IMPROVEMENTS In Apparatus FOR RAISING, TIPPING, AND LOWERING TRUCKS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Thomson, of No. 21, Middleton Square,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
In Apparatus FOR RAISING, TIPPING, AND LOWERING TRUCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Thomson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th December 1875.
I, DAVID THOMSON, of No. 21, Middleton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING, TIPPING, AND LOWERING TRUCKS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for raising loaded trucks, such as
are used to convey coals or minerals, tipping them when they attain the
proper level for delivering their contents by a shoot into a vessel or other
receptacle, and lowering them when empty, the whole of the necessary
movements being effected by means of water pressure acting on the ram
of a hydraulic cylinder.
.

page_text: I erect by the side of the quay or other place where the vessels or
receptacles for the goods are situated a strong framing, which forms a
guide for a platform with rails, that can be raised or lowered vertically
by means of a ram placed below it, and acted on by hydraulic pressure.
On the front side of the framing or that next the quay is an inclined
shoot, set at the proper height and inclination, to convey the contents of
the truck into the vessel or receptacle. By admitting water under
pressure into the cylinder in which the ram works the platform with a
loaded truck on it is raised to the proper level to have the contents of
the truck tipped into the shoot.
:
The platform is mounted on the ram in such a way that it can swivel
on a horizontal axis over or nearly over the centre of the ram, and the
weights of the platform and loaded truck are so proportioned and
arranged with regard to this axis that their position of rest when left
free is with the rails slightly inclined towards the back. The rails,
however, are kept horizontal by a stop, against which there is sufficient
pressure-to keep the platform steady while it is rising.
A chain for the purpose of tipping is attached to the front of the
platform, and hangs down nearly vertically, having its lower end fixed
below. When the platform reaches the proper level for being tipped 1
this chain becoming tightened prevents the front of the platform from
rising higher, but the ram continuing to raise the middle of the platform
causes it to be tilted down towards the front to such inclination as will
discharge the contents of the truck towards the shoot.
As the platform and loaded truck must clear the shoot while they rise
in their horizontal attitude there is necessarily a gap between the truck
and the shoot when the former is tilted. To prevent the contents of the
truck from falling through this gap I attach a short piece of moveable
shoot either to the platform or to the fixed shoot with such connecting
mechanism that the tipping movement causes this moveable piece of
shoot to assume the proper position to pass the contents of the truck
over the gap and on to the main shoot.
When the truck is emptied the ram is lowered by discharging tho
water from the cylinder in which it works, the descent of the ram
allowing the platform and empty truck to resume their horizontal - 3
attitude. By this movement the moveable piece of shoot is withdrawn

page_text: so as not to interfere with the further descent of the platform and empty
truck.
The main shoot is so attached to the framing that it can be readily
raised or lowered or have its inclination varied to suit different circum-
stances in the usual manner, the length of the tipping chain being
adjusted to the height at which the shoot may be set.
Although I have described the apparatus as applied to the discharge
of trucks which open at the end it is to be understood that it can like-
wise be employed for discharging hopper trucks, which open at the
bottom, the contents in this being allowed to fall upon the platform
and to be tipped from it into the shoot in the manner explained above.
To economise expenditure of power I prefer to counterbalance the
weights of the moveable parts of the apparatus, or a large proportion of
them, either by counterweights or by an additional ram or rams acted
on by constant hydraulic pressure in the manner which has been some-
times adopted for that purpose.
Apparatus constructed and operating in the manner described above
may be applied in cases where loaded trucks have to be lowered and the
trucks when emptied have to be raised, the tipping chain being in this
case carried upwards and attached above so as to cause the platform to
be tilted when it has descended the distance required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Thomson in the Great Seal Patent. Office
on the 29th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
THOMSON, of No. 21, Middleton Square, in the County of Middlesex,
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-
five, in the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said David Thomson,
Her special license that I, the said David Thomson, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David
Thomson, my exccutors, 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 APPARATUS FOR RAISING, TIPPING, AND
LOWERING TRUCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
David Thomson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Thomson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to apparatus for raising loaded trucks, such as
are used to convey coals or minerals, tipping them when they attain the
proper level for delivering their contents by a shoot into a vessel or other
receptacle, and lowering them when empty, the whole of the necessary
movements being effected by means of water pressure acting on the ram
of a hydraulic cylinder.
I erect by the side of the quay or other place where the vessels or
receptacles for the goods are situated a strong framing, which forms a
guide for a platform with rails, that can be raised or lowered vertically
by means of a ram placed below it, and acted on by hydraulic pressure.
On the front side of the framing or that next the quay is an inclined
shoot set at the proper height and inclination to convey the contents of
the truck into the vessel or receptacle. By admitting water under
pressure into the cylinder in which the ram works the platform with a
loaded truck on it is raised to the proper level to have the contents of
the truck tipped into the shoot. .

page_text: The platform is mounted on the ram in such a way that it can swivel
on a horizontal axis over or nearly over the centre of the ram, and the
weights of the platform and loaded truck are so proportioned and
arranged with regard to this axis that their position of rest when left
free is with the rails slightly inclined towards the back. The rails,
however, are kept horizontal by a stop, against which there is sufficient
pressure to keep the platform steady while it is rising.
A chain for the purpose of tipping is attached to the front of the
platform, and hangs down nearly vertically, having its lower end fixed
below. When the platform reaches the proper level for being tipped
this chain becoming tightened prevents the front of the platform from
rising higher, but the ram continuing to raise the middle of the platform
causes it to be tilted down towards the front to such inclination as will
discharge the contents of the truck toward the shoot.
As the platform and loaded truck must clear the shoot while they rise
in their horizontal attitude, there is necessarily a gap between the truck
and the shoot when the former is tilted. To prevent the contents of tho
truck from falling through this gap I attach a short piece of moveable
shoot either to the platform or to the fixed shoot, with such connecting
mechanism that the tipping movement causes this moveable piece of
shoot to assume the proper position to pass the contents of the truck
over the gap and on to the main shoot.
When the truck is emptied the ram is lowered by discharging the
water from the cylinder in which it works, the descent of the ram
allowing the platform and empty truck to resume their horizontal
attitude. By this movement the moveable piece of shoot is withdrawn,
so as not to interfere with the further descent of the platform and empty
truck.
The main shoot is so attached to the framing that it can be readily
raised or lowered, or have its inclination varied to suit different circum-
stances in the usual manner, the length of the tipping chain being
adjusted to the height at which the shoot may be set.
Although I have described the apparatus as applied to the discharge
of trucks which open at the end it is to be understood that it can like-
wise be employed for discharging hopper trucks, which open at the
bottom, the contents in this case being allowed to fall upon the platform

page_text: and to be tipped from it into the shoot in the manner explained above.
To economise expenditure of power I prefer to counterbalance the
weights of the moveable parts of the apparatus, or a large proportion of
them, either by counterweights, or by an additional ram or rams acted
on by constant hydraulic pressure in the manner which has been some-
times adapted for that purpose.
Apparatus constructed and operating in the manner described above
may be applied in cases where loaded trucks have to be lowered and the
trucks when emptied have to be raised, the tipping chain being in this
case carried upwards and attached above so as to cause the platform to
be tilted when it has descended the distance required.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan of apparatus
according to my Invention for raising, tipping, and lowering trucks
made to discharge at the ends.
In order the botter to explain the operation of the apparatus I have
shewn in the lower part of Fig. 1 the platform in its lower position and
as it is when it receives the loaded truck, and in the upper part of the
same Figure I have shewn the platform at its higher position, and with
its middle part G in the position it is made to assume for tipping the
truck O, which is indicated by dotted lines; A is the framing and B is
a shoot, the height and inclination of which can be altered in the usual
way; C is a hydraulic cylinder fitted with a ram, on which rests a cross
girder D supporting two side portions E, E, of a platform and two
trunnions F. The middle part G of the platform, which has rails for a
truck to be run on, is carried on two bent girders g, g, which rest on thọ
trunnions F, and has also an under framing h, h, and counterweight H.
An arm I attached to the front end of the platform G is connected by a
chain i to a barrel J, by turning which in either direction the chain i
can be lengthened or shortened as desired. A sliding shoot K, having
on its front part rails resting on rollers k, and guided at the back by
elongated slots running on rollers k¹ mounted on the bent girders 9, 9, is
linked to the framing of the ram head by connecting rods L. The
weight of the platform and truck is partly counterbalanced by weights N
connected to the platform by chains passing over pullies n mounted on
the upper part of the framing A. The platform being down and level

page_text: the truck O is run on to it till it is checked by the bent ends of the
rails. The platform is then raised by admitting water under pressure
into the cylinder C. When it is raised to such a height as to tighten
the chain i, then the farther ascent of the ram causes the middle part G
of the platform turning on the trunnions F to incline down in front, as
shewn. At the same time the shoot K is caused by the links L to run
forward in an inclined position so as to bridge over the gap between the
end of the truck and the shoot B..
In cases where the back edge of the shoot K does not reach up to the
front end of the truck O I bridge over the space between the shoot K.
and the end of the truck by a fixed plate M, which is linked to the bent
girders g, g. The truck being discharged by opening the lower end the
pressure in the cylinder O is relieved, whereupon the platform and truck
descend, the middle part G of the platform is caused by the prepon-
derance of weight behind the trunnions to resume its level attitude, and
the shoot K is by that movement retracted, the whole platform moving
downward clear of the shoot B and resuming its original position ready
to receive another truck. The shoot B can be raised or lowered in the
usual manner to suit the height of the vessel or other receptacle, that is,
to receive the contents of the truck, and the length of the chain i can
be adjusted by means of the chain barrel J so as to cause the tilting part
of the platform G to be tipped at the proper height. The short move-
able shoot Kis here shewn attached to the rising platform, but it may be
connected to the fixed shoot B and be made by self-acting mechanism
to bridge over the gap in a manner similar to that shewn in the
Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be carried out, I would have it understood
that I make no claim to the raising of a truck by hydraulic pressure,
nor to the tipping or tilting of such platform by means of a chain
attached to it and worked by a separate hydraulic cylinder; but
I claim in respect of apparatus for raising, tipping, and lowering
trucks,-
First. Mounting the truck platform on an axis above the level of its
rails and tilting it at any desired level by the tension of a chain fixed at
its lower end and adjustable as to length, such tension being caused by
the continued motion of the lifting ram and without the intervention
of a second ram for that purpose, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Second. Bridging over the gap between the tilted truck and the fixed
shoot by means of a retractile shoot worked automatically by the tilting
of the platform, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Thomson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.