IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR EXCAVATING, GRADING, DITCHING, AND CONVEYING PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs and David Monroe
Childs, both of 16, Mark Lane, in the City of London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR EXCAVATING, GRADING,
DITCHING, AND CONVEYING PURPOSES."—A communication from abroad
by Sidney Sweet, of Dansville, New York, United States of North
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant
Childs and David Monroe Childs at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th December 1871.
We, AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS and DAVID MONROE CHILDS, both
of 16, Mark Lane, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR EXCAVATING,
GRADING, DITCHING, AND CONVEYING PURPOSES," (a communication to us from
Sidney Sweet, of Dansville, New York, United States of North America,)
to be as follows:-
-

page_text: and usually constructed to be worked and drawn by horses. A cylin-
drical receiver is permanently attached to the axle between the wheels,
and provided with an opening at one side for receiving and discharging
the dirt; "any known ordinary means are provided for turning the opened
side of the cylinder down for unloading. The elevators or diggers are
attached to two discs or plates made to revolve loose on the axle at the
ends of the receiver. The elevators when at work are made to revolve
around the receiver, and so constructed as to deposit the dirt in at its
top. The discs for carrying the elevators are firmly connected together
by a system of rods or otherwise, so they will revolve in unison. The
elevators are pivoted to the discs and made to yield by the action of
springs should they come in contact with any hard substances while at
work; this is done to prevent any injury to the elevators or other parts of
the machine. The elevators are worked by putting the discs to which they
are attached in connection with the wheel of the machine by adjustable
pins or breakes which are made to act on one or both sides of the
machine.
At the back of the machine there is attached an adjustable scraper,
which is carried by a framework secured to the axle of the machine,
usually on the outside of the wheels, and made so it can be elevated or
depressed by hand or otherwise. The object of this scraper is to loosen
the dirt and load the elevators, and also act as a guard to prevent the
dirt from falling from the elevators as they ascend to deposit it in the
receiver.
A series of scarifiers or cutters are attached to the machine in front
of the elevators to loosen the earth preparatory for scraping it into the
elevators. The front of the machine is provided with wheels to govern
the depth or cut of the scarifiers, and to facilitate the motion of the
machine over the ground.
The scraper is constructed so it can be elevated when the machine
is loaded and ready for conveying away to prevent it dragging on the
ground.
Levers are attached to the end of the axle for guiding the motion of
the receiver when its opened side is turned down for unloading purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augustus Bryant Childs and David Monroe
Childs in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 19th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, AUGUSTUS
BRYANT CHILDS and DAVID MONROE CHILDS, both of 16, Mark Lane,
in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Augustus Bryant Childs and David
Monroe Childs, Her special licence that we, the said Augustus Bryant
Childs and David Monroe Childs, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Augustus Bryant Childs and
David Monroe Childs, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR EXCAVATING,
GRADING, DITCHING, AND CONVEYING PURPOSES," a communication to them
from abroad by Sidney Sweet, of Dansville, New York, United States
of North America, upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Augustus Bryant Childs and David Monroe Childs, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Augustus Bryant Childs and
David Monroe Childs, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The machine is supported on two wheels mounted on a suitable axle

page_text: and usually constructed to be worked and drawn by horses. A cylin-
drical receiver is permanently attached to the axle between the wheels,
and provided with an opening at one side for receiving and discharging
the dirt; any known ordinary means are provided for turning the opened
side of the cylinder down for unloading. The elevators or diggers are
attached to two discs or plates made to revolve loose on the axle at the
ends of the receiver. The elevators when at work are made to revolve
around the receiver, and so constructed as to deposit the dirt in at its
top. The discs for carrying the elevators are firmly connected together
by a system of rods or otherwise, so they will revolve in unison. The
elevators are pivoted to the discs and made to yield by the action of
springs should they come in contact with any hard substances while at
work; this is done to prevent any injury to the elevators or other parts
of the machine. The elevators are worked by putting the discs to which
they are attached in connection with the wheel of the machine by
adjustable pins or hooks which are made to act on one or both sides of
Levers are attached to the ends of the axle for guiding the motion of
the receiver when its opened side is turned down for unloading purposes,
and also for holding it in position while being loaded by the elevators.
A series of scarifiers or cutters may be attached to the machine in
front of the elevators to loosen the earth preparatory for scraping it into
the elevators. The front of the machine may also be provided with
3

page_text: motion of the machine over the ground.
To give a better understanding of the said improvement, reference is
here made to the accompanying Drawings by the figures and letters of
reference marked thereon, and made to form part of this Specification.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a top view; and
Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the cylindrical receiver and
elevators.
A, A, are two wheels mounted on an axle; these wheels as a rule will
be made of cast or wrought metal, or both combined, for being more
durable. B, B, is the main frame of the machine made of metal or
wood, and X is the tong to which the horses or power is attached for
drawing the machine. C, C, is a cylindrical receiver opened at the top
when in its proper position for loading as represented in Fig. 3, and
firmly secured to the axle of the machine between the wheels. D, D, are
plates mounted on the axle at the outside ends of the receiver C, and
made to revolve loose thereon, and to which the elevators E, E, E, E, are
attached, the plates D are framed or connected together longitudinal
by cross rods or bars a, a, as represented in Fig. 2. The elevators E are
attached to the plates D by pivots at each end, and are made to vibrate
latterly within a given space; springs d, d, are attached to one of the
plates D and made to act on the ends of the elevators for holding their
inner edges to the cylinder C, and causing the elevators to yield should
they come in contact with any hard or unyielding substances to prevent
injury to the machine. J is a frame piece at the back of the machine
for supporting and carrying the scraper H; usually the frame piece J
will be connected to the machine by connecting links e, e, two on each
side of the machine as represented; the scraper is used for loosening
the dirt and loading the elevators E, and also acts as a guard to prevent
the dirt from falling from the elevators as they ascend to deposit it in
the cylindrical receiver, the scraper is made moveable up and down, and
may be held down by the operator standing on the plate K if required.
When the machine is moved for carrying the dirt away to be discharged
out of the receiver, the scraper is held in an elevated position by levers
or catches m, m, one on each side of the machine; these catches are

page_text: notched at their inner ends, and as the scraper is raised they catch on
the end of the frame, and the scraper is thereby held in a suspended
position as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1; in lowering the scraper
when the machine is again set to work, all that is required is to elevate
it a little above its required position, when the catch levers m, m, loosen
themselves by their own weight, and thereby cause the scraper to fall to
the ground ready for work.
The clevators E are worked by the motion of the wheels A; this is
effected by a hinged pin or lock fattached to the plate D, which is put
in connection with one of the spokes of the wheels, as shown in Figs. 1
and 2, then when the machine is moved the elevators are revolved
around the cylindrical receiver, and as each elevator arrives at its top
the dirt it contains is deposited into the receiver through the openings
at the top. When the receiver is full the scraper H is then raised up
as before described, and the machine is carried away for unloading by
turning the opened side of the receiver C down, which is effected by the
power that moves the machine; this is done by a pin R fit to one of the
revolving plates D, and when required made to take hold of the receiver
and causes the opened side of it to turn downwards when the dirt it
contains will be discharged. The receiver is governed in its motion by
levers O, O, attached to the ends of the axle of the machine; these levers
come in contact with lugs cast or attached to the frame B, and thereby
prevents the receiver from going beyond its proper position for loading
and unloading purposes.
Secondly. Constructing and using the scraper H, and combining 30
the same with the machine, and the manner of elevating and lowering
the scraper, for purposes herein-before described.
Thirdly. The parts employed for turning the opened side of the

page_text: receiver down by the power used for moving the machine for unloading
the same in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Augustus Bryant Childs and
David Monroe Childs, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS. (L.S.)
DAVID MONROE CHILDS.
(L.S.)