Excavators, Grabs, and Dredging Buckets.
Year: 1885

page_text: Excavators, Grabs, and Dredging Buckets.
We WILLIAM FOTHERGILL BATHO of No 9 Victoria Chambers Westminster,
Engineer, and SIDNEY MANTHORPE COCKBURN of the same place Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC
GEAR FOR OPENING AND CLOSING EXCAVATORS GRABS AND DREDGING BUCKETS
to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to automatic gear for opening and closing excavators,
grabs and buckets and the like, hereinafter called buckets, for dredging and
raising various materials, and has special reference to an excavator patented by
W. F. Batho in 1873 N° 1809.
The objects of the invention are:-
First. To enable an operator, working a bucket from a crane or hoist to open
and close the bucket as many times as desired, by simply raising and lowering the
chain to which the bucket is suspended, without the assistance or application of
any external or independent apparatus and without necessarily raising the bucket
from the ground.
Second. To effect the opening of a bucket automatically so as to discharge its
contents and subsequently to lower the opened bucket by one continuous downward
movement of the chain to which the bucket is attached, without necessarily stopping
the downward movement until the bucket reaches the ground.
Third. To effect the opening of a bucket automatically so as to discharge its
contents, but without doing so by one continuous downward movement of the
chain.
To obtain the first object the central hollow guide and rod are retained as before,
but the sliding crosshead is detached from the rod; and retaining clips for keeping
the bucket open are placed at the bottom end of the rod in a suitable frame, and
made to slide in or on the central guide, between the crosshead and a collar. The
retaining clips are made to engage and disengage with the sliding collar for
opening the bucket, and to close the bucket a suitable shoulder on the rod catches
on the crosshead as the chain is hoisted up.

page_text: The second object is obtained by arrangements of automatic gear suspended
from a convenient support, such as the head of a crane jib, in any of the following
ways.
First. By supporting clips on catches, carried in a suitable frame, and adapted
to engage with a flange or ring conveniently placed on some member of the bucket.
When the bucket is raised to be opened, the supporting catches engage with the
flange, and are held in the position they assume by retaining catches until such
time as the bucket is open, the retaining catches are then struck out of gear by a
weight rested upon them, and previously raised by a collar on the top of the rod
carrying the retaining catches, for keeping the excavator open, or put out of gear
by a cam on the rod. Thus freeing the supporting catches and allowing the flange
to slip through them.
.
Second. By supporting clips on catches sliding on inclined planes, and so
arranged that when the bucket is raised to be opened, a flange plate conveniently
placed on a member of the bucket strikes a projection in the supporting catches,
lifting them up the inclined planes and so drawing them underneath the flange
plate; on reaching the top of the inclined planes retaining catches engage to
prevent the supporting catches from slipping down when the bucket is lowered.
The retaining catches are automatically released by a cam on the rod afore-
mentioned, as the bucket is opened, thus allowing the supporting catches to slip
down the inclines and release the flange plate.
The third object is obtained by supporting catches or clips suspended from the
jib, and maintained in the position they assume when disengaged, by a weight or
spring. When the bucket is raised to be opened a collar on the rod raises the
weight and allows the supporting catches to engage with a flange plate on the
bucket as before. As the bucket is opening the rod again deposits the weight so
that when the bucket is raised off the supporting catches, they instantly assume
their original normal position.

page_text: Excavators, Grabs, and Dredging Buckets.
こ
We WILLIAM FOTHERGILL BATHO of N° 9 Victoria Chambers Westminster
Engineer, and SIDNEY MANTHORPE COCKBURN of the same place Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to automatic gear for opening and closing excavators
grabs and buckets and the like, hereinafter called buckets, for dredging and raising
various materials, and though applicable to such excavators generally is specially
applicable to an excavator patented by W. F. Batho in 1873 N° 1809.
i
The objects of the invention are. To enable an operator, working a bucket
from a crane or hoist, to open and close the bucket as many times as desired by
simply raising and lowering the chain to which the bucket is suspended, without
the assistance or application of any external or independent apparatus and without
necessarily raising the bucket from the ground.
Second, to effect the opening of a bucket automatically so as to discharge its
contents and subsequently to lower the opened bucket by one continuous downward
movement of the chain to which the bucket is attached without necessarily stopping
the downward movement until the bucket reaches the ground.
Third, to effect the opening of a bucket automatically so as to discharge its
contents, but without doing so by one continuous downward movement of the
chain.
.
When an excavator similar to the one patented as above is desired the central
hollow guide or its equivalent and rod are retained as. before, but the sliding
crosshead is detached from the rod, and retaining clips for keeping the bucket open
are placed at the bottom end of the rod in a suitable frame or box and made to
slide in or on the central guide, between the crosshead and a collar. The retaining
clips are made to engage and disengage with the sliding collar for opening the
bucket, and to close the bucket a suitable shoulder on the rod catches on the
crosshead as the chain is hoisted up.
Fig. 1 is a view part in section, and part in elevation of an excavator under the
first part of our invention, a is the central rod by which the bucket is suspended;
bare guide rods surrounding the said central rod, c is a crosshead separate from
the rod a and fitted so as to slide freely on the guides b. The crosshead c is
attached by links d to the closing arms e of the bucket segments f. The
segments are here shown four in number and are pivotted at g to the block h.
The block is secured to the lower end of the guide rods b, i is a collar attached
to the top end of the said guide rods. A collar free to slide on the guide rods b
is attached by links to the opening arms of the bucket segments f. To the
lower end of the central -rod a between the crosshead c and collar j is secured the
frame or box m within which is a sliding block.n. The block n has attached

