IMPROVEMENTS IN CRANES to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPTER of 5 Westminster Chambers Victoria Street
Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CRANES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has reference particularly to cranes to be used for the con-
struction of piers and breakwaters, but the same may be available for other
purposes. The special object is to facilitate the rapid deposition of stone to
form foundations, or the placing of large concrete blocks as wave-breakers or
otherwise.
Cranes for such purposes are generally of large dimensions and to facilitate the
present description I may indicate leading dimensions, although they may be
varied as circumstances may require, and I do not limit myself to any particular
size.
The crane is by preference to be mounted on wheels, and if the width of the
work should admit of it, I prefer to use a gauge of about 30 feet apart for the
supporting rails. I construct a floor extending the full width of the machine,
mounted on as many wheels as may be required. This floor would have its upper
surface about 3 feet above the level of the rails.
Upon the floor I fix at each side of the machine legs 10 to 15 feet high, and
upon these legs I place cross girders from side to side, and I tie them well together
longitudinally.
On the top of these girders I fix a circular box girder to form a pathway for the
rollers of a live ring made like the live ring of a turn table.
In the centre of these upper girders I fix a post or pillar to form the central
pivot of the machine.
The moving body of the crane is constructed very much as cranes usually are,
and it has fixed to its underside a circular box girder similar to the one before
described, and between these two circular girders is placed the live-ring before
alluded to, so as to distribute the weight as much as possible.
The moving body or superstructure of the crane is fitted with a jib or jibs of
considerable radius, stayed back with ties and braces to a back balance or tail
weight in any convenient manner. I prefer to make these stays so that the radius
and height of the jib can be varied.
The crane is fitted with all necessary gear for winding, lifting, hauling, turning,
travelling, varying the radius of the jib, and some of this machinery may be fixed

page_text: on the superstructure and some on the lower floor as may be most convenient,
and any or all may be worked by a steam engine or other motive power. There
may be one or more capstans fixed on the lower floor or otherwise for hauling
purposes.
In the lower floor of the crane is fixed a small turntable for turning wagons from
one line of rails to another.
On the side of the crane towards the shore there are any number of lines of rails,
but preferably three, all made to converge towards the centre of the turntable; and
on the side next to the water there are in like manner three lines of rails radiating
outwards from the centre of the turntable.
The floor of the crane will be about three feet above the level of the rails on
which the crane travels, and on the landward side there will be a ramp about
60 feet long, constructed of timber and iron. (This ramp can be lifted and moved
by the crane as may be required.)
At the front of the crane (towards the sea) is suspended from the jib-head a
cradle for the reception of the wagons of stone or other material.
The cradle is suspended by four chains, banging clear of the wagon, the two
chains in front being attached to one part of the jib and the two chains behind to
another and lower part of the jib.
By turning the superstructure of the crane this cradle can be brought opposite
to any of the lines of rails communicating with the turntable. In front of each
line of rails is an inclined plane or apron with a pair of diverging guide surfaces
projecting up from it to guide the cradle into position opposite to the line of rails.
and to keep it in this position whilst the waggons are being passed on to it..
Catches or detents for retaining and holding the cradle in place are also
provided.
The modus operandi is as follows:→
The full wagons are brought to the bottom of the ramp. A rope from one of
the capstans is hooked to a wagon which is then hauled up the ramp on to the
floor of the crane, across the turntable, and into the cradle by one continued
movement. As soon as the wagon has fully arrived in the cradle this latter is
released by a self-acting arrangement, and it swings out pendulum fashion for a
distance of 70 or 80 feet.
When the cradle swings forward, the two back chains by which it is suspended
cause the cradle to tip up endwise and bring the wagon to such an angle as to
allow material to slide out from it. The material will then fall at a distance of
100 feet or more from the front of the crane. The cradle with the empty wagon
swings back by the force of gravitation, and owing to the changed position of the
centre of gravity, the cradle strikes smartly against buffers provided on the crane
and a detent falling into place detains the cradle and keeps it attached to the front
of the crane. Partly from the cradle striking the buffers smartly and partly from
the floor of the cradle being slightly inclined towards the land the wagon begins
to roll out of the cradle as soon as this latter has stopped and the wagon proceeds
on to the turntable, where it is detained by a stop.
Also some
When the cradle returns to the crane its speed at the moment of arrival is
almost nil and not only so, but it would not return quite all the way home were
it not for the change of position of centre of gravity above alluded to.
little help for the return journey may arise from the falling stone re-acting against
the floor of the truck if the angle be favorable. Also some impetus may be
given on the outward journey by letting the truck run into the cradle with some
moderate speed.
