ry therewith Connected.
Year: 1885

page_text: the Machinery therewith Connected.
I CHARLES WALLACE HUNT of No 11 Barker Street, West New Brighton,
Richmond County, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING
OR GRAB BUCKETS FOR HOISTING, AND THE MACHINERY THEREWITH CONNECTED
to be as follows:-
"
In dredging and hoisting machinery it is usual to employ in connection with the
hoisting engine and attendant apparatus, two ropes or chains for closing, filling and
hoisting the bucket.
A single chain has been employed for closing the buckets, but the chain
terminated at, and was connected to the hoist wheel, and a separate device was
used for opening.
By my improvements I am able to use only a single hoisting rope or chain. This
rope or chain passes around a chain wheel that actuates the mechanism that closes
the buckets, and in order to obtain the necessary number of revolutions of this
chain wheel for closing the buckets with the required force, the chain is paid out
and the slack taken up by a weight or spring.
Upon starting the hoisting rope the chain draws under and rotates the wheel,
and closes the bucket, the necessary amount of such chain or rope being supplied as
the weight is raised.
The sections of the bucket are carried by a framing in the usual manner and the
cross shaft is supported in bearings upon said framing. Upon this cross shaft there
is a chain wheel, a ratchet wheel, clutch, chain drums, and chains that pass from
the drums to the bucket sections. There is a pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and
a forked lever to operate the clutch and these are pivotted upon the frame.
The chain wheel and half the clutch are made together and are loose upon the
shaft, while the ratchet wheel is fast upon the shaft and the half clutch slides upon
a feather upon the shaft.
The clutch is thrown in and engages the chain wheel while the buckets are being
closed and the ratchet wheel and pawl keep the shaft and chain drums from turning
back and hold the buckets closed.
After the bucket has been closed the clutch is disengaged to free the chain wheel
so that it can revolve as a loose pulley in raising the bucket.

page_text: .
The operation is as follows: presuming that the bucket has reached its highest
point and bas discharged its load and remains open.
The hoisting engine pays out the chain and the open bucket descends until it
reaches its destination.
The paying out operation is continued and the slack of the chain is taken up by
the weight descending. When the weight has descended a sufficient distance the
paying out is stopped, the clutch is thrown in and the engine started ahead drawing
in the rope and elevating the weight and revolving the chain wheel, clutcb, shaft,
and drums, thus winding up the chains and closing and loading the bucket.
This is made possible because the bucket is heavier than the weight on the chains
and the force needed to close the bucket combined.
The bucket is closed by the time the weight reaches its highest point at the
pulley and stops, the clutch is then disengaged, freeing the chain wheel, the ratchet
wheel and pawl holding the buckets closed.
The further drawing in of the chain raises the bucket to the required height and
the pawl is disengaged to open the said bucket and release its contents.
Instead of the weight depending from the end of the rope and rising and falling
in a perpendicular line it may be carried by a slide way upon the boom, or the
weight might be dispensed with and the rope be wound upon a spring drum upon
the boom.
In one of the forms of bucket to which my improvements are applied the hoisting
chain passes around a chain wheel on a shaft that carries gearing and a clutch,
and this chain wheel is outside a frame that connects the second shaft to the other
parts that act upon the bucket or double scoop in opening and closing the same; so
that the chain can be easily lifted away from the chain wheel to disconnect the
same from the bucket and there is a removable cover or guide to keep the chain
from accidentally slipping off the chain wheel or becoming disconnected therefrom.
"This cover of guide is preferably hinged to the frame so as to be easily swung
away from the chain wheel when required.
Tatharth day of Ta 198K

page_text: Improvements in Dredging or Grab Buckets for Hoisting, and
the Machinery therewith Connected.
I, CHARLES WALLACE HUNT, of No. 11 Barker Street, West New Brighton
Richmond County State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN DREDGING
OR GRAB BUCKETS FOR HOISTING AND THE MACHINERY THEREWITH CONNECTED,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
In dredging and hoisting machinery it is usual to employ in connection with the
hoisting engine and attendant apparatus, two ropes or chains for closing, filling
and hoisting the bucket.
A single chain has been employed for closing the buckets but the chain
terminated at and was connected to the hoist wheel and a separate device was
used for opening.
By my improvement I am able to use only a single hoisting rope or chain. This
rope or chain passes around a chain wheel that actuates the mechanism that closes
the buckets, and in order to obtain the necessary number of revolutions of this
chain wheel for closing the buckets with the required force the chain is payed out
and the slack taken up by a weight or spring. Upon starting the hoisting-rope the
chain draws under and rotates the wheel and closes the bucket, the necessary
amount of such chain or rope being supplied as the weight is raised.
In the drawing
Fig. 1. is an elevation of part of the hoisting apparatus and of the bucket closed.
Fig. 2. is an end elevation of the bucket and of the opening mechanism.
A. represents the boom of the hoisting apparatus, B. the hoisting chain, C the
bucket, D. the chain wheel and E the weight.
The sections of the bucket C. are carried by a framing in the usual manner and
the cross-shaft a. is supported in bearings upon said framing Upon this cross-
shaft a. there is the chain-wheel D. a ratchet-wheel b. clutch c. chain-drums d. and
the chains e. pass from the drums d. to the bucket sections.
There is a pawl f. to engage the ratchet-wheel b. and a forked lever g to operate
the clutch c. and said pawl and lever are pivoted to the frame.
The chain wheel D. and half the clutch c. are made together and are loose upon
the shaft a. while the ratchet-wheel b. is fast upon the shaft and the other half of
the clutch slides upon a feather on the shaft.
The clutch is thrown in and engages the chain-wheel while the buckets are being
closed and the ratchet-wheel and pawl keep the shaft and chain-drums from
turning back and hold the buckets closed.
After the bucket has been closed the clutch is disengaged to free the chain wheel
so that it can revolve as a loose pulley in raising the bucket.
The operation is as follows:-
Presuming that the bucket has reached its highest point and has discharged its
load and remains open, the hoisting engine pays out the chain B. and the open
bucket descends until it reaches its destination.

