IMPROVEMENTS IN WAREHOUSE HOISTS OR CRANES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Barker, of the Park Street Iron Works,
Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAREHOUSE HOISTS OR CRANES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Barker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1875.
I, JOHN BARKER, of the Park Street Iron Works, Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WAREHOUSE HOISTS OR CRANES," to be
as follows:-
The principal object of this Invention is to facilitate the hoisting
of cotton bales into warehouses, but it may be applied to other purposes.
My improved hoist or crane consists of a large pulley driven by a
friction pulley, and of a barrel on which the chain or cord is wound as
usual, also of a carriage supporting the guide pulley, which carriage
instead of running on a horizontal beam as usual I support on an inclined
beam to facilitate the running back of the carriage. The large pulley
is held in contact with the friction pulley by a long lever which is raised
and allowed to drop by means of an upright shaft on which is a handle

page_text: and a short lever, to which one end of the cord or chain connecting the
two levers is attached. When the bale has been raised to the proper
height it releases the carriage by coming in contact with the usual
catch. The carriage with the suspended bale then runs up the inclined
beam until the attendant acting on the handle releases the long lever
to take the large pulley out of contact with the friction pulley and in
contact with a fixed break.
When the carriage has to be taken back another pulley is brought
into contact with the friction pulley by acting on the upright shaft
above referred to, and to the axle of this other pulley is fixed a double
scroll around which passes a cord or chain which after passing around
a guide pulley is made fast to the carriage. As the scroll revolves it
causes the carriage to return along the inclined beam, thereby dispensing
with the usual counterweight; the speed of the carriage is gradually
increased and reduced in the traverse.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BARKER, of the Park Street Iron Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Barker, Her special
license that I, the said John Barker, my executors, administrators
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Barker, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WAREHOUSE HOISTS OR CRANES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Barker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument

page_text: in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Barker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
The principal object of this Invention is to facilitate the hoisting of
cotton bales into warehouses, but it may be applied to other purposes.
My improved hoist or crane consists of a large pulley driven by a
friction pulley, and of a barrel on which the chain or cord is wound as
usual, also of a carriage supporting the guide pulley, which carriage
instead of running on a horizontal beam as usual I support on an inclined
beam to facilitate the running back of the carriage. The large pulley
is held in contact with the friction pulley by a long lever which is raised
and allowed to drop by means of an upright shaft on which is a handle
and a short lever, to which one end of the cord or chain connecting the
two levers is attached. When the bale has been raised to the proper
height it releases the carriage by coming in contact with the usual
catch. The carriage with the suspended bale then runs up the inclined
beam until the attendant acting on the handle releases the long lever
to take the large pulley out of contact with the friction pulley and in
contact with a fixed break.
When the carriage has to be taken back another pulley is brought
into contact with the friction pulley by acting on the upright shaft
above referred to, and to the axle of this other pulley is fixed a double
scroll around which passes a cord or chain, which after passing around
a guide pulley is made fast to the carriage. As the scroll revolves it
causes the carriage to return along the inclined beam, thereby dispensing
with the usual counterweight, the speed of the carriage is gradually
increased and reduced in the traverse.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thomon

page_text: Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of my improved warehouse
hoist or crane, which is particularly adapted for hoisting bales of cotton
into warehouses, but which may be applied to other purposes.
The improved hoist or crane consists of the large pulley a which is
driven by the friction pulley 6 keyed on the driving shaft 6, the large
pulley a is keyed on the shaft a¹, one end of which revolves in a bearing
connected to the framing c, and the other end revolves in a bearing
. fixed to the end of the long lever d. To the shaft a' is also fixed the
barrel a for the hoisting cord or chain e; these parts and the carriage f
running on the beam g are made as usual. The beam g instead of being
placed horizontally as now customary, I place in a diagonal position in
order to facilitate the running back of the carriage f after the bale has
been deposited in the warehouse.
The large pulley a is held in contact with the friction pulley 6 by the
long lever d, the end of which is raised and allowed to drop by means
of the chain h, one end of which is connected to the long lever and the
other end to the lever i fixed to the upright shaft at the lower end of
which is the hand lever *, which can be moved horizontally to and fro
to connect or disconnect the large pulley a and friction pulley b, and ver-
tically up and down to slacken or tighten the chain j, the other end of
which is connected to the lever k, the object of which will be explained
hereafter. Upon the driving shaft 6¹ is also fixed the smaller friction
pulley 63, which communicates motion when required to the pulley on
the shaft ', one end of which revolves in a fixed bearing and the other in
a bearing fixed to the lever k.
Above the pulleys a and 7 are placed the fixed breaks a' and ♬, and on
the shaft is fixed the double scroll, or a barrel around which the
cord or chain m is coiled, this cord or chain is taken around the pulley g
supported at the end of the beam g, and then the end is secured to the
carriage f to which is jointed the ordinary catch lever f³.
The mode of operation is as follows, and the Drawing shews the parts
in the positions they occupy when the pulleys a and b are in contact,
and the pulleys 62 and are out of contact, the bale suspended to the
cord or chain e is supposed to be gradually ascending, and when the
washer e¹ comes in contact with the under side of the catch lever ƒ³ it :
releases the carriage which then runs up the inclined beam g until the
bale has advanced sufficiently into the warehouse, the attendant then

page_text: moves the hand lever i horizontally to lower the end of the long lever d,
which then draws the large pulley a out of contact with the driving
pulley 6 and into contact with the break a³, consequently the motion of
the carriage is arrested. On slackening the pulley a from the break the
bale can be lowered on to the floor or on to a truck, and disconnected
from the carriage which is then at liberty to be taken back to the lower
end of the beam g, and this is effected by the attendant depressing the
hand lever through a slot in the bracket supporting the lower end of
the shaft ; the large pulley a is then free from the break and from the
pulley b. The depression of the lever raises the end of the lever k,
which brings the pulley in contact with the friction pulley 6, thereby
giving motion to the shaft and causing the cord or chain m to be coiled
on to the double scroll ³, the carriage f is thus drawn down the inclined
beam with a gradually increasