Improved Means and Apparatus for Transporting Bodies in Horizontal or Inclined Directions.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
[Communicated from abroad by MAX ZAHN, of Artern, Thuringia, Germany,
Director of Works.]
Improved Means and Apparatus for Transporting Bodies in
Horizontal or Inclined Directions.
1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, 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 improvements in the means and apparatus for trans-
porting objects described in the Specification to Letters Patent No. 1949 of 1893;
as in the said invention, the present improved means are based upon the law of
inertia according to which a body set in motion by any force has a tendency to
continue in motion after the force has ceased to act thereon.
I will describe the improved means with reference to the accompanying drawing,
which shews one arrangement of apparatus for carrying the same into effect; it is
however to be understood that other arrangements may be adopted, and that this
only serves as an example.
The object to be transported is situated in a trough or tube R, into one end of
which it is introduced; to this trough or tube is fixed a bracket or stop A. to
which is pivotted a rod that is actuated by a rotating crank K. This rod consists
of a tubular part S¹ and a rod S2 pivotted at one end to the bracket A and passing
with the other end into the tube S', where it has a disc a between which and the
back end of the tube is a helical spring F' while another spring F2 is introduced
between it and the front end of the tube.
Below the transporting trough is situated a fixed spring buffer P, so arranged
that the bracket A will strike against it just before the crank K assumes the
position shewn in the drawing.
The transporting action is as follows: The crank K being rotated in the direction
of the arrow, the rod S¹ S³ will push the trough R forward until the bracket A
strikes against the buffer. The springs F1 F2 are so strong that they are not
materially acted upon by this motion.
At the moment when A strikes against the buffer, the trough suddenly remains
stationary. The object lying loose upon the same, having previously attained a
certain momentum by the motion of the trough, will continue to move forward
upon the trough with a proportionate speed, by virtue of its inertia, and it is
thus transported along the trough in the required direction.
At the same time the crank continues its rotation.
In order to enable the crank to pass over the dead centre, the spring F¹ will
have to be somewhat compressed; the trough R will at the same time be pushed
back somewhat by the spring action of the buffer, whereby the action of the
apparatus will be still somewhat increased. The crank now commences its backward
stroke, whereby the spring F will be moderately compressed as the rod S¹S' draws
the trough R slowly backwards between suitable guides.
After passing the opposite dead centre, the crank then again moves the trough
forward, and the above described action is repeated.
Thus it will be seen that the above described mode of action differs from that
described in the before mentioned Specification No. 1949 of 1893 in that the
transporting action is produced by the sudden stopping of the transporting medium
in its motion in the direction of transport, or in the sudden reversal of such motion,
instead of by a difference of speed between the forward and backward motions.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In transporting objects by means such as are described in the Specification
No. 1949 of 1893, arranging the apparatus in such manner that the transporting
medium, while moving forward in the direction of transport, is suddenly stopped or
is suddenly moved in the contrary direction.
2. Apparatus for effecting the transport of objects in the manner set forth in
the first claim, consisting of a trough, tube, or other transporting medium, such
as R, which is moved forward and is then suddenly stopped, so as to cause the
objects upon it to continue to move forward thereon by their momentum of inertia,
the said action of the trough being produced by a crank and a connecting rod
which is composed of a tubular part and a rod passing into the same and connected
thereto by two springs F1 F2, while the sudden stopping of the trough is effected
by causing a bracket or stop A thereon to come in contact with a buffer P before
completing its forward motion, substantially as described.
Dated this 90th day of July 1893
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.