IMPROVE- MENTS IN DERRICK CRANES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Watson, of the Govan Foundry, Govan, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DERRICK CRANES."
Sealed the 29th April 1878, and dated the 2nd November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Watson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1877.
JOHN WATSON, of the Govan Foundry, Govan, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DERRICK CRANES."
This Invention has for its object the construction of a derrick crane, with
improved means for supporting the upright, and such as to admit of the jib being
swung or slewed round to any extent without hindrance from stays or other
fastenings.
In carrying out the Invention, a horizontal, or nearly horizontal framing is fixed
to the lower part of the upright, so as to project on diametrically opposite sides, the
jib being situated over what may be termed the front end of the horizontal framing,
and being connected to the upright in the usual way. Strong stays or tie rods
connect the top of the upright to the outer corners of the horizontal framing at the
back, whilst tie rods or tie rods and struts combined similarly connect the top of
the upright to the front end of the framing.
The crane is carried on a platform of timber or iron, or both combined, on which
a pivot bearing is provided for the bottom of the upright; and there is securely
fixed down to the platform a circular rail, made with its inner edge overhanging,
and, if preferred, with an enlargement or flange.
The horizontal framing attached to the upright is fitted with wheels or rollers at
its ends, to bear and run on the under side of the circular rail, which rail con-
sequently holds down the back of the crane when a load is being sustained by the
jib.

page_text: A steam boiler and engine, or a counterbalance weight, may be carried on the
back part of the horizontal frame, in which case, when there is no load on the jib,
the wheels or rollers at the front end of the frame will bear up against the circular
rail, so as to sustain the back weight thereby.
Additional wheels or rollers may be fitted to the front end of the horizontal frame
to run on the top of the circular rail, and thereby assist in sustaining the weight
when the jib is loaded, or the same wheels or rollers may run on a lower flange of
the rail when sustaining part of the load on the jib.
The platform must be loaded or otherwise held down, so as to sufficiently resist
any tilting action when the crane is loaded. .
With the improved arrangements the space occupied by the platform and staying
apparatus is close to the upright, and equally distributed round it, and the arrange-
ments in no way interfere with the working of the crane, whilst they avoid the
great inconveniences attending the existing system of stays, in addition to completely
removing all hindrance or limit to the swinging or slewing of the jib through a
complete circle from any point.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Watson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd May
1878.
JOHN WATSON, of the Govan Foundry, Govan, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DERRICK CRANES."
My said Invention has for its object the construction of a derrick crane, with
improved means for supporting the upright, and such as to admit of the jib being
swung or slewed round to any extent without hindrance from stays or other
fastenings.
In carrying out my Invention the upright has fixed at its bottom a horizontal
framing, or nearly horizontal frame. The jib is placed over what may be termed
the front end of the horizontal framing, and stays or tie rods connect the top of the
upright to the outer ends of the horizontal framing.
The framing is carried on a platform of wood or iron, or both combined; and on
this platform the usual pivot bearing is provided for the bottom of the upright. A
circular rail is also fixed to the bottom, with a flange on its inner side, underneath
which wheels or rollers bear and run, such wheels or rollers being fitted to the outer
ends of the horizontal frame.
Wheels or rollers may also be fitted to run on the top of the circular rail at the
front end of the horizontal frame to assist in sustaining the upright when the jib is
loaded.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to be
herein-after referred to, and representing modifications of my improved derrick
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
cranes.

page_text: Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a partial plan, and Figure 2.
is a sectional elevation of one modification of my improved cranes.
The upright 4 has provided for it the usual pivot bearing 5, which is fixed at the
centre of a platform composed of radial timber sleepers 6, and there is bolted down
on the platform sleepers 6 a cast-iron ring or circular piece 7, consisting of segments
bolted together, and formed with a rail flange 8 projecting inwards from its top edge.
At the bottom of the upright 4 there is fixed to it a horizontal framing 9, which
extends towards diametrically opposite parts, and consists of nearly radial arms 9,
connected by cross bars 10. The jib 11 is situated over the front end of the
horizontal framing 9, and is connected to the upright 4 in the usual way, the gearing
and other details not herein specially referred to, being also arranged in any usual or
suitable way. Strong stays or tie rods 12 connect the top of the upright 4 to the
outer corners of the horizontal framing 9 at the back, whilst tie rods 13, or tie rods
and struts combined, similarly connect the top of the upright 4 to the front end of
the framing 9.
Wheels or rollers 14 are fitted upon projecting studs or axles at the corners
of the horizontal framing 9, and these wheels bear and run on the under surface
of the circular rail 8, so that this rail holds down the back of the crane when a load
is being sustained by the jib 11.
A steam boiler 15 and engine, or a counterbalance weight, may be carried on the
back part of the horizontal frame 9, in which case, when there is no load on the
jib, the wheels or rollers 14 at the front end of the frame 9 will bear up against the
circular rail 8, so as to sustain the back weight thereby.
Additional wheels or rollers may be fitted to the front end of the horizontal
frame 9, to run on the top of the circular rail 8, for the purpose of assisting in
sustaining the weight when the jib is loaded; and in this case wooden or other
suitable struts are, by preference, combined with or substituted for the front tie
rods 13.
Instead of applying additional wheels or rollers to run on the top of the circular
rail 8, a lower rail flange may be formed on the rail pieces 7, so that the same wheels
or rollers 14 may bear down on the lower flange or up against the top flange or rail 8,
according to the direction of the strain, the space between the two flanges being
made such, relatively to the wheels or rollers, that the latter do not touch one flange
when bearing on the other.
The platform 6 must be loaded or otherwise held down sufficiently to resist any
tilting action when the crane is loaded.
Figure 3 shows a construction at the corners of the horizontal frame 9, slightly
differing from that shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2, blocks 16 are shown as fixed
near the ends of the radial frame bars 9, and the tie rods 12, 13, are passed through
these blocks and secured by screw nuts beneath.
In Figure 3, a different form of block 17 is shown, which being cored out, so that
the screw nuts can be applied to the tie rods above the frame bars, admits of the tie
rods 12, 13, being in the same planes as the frame bars 9.
With my improved arrangements the space occupied by the platform 6, circular
rail 8, and other staying apparatus is close to the upright 4, and equally distributed
round it; and the arrangements in no way interfere with the working of the crane,
whilst they avoid the great inconveniences attending the existing most prevalent
system of stays, in addition to completely removing all hindrance or limit to the
swinging or slewing of the jib through a complete circle from any point.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original,
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the staying or sustaining of the upright of a derrick crane by means of
tie rods or struts, or both, connecting the top of the upright to a horizontal or nearly
horizontal framing, which is fitted with wheels or rollers to bear and run beneath

page_text: or on a fixed circular retaining rail on a platform at the base of the crane, substän-
tially as herein-before described. .
In witness whereof; I, the said John Watson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JATTAT TAMSON
JOHN WATSON. (L.S.)