IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING AND REMOVING EARTH, GRAVEL, CLAY, OR OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the Firm of Edwards and Co.
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING AND REMOVING EARTH, GRAVEL, CLAY, OR
OTHER MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Mossieurs Van
Rietschoten and Howwens, of Rotterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1880.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING
AND REMOVING EARTH, GRAVEL, CLAY, OR OTHER MATERIALS." [A communication
from abroad by Messieurs Van Rietschoten and Howwens, of Rotterdam, in the
Kingdom of Holland.]
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus used for the purpose of
excavating earth or other materials in making railways, roads, canals, or other
watercourses,for other operations of the like kind, and it has for its objects improved
methods of constructing and arranging the parts of such machinery or apparatus so
that it is simple, cheap, and easily worked and effective.
I lay rails or channel irons upon sleepers or other suitable supports along the
canal or other excavation which is to be made, and upon these rails run a sufficient
number of corresponding wheels, which carry a frame or platform, preferably of
iron, which supports the machinery or apparatus.
Upon this frame a second platform is arranged, so that it can revolve for a
sufficient distance when required round a vertical central axis, a sufficient number
of friction rollers or wheels being arranged between the frame below and the plat-
form. Upon the upper platform are arranged two vertical frames of metal, wood, or
partly of metal and partly of wood, and the upper ends of these frames are provided
with bearings, in which fit and turn hollow or tubular centres, to which is firmly
fitted and fixed a strong framework of metal or wood of sufficient length and size,
which carries at each extremity bearings in which revolve transverse shafts. These
two transverse shafts are provided with strong tumbler wheels, round which are

page_text: fitted and pass the links of endless chains which carry excavating buckets attached
to and between them.
The upper and lower edges of the framework constitute or are provided with
guides, along which the links of the endless chains pass when the latter are in
motion and support the weights of the buckets, and one or more friction wheels may
be provided for the saine purpose.
•
Upon one part of the revolving platform, as described, is arranged and fixed a
suitable boiler, the steam from which actuates a steam engine, also fixed upon the
platform, which drives a horizontal shaft revolving in suitable bearings upon the
platform.
This shaft drives by means of properly proportioned pulleys or drums and belts
or chain wheels and endless chains a horizontal shaft, which passes through and
revolves in the hollow tubular centres of the framework above, and this last shaft
communicates its motion by means of a second pulley or chain wheel upon it to the
transverse shaft at the inner end of the pivotted framework which carries the
endless chains and excavating buckets, as already described. In this way when
the engine is set in motion the chains and excavating buckets are made to travel,
whilst the angle of the suspended framework which carries them can be adjusted as
desired.
In order to effect such adjustment a frame of sufficient strength is arranged upon
the platform so as to project over the outer part of the suspended framework, and is
provided at its outer end with a pulley, over which passes a chain, the lower end
of which is attached to the framework, whilst its other end is connected to a barrel,
round which it can be wound or unwound as desired by connecting or disconnecting
it with the steam engine or by hand.
For a sufficient distance round the lower frame which supports the revolving
platform is fixed a strong internal circular toothed rack, into which gears a pinion
at the lower end of a vertical shaft revolving in bearings upon the platform, and
driven in either direction when required by bevilled toothed wheels actuated when
desired by the engine. In this way the platform can be made to turn in either
direction laterally for a sufficient distance, and so to direct the outer end of the
chains of excavating buckets to either side of the line along which the machinery or
apparatus travels. At the back of the upper platform is supported at a sufficient
height a trough or receptacle, into which the earth or other material excavated falls
from the buckets, and is delivered thence down lateral spouts or shoots upon either.
side of the channel which is being excavated.
The entire machine is connected by a sufficiently strong chain or rope passing
through pulley blocks fixed to an anchor or other firm abutment in front, thence
passed round a drum or windlass fixed upon the revolving platform, and connected
to the engine so that it can be made to revolve slowly when desired, and it thus
draws the entire apparatus forward as the excavation proceeds.
Connecting and disconnecting or reversing clutches are arranged with suitable
handles or levers, by which the different drums or pullies and wheels can be set in
operation and stopped as and when required.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The wheels carrying the platform
being adjusted upon their rails or channels at a proper distance from the face of
the ground to be excavated, they are fixed by means of the rope or chain to the
anchor in front, and the engine is set in motion so that the endless chain of buckets
revolves, cutting from below upward, the framework or ladder which carries it
being held up to its work by the chain which suspends it.
The excavated material is discharged through shoots upon either side of the
cutting, and the entire apparatus with its platform can be made to revolve laterally
in either direction for a sufficient distance so that the cutting may be excavated to
the desired width. As the work progresses the apparatus is gradually drawn
forward by means of the rope to which it is anchored.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd October
1880.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING
AND REMOVING EARTH, GRAVEL, CLAY, OR OTHER MATERIALS." A communication
from abroad by Messieurs Van Rietschoten and Howwens, of Rotterdam, in the
Kingdom of Holland.
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus used for the purpose of
excavating oarth or other materials in making railways, roads, canals, or other
water courses, or other operations of the like kind, and it has for its objects improved
methods of constructing and arranging the parts of such machinery or apparatus
so that it is simple, cheap, and easily worked, and very effective.
In order to put the Invention in operation I lay rails or channels upon chains or
other suitable supports along the canal or other excavation or cutting which is to
be made, and upon these are supported and run a sufficient number of corresponding
wheels which carry a strong frame or platform, preferably of iron, which supports
the excavating machinery or apparatus. Above the frame or platform last described
a second platform is arranged, so that it can revolve horizontally for a sufficient
distance when required round a vertical contre, a sufficient number of friction wheels
or rollers being arranged between the two platforms. Upon the upper platform are
arranged two strong vertical frames of metal or wood, or partly of metal and partly
of wood, and the upper end of these frames are provided with plummer blocks or
bearings in which fit and revolve horizontal hollow or tubular centres to which is
fitted and firmly fixed a strong framework of metal or wood of sufficient length
and size which carries at each extremity bearings in which revolve transverse
shafts upon which are keyed strong tumbler wheels, round which are fitted and pass
the links of endless chains which carry excavating buckets attached to or between
them.
The upper and lower edges of the framework constitute, or are provided with,
guides along which the links of the endless chains pass when the latter are in
motion, and support the weight of the buckets and their contents, and one or more
friction wheels may be provided for the same purpose. One part of the upper
revolving platform described carries a suitable boiler, the steam from which actuates
a steam engine fixed upon the same platform, which drives a horizontal shaft
revolving in suitable bearings fixed to the platform. This shaft drives by means of
properly proportioned pulleys or drums and belts, or chain wheels and endless
chains, a horizontal shaft which passes through and revolves in the hollow tubular
centres of the framework above; and this last shaft communicates its motion by
means of a second pulley or chain wheel upon it to the transverse shaft arranged
at the inner end of the pivotted framework which carries the endless chains and
excavating buckets as already described. By the arrangement described, when the
engine is set in motion the chains and excavating buckets are made to travel, whilst
at the same time the angle of the suspended framework which carries them can be
altered and adjusted as desired. In order to effect such alteration and adjustment
one or more frames of sufficient strength are arranged upon the platform so as to
project over the outer part of the suspended framework, and are provided at their
outer ends with one or more pullies or blocks over which pass strong chains, the
lower ends of which are attached to the suspended framework, whilst the other
ends are connected to a barrel or drum round which they can be wound or unwound
as desired by connecting or disconnecting them with the engine or by hand.

page_text: Round the lower frame, which supports the revolving platform as first described,
is fixed for a sufficient distance a strong circular internal toothed rack or segment
into which gears a pinion at the lower end of a vertical shaft revolving in bearings
upon the platform and driven in either direction when required by bevilled toothed
wheels actuated when desired by the engine, and in this way the platform can bo
'made to revolve in either direction laterally for a sufficient distance, and thus to
divert the outer end of the chains of excavating buckets to either side of the cutting
along which the machinery or apparatus travels, and so to obtain sufficient width
of the excavation or cutting.
