MENTS IN CRANES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM WILSON HULSE of The Ordsal Tool Works Salford in the Count'y
of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN CRANES to be as follows:-
!
5.70
The improvements relate to means whereby the lifting, lowering, travelling and
traversing operations are performed.
In a Traveller Crane constructed according to the present improvements the
crab is attached to the traveller and is not traversed along it. Both ends of the
lifting and lowering chain are attached respectively to the two ends of a barrel
which may have right and left hand spiral grooves formed in it for directing the
lapping of the lifting and lowering chain upon it. The lifting and lowering chain
is led from one end of the barrel to a guide pulley mounted on the traveller, thence
to a guide pulley mounted on a carriage which can be traversed to and fro along
the traveller, thence to a sheave in the lifting-hook block, thence to another guide
pulley in the traversing carriage and thence after being taken round a pulley
mounted on the traveller, it is led back to the other end of the barrel by means of
a similar series of guide pulleys and sheave to that already described. The chain
on its passage between the barrel and the guide pulleys may be supported on a
roller or rollers. In some cases the chain may be led direct from the barrel to the
guide pulleys on the traversing carriage, the intermediate guide pulleys on the
traveller as above described being dispensed with, but the guide pulley round
which the chain is taken after leaving the traversing carriage is still retained.
The arrangement is such that the strains which the load imposes upon the barrel
are equal on either side of the centre of the length of the barrel and that the axis
of the lifting hook is always maintained in a vertical position. The traversing
carriage is traversed in either direction along the traveller by means of a chain
(both ends of which are connected to it) actuated in either direction by a toothed
wheel and other gear as hereinafter described.
In some cases the barrel for the lifting and lowering chain may be formed in
two lengths having a space between them through which the chain or rope for
actuating the traversing carriage may be led or the central space may be formed
in a barrel made in one length. For actuating the lifting and lowering and the
traversing and travelling mechanicism a suitably driven shaft carrying three sets of

page_text: clutch bevil wheels may be employed, which through the intervention of corre-
sponding bevil wheels and worm gear actuate respectively the lifting and lowering
the traversing and the travelling mechanisms either separately or combinedly.
The bevil wheel clutches may be actuated by means of three handles or levers
conveniently placed for the attendant who may stand upon a suitable platform
attached to the traveller. In the mechanism for moving the traveller to and fro a
shaft may be employed extending along the traveller and fitted at or near each
end with a spur pinion for communicating rotation to two of the wheels of the
traveller; this shaft does not require any of its supporting bearings to be moveable
upon the traveller. In some cases when the crab is of the double purchase kind
the shaft of the barrel for the lifting and lowering chain may be made hollow and
the first motion may pass through this hollow centre.
Cranes constructed in accordance with the above described improvements may
be actuated either by hand or by power and the power may be applied either
directly by an engine or indirectly through shafting or through a quick running
rope. When shafting made up of two or more shafts is used for communicating
the power the component shafts are formed with internal and external screws at
their ends and are screwed up together in such a manner that the jointed parts are
flush with the rest of the shafting; pins may be used to prevent the joints from
tightening or from slackening in working.
When the shafting employed is cylindrical one or two long key grooves are
formed in it to receive the feather key of a bevil or spur wheel or of a pulley which
slides upon the shafting and communicates the motion to the crab.
The improvements herein described are applicable with slight modifications to
Jib and other cranes.
WILLIAM W. HULSE
W. Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM WILSON HULSE, of The Ordsal Tool Works, Salford, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CRANES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, and by
the two accompanying sheets of drawings:-
The improvements relate to means whereby the lifting, lowering, travelling, and
traversing operations are performed.
In a Traveller Crane constructed according to the present improvements the crab
is attached to the Traveller and is not traversed along it. Both ends of the lifting
and lowering chain are attached respectively to the two ends of a barrel which may
have right and left hand spiral grooves formed in it for directing the lapping of the
lifting and lowering Chain upon it. The lifting and lowering chain is led from one
end of the Barrel to a guide pulley mounted on the traveller, thence to a guide
pulley mounted on a carriage which can be traversed to and fro along the traveller,
thence to a sheave in the lifting hook Block, thence to another guide pulley in the
traversing carriage and thence after being taken round a pulley it is led back to
the other end of the barrel by means of a similar series of guide pulleys and sheave
to that already described. The Chain on its passage between the barrel and the
guide pulleys may be supported on a roller or rollers. In some cases the chain may
be led direct from the barrel to the guide pulleys on the traversing carriage, the
intermediate guide pulleys on the traveller as above described being dispensed with,
but the guide pulley round which the chain is taken after leaving the traversing
carriage is still retained. The arrangement is such that the strains which the load
imposes upon the barrel are equal on either side of the middle of the length of the.
barrel and that the axis of the lifting hook is maintained in a vertical position.