If by any chance the cradle does not return all the way, it would in any case
return far enough to be secured by the detent, and it could be hauled up the
remainder of the distance by a capstan, a screw or other contrivance. But this
would be a contingency of only occasional occurrence.
The empty wagon having returned to the turntable it is now turned sufficiently
to bring the empty wagon opposite to the road intended for empty wagons, into

page_text: which the wagon is then dragged by a capstan rope or other means. I prefer to
make the rails on the turntable at an angle of 60° to each other so that when one
pair of rails is opposite to the empty road the next pair may be opposite to the
full road and ready to receive another full wagon without further movement of
the table.
The wagon need never stop from the time it ascends the ramp until it is returned
empty to the turntable.
It will be seen that not only are the movements of the wagon rapid, but there is
also no time lost in shackling on suspended chains to the wagons, lifting, travelling
out, stopping, tipping, reversing, travelling back, lowering and unshackling, but
the result now obtained from all these varied movements is by this Invention
obtained by the simple action of gravitation, and it is noteworthy that whilst the
work done is rapid the movements are of the gentleat character at the time of
starting and stopping the cradle and thus there is nothing violent in the action.
The time occupied by the cradle swinging out and returning is 8 to 12 seconds
and the time occupied in running the truck into the cradle need not be many
seconds, and it is clear that by these means a very great speed of working can be
attained.
All the labour may be done by the steam engines including even the turning
of the turntable and the work of the attendants is thus reduced to the sole duty
of hooking on the capstan rope and controlling it so as to bring the trucks to
proper speeds. Thus very few men will suffice for conducting the work.
The stone can be deposited at any desired spot within the range determined as
a maximum by raising or lowering the jib.
By making a wide space at each side between the central legs, and by fitting
the sides with aprons similar to those already described, as to be used on the front
of the crane, the trucks could be turned 90 degrees, and run through the gap
between the legs and so on to a cradle working from the side apron. This
will often be useful for casting out large blocks intended to act as wave breakers.
When using the machinery at the side I prefer that the releasing gear should
not be self acting, because it is desirable that the truck should be brought to an
absolute stop when so, working.
The same crane can also be used for setting large blocks, the derrick chains of
the jib being so proportioned to the load chains that when desired the horizontal
position of the stone may be varied without changing its vertical height.
A large machine of this kind can also be fitted with smaller cranes at any
of its four corners for doing various other work whilst the deposit of stone is
proceeding.

page_text: I RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER of 5 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street,
Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CRANES and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
This invention has reference particularly to cranes to be used for the construction
of piers and breakwaters but the same may be available for other purposes. The
special object is to facilitate the rapid deposition of stone to form foundations 'or
the placing of large concrete blocks as wave breakers or otherwise.
Cranes for such purposes are generally of large dimensions and to facilitate the
present description I may indicate leading dimensions although they may be varied
as circumstances may require and I do not limit myself to any particular size.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn a crane constructed according
to my invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the crane, Figure 2 is a plan view of the upper
floor with the jib removed and Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower floor or
platform at the foot of the crane. Figure 4 is an end view of the machine.
Figure 5 is a side elevation on a larger scale of the cradle of the crane with the
apron in section.
Figure 6 is a plan view of this cradle and Figure 7 is a plan view of the apron
the cradle being removed.
The crane is by preference to be mounted on wheels and if the width of the work
should admit of it I prefer to use a gauge of about 30 feet apart for the supporting
rails.
I construct a floor A extending the full width of the machine mounted on as
many wheels as may be required, This floor would have its upper surface about
3 feet above the level of the rails.
Upon the floor I fix on each side of the machine legs B say from 10 to 15 ft high
and upon these legs I place cross girders C from side to side. On the top of these
girders I fix a circular box girder D to form a pathway for the rollers of a live
ring E made like the live ring of a turn table.
In the centre of these upper girders I fix a post or pillar F
pivot of the moving body of the crane.
to form the central
This moving body of the crane is constructed very much as cranes usually aro
and it has fixed to its underside a circular box girder G similar to the one before
described and between these two circular girders are placed the rollers of the live
ring E so as to distribute the weight as much as possible. Clamp pieces may also
be provided to hold the circular box girder G down to the circular box girder D in.
order to obtain additional steadiness and stability of the machine.
The moving body or superstructure of the crane is fitted with a jib H of
considerable radius stayed back with ties and braces to a back balance or tail
weight in any convenient manner I prefer to make these stays so that the radius
and height of the jib can be varied. In the drawings I have shewn two steam
boilers W and an engine X as being mounted on the tail piece so that they may
form part of the tail weight as is commonly done in other forms of cranes.
The crane is fitted with all necessary gear for winding lifting hauling turning
travelling and varying the radius of the jib. Some of this machinery may be fixed

page_text: on the superstructure and some on the lower floor as may be most convenient and
any or all may be worked by one or more steam engines conveniently placed.
In the drawings I have shewn four winding barrels and each winding barrel
consists of two parts. The front barrel I winds the two front chains J. J. for the
cradle or other load. The next barrel K winds two back chains L. L for the cradle
or other load. The other two barrels M. M are for varying the radius of the jib.
These may be arranged on the compensating principle, described in my patent
specification No 4074 of the year 1880.
I control all these barrels by worin wheels Q mounted thereon Figure 2 and
worms R on the engine shaft N Figures 1. 2. running along the machine. All the
worms are loose on the engine shaft, but any one or all of them may be brought
into gear therewith by means of clutches suitably mounted and controlled. These
worms afford the means of obtaining accurate adjustment of the cradle, and they
also give absolute security against accidental running down of any of the chains, also
no brakes are required, and thus much gear and manipulation are dispensed with.
The engine shaft is continued to the centre of the machine (or further if required)
for the purpose of driving one or more shafts S³ which pass down through the
central crane post F for working the travelling gear of the machine, working
capstans, or for other purposes.
In the lower floor A of the crane Figure 3 is fixed a small turn table Z for
turning wagons from one line of rails to another.
On the side of the crane towards the shore there are any number of lines of
rails P. P. but preferably three all made to converge towards the centre of the turn
table as shewn in Figure 3, and on the side next to the water, there are two
rails O. O. which can be placed in any position to complete communication between
the turntable and the cradle hereafter to be described.
The floor A of the crane will be about 3 feet above the level of the rails on
which the crane travels, and on the land-ward side I prefer to use a ramp or
moveable platform A³ about 60 feet long constructed of timber and iron. This
ramp can be lifted and moved by the crane as may be required, and it may or not
be on wheels as may be found most convenient.
At the front of the crane towards the sea is suspended from the jib head a
cradle B³ for the reception of wagons loaded with stone or other material.
:
This cradle is suspended by 4 steel wire ropes hanging clear of the wagon, the
two ropes in front being attached to the front of the jib, and the two ropes behind
being attached lower down the jib at C, as shown in the Drawing Figure 1.
If chains be used instead of steel wire ropes I prefer to attach springs to the ends
of the axles K and fix the chains to the springs in such manner as to obtain a
little elasticity in the suspensions, so as to relieve the chains from sudden shocks.
The cradle B is intended to vibrate to and fro as shown in Figure 1, for the
purpose of emptying wagons.
To retain the cradle in position a strong frame or apron D' is provided on the
front part of the machine, and a strong rack or ladder E' is mounted on the face
of the apron Figures 5. 7. This apron rests by means of two strong hooks R' on a
bar S fixed on the front of the machine in such manner that the apron may travel
sideways to any desired angle with the centre line of the machine. The front of
the apron is suspended by means of two chains from any convenient part of the
super-structure of the crane and thus when the superstructure is moved round to a
new place the apron will go with it if slight assistance be given by the use of a
crow bar or like implement applied at the hooks R.
The apron may also be furnished with wi: gs or safety bars G' Figure 7 spread
out in such manner as to receive and guide the cradle to its proper place in case it
may have been blown to one side by the wind or otherwise driven out of its true
line.
At the end of the cradle which is next to the crane the ends of the axle K³ may
be fitted with rollers L' in such manner that these rollers will touch the wings
before described for the purpose of guiding the cradle into its true position.

page_text: When the cradle has swung out and deposited its load and swings back again,
a detent F2 Figure 5 fixed on its underside drops into the rack or ladder E' mounted
on the apron D³ above described and thus the cradle is secured.
The rack or ladder E' is mounted on links after the manner of a parallel ruler
and is retained in position by a lever H³ Figure 5. Safety catches or detents for
retaining the cradle in place whilst the wagons are being passed on to it may also
be provided.
The cradle is released by first of all turning back such safety detents by hand
and then moving the lever H2 forward and so releasing the ladder which then falls
on the floor of the apron as shown in dotted lines Figure 5 and clear of the detent
on the cradle The cradle then swings out, and before it returns the ladder E*
is again brought to its right place by the lever M and is secured and locked by the
smaller lever H².
The modus operandi is as follows:-
By turning the superstructure of the crane, the apron, and the cradle, to any
desired angle with the centre line of the machine, the material to be deposited can
be "shot" at any desired place within about 30 degrees of each side of the centre
line of the machine.
The full wagons are brought to the bottom of the ramp A' Figure 1 and a rope
from one of the capstans S is hooked to a wagon which is thus hauled up the ramp
on to the floor of the crane and on to the turntable Z which is then slightly turned
if necessary to suit the position of the cradle D the wagon is then hauled into the
cradle. As soon as the wagon has fully arrived in the cradle it is secured by self
acting catches or detents N° Figure 5 which engage the buffer beam or other part
of the wagon.
As soon as the operator sees that the wagon is quite secure in the cradle he
releases the cradle as before described by moving the handle H³ forward.
The release of the cradle might be made self acting and. consequent upon the
entry of the wagon into the cradle, but it is safe to release the cradle by hand and
there would be no practical saving in time in making it self acting.
When the cradle swings forward the two hindшost chains by which it is
suspended cause the cradle to tip up endwise as shown in Figure 1 and this brings
the wagon to such an angle as to allow the material to slide out of it, and the
material will fall at a distance of 100 ft more or less according to the size of the
machine.
As soon as the cradle bas swung out it of course swings back again pendulum
fashion, and under ordinary circumstances returns nearly all the way home, but
always far enough to be secured by the detent F' falling into one or other of the
rungs of the ladder E' and thus securing the cradle to the crane.
A rope is then hooked on to the front of the wagon and by passing it two or
three times round a revolving capstan S the wagon and cradle are drawn up close
home.
As soon as the cradle is, fully up the detent N° can be made to release the buffer
beam by self acting gear and continued hauling on the rope then drags the wagon
off the cradle and on to the turntable at one operation. The wagon is then
"scotched" and turned by the table to the line of rails provided for empties.
I prefer to make the rails on the turntable at an angle of 60 degrees to each other
so that when one pair of rails is opposite to the empty road the next pair may be
opposite to the full road and ready to receive another full wagon without further
movement of the table.
Or the cradle may be brought fully home by the use of a hydraulic cylinder or a
screw worked by a steam engine or other contrivance.
It will be seen that not only are the movements of the wagons rapid, but there
is also no time lost in shackling on suspending chains to the wagons, lifting,
travelling out, stopping tipping, reversing, travelling back, lowering, and
unshackling but the result previously obtained from all these varied movements
is by this invention obtained by the simple action of gravitation, and it is

page_text: noteworthy that whilst the work done is rapid the movements are of the gentlest
character at the time of starting and stopping the cradle, and thus there is nothing
violent in the action.
The time occupied by the cradle swinging out and returning is 8 to 12 seconds
according to the length of the chains. The time occupied in running the truck
into the cradle need not be many seconds, and it is clear by these means a very
great speed of working can be attained.
All the labor may be done by the steam engines including even the turning of
the turntable and the work of the attendants is thus reduced to the sole duty of
hooking on the capstan rope and controlling it so as to bring the trucks to proper
speeds. Thus very few men will suffice for conducting the work.
The stone can be deposited at any desired spot within the range determined as
a maximum by raising or lowering the jib and adjusting the angle of the apron
and the length of the chains.
The same crane can also be used for setting large blocks, the derrick chains of
the jib being so proportioned to the load chains that when desired the horizontal
position of the stone may be varied without changing its vertical height as
described in Patent No 4074 of 1880.
On the front of the machine immediately under the jib I fix a balcony P³ for a
place of observation, and here may be concentrated as many of the handles for
working the machinery as can be conveniently operated from that spot. And any
or all of such handles can be interlocked with one another after the manner
of signal locking apparatus, so that conflicting operations should be rendered
impossible at the same time. This balcony and the handles therein would be
more particularly useful when the machine is being used for the purposes of an
ordinary crane.
A large machine of this kind can also be fitted with smaller cranes at any of its
four corners for doing various other work whilst the deposit of stone is proceeding.
In practice masons work would have to be going on at the same time as the
emptying of rubble and this could be done by arranging that the throwing out
apparatus should be in use at one side of the breakwater whilst the masons could
be at work at the other side. The masons would thus be quite out of the way of
falling stones or other danger.
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. The construction of cranes with a cradle suspended by two pairs of ropes
or chains from the jib in such manner that the cradle when held up to the foot of
the crane shall be in a horizontal position or approximately so to allow of trucks
being run on to it and in such manner that when released from the foot of the
crane it shall swing forwards and towards the end of its forward swing, tip up
endwise to discharge the contents of the truck substantially as described.
Second. The construction of cranes substantially in the manner herein before
described and illustrated in the drawing annexed for the purpose of manipulating
a swinging cradle with facility.