page_text: The paying out operation is continued and the slack of the chain is taken up by
the weight E descending. When the weight has descended a sufficient distance,
the paying out is stopped, the clutch c. is thrown in, and the engine started ahead
drawing in the rope and elevating the weight and revolving the chain-wheel D.
clutch c. shaft a. and drums d. thus winding up the chains e. and closing and
loading the buckets.
This is made possible because the bucket is heavier than the weight E. and the
force needed to close the bucket combined. The bucket is closed by the time the
weight E reaches its highest point at the pulley o. and stops. The clutch c. is then
disengaged freeing the chain-wheel D. the ratchet wheel b. and pawl f. holding the
buckets closed. The further drawing in of the chain raises the bucket to the
required hight and the pawl f. is disengaged to open the said bucket and release
its contents.
Instead of the weight E. depending from the end of the rope or chain and
rising and falling in a perpendicular line, it may be carried by a slideway upon the
boom, as shown by dotted lines in fig. 1. or the weight might be dispensed with
and the chain be wound upon a spring drum upon the boom as also shown by
dotted lines in fig. 1.
It is sometimes desirable to use the boom and hoisting chain without the
improved bucket. In this case an ordinary pulley will be hung on the chain of
the hoisting apparatus.
To provide for removing the chain from the chain wheel of my improved bucket
without disconnecting any portion of the chain, I arrange the parts as shown in
figs. 3. & 4. in which
Fig. 3. is an elevation of part of the hoisting apparatus and of the bucket.
Fig. 4. a side view of the bucket and
Fig. 5. is an elevation of an ordinary pulley block.
The buckets C. shaft a. drums d. chains e. and ratchet wheel b. are similar to
those before described, but the clutch c. and chain wheel D. are upon a shaft a¹
mounted in a frame F supported by the shaft a. Upon the shaft a. is a gear
wheel a meshing with a wheel a upon the shaft a¹ hence when the clutch c. is
coupled to the shaft a¹ the chain wheel D can be revolved to close the bucket, the
operation of the parts being the same as that described with reference to figs. 1 & 2:
I have shown however the pawl f. as connected to a lever få by a link f¹ and said
lever is operated by coming in contact with a fixed stop at the extreme upward
inovement of the bucket to disconnect the pawl f. from the ratchet wheel b. and
allow the bucket to open.
G. is a cover or guide for the chain wheel and chain, pivoted or hinged at 1. to
the frame F. and this cover encloses the chain wheel D. said chain wheel being
outside the frame F. and there are openings at d³ in this cover or guide to allow
for the passage of the two parts of the chain B.
A bolt at 2. keeps the cover in place and when this bolt is removed the cover
can be swung down upon its pivots 1. and the chain B. taken off the wheel D,
without disconnecting any portion of the chain.
The pulley shown in fig. 5. may now be placed upon the chain B. and when so
used the weight E. can be hung upon a hook on the boom A. and be out of the way
so that the parts may be used as a common boom hoisting apparatus.
Instead of using the cover G. the shaft b. may be extended and its outer end
supported by a hinged arm connected to the frame F said arm having guide
portions to keep the chain on the wheel D. By removing this guide arm the chain
can be taken off the chain wheel.
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
First. The combination, with the hoisting bucket and the wheel and mechanism
for closing the same, of a chain and a weight attached to that chain whereby the

page_text: weight is made to take up the slack of the chain as payed out and the weight is
raised when the chain is drawn upon in closing the bucket before the bucket is
raised, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination with the hoisting bucket and the mechanism for closing
the same, of a wheel around which a rope or chain passes, means for drawing upon
that rope or chain and rotating the wheel until the bucket is closed and then
elevating the bucket by further drawing upon the same rope or chain, and with
mechanism, substantially as specified for detaching said wheel so that it becomes a
loose pulley, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with the bucket, the main shaft and the drums and
chains for operating the bucket and a frame connected with the main shaft, of a
chain wheel, a shaft for the same and the connecting gearing, said chain wheel
being outside the frame, whereby the chain can be lifted off the chain wheel with-
out disconnecting any portion of the chain, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the bucket, the main shaft, and the drums and
chains for operating the bucket and a frame connected with the main shaft, of a
chain wheel, a shaft for the same and the connecting gearing, said chain wheel
being outside the frame and a guide or guides whereby the chain is retained in its
place but can be lifted off the chain wheel without disconnecting any portion of
the chain, substantially as set forth.