CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGHING CRANES OR OTHER SIMILAR ELEVATING MACHINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fletcher, of Salford, in the County of Lan-
caster, Ironfounder, and William Fletcher, of the same Place, Millwright,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
WEIGHING CRANES OR OTHER SIMILAR ELEVATING MACHINES."
Sealed the 20th February 1857, and dated the 30th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fletcher and
William Fletcher at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 30th August 1856.
We, JOHN FLETCHER, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Ironfounder,
and WILLIAM FLETCHER, of the same Place, Millwright, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF WEIGHING CRANES OR OTHER SIMILAR ELEVATING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to further improvements in and an extension of
certain Letters Patent previously granted to us for certain improvements
in the construction of weighing cranes," &c., and bearing date February 6th
1856.
These present improvements consist, first, in altering the situation of the
fulcrum of the weighing beam (when applied to weighing, cranes or other
similar elevating machines) to any convenient position, which may be either
near the short end of the lever and beyond the chain pulley or at the opposite

page_text: end of such lever, so as to form either a lever of the second or third order, as
circumstances may require.
And, secondly, in a novel arrangement of self-adjusting apparatus for
equalizing or counterbalancing the extra weight of chain, &c. upon the weigh
beam, in order that goods may be weighed at any point during the process of
raising them. This is effected by means of an adjustable weight upon the
weigh beam, which is caused to traverse along the weigh beam as the weight
of the chain increases or decreases, according to the raising or lowering of the
weight to be weighed; this may either be accomplished by means of a screw
band and pulley, or any other mechanical equivalent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fletcher and William Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
FLETCHER, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Ironfounder, and WILLIAM
FLETCHER, of the same Place, Millwright, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the 'year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Fletcher and William Fletcher, Her especial licence that we, the said
John Fletcher and William Fletcher, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
our such others as we, the said John Fletcher and William Fletcher, our
executors, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
WEIGHING CRANES OR OTHER SIMILAR ELEVATING MACHINES," upon the condition,
amongst others, that we, the said John Fletcher and William Fletcher,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fletcher do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to further improvements in and an extension of the
Invention for which certain Letters Patent have been previously granted
to us for certain improvements in the construction of weighing cranes or
other similar elevating machines, bearing date February Sixth, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six."
These present improvements consist, first, in altering the situation of the
fulcrum of the weighing beam (when applied to weighing cranes or other
elevating machines) to any convenient position, which may be either near the
short end of the lever and beyond the chain pulley or at the opposite end, so as
to form a lever of the second or third order, as circumstances may require.
And, secondly, in a novel arrangement of self-adjusting apparatus for
equalizing or counterbalancing the extra weight of chain, &c. upon the beam,
in order that goods may be weighed at any point during the process of raising
them. This is effected by means of an adjustable weight upon the weigh beam,
which is caused to traverse along the weigh beam as the weight of the winding
chain, &c. increases or decreases, according to the raising or lowering of
the weight to be weighed; this may either be accomplished by means of a
screw band or chain and pulley, or any mechanical equivalent.
In order that our Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about one inch and a quarter to the foot, and having similar letters of
reference marked upon corresponding parts of the mechanism in all the
Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary lifting crane, having our present or
extended improvements attached, the same principle of construction of the
crane being maintained, as shewn in the Drawings, and described in the
Specification of Letters Patent herein-before referred to. This Figure shews
the endless gear chain or band and pulleys for causing the weight to traverse
along the beam to counterbalance the weight of extra chain; also the improved
method of suspending the weight from the weigh beam, by means of the
connecting links carrying the pulley over which the chain passes instead
of placing the pulley upon the beam. By the improved arrangement the whole
weight of the goods is concentrated upon the V bearing point instead of upon
the whole surface of the pulley. A more approved method of deducing
the weight from the weigh beam to the small steelyard is also shewn to

page_text: be used for this purpose, instead of the sliding apparatus mentioned and
described in my previous Specification. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;
and Fig. 3 is a detached view of the end of the beam bearing the fulcrum
and pulley, shewing the formation and arrangement of lever having the fulcrum
at the end.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the weigh beam, at one extremity of which, near the
fulcrum, is placed a pulley b; and at any suitable distance near the opposite
end of the beam is fixed the pulley c; the endless chain or band d passes round
these pulleys or gear wheels carrying the weight e along the weigh beam,
according to the length of chain between the pulley and the goods upon such
chain. is a small endless band or chain, passing round the pulley
or wheel
b and the pulley b, to which it imparts motion. The links 9, 9, are for the
purpose of connecting the chain pulley to the beam, which is furnished with a
V bearing, which receives the weight of the goods, so that the weight may be
balanced between the V bearing and the fulcrum of the lever, whereby a
better and more perfect balance is obtained. The rod h is attached to the long
end of the lever and to the connecting link i, which, by being raised or lowered
by the handle k, connects or disconnects the weigh beam, transferring the
weight from the weigh beam to the small steelyard when in work, the whole
weight of the rod, &c. being counterbalanced by the weight when not in use.
The compensating or counterbalancing action of the weight e will be more
readily understood upon reference to the Drawing and the following working
description thereof:-When a weight is raised the chain turns the chain
pulley, which is recessed for the links of the chain, to prevent it slipping, and
consequently the carrier pulley b' attached thereto; this causes the small
endless band f to turn the pulley b and drive the band d carrying the weight e,
which, as the chain decreases, the weight and length becomes moved nearer
to the fulcrum, and farther from the fulcrum as the length and weight of the
chain increases.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same may be performed, we wish it to be
distinctly understood that we claim,-
First, the novel application and use of the traversing rope, chain, or band,
and weight, for the purpose of compensating for or counterbalancing the weight
of chain, rope, &c. used for raising and lowering goods.
Secondly, in the use and employment of a link or links between the chain
pulley and the beam, for the purpose of obtaining a better defined point
of suspension upon the weigh beam.
And, lastly, we claim the general arrangement and construction of the

page_text: apparatus as herein-before particularly described, set forth, and exhibited in
the Drawings attached, constituting our improvements in the construction of
weighing cranes or other similar elevating machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fletcher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN FLETCHER. (L.S.)