The traversing carriage is traversed in either direction along the traveller by means
of a chain (both ends of which are connected to it) actuated in either direction by
a toothed wheel and other gear as hereinafter described.
In some cases the barrel for the .lifting and lowering chain may be formed in
two lengths having a space between them through which the chain or rope for
actuating the traversing carriage may be led or the central space may be formed in
a barrel made in one length. For actuating the lifting and lowering and the
traversing and travelling mechanism a suitably driven shaft carrying three sets of
clutch bevel wheels may be employed, which, through the intervention of corre-
sponding bevel wheels and worm gear, actuate respectively the lifting and lowering
the traversing and the travelling mechanisms, as may be required. The bevel wheel
clutches may be actuated by means of three handles or levers conveniently placed
for the attendant who may stand upon a suitable platform attached to the traveller:
In the mechanism for moving the traveller to and fro a shaft may be employed

page_text: extending along the traveller and fitted at or near each end with a spur pinion for
communicating rotation to two of the wheels of the traveller; this shaft does not
require any of its supporting bearings to be moveable upon the traveller. In some
cases when the crab is of the double purchase kind the shaft of the barrel for the
lifting and lowering chain may be made hollow and the first motion shaft may pass
through this hollow centre.
Cranes constructed in accordance with the above described improvements may
be actuated either by hand or by power, and the power may be applied either
directly by an Engine, or indirectly through shafting or through a quick running
rope. When shafting made up of two or more shafts is used for communicating
the power the component shafts are formed with internal and external screws at
their ends and are screwed up together in such a manner that the jointed parts are
flush with the rest of the shafting; pins may be used to prevent the joints from
tightening or from slackening in working. When the shafting employed is
cylindrical, one or two long key grooves are formed in it to receive the feather
key of a bevel or spur wheel or of a pulley which slides upon the shafting and
communicates the motion to the crab.
The improvements herein described are applicable with slight modifications to
Jib and other Cranes.
On Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings Fig A is an end elevation, Fig B is a
front elevation, and Fig C is a plan of a traveller Crane constructed in accordance
with the present improvements. In these views 1 is the traveller, 2 is the crab
which is secured by means of bolts or rivets to the traveller and does not traverse
along it as in ordinary, traveller cranes, 3 is the barrel of the crab formed with a
central annulor space 4 for the purpose hereinafter mentioned, and having right
and left hand spiral grooves formed in it for the purpose of directing the lapping
of the lifting and lowering chain 5. The two ends of this chain are attached
respectively to the two ends of the barrel 3; 6 is a supporting roller for the chain,
7,7 are two guide pulleys mounted on the traveller by means of stands as shown,
8 is the traversing carriage which traverses along the traveller upon the wheels 9, 9';
10, 10¹ and 11, 111 are guide pulleys mounted on the carriage 8; 12 is a pulley
mounted on the traveller. The centre part of the chain 5 passes round the
pulley 12 and the two halves of the chain are led away from this pulley to the
two ends of the barrel 3 respectively, guided by the pair of guide pulleys 11, 111
by a pair of sheaves in the lifting hook block 13, by the pairs of guide pulleys 10, 101
and 7, 7 and supported by the roller 6. It will be seen that this arrangement
is such that the strains which the loads suspended from the lifting hook will
impose upon the barrel, will be equal on either side of the middle of its length, and
also that owing to the compensatory movement of the chain 5 which is permitted
by the pulley 12, the axis of the lifting hook is maintained in a vertical position,
even should one half of the chain 5 stretch or wear more or less than the other half.