page_text: thereto an eye bolt o which passes through the lower end of the frame or box m
and has pivotted thereto at its free end the catches or clips p, q is a spring for
raising the block n and causing the catches or clips p to assume the position shown,
are rods projecting through the covers of the frame or box m and secured to a
loose flange sliding on the block n. t bolts for retaining the cover 8 in position,
u recesses in the collar j into which the catches or clips p take.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: The bucket is suspended and raised
and lowered by a chain attached to the upper end of the rod a. When the bucket
is lowered and has reached the ground the continued lowering of the chain causes
the rod a and with it the frame or box m to descend within the guide rods b until
the catches or clips p engage in the recesses u in the collar j. If the chain be then
raised it will carry with it the collar j and the bucket will be opened. The rods r
projecting from the frame or .box m having struck against the crosshead c, the
spring 9 will be compressed and the clips will disengage from the recesses u as
soon as the chain is slackened. By again tightening the chain the bucket will be
closed by the box or frame m raising the crosshead c. The operations of opening
and closing may be repeated as often as desired by raising and lowering the chain.
The second object is obtained by arrangements of automatic gear suspended
from a convenient support such as the head of a crane jib in any of the following
ways.
First, by supporting clips and catches, carried in a suitable frame, and adapted
to engage with a flange or ring conveniently placed on some member of the bucket.
When the bucket is raised to be opened, the supporting clips engage with the
flange, and are held in the position they assume by retaining catches, until such
time as the bucket is open, the retaining catches are then struck out of gear by
a weight rested upon them and previously raised by a collar on the top of the
rod carrying the retaining catches, for keeping the excavators open, or put out of
gear by a cam on the rod. Thus freeing the supporting catches and allowing the
flange to slip through them.
Fig. 2 is a view part in section and part in elevation of the first modification of
apparatus under the second head of our invention. 1 frame suspended by chain 2
from the crane jib, 3 supporting clips, 4 weighted catches pivotted at 5, 6 flange
or ring secured to the guide rods or crosshead of an excavator or to some equivalent
part. 7 weight freely surrounding the raising and lowering chain attached to the
rod a and resting on the enlarged link 8. In action the bucket is raised until the
crosshead ring or flange engages with the clips 3 the chain is then lowered and
the rod and parts a descend whilst the ring 6 remains stationary-When the
bucket is open the weight 7 presses on and releases the catches 4, allowing
the flange or collar to slip through the supporting clips 3, the whole of the
excavator then descends.
Secondly, by supporting clips in catches sliding on inclined planes, and so
arranged that when the bucket is raised to be opened a flange plate conveniently
placed on a member of the bucket strikes a projection in the supporting catches
lifting them up the inclined planes and so drawing them underneath the flange
plate; on reaching the top of the inclined planes retaining catches engage to
prevent the supporting catches from slipping down when the bucket is lowered.
The retaining catches are automatically released by a cam on the rod afore-
mentioned, as the bucket is opened, thus allowing the supporting catches to slip
down the inclines and release the flange plate.
Fig. 3 is a view part in elevation, and part in section of excavating apparatus
under the second modification of the second part of our invention. 1 frame
suspended by chains 2 from the crane jib, 3 clips free to slide in guides on the
frame 1. 4 catches pivotted to the clips 3 and arranged to engage with the upper
portion of the frame 1 by means of springs 5, flange or ring secured to the
guide rods of a bucket excavator constructed as set forth under the first part or to
some convenient part of any bucket elevator of suitable.construction, 7 is a cam
attached to the top of the rod a.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows:-the bucket is raised until the flange
or ring is in gear with the clips 3 and the catches 4 engage with the top of the
frame 1. The chain is then lowered and the rod a and parts attached move
downward the ring being retained by the clips until the bucket is opened further
downward motion of the chain and rod then allow the cam 7 to press against and
release the catches 4 the clips then slide down the guides on the frame 1, and
release the flange or ring 6 so that the descent of the open bucket can be
continued.
The third object is obtained, by supporting catches or clips suspended from the
jib, and maintained in the position they assume when disengaged, by a weight or
spring, when the bucket is raised to be opened a collar on the rod raises the weight
and allows the supporting catches to engage with a flange plate on the bucket as
before. As the bucket is opening the rod again deposits the weight so that when
then the bucket is raised off the supporting catelies they instantly assume their
original normal position.
Fig. 4 is a view partly in section, and partly in elevation of apparatus under the
third part of our invention, here rocking clips 3 pivotted to a frame 1 are held in
disengaged position by a weight 7. The action is as follows:-On raising the
excavator an enlarged link or boss in the raising chain lifts the weight from the
clips and allows them to fall into engaged position; as the chain is further raised
the crosshead, ring, or collar becomes engaged with the clips, and is held stationary,
whilst the chain is lowered to open the bucket, the lowering of the chain again
allows the weight 7 to rest on the clips 3 and when the bucket is slightly raised
the clips fly apart and the bucket can be lowered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
First. In excavating apparatus the combination of a sliding collar and clips with
opening and closing crossheads or collars substantially as setforth.
Second. Clip and catch gear for excavators constructed substantially as set forth
under the second and third parts.
Dated this thintoouth dow of Wh 1000
J. T. KING,
Per J. Johnson, Agent.