Improvements in Apparatus for Dredging and Excavating.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Dredging and Excavating.
J JOHN WATTS of 18 Sandy Lane Western Point near Runcorn in the County
of Chester Engine Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of dredge or excavator which consists of two
buckets provided with teeth or prongs which are hinged together on an axle and are
so arranged that they can descend open onto the bed of a river or onto the material
to be dredged or excavated and as they are drawn up they first close together and
lift the load, and can be again opened to deposit the load into a barge or truck for
removal.
The buckets are hinged to a beam which also carries buckets supporting a rod in
the centre of which are mounted, so as to revolve, two grooved pulleys.
To the top of each bucket are hinged two links, and the other ends of the links
are hinged together by a short cross bar to the centre of which (above) a winding
chain is fixed.
To the centre of the same cross bar (below) two short chains are also attached,
which pass round the grooved pulleys and are then brought up and attached
together by means of a shackle to which a second winding chain is connected.
The bucket is lowered by the chain attached to the short cross bar (the other
chain being slack and the bucket being opened with its pronged or toothed side
downwards) onto the river bed or other material to be dredged or excavated.
The chain attached to the cross bar is then slackened and the lifting chain
attached to the beam is then hauled up, the first effect of which is to close the
toothed or pronged edges of the buckets together so as to enclose a load of sand
soil or other material which is then hauled up by the crane or jib, and brought over
the barge, truck or other place where it is to be discharged and upon then
throwing the pull upon the other chain the buckets open and the load is dumped or
discharged.
cross al
As a modification I sometimes employ only one hauling chain in which case the
is provided with a plate capable of rising and falling a short distance
To this plate is attached a weighted hook which catches into a ring on the hauling
chain and supports the buckets.
thereon.
When the bucket comes onto the river bed or earth to be dredged or
excavated the chain becomes slack and allows the weighted hook to fall back out of
the ring.
On hauling the chain the two short chains attached to the beam come into action
and close the bucket first and then lift it up with its load.
The hauling is continued until the cross bar and plate are drawn into the knee-
hooks at the end of the jib, which then close beueath it and on slackening the
hauling chain the knee hooks support the buckets and open them so as to discharge
the load. The weighted hook then falls into the ring and the dresser is then ready
when the knee hooks are opened to descend for another load.
Dated this 7th day of November 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Dredging and Excavating.
1 JOHN WATTS of 18 Sandy Lane Western Point, near Runcorn in the County
of Lancaster, Engine Driver, 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 that class of dredger or excavator which consists of two
buckets, provided with teeth or prongs, which are hinged together on an axle and
are so arranged that they can descend open onto the bed of a river or onto the soil
or other material to be dredged or excavated, and as they are drawn up they first
come together so as to enclose the load, and then lift the same, and can be again
opened to deposit the load into a barge or truck for removal.
The nature of my said improvements and the manner in which the same are to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the two sheets of illustrative drawings hereunto annexed and the following
explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawings is a front elevation (partly in section) of a pair of my
improved dredger buckets and their appliances. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same
with the buckets open and Fig. 3 is a similar view with the buckets closed. Fig. 4 is
a similar view to Fig. 3 shewing a modified form thereof; and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8,
9 and 10 are further modifications and detached views hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
a a are the two buckets which are hinged to a beam 6 which also carries
brackets c and end plates c¹ supporting a rod or axle d in the centre of which are
mounted (so as to revolve) two grooved pulleys e.
To the top of each bucket are hinged two links fand f, and the upper ends of
these links are hinged together by a short cross-bar g, to the centre of which, above,
a winding chain h is fixed.
To the centre of the same cross-bar g, below, two short chains and i* are
attached which pass round the grooved pulleys e and are then brought up and
attached together by means of a shackle (see Fig. 1) to which a second winding
chain is connected.
The buckets a and a¹ are lowered together by the chain h attached to the cross-
bar g (the other chain being slack, and the buckets being open, as shown at Fig. 2
with their pronged or toothed side downwards) onto the river bed or the soil or
other material to be dredged or excavated.
The chain attached to the cross bar g is then slackened, and the lifting chain l
attached by the chains i and ix to the beam b is then hauled upon, the first effect of
which is to close the toothed or pronged edges of the buckets a and a' together
(see Fig. 3) so as to enclose a load of sand, soil, or other material which is then
hauled up by the crane or jib, and brought over the barge truck or other place
where it is, to be discharged, and upon then throwing the "pull" upon the other
chain the buckets open and the load is "dumped or discharged.
"
As a modification I sometimes employ one hauling chain only (see Figs. 4 and 5)
in which case the cross-bar g is shorter and is provided with a loose plate m (see
also detached view Fig. 6) which plate is capable of rising and falling a short
distance on the central stud of the cross bar which is squared and passes through
the squared hole g* in the plate m (see Fig. 6) so that it cannot turn round.
To the plate m is attached a weighted hook n which catches into the ring or
triangular link o which connects the hauling chain to the chains i and ix and
supports the buckets.
When the buckets arrive at and rest on the river bed or earth to be dredged or
excavated, the chain becomes slack and allows the weighted hook n to fall back
out of the link o into the position shown on Fig. 5.

page_text: On hauling the chain the two short chains i and i* attached to the beam b
come into action and close the buckets first, and then lift them up with their
load.
The hauling is continued until the cross bar g and plate m are drawn into the
knee hooks (Fig. 4) hung from suitable brackets p' attached to the end of the
jib, which then close beneath it, as shown, and on slackening the hauling chain l
the knee hooks p (see also Figs. 6 & 7) support the buckets a and a' and cause them
to open so as to discharge the load.
The weighted hook n then falls into the link o and the dredger is then ready,
when the knee hooks p are opened, to descend for another load.
The opening of the knee hooks p may be effected by bending the knuckle joint q
at the top or in any other convenient manner.
In the modification illustrated by Figs. 8, 9 and 10, I empley only one grooved
chain pulley e on the axle d to which pulley the end of the chain is fixed and the
chain is coiled round the pulley. The pulley e has fixed or formed on each side a
drum ex.
The opening chain i is fixed at each end to the cross bar 9 and its centre is passed
through a hole in the pulley e (or two chains might be used one attached to each
drum) and the consequence is that when the chain is hauled on, it causes the
pulley e to revolve and the drums e* revolving with it will wind up the chain i
lifting the beam 6 and thus closing the buckets. When the chain on the contrary
is slackened the reverse action takes place and the buckets are opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The general construction and arrangement of the dredging or excavating buckets
and their appliances substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 5th day of August 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.