At a sufficient height at the back of the upper platform is supported a transverse 1
trough or receptacle into which the earth or other material excavated falls from
the buckets and is delivered thence down lateral spouts or shoots upon either sido
of the channel which is being excavated.
The entire machine is connected by a sufficiently strong chain or rope passing
through pulley blocks to an anchor or other firm abutment in front, the chain or 1
rope being thence passed round a drum or windlass fixed upon the revolving
platform, and connected to the engine so that it can be made to revolve slowly
when desired, and it can thus be made to draw the entire apparatus forward as the
excavation proceeds. Suitable handles and levers with connecting and disconnecting
or reversing clutches and brakes are arranged in convenient positions, so that 2
the drums and pullies and wheels can be set in operation or stopped as and when
required.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of the Invention, Figure 1 being a
side view; Figure 2, an end view partly in section; and Figure 3, a plan of the
machine,; a, a, are rails or channels in which the wheels b, b, b, b, run. These 2
wheel arry the frame c, above which is the circular platform & supported upon the
friction/wheels e, e, e, e.
d
*
Vertical frames f,f, are fixed upon the platform d, having at their upper ends
bearings g, g', in which revolve hollow centres 7, h, carrying the framework i
which has at each extremity bearings (preferably adjustable) at k, k, and shafts 3
carrying the tumbler wheels L, 1, round which pass the endless chains mand
excavating buckets, two of which are shewn at n, n. The platform & carries the
boiler o and engine p, the latter driving the shaft which actuates by the pullies
and belts or chain wheels and chains 8 a shaft which passes through the tubular
bearings h, h, and has upon it a pulley or chain wheel t which actuates a corre- 3
sponding pulley or chain wheel u upon the upper tumbler wheel shaft. v, v¹, are
projecting frames carrying pulleys w, w, over which pass chains attached to the
framework i, the other ends being connected to the drums or barrels actuated by
the engine p.
An internal toothed rack y is fixed to the lower frame c, and into it
gears a toothed pinion upon a vertical shaft A revolving in bearings B fixed to 4
the platform d and driven when required in either direction by the bevilled toothed
wheels C actuated by the engine p. An elevated trough D is shewn having a
Interal shoot E on each side. F are strong chains attached to fixed anchors in
front of the apparatus and connected to the drum G, so that the entire apparatus
can be slowly drawn forward by the engine when desired. Connecting, dis-
connecting, and reversing levers and handles and links are shewn at I for the
purpose of setting in motion, stopping, and reversing the different parts of the
apparatus. The action of the apparatus constructed and arranged as described is
as follows: The wheels b being adjusted upon the rails or channels a at a proper
distance from the face of the ground to be excavated, the machine is fixed by
means of the ropes or chains F to an anchor or abutment in front, and the engine p
'is set in motion so that the endless chain m with the buckets n are caused to
revolve, cutting from below upward, the framework i being held up to its work by
the chains which suspend it. The excavated material is discharged through
the shoots E upon either side of the cutting, and the entire machinery and appa-
ratus with the platform d can be made to revolve laterally for a sufficient distance
in either direction by the rack and pinion y and 3, so that the cutting can be

page_text: excavated to the desired width. As the work progresses the machine is gradually
drawn forward by means of the drum G round which the chain F passes.
Having now described the Invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim,—
The frame supported upon wheels and carrying a revolving platform upon
friction wheels in combination with the frame carrying the endless chains of
excavating buckets, and suspended upon hollow centres through which the shaft
of the driving pulley or wheel passes, all substantially as and for the purposes
described and shewn in the Drawing. Also the method of causing the upper
platform to make a partial revolution in either direction by means of the toothed
rack fixed to the lower frame, the toothed pinion carried by the upper platform,
and the driving and reversing gear actuated by the engine, all substantially as
described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the projecting frames, pulleys, and chains actuated when desired by the
engine for the purpose of raising or lowering the suspended frame, and endless
chains and buckets, all substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Also the method of causing the excavating machinery to travel forward as desired
by means of chains attached to a fixed abutment and passing round a drum actuated
by the engine, substantially as described and shewn. Also, the general arrange-
ment of the excavating machinery, substantially as described and shewn in the
Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Edmund Edwards have hereunto set my hand