IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTS AND WAGGONS FOR CARRYING AND WEIGHING COAL
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM BILLING of Heath Town Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford
Coal Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTS AND WAGGONS FOR CARRYING AND WEIGHING COAL to be as follows:-
'
A cart or waggon to be used for carrying coal and weighing it, so that purchasers
of coal can see it weighed on delivery.
It requires no tilting or turning over to empty load but is discharged by means
of doors at bottom of cart.
The body consists of square tub hanging on iron beam by means of chains.
Around the tub is a frame of Oak having a space all round that the tub may hang
freely. On each side about the middle is erected an upright post with cross beam
on top to which is attached a crane weighing machine or balance from which is
suspended (by means of a strong Hook) the iron beam. Axles of wheels fasten to
Oak frame and vertically up the upright post. Weight is lowered on or lifted off
the weighing machine by means of screws and wheels or by levers. Along each
side of cart is carried a shaft which works a rising or falling screw at each end.
At the bottom of the tub are two doors for letting out the coal.
Drawings accompany this Specification.

page_text: I, WILLIAM BILLING, of Heath Town, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
coal merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTS AND WAGGONS FOR CARRYING AND WEIGHING COAL and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the
letters of reference marked thereon:-
The chief object of this invention is to construct carts and waggons in such
a manner that the body parts thereof with the loads therein may be easily and
accurately weighed, without moving such carts or waggons to a weighing machine.
I will describe my invention specially with reference to a cart, when its
application to waggons will be sufficiently obvious without need for special
description. The body of the cart is constructed preferably rectangular in plan
and in back and side elevations, or approximately so, and may be made of any
suitable material such as wood, iron, or steel. The body is, preferably, made to
open at the back and also at the bottom for the ready discharge of the load without
the necessity of tilting or turning such body. In its ordinary position this body
rests by means of brackets fixed to its sides upon the shafts or other framing of
the cart, but is not bolted down thereto. The axle of the cart may be cranked
upwards from each wheel so as to form a frame consisting of two uprights, one
on each side of the body of the cart, and a cross-bar over the middle of such
body sufficiently high thereabove for a purpose to be presently shewn; or such
axle may be cranked down underneath the body, in which case two uprights are
carried one upon each shaft or side frame, and a cross beam passing over the body
of the cart is supported upon such uprights.
The weighing appliance consists as follows:-A lifting screw, having a hook at its
bottom end, is fixed so as to be screwed vertically through a bevel wheel working
in a horizontal plane and supported by the cross-bar or cross-beam, aforesaid.
Motion is given to this bevel wheel by means of a second bevel wheel gearing
thereto and carried upon a horizontal shaft turning in suitable bearings and
provided with a suitable grooved pulley to which motion is given by hand through
the medium of an endless rope or chain or in any convenient manner; or a worm
and wheel may be employed in lieu of the bevel wheels, as will be readily
understood. To the hook of the vertical screw, aforesaid, is hung a weighing
appliance of any legal construction, with dial or beam properly and legally marked
and divided shewing clearly hundredweights and parts of hundred weights or other
legal denominations of weights and parts thereof, and to this weighing appliance
is suspended, by means of a hook, a cross beam having a chain at each end
terminating in a hook or other suitable appliance by which it is connected to
loops or corresponding parts upon the body of the cart; or any convenvenient
means of supporting the body from the weighing appliance may be employed.
If desired, lever mechanisin may be employed, in lieu of the vertical screw and
bevel wheels, for raising the body for weighing.
When the body of the cart with the contents therein is to be weighed, the cross
shaft, aforesaid, is rotated and the vertical screw is drawn up through the bevel
wheel through which it works, and thus the body and contents therein are raised
to swing clear of any support otherwise than that which passes through the
weighing appliance, and thus the exact weight is easily and accurately ascertained.
The body with the contents therein is readily lowered down again so as to be
supported by the framing independently of the weighing appliance.
The parts of the cart framing are of course so arranged that the body swings
free thereof when raised from its supports for the purpose of weighing.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying' drawings illustrate, in back and side
elevation, respectively, a cart constructed and geared according to this invention.
A is the body provided with doors B B at the back and with a door C (shewn
down or open by broken lines figure 2) at the bottom. The door C opens
preferably only about half the bottom of the body so that a good inclination may
be secured for the contents of the body to shoot or slide down such door when
open. D D is a frame on each side of the body, and may be formed, if desired, by
carrying back the shafts, one of which E is shewn in side elevation, or as distinct
pieces of framing, as shewn, with the back ends of the shafts fixed to the forward
ends thereof. F F etc. are brackets fixed to the sides of the body, as shewn, and
by which it ordinarily rests upon the frame D D. G G are uprights carried upon
the frame D D and steadied thereon by the rods H H etc. J J are the axles and
are in this case shewn cranked up at K K and fixed to the frame D D and
uprights GG, but it is preferred to form these axles in one piece, cranked under
the body A. L L is a cross-piece or bearer divided at its middle, as shewn, to
provide room for the weighing appliance, and carried upon the upper ends of the
uprights G G. M is a vertical screw screwed through a bevel wheel N carried upon
a framing O which connects the two sides of the cross-piece L L and is carried
thereby. To a hook at the lower end of the screw M is suspended a weighing
appliance P, and to such appliance is suspended a cross-bar Q connected by means
of chains at its ends to loops R R fixed at the sides of the body A, as shown. S is
a bevel wheel on a cross-shaft T, and U a grooved pulley at the outer end of such
cross-shaft, around which an endless rope V is passed.
Ordinarily the body A rests upon the frame D D; but, when it is desired to
weigh such body with its contents, the cross-shaft T is revolved to any desired
extent, by means of the rope V, so as to raise the screw M and consequently the
weighing appliance P.and body A.
a a etc. are curved or inclined stops to guide the body A into position as it is
lowered and prevent it from moving endways on the frame.
The frame D D and the uprights G G are of course sufficiently wide apart
respectively to allow the body A to swing or be suspended clear thereof when
raised for weighing.
The contents of the body A are readily removed therefrom, when desired, by
means of the back and bottom doors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a cart or waggon, the combination of a weighing appliance with a body
capable of being readily raised from the framing so that its entire weight and that
of its load may be supported by the weighing mechanism, and with suitable means
for raising such body, substantially as herein described and shewn by the drawings
and for the purpose stated.
2. In a cart or waggon, the combination of the body A, weighing appliance P
suitably connected therewith, and raising gear, substantially as herein described
and shewn by the drawings and for the purpose stated.
3. The raising gear consisting of the screw M bevel wheels N and S (or a worm
and wheel in lieu thereof) shaft T, pulley U and rope V or other suitable means for
rotating such shaft, all substantially as herein described and shewn by the drawings
and for the purpose stated.
Dated this eighth day of January 1885.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Agent for the Applicant.