IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING LAND
Year: 1876

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LETTERS PATENT to Frank David Greig and Max Eyth, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MOVING LAND." Partly a communication from abroad by Peter Waite, of
Adelaide, Australia.
Sealed the 19th May 1876, and dated the 2nd March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Greig and Max
Eyth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1876.
DAVID GREIG and MAX EYTH, both of Leeds, in the County of York. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING LAND."
This Invention refers to implements moved by steam or other motive power,
intended to displace large quantities of earth for making excavations, constructing
embankments, levelling fields, and for similar purposes.
The power is applied to the implement by means of wire ropes as in steam
ploughing, the implement moving between two engines or anchors, taking up soil
at or near one end of the line of the rope, and depositing it at or near the other
end.
According to circumstances we employ for these purposes two different kinds of
implements, which are now proceed to describe. In the first case the machine
consists of a large box or scoop with front and back rectangular, and with two
sides of a nearly triangular shape, the sides of the triangles adjacent to the open
mouth of the box or scoop being formed of the segment of a circle; this box or
scoop is provided with four wheels or rollers; one pair of wheels is at the bottom of
the box or scoop, the axle being at the apex of the triangle, and the axle of the
other pair of wheels is attached near the middle of the back of the box or scoop.
The box or scoop is drawn to and fro over the land by ropes, attached to forked
levers which are connected to the box or scoop by two pivots, one near the middle
of each of the triangular sides; the levers connected with the two ropes are at right
angles to each other, so that when the lever attached to the hauling rope taking the
direction of the line of draft becomes horizontal or nearly so, the lever connected with
the return rope assumes an upright position and raises the return rope high off the
land;
the ends of the levers are provided with sheet iron sledges to prevent them
from digging into the ground. There is further a ring bolted to the side of the
BCOOD concentric with the pivot, and provided with a number of ratchet teeth on its

page_text: -
outside periphery, and there is a corresponding catch or pawl centered on the levers
on the inside circumference of the ring, there also are two notches or teeth cor-
responding to another catch or pawl on the levers, and this catch or pawl is provided
with a handle by which it can be lifted out. When the box or scoop is filling it
rests on the pair of wheels at the bottom, and on a blade fixed along the front edge,
which is prevented from sinking into the soil too deeply by the catch or pawl
engaging with one of the notches within the ring, and the main lever whose end
rests against and slides along the ground.
After filling the second engine begins to pull, and then a flap or strut hinged
beneath the bottom of the box or scoop catches the ground and checks the return
of the apparatus, whilst the rope pulling with a great leverage at the end of the
vertical lever, the box or scoop is readily upset on to its four wheels, in which
position it travels back to the place where the earth has to be deposited. When the
box or scoop arrives there the first engine again commences to pull, the lever to
which the hauling rope is attached is drawn down into a horizontal position, and
the outer catch or pawl taking hold, the scoop is again overturned into the first
position; but now the inner pawl or catch having passed the inside notches, the
cutter takes hold of the ground and the box or scoop upsets further, falling first on
the circular portion of the sides and emptying itself, and then still turning over it
falls again on its four wheels; lastly, the flap or strut beneath the bottom catches the
ground, causing the back wheels to be lifted, and at this stage the inside catch or
pawl stops further turning, the box or scoop, resting on the bottom wheels and the
sliding plate at the end of the rope lever, in which position it travels back to the
excavation ground; there the catch is pulled out of the first inside notch, and
taking hold of the second one the box or scoop commences to take in a new load of
earth.
To avoid shocks we employ on each side of the box or scoop a spring, which
whilst the box or scoop in turning is nearing the stopping point applies a gradually
increasing friction, thus the box or scoop will strike the stops with a gradually reduced
speed.
In the second arrangement we employ a frame carried on four wheels or rollers,
two or all of them being steerable. The frame carries the fulcrum of a double
lever, similar to the lever or levers employed in the first apparatus; but this double
lever itself carries the pivot or turning centre of the scoop, which is a nearly square
box open on two sides, its pivot being nearly above its centre of gravity, but
allowing it still to gravitate slightly towards its open side. There is a stud fixed
to the side of the box or scoop, which is connected by a short chain with a fixed
point on the main frame of the machine. Besides this there is a chain pulley and a
dog link fixed to each end of the main frame. A chain of sufficient length passes
from the end of each of the pulling levers round the corresponding chain pulley, and
ends in a ring to which the engine rope is attached; to the same ring we have a
shorter piece of chain attached, which is fixed to the dog link when the implement
is travelling.
The action of the machine is as follows:-When the box or scoop takes in fresh
soil, the lever to which the hauling rope is attached is in its lowest position, and the
box or scoop also is as low down as it can go, the knife of the scoop being prevented
from going too deep by a stop, resting against the main frame; after filling the
second engine begins to pull, turning the levers till the chain attached to the dog
link prevents further movement. This has not only lifted the scoop bodily up, but
it also has tightened the short chain connecting the scoop with the frame, so that
the scoop is slightly turned round its own centre, and firmly held in a somewhat
slanting position, in which it now travels back.
Arrived at the place where the earth has to be deposited, the dog link is unhooked
and the levers, (the same engine still continuing to work, turn another 45 degrees.
The consequence is that the scoop is completely upset, and empties itself directly
after the chain on the other side is attached to its dog link, and the first engine
again pulls, the levers turn back into their position of 45 degrees, and the scoop falls

page_text: into the slightly slanting position in which it performs its back journey, at the end
of it the dog link is undone, and the lever and scoop move downwards and are
ready to take in fresh soil.
The main features in our arrangements are-according to the first arrangement
we mount the box or scoop for excavating earth and moving large masses of soil
on wheels or rollers rigidly connected with the said box or scoop. We overturn the
box or scoop by means of the pull of the rope acting on suitable levers, which
serves the combined purposes of bringing the box or scoop on its wheel base when
full, of emptying it and of bringing it back again on its bottom for scooping;
when empty wo employ a ratchet ring for the purpose of controlling the turning
motion of the box or scoop, and a frictional break for diminishing shocks.
In the second arrangement we employ a separate wheel frame to carry the box or
scoop. We suspend the box or scoop on turning centres carried by levers, and we
lift and turn the box or scoop over for travelling and emptying it by the combined
and continuous action of turning the levers round their fulcrum, and turning the
box or scoop round its own turning centre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Greig and Max Eyth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd September 1876.
DAVID GREIG and MAX EYTH, both of Leeds, in the County of York. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOVING LAND." Partly a communication from abroad
by Peter Waite, of Adelaide, Australia.
This Invention refers to implements moved by steam or other motive power
intended to displace large quantities of earth for making excavations, constructing
embankments, levelling fields, and for similar purposes.
The power is applied to the implement by means of wire ropes, as in steam
ploughing, the implement moving between two engines or anchors, taking up soil
at or near one end of the line of the rope and depositing it at or near the
other end.
According to circumstances we employ for these purposes two different kinds of
implements, which we now proceed to describe. In the first case the machine
consists of a large box or scoop with front and back rectangular, and with two
sides of a nearly triangular shape, the sides of the triangles adjacent to the open
mouth of the box or scoop being formed of the segment of a circle. This box or
scoop is provided with four wheels or rollers, one pair of wheels is at the bottom
of the box or scoop, the axle being at the apex of the triangle, and the axle of the
other pair of wheels is attached near the middle of the back of the box or scoop.
The box or scoop is drawn to and fro over the land by ropes attached to forked
levers, which are connected to the box or scoop by two pivots, one near the middle
of each of the triangular sides. The levers connected with the two ropes are at
right angles to each other, so that when the lever attached to the hauling rope
taking the direction of the line of draft becomes horizontal, or nearly so, the lever
connected with the return rope assumes an upright position, and raises the return
rope high off the land. The ends of the levers are provided with sheet-iron sledges
to prevent them from digging into the ground. There is further a ring bolted to
the side of the scoop concentric with the pivot, and provided with a number of
ratchet teeth on its outside periphery, and there is a corresponding catch or pawl
centred on the levers. On the inside circumference of the ring there are also two
notches or teeth corresponding to another catch or pawl on the levers, and this
When the
catch or pawl is provided with a handle, by which it can be lifted out.
box or scoop is filling it rests on the pair of wheels at the bottom, and on a blade
fixed along the front edge, which is prevented from sinking into the soil too deeply

page_text: by the catch or pawl engaging with one of the notches within the ring and the
main lever, whose end rests against and slides along the ground.
After filling the second engine begins to pull, and then a flap or strut hinged
beneath the bottom of the box or scoop catches the ground and checks the return
of the apparatus, whilst the rope pulling with a great leverage at the end of the
vertical lever the box or scoop is readily upset on to its four wheels, in which
position it travels back to the place where the earth has to be deposited. When
the box or scoop arrives there the first engine again commences to pull, the lever
to which the hauling rope is attached is drawn down into a horizontal position,
and the outer catch or pawl taking hold, the scoop is again overturned into the
first position. But now the inner pawl or catch having passed the inside notches
the cutter takes hold of the ground, and the box or scoop upsets further, falling
first on the circular portion of the sidos and emptying itself, and then still turning
over it falls again on its four wheels; lastly, the flap or strut beneath the bottom
catches the ground, causing the back wheels to be lifted, and at this stage the
inside catch or pawl stops further turning, the box or scoop resting on the bottom
wheels and the sliding plate at the end of the rope lever, in which position it
travels back to the excavation ground; there the catch is pulled out of the first
insido notch, and taking hold of the second one the box or scoop commences to take
in a new load of earth.
To avoid shocks we employ on each side of the box or scoop a spring, which
whilst the box or scoop in turning is nearing the stopping point applies a gradually
increasing friction; thus the box or scoop will strike the stops with a greatly
reduced speed.
In the second arrangement we employ a frame carried on four wheels or rollers,
two or all of them being steerable. The frame carries the fulcrum of a double
lever similar to the lever or levers employed in the first apparatus. But this
double lever itself carries the pivot or turning centre of the scoop, which is a nearly
square box open on two sides, its pivot being nearly above its centre of gravity,
but allowing it still to gravitate slightly towards its open side. Thero is a stud
fixed to the side of the box or scoop, which is connected by a short chain with a
fixed point on the main frame of the machine. Besides this there is a chain pulley
and a dog link fixed to each end of the main frame. A chain of sufficient length
passes from the end of each of the pulling levers round the corresponding chain
pulley, and ends in a ring, to which the engine rope is attached. To the same ring
we have a shorter piece of chain attached, which is fixed to the dog link when the
implement is travelling.
The action of the machine is as follows:-When the box or scoop takes in fresh
soil the lever to which the hauling rope is attached is in its lowest position, and
the box or scoop also is as low down as it can go, the knife of the scoop being
prevented from going too deep by a stop resting against the main frame. After
filling the second engine begins to pull, turning the levers till the chain attached to
the dog link prevents further movement. This has not only lifted the scoop bodily
up, but it also has tightened the short chain connecting the scoop with the frame,
so that the scoop is slightly turned round its own centre and firmly held in a
somewhat slanting position in which it now travels back.
Arrived at the place where the earth has to be deposited the dog link is unhooked,
and the levers (the same engine still continuing to work) turn another 45 degrees;
the consequence is that the scoop is completely upset and empties itself. Directly
after the chain on the other side is attached to its dog link, and the first engine
again pulls, the levers turn back into their position of 45 degrees, and the scoop
falls into the slightly slanting position in which it performs its back journey. At
the end of it the dog link is undone, and the lever and scoop move downwards, and
are.ready to take in fresh soil.
The main features in our arrangements are, according to the first arrangement;
we mount the box or scoop for excavating earth and moving large masses of soil on
wheels or rollers rigidly connected with the said box or scoop. We overturn the

page_text: box or scoop by means of the pull of the rope acting on suitable levers, which serves
the combined purposes of bringing the box or scoop on its wheel base when full, of
emptying it, and of bringing it back again on its bottom for scooping when empty.
We employ a ratchet ring for the purpose of controlling the turning motion of the
box or scoop and a frictional brake for diminishing shocks.
In the second arrangement we employ a separate wheel frame to carry the box or
scoop. We suspend the box or scoop on turning centres carried by levers, and we
lift and turn the box or scoop over for travelling and emptying it by the combined
and continuous action of turning the levers round their fulcrum, and turning the
box or scoop round its own turning centre.
In order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2 is a plan of an implement constructed
in our first manner. a, a, is the box or scoop; b is an axle at the bottom of the
box about at the apex of the triangular sides; it carries a pair of wheels; c is
another axle attached near the middle of the back of the box or scoop, and on it
also two wheels are mounted; d, d, are forked levers fixed the one to the other and
mounted on stud axles on the sides of the box or scoop about at the centre. To the
ends of these levers the ropes e, e, are attached by which the implement is drawn to
and fro over the land; d, d¹, are sledge plates attached at the ends of the levers d
to prevent them digging into the ground; fis a ring fixed to the side of the box or
scoop; it has ratchet teeth formed all around its exterior, and it has also two
similar teeth or notches formed within it; g is a. pawl which enters between the
teeth on the exterior of the ring; and h is another pawl which enters the notches
within the ring; both the pawls are mounted on the levers d and the pawl h is
furnished with a handle h¹. In Figure 1 the implement is shown in the position it
occupies when the box or scoop is filling, the traction then being from right
to left.
Figure 3 shows with less detail the implement as it appears when returning with
its load, the traction being then from left to right, and as already explained when
the direction of draft is changed the implement is tipped into a new position, tho
strut preventing it running back until it has turned over through about a quarter
circle. The box or scoop travels in this way until the direction of the draft is again
changed, and then it again tips till the knife at the front of the box or scoop catches
the ground; the resistance which is thus offered to the return movement causes the
box or scoop to turn completely over and to deposit its contents.
Figure 4 represents the position of the implement at this time completely inverted
and resting on the rounded edges at the top of the sides. As it is still hauled back
by the draft ropes the implement continues to roll over until it is stopped by the
inner pawl catching in the first notch which it meets in the interior of the ring f;
its position at this time is indicated at Figure 5. No further change of position
takes place until the box or scoop arrives at the place where it is filled, and then
the attendant by depressing the handle h¹ lifts the pawl and allows the box or scoop
to fall over until the knife at the front of the scoop again rests on the ground into
which it cuts, raising the soil and filling the scoop until the motion of the traction
ropes is arrested. The pawl h falling into the second notch within the ring f
prevents the knife penetrating too deeply; k is a spring fixed in connection with
the levers d; it works with the projection on the side of the box or scoop, and
serves to prevent the box or scoop coming too violently against the stops. These
parts are similar on the two sides of the implement.
Figure 6 is a side view; and Figure 7 is a plan of an implement constructed in
our second manner. a, a, is the frame; it is carried on four wheels b, b, all of which
we prefer to make steerable by means of a hand wheel and screw, or in other
convenient manner; the frame a carries stud axes c¹ to which the levers c, c, are fixed

page_text: These levers in turn carry stud axes fixed to the sides of the box or scoop d which
is open at the top. As it appears in this Figure the left-hand side of the box is
somewhat heavier than the part on the other side of the pivot, and would descend
were it not retained by the short chain e which passes from a stud on the side of
the box or scoop to a fixed attachment on the frame. The mouth of the box or
scoop is furnished on the left side with a strong blade or knife for cutting the soil;
ff, are chains attached to the ends of the levers c, c; they pass from them under the
guide pulleys g, g, to the hauling ropes to which they are attached; h, h, are short
chains connecting the frame of the implement with the hauling ropes; these chains
are fitted with dog links or other contrivances, by means of which they can easily
be disconnected when desired.
When the implement is gathering soil it is in the position indicated at Figure 8,
and the draft rope is hauling it from right to left. The knife on the lower side of
the mouth of the box or scoop cuts the soil, and it is prevented penetrating too
deeply by a stop on the side of the box or scoop.at d which comes into contact with
the frame of the implement. When sufficient soil has been collected the motion of
the draft ropes is first stopped and then reversed; the implement then assumes the
position in which it is represented at Figure 6, the short chain h preventing the
levers c being moved over further by the strain on the traction rope. In this way
the implement travels back with its load until it arrives at the place where it is
desired to deposit the material, the slip of the chain h is then released and the strain
on the hauling rope moves the levers c and tips the box or scoop over into the
position represented at Figure 9, discharging its contents. At this point the engine
is stopped and the short chain h at the other end of the implement is made fast; the
implement travels back in the same position as that in which it arrived at the spoil
heap, viz., as it is represented at Figure 5, when the implement arrives at the place
of refilling the chain his released and the cutting knife descends on to the ground
and cuts into it as already discribed.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact details described, but we claim the construction of implements for
moving land, substantially as discribed.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Greig, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
DAVID GREIG. (LS.)