets may also be
variously modified; thus, in place of suspending buckets of the form shewn at
Fig. 6 between two belts, a single broad belt may be employed, on the surface of
which are fixed buckets or scoops of ordinary form, so that when these pass from
the vertical to the horizontal position the grain passes partly out of them on to the
belt, which then acts partly as an ordinary belt transport.
The buckets, shewn at Fig. 6, are formed with beaks open from 1 to 2, and
with inclined bottoms from 2 to t³, so that when they move from the vertical to
the horizontal position the grain will assume the angle shewn without falling out.
It will be seen that by means of the above described improved elevators we do
away with the inconveniences of ordinary elevators with rigid framing, which
require to be carried by high structures in order to enable them to be moved bodily
up and down considerable distances so as to suit the varying heights above water
of the ship from which the grain has to be taken, and for enabling the apparatus
to be lowered into and raised out of the ship.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim,-
First. Constructing apparatus for raising, lowering, and transporting objects with
an articulated or lazy tongs frame serving as support or attachment for the bottom
guide pullies of the endless belts and buckets, arranged and operating substantially
as herein described.
Second. The use for elevators of buckets constructed with beak shaped apertures,
as shewn at Fig. 6 of the Drawings.
Third. In combination with elevators having their endless belts and buckets
attached to a lazy tongs frame, the use of a stretching pulley q for the belts, 60
arranged that the latter while being kept stretched can always follow the lazy
tongs frame as this is extended or contracted.
Fourth. The combined arrangement of lazy tongs elevator, as herein described.'
In witness whereof, we, the said Gustav Behrns and Gustav Unruh, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
GUSTAV BEHRNS. (L.S.)
GUSTAV UNRUH.
(L.S.)