The traversing carriage 8 is traversed along the traveller in either direction by
means of the chain 14, both ends of which are attached to it as shewn, and which
passes round a toothed wheel 15 mounted in the crab, and also round a guide
pulley 16 mounted in a stand fixed to the traveller. It will be seen that the
arrangement of the chains 5 and 14 is such that a clear space for working is at all
times preserved between them. 17 is a vertical shaft driven by means of a quick
running rope guided by the sheaves 18, 19 and acting upon the driving sheave 20
which is fixed on the shaft 17; by means of a pair of bevel wheels as shewn the
shaft 17 drives a horizontal shaft 21. Upon the shaft 21 are three pairs of clutch
bevel wheels as shewn, which by means of other corresponding bevel wheels and
of corresponding short shafts and worms as shown, drive the respective worm
wheels 22, 23, 24. By means of the respective clutches any one or more of these three
worm wheels can be rotated in either direction or have their motion suspended as
may be required. The worm wheel 22 is keyed upon the shaft 25 which drives the
shaft 26 either through the wheels 27, 27¹ or 28, 28¹ and so imparts a fast or

page_text: slow speed, according as either 27 or 28 (both of which are sliding wheels) is in gear
with its corresponding wheel 27' or 281; the shaft 26 drives the barrel 3 through
the wheels 29, 291. Thus the worm wheel 22 by means of the mechanism described
serves for transmitting rotation to the barrel 3 for the purpose of either lifting or
lowering the loads. For traversing the carriage 8 transversely in either direction
the toothed wheel 15 is correspondingly rotated by means of the worm wheel 23 to
which it is secured, and which together with the toothed wheel is free to rotate
upon the shaft 25. For moving the traveller to and fro longitudinally the worm
wheel 24 is keyed upon the shaft 30 which extends along the traveller and is
provided at either end with a spur pinion 31, 311; these two pinions gear
respectively into two spur wheels 32, 321 which are secured to two respective
travelling wheels 33, of the traveller. The bearings of the shaft 30 are all of the
fixed kind, none of them requiring to be made moveable as is the case with some of
the bearings of the corresponding shaft in a traveller crane of the usual construction.
The clutches of the three sets of bevel wheels upon the shaft 21 are actuated
respectively by three handles 34, 34' 34" through the intervention of suitable solid
and hollow shafts, levers and connecting rods which are partly shown in the
drawings. The attendant who operates the Crane stands upon the platform 35
which is secured to the traveller.
The object of the space 4 in the middle of the barrel is that the barrel may be
arranged low down in the crab without coming in contact with the traversing
chain 14, the space 4 serving as a passage for this chain to pass through. In some
cases the same object is attained by making the barrel in two lengths, secured upon
the barrel shaft with a space between them; this arrangement is shown in Fig D
Sheet 1. In other cases the barrel may be placed higher up in the crab and in
such cases the central space is not required. In some cases the chain 5 may be led
directly from the barrel to the guide pulleys 11, 11' in the traversing carriage and
thence round the sheaves in the lifting hook block and the guide pulleys 10, 10¹ to
the pulley 12, which in such cases placed at the opposite end of the traveller to
that in which it is shewn in Fig B; in these cases the guide pulleys 7, 71 are
dispensed with. In some cases, as when exceedingly high lifts are required,
instead of employing the double spirally grooved barrel (which might have to
be inconveniently large) to receive the chain, chain pulleys may be used,
which, like as for a ships anchor capstan, have recesses formed in and around
their peripheries, which receive in succession, as the chain pulleys rotate, the links
of the chain, as the raising or lowering of the body proceeds. After being passed
over the said chain pulleys, or previously thereto, the ends of the chain are
respectively deposited in, or withdrawn from, boxes placed underneath the traveller.
In such cases a space as previously explained is left between the lifting and the
traversing chains so that they may on all occasions pass along independently of
each other and without obstruction between any one line of chain and another.
In some cases (as shewn in Figs E and F on sheet 1), when the crab is of the.
