Improvements in Excavating and Dredging Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Excavating and Dredging Apparatus.
I ANTHONY GEORGE LYSTER of Coburg Dock, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to excavators and dredgers, more especially for sub-
aqueous work, in which a series of buckets are carried by endless chains or
equivalent devices.
Hitherto motion has been given to the chains or their equivalents and buckets
by power applied to the carrying pulley, tumbler, or equivalent device at or near
the point of suspension of the frame or stretcher carrying the chain and bucket
supporting rollers. In this way great strain has been thrown on the parts owing to
the work being done at the free end of the frame or stretcher at considerable
distance from the point where the power was applied, and excessive wear and tear
has taken place.
Now the object of my invention is to so construct excavators and dredgers that
the power shall be applied where the work is being done, so that less power is
required for a given quantity of work, and wear and tear is reduced.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide the free end of the frame or
stretcher with a suitable enclosed motor preferably actuated by hydraulic pressure and
cause such motor to act directly or by gearing on the pulley, tumbler, or equivalent
device for carrying and imparting motion to the endless chains or their equivalent
and buckets at the free end of the said frame or stretcher, and I also connect the
pulley or its equivalent at or near the point of suspension of the frame or stretcher
with a secondary motor of any suitable construction. In this way the main power
is applied where required to do the excavating work whilst auxiliary power is used
to lift the spoil.
Dated the 17th day of Santamber 1804
J. JOHNSON,
Patent Office, 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool, Agent.
UUMIDELE
Improvements in Excavating and Dredging Apparatus.
I ANTHONY GEORGE LYSTER, of Coburg Dock, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, 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 :-
The invention relates to excavators and dredgers more especially for sub-aqueous
work, in which a series of buckets are carried by endless chains or equivalent
devices.
Hitherto motion has been given to the chains or their equivalents and buckets by
power applied to the carrying pulley, tumbler or equivalent device at or near the
point of suspension or upper end of the frame or stretcher carrying the chain and

page_text: bucket-supporting rollers. In this way great strain has been thrown on the parts
owing to the work being done at the free end of the frame or stretcher at con-
siderable distance from the point where the power was applied, and excessive wear
and tear has taken place.
Now the object of my invention is to so construct excavators and dredgers, that
the power shall be applied where the work is being done, so that less power is
required for a given quantity of work, and wear and tear is reduced.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide the lower or freely suspended
end of the frame or stretcher with a suitable enclosed motor preferably actuated
by hydraulic pressure and cause such motor to act directly or by gearing on the
pulley tumbler or equivalent device for carrying and imparting motion to the endless
chains or their equivalent and buckets at the lower or freely suspended end of the
said frame or stretcher, and I also connect the pulley or its equivalent at or near
the point of suspension or support at the upper end of the frame or stretcher with
a secondary motor of any suitable construction. In this way the main power is
applied where required to do the excavating work whilst auxiliary power is used
to lift the spoil.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views at right angles to each other of the lower end of
the excavating frame or stretcher.
9.
a indicates in outline the dredging barge or vessel. 6 is the excavator-frame or
stretcher carried at its upper end by standards c on the barge or vessel in any usual
way. d is a hydraulic or other motor for raising and lowering the freely suspended
end of the frame or stretcher b, by the suspension chain or carrier e in the usual
way. f, are the usual endless chains and buckets carried by pulleys or tumblers g, g',
at each end of the frame or stretcher b. The upper pulley or tumbler is driven
by a motor in any ordinary or desired way, but of much smaller power than usual.
The lower pulley or tumbler g' is provided with gear wheels / which take into
pinious on a shaft carried in bearings k on the frame or stretcher b. On the
shaft j is a gear wheel which takes into pinions m, m³, on crank shafts n, n', carried
in bearings o, on the frame or stretcher b. Each crank-shaft is driven by a pair of
single acting hydraulic cylinders p, p². q, q' pipes for conveying power to the
cylinders from the barge or vessel. The gearing and cylinders are enclosed within
the frame so as to be protected from injury.
It will be obvious that the motors for operating the pulley or tumbler g' may
be constructed and coupled thereto in many ways without departing from my
invention.
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. In endless chain and bucket excavators and dredgers, the combination of
a motor with the lower pulley or tumbler of the frame or stretcher for the purpose
set forth.
Second. In endless chain and bucket excavators and dredgers a motor coupled to
the lower pulley or tumbler of frame or stretcher in combination with a motor
coupled to the upper pulley or tumbler of the said frame or stretcher for the
purpose set forth."
Third. The improvements in excavating and dredging apparatus substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 15th 1.
T '
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