IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AUTOMATIC DREDGER BUCKET OR GRAB, WITHOUT THE AID OF SPRINGS, WHICH WILL CLOSE AND FILL AT ANY ANGLE, AND WILL WORK WITH A SINGLE CHAIN ON ANY ORDINARY CRANE, OR PORTABLE BLOCK
Year: 1885

page_text: MACINI
out the Aid of Springs, which will Close and Fill at any
Angle, and will Work with a Single Chain on any Ordinary
Crane or Portable Blook.
We WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Foundry, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH
27 John St Traveller, both of Hull in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AUTOMATIC DREDGER BUCKET
OR GRAB, WITHOUT THE AID OF SPRINGS, WHICH WILL CLOSE AND FILL AT ANY
ANGLE, AND WILL WORK WITH A SINGLE CHAIN ON ANY ORDINARY CRANE, OR
PORTABLE BLOCK" to be as follows:-
Without restricting ourselves to any particular shaped bucket, we have in this
case, employed two scoops, or series of prongs pivoted on one, or more centres, with
arms or levers continuing beyond the centres, by which the machine is closed by
the crane hauling on a chain stretched singley, or with tackle purchase, from one
arm to the other-It is opened by chains made fast to the outer edges of the
scoops, or prongs (i.e. to the right and left of the centre, or centres) in the following
manner viz We suspend under the crane jib, one, two, or more hooks or catches, so
held in position by the operating chain passing through a guide ring, that a disc,
or collar, and tube, which are attached to the upper ends of the opening chains,
push back the hooks, or catches, on ascending until the disc or collar has passed
their points, they then swing forward and engage the under side of the disc, and,
on the machine being lowered, it is opened by the opening chains being thus
arrested, and is held open, by an arrangement on the disc similar to a chain or
cable stopper, which allows the operating chain (which is being paid out to open
the machine) to slide down the upper surface of it, but, which engages the under
side immediatly the crane lifts the machine after its contents have been discharged,
and is thus held open-The opening chains (one or more of which are made fast
to the stopper) being then taut, hold it down with a link of the operating chain
locked in the narrow part, or neck of the aperture-We might if desireable, employ
a couple of larger links, or shackles, or a ball in that particular part of the
operating chain. The machine, thus held open, is lifted by the crane a few inches,
until the disc or collar just overtops a tongue or strut jointed so that, on the
machine being lowered, it will catch under the disc, and push the whole pendant
.מ

page_text: hooks or catches back, and allow the machine to descend clear of them; the tongue
or strut righting itself again as soon as the disc has passed in its descent.
The machine may now be lowered easily, or be allowed to drop suddenly if
desired, to dig into its work, when, through the machine landing, the opening
chains become slack, the chain stopper is no longer held down, and the disc or
collar, tube, and the opening chains slip down the operating chain and give the
requisite slack for another grip.
In some cases it may be superfluous to raise the machine quite up to the crane
jib, we therefore arrange for raising or lowering the pendant hooks or catches from
the crane platform, by chains, to any requisite intermediate height or it may be
lowered down the operating chain to engage the disc to open the machine under
water, or elsewhere, if desired.

page_text: Improvements in an Automatic Dredger Bucket or Grab, with-
out the Aid of Springs, which will Close and Fill at any
Angle, and will Work with a Single Chain on any Ordinary
Crane or Portable Block.
We, WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Foundry, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH
27 John St Traveller both of Hull, in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AUTOMATIC DREDGER &c., as
per above title and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Without restricting ourselves to any particular shaped bucket, we have in this
case, employed two scoops or series of prongs, pivotted on one or more centres,
with arms or levers continuing beyond the centres, by which the machine is closed
by the crane hauling on a chain A. A. stretched singly, or with a tackle purchase
from one arm to the other.
It is opend by chains B. B. made fast to the outer edges of the scoops or prongs
(i.e to the right and left of the centre or centres) in the following manner, viz:
We suspend under the crane jib, one, two, or more hooks or catches C. C. held in
position by the operating chain passing through a guide ring E, and jointed guide
or loop K, so that the disc or collar, and the tube F. which are attached to the
upper ends of the opening chains B. B. push back the hooks or catches C. C. on
ascending, until the disc or collar F. has passed their points, they then swing
forward, and engage the under side of the disc, when, on the machine being
lowered, it is opened by the opening chains B. B. being thus arrested and is held
open by an arrangement on the disc F. similar to a chain or cable stopper G. which
allows the operating chain D. D. (and which is being paid out to open the machine)
to slide down the upper surface of it, but which engages the underside, immediatly
the crane lifts the machine after its contents have been discharged, and is thus held
open by one of the links of the operating chain locking in the narrow part of the
aperture in the stopper plate G (see plan Fig. 5) If desired, we may employ a
small roller, so jointed on the stopper plate G, as to cause the lifting or operating
chain D. D. to run freely through the larger part of the aperture when the machine
is being opened, and to allow any of its links to lock into the narrow part when
the crane is reversed to lift the empty machine off the hooks C. C.
The opening chains B. B. (one or more of which are made fast to the stopper G)
being then tight, hold it down, with a link of the operating chain D. D. locked in
the narrow part or neck of the aperture. We may if desired, employ a couple of
larger links or shackles, or an ordinary small ball in that particular part of the
operating chain, which engages the stopper G, when the machine is fully open,
altho the links themselves are sufficient and the machine may be either fully or
partially opened, and held in that condition by any one link of the operating chain
engaging the stopper plate.

page_text: The machine, thus held open, is lifted by the crane, a few inches, until the disc
or collar F, just overtops the tongue or strut H. which is so jointed, that, on the
machine being lowered, it will catch under the disc, and push the whole pendant
and hooks C. C. back, and allow the machine to descend clear of them, the tongue
or strut righting itself again by means of the balance weight J. immediatly the
disc has passed in its descent.
The machine may now be lowered easily, or be allowed to drop suddenly if
desired, to dig into its work, when, through the machine landing, the opening
chains B. B. become slack, the chain stopper G. is no longer held down, and the
disc or collar F. with the opening chains, slip down the operating chain, and give
the requisite slackness to the former, for another grip.
-
In some cases it may be needless to raise the machine quite up to the crane jib,
we therefore arrange for raising or lowering the pendant hooks or catches C. C.
from the crane platform by chains, to any requisite intermediate height, or they
may be lowered to engage the disc F. to open the machine under water, or
elsewhere, should it lay hold of any fixed object.
Other modifications in the manufacture, or shape of the pendant hooks or
catches, tongue or strut, and the guide ring and loop, also of the disc or collar, tube
and chain stopper all previously described, may be adopted without departing
from the nature of our invention, and we do not limit ourselves to the precise
details shewn by the drawings.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1.) The principle of the pendant opening hooks or catches by which the machine
is opened by the disc hanging on the hooks, and which is pushed clear of them, by
the tongue or strut, thus enabling the machine, when empty, to be lowered, or
dropped on to its work.
2.) The principle of the chain stopper being held down in its proper position by
the opening chains which become tight as the lifting or operating chain is slackened
out to open the machine, thus holding the machine fully or partially open by any
link locking in the narrow part of the aperture in the stopper plate when lifted off
the hooks, and which is released immediatly the opening chains become slack on
the machine being landed.
The various forms or modifications of the above substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this Thirteenth day of August 1886
WILLIAM COOPER.
JOHN HOLDSWORTH.