double purchase kind the barrel 3 has a hollow centre and the first motion shaft
passes through it supported at its ends in the bearings 51, 52; in such cases the
worm wheel 23 and toothed wheel 15 are mounted on an independent shaft as
shewn; if the barrel is secured upon a shaft, then this shaft is made with a
hollow centre. In some cases the Crane may be driven by hand by applying
a handle to the end of the shaft 21. In other cases the driving power may be
communicated through a long shaft (having either one or two feather key
grooves) 36 in Figs E and F which drives the shaft 21 through the intervention
of bevel wheels and of the vertical shaft 37 as shewn in these 2 figures; the
shaft 36 is made up of two or more shafts joined together by means of externally
and internally screwed ends as shewn in Figs G and H (Sheet 1) so that the joints
are kept flush with the remainder of the shaft for the purpose of allowing free
passage to the bevel wheel on the shaft; pins as shewn may be employed to
prevent the joints from tightening or slackening in working. The bevel wheel on

page_text: the shaft 36 is fitted with one or two feather keys (according to the number of
grooves in the shaft) and slides along the shaft when the traveller is moved to and
fro. In some cases the arrangement as shown and described for transmitting. the
power from shaft 36 to shaft 21 may be modified, and either a spur wheel or a belt
pulley may be employed upon the shaft 36 instead of a bevel wheel. In some
cases driving power may be derived from a steam Engine carried by the traveller
and transmitting motion to shaft 21. In such cases the steam boiler may be either
combined with the engine or fixed independently upon the traveller at any other
point. In very powerful cranes the traveller may be carried upon eight wheels
instead of four, in order to diminish the load on each wheel. This arrangement
is illustrated in Fig K (Sheet 1) which shows the four wheels at one end of the
traveller the other four wheels being at the other end. In this figure, 1 is the
traveller, 38 the wheels of same, and 39, and 391 are two compensating beams each
supporting part of the weight of the traveller and each bearing upon two wheels
of the traveller. The crab instead of being fixed on top of the traveller, and at
one end of it as in Figs A, B, C, E, F, may be fixed either at any other desired
point on the top of the traveller, or at either end of the traveller on the under
side. Owing to the crab being fixed to the traveller, the latter may in many cases
be arranged nearer to the roof or ceiling than is practicable with traveller cranes
of the usual design, and this is more particularly the case when the crab is fixed
to the under side of the Traveller.
On Sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings, Fig L is an end elevation, Fig M
a plan, and Fig N a side elevation of a steam Jib Crane constructed in accordance
with the present improvements. Similar parts in the drawings on this Sheet and
on Sheet 1 are designated by similar letters. The shaft 21 is driven from the
crank shaft of the Engine through the Spur wheels 40, 40¹. The worm 22 is on
the same shaft (26) with the spur pinion 29, the intermediate shaft 25 (shown on
sheet 1) being omitted. The Crane can thus only be worked with one power of
gearing but should it be required to work with more than one power, a similar
arrangement either to that shown in Figs A, B, C, may be adapted to the Jib Crane.
For actuating the toothed wheel 15 in this Crane, the worm wheel 23 is omitted and
the power is transmitted through a pair of bevel wheels 41, 41¹, vertical shaft 42
pair of bevel wheels 43, 43, horizontal shaft 44, pair of spur wheels 45, 45' and
horizontal shaft 46. The Crane is rotated round its vertical axis in either direction
through the worm wheel 47 (corresponding to worm wheel 24, in the travelling
mechanism on sheet 1) vertical shaft 48 spur pinion 49 and internal toothed
wheel 50, which last is secured upon the upright of the Crane.
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 crane having an independently actuated traversing carriage and a crab
barrel (or its equivalent capstan pullies) whereby the ends of the lifting and
lowering chain are drawn in and paid out arranging supporting and guiding the
lifting and lowering chain in such a manner that the strains thereon are equally
distributed to each end of the crab barrel (or to each capstan pulley) the lifting
hook is kept with its axis vertical and a clear space is preserved at all times
between the said chain and that whereby the traversing carriage is actuated
substantially as described.
2. In a crane such as referred to in claim 1 the use of a shaft having three sets
of clutch bevil wheels (each operated by a separate handle) for the purpose of
actuating the lifting and lowering, the traversing, and the travelling mechanisms,
all substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In a crab winch, the combination of a barrel having a hollow centre, or
carried upon a shaft having a hollow centre, with a shaft which passes through the
hollow centre and transmits motion to the barrel through spur wheels, substantially
as shown and described.

page_text: 4. In a traveller crane driven by a long shaft 36 (Figs E and F) the method of
jointing the component lengths of the shaft substantially as described and shown
in Figs G and H.
5. The general arrangement of a traveller crane substantially as shown in
Figs A. B. C, and described.
6. The general arrangement of a jib crane substantially as shown in Figa L. M. N,
and described.
1
W. LLOYD WISE,
Applicant's Agent.