IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DEPOSITING SAND, MUD, EARTH, OR OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the Firm of Edwards and Company,
of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers and Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND DEPOSITING SAND, MUD,
EARTH, OR OTHER MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Messieurs
Van Rietschoten and Houwens, of Rotterdam.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1879.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Company, of 40, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers and Patent
Agents. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND
DEPOSITING SAND, MUD, EARTH, OR OTHER MATERIALS." [A communication
from abroad by Messieurs Van Rietschoten and Houwens, of Rotterdam.]
This Invention relates to apparatus consisting of an endless chain of buckets
made to revolve continuously, and used for raising sand, inud, or earth from the
beds of rivers, or canals, or from barges or other receptacles, and depositing it in a
desired position at a higher level, or for raising and depositing in the same way.
grain, coal, or other materials. It has for its objects improved methods of con-
structing and arranging such machinery or apparatus so that it can with great case
be adjusted to the required position, is easily worked, and when required can be
moved from place to place with great facility and convenience.
I take a vertical framework of wood or metal, fitted upon a strong vertical post
or axis, and I arrange this axis so that it can revolve, together with the frame, in
strong bearings fitted in a barge or other suitable vessel by which the apparatus is
carried upon the river, canal, or other water where it is to be used, or so that the
frame can revolve round the axis.
I prefer to arrange friction rollers upon the frame which run upon a corre-
sponding bearing path upon the deck of the vessel which receives part of the weight
of the apparatus.
Upon the upper part of the frame I arrange transverse bearings, in which fit and
turn freely centre pieces having bolted or otherwise attached to them a framework

page_text: of wood or metal of sufficient length, and carrying at its extremities bearings for
wheels, round which pass endless chains constructed in the usual well-understood
way, and carrying buckets attached to them at intervals.
Through the centre pieces I arrange a horizontal shaft or axis revolving in
bushes or bearings in the centre pieces, and provided with a drum or pulley, by
which it can be made to revolve when desired by a driving belt or strap from a
steam engine fixed in the vessel below or by any other suitable power.
The framework carrying the wheels, chains, and buckets is of such length that
when arranged transversely across the vessel its lower end can be made to reach
down to the bed of the river, or canal, or into a barge or vessel from which earth,
grain, or other merchandize or material is to be raised, whilst its other end rises
diagonally to a sufficient height until it hangs over the bank of the river, or canal,
or other place where the materials elevated are to be deposited. Balancing weights
may be adjusted upon the framework if required.
Upon the central driving shaft already described I fit a second drum or pulley,
and upon the axis of the upper wheel upon which the endless chains travel I fix a
corresponding pulley of suitable diameter, the two pullies being connected together
by a driving band or belt. I arrange the bearings for the axis of the upper wheel
so that their position can be adjusted when required for the purpose of tightening
the endless chains.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The position of the barge or vessel is
adjusted so that the lower end of the chains of buckets reaches the point requisite
for them to be filled, whilst their upper end reaches the point where their contents
are to be delivered.
The driving drums and belts being then set in motion the collection and
delivering of the material can be carried on as long as such motion continues. The
framework, with its endless chains and buckets, can then be swung into a more or
less horizontal position, and turned round upon the central vertical axis until they
are in line with the vessel, which may then be conveniently removed to any desired
place.
Bolts or catches may be arranged to fix the apparatus when adjusted into its
required position. Instead of being fixed in a barge or other vessel the improved
apparatus described may be fixed upon a railway truck or other carriage, or in any
other suitable position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
October 1879.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Company, of 40, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers and Patent
Agents. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING AND
DEPOSITING SAND, MUD, EARTH, OR OTHER MATERIALS." A communication
from abroad by Messieurs Van Rietschoten and Houwens, of Rotterdam.
This Invention relates to that form of elevating apparatus which consists of an
endless chain of buckets carried on pulleys, and made to travel and revolve
continuously, such elevating apparatus being ordinarily used either for raising

page_text: sand, mud, or earth from the beds of rivers or canals for the purpose of deepening
them or keeping them open, or for raising similar materials, or coals, grain, or other
materials from barges or other receptacles, and depositing them in any desired
position at a higher level.
The present Invention has for its objects improved methods of constructing and
arranging such machinery or apparatus so that it can readily be adjusted to any
required position, is easily worked, and can be moved from place to place when
desired with great facility and convenience.
In order to put the Invention in operation I take a vertical framework of wood
or metal, or partly of wood and partly of metal, fitted upon a strong vertical post
or axis, and I arrange this axis so that it can revolve freely together with the
framework in bearings fitted and fixed in a barge or other suitable vessel by which
the entire apparatus is carried upon the river, canal, or other water where it is to
be used. Or instead of the arrangement just described the framework may be
fitted upon and made to revolve round a fixed axis. I prefer to arrange friction
rollers upon the framework, which rollers run upon a suitable circular bearing path
or rail fixed to the deck of the vessel, which thus carries part of the weight of the
apparatus.
I arrange upon the upper part of the framework constructed and fitted as described,
transverse bearings, in which are fitted, so that they can turn freely, centre pieces,
preferably of cast iron, having bolted or otherwise firmly attached to them a long
frame or ladder of wood or metal, carrying at its extremities bearings for wheels or
drums, round which pass endless chains constructed in the usual well understood
way, and having buckets attached to them at intervals.
The centre pieces above described, to which the frame or ladder is fixed, are made
hollow and provided with bearings, through which passes and revolves freely a
driving shaft concentric with the centre pieces, and provided with a drum or pulley,
by which it can be made to revolve when desired by a driving belt or strap from
a steam engine fixed in the vessel below or by hand or other convenient power.
The frame or ladder carrying the wheels, chains, and buckets ns described is
attached to the centre pieces at, or more or less near, the centre of its length,
and it is of such length that when arranged transversely accross the vessel its
lower end can be readily made to reach down to the bed of the river or canal,
or into a barge or vessel from which earth, grain, coals, or other materials are
to be raised, whilst its other end rises up diagonally to a sufficient height until
it overhangs the bank of the river, or canal, or other place where the materials
elevated are to be deposited. For the purpose of more readily fixing the frame or
ladder in the desired position adjustable balance weights may be added to it.
The central driving shaft carries in addition to the pulley by which it is driven,
as already described, a driving drum or pulley, and upon the axis of the upper
wheel, around which passes the endless chains and buckets, is fixed a corresponding
drum or pulley, the two drums or pulleys being connected together by an endless
driving belt or band, so that when the central driving shaft is set in motion it
drives the upper chain wheel, and with it the chains and buckets. Or instead of
fixing the upper drum or pulley upon the axis of the chain wheel itself it may be
fixed upon a separate axis revolving in suitable bearings, and driving by means of
toothed wheels the chain wheel and chains.
The position of the bearings of the upper axis are preferably made adjustable
for the purpose of tightening the endless chains when necessary.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of the Invention, Figure 1 being
an end view of the barge carrying the novel apparatus, and Figure 2 a side view
of the same.
A is the barge; and B, a central vertical axis revolving in bearings
at C and D in the barge; E is the wooden frame-work fitted upon and revolving
with the axis B, and provided with friction wheels a, a', running upon the circular
rail F, fixed to the deck of the barge. At the upper end of the framework E
are bearings G, G', in which fit centre pieces H, H', carrying the frame or ladder I,
which is provided at each end with chain wheels K, K³, carrying the endless

page_text: chains L and the buckets M, MI, which may be constructed in the usual way, the
chains being supported by friction pulleys and guides, as shewn in Figure 1. A
steam engine is shewn in the barge A at N, having a pulley O driving the pulley P
upon the shaft R which passes through and revolves in the centre pieces H, H'.
The shaft R also carries the drum S, which drives the corresponding drum T, upon
the axis U, which drives, by means of toothed wheels W, the upper chain wheel K¹,
the position of which is made adjustable, as shewn in Figure 1.
The apparatus is shewn arranged for the purpose of raising materials from the
vessel indicated at X.
A rod, binged to the frame or ladder I, and provided with a toothed, rack is
shown at Y, the rack being actuated by a toothed pinion and handles for the
purpose of adjusting and fixing the transverse position of the frame or ladder.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The position of the barge or vessel A
is adjusted so that the lower end of the bucket ladder I reaches the point requisite
for the buckets to be filled, whilst its upper end reaches the point where their
contents are to be delivered, to facilitate which an adjustable shoot or guide may
be used, as shewn at Z. The several driving drums and their belts being then set
in motion, the collection of the material from the vessel at X and their delivery
at Z can be carried on as long as such motion is continued.
The bucket ladder I can then be raised by the toothed rack Y until it is hori-
zontal, or nearly so, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the framework E,
with the bucket ladder I and the chains and buckets, can then be turned around
upon the central vertical axis B until the ladder is in a line with the barge A,
which can then be conveniently removed to any other desired place. Bolts or
catches may be used to fix the apparatus into its required position when adjusted.
Instead of being fixed in a barge or vessel the improved apparatus described may
be fixed upon a railway truck or other carriage, or in any other desired position.
Having now described the Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, I claim, the method of adjusting the bucket ladder of the elevating
apparatus by pivoting it upon transverse pivots working in bearings upon a vertical
frame, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the combination of the bucket ladder so pivotted with a vertical frame capable
of revolving round a vertical axis, substantially as described and shewn in the
Drawing. Also the method of driving the endless chains and bucket upon the
bucket ladder so pivotted by means of a transverse driving shaft passing through
concentric bearings in the transverse pivots which carry the bucket ladder, and
provided with drums or pulleys, substantially as and for the purpose described and
shewn in the Drawing.
Also the general arrangement of the vertical frame revolving round a vertical
axis, the bucket ladder pivotted upon a transverse axis upon the vertical frame,
and the several drums or pullies, and belts and toothed wheels, for the purpose of
driving the endless chains and buckets, substantially as described and shewn in the
Drawing. Also the method of altering and adjusting the position of the bucket
ladder, pivotted, as described, by means of a toothed bar, pinion, and handles,
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this 29th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1870.
ת וזזות
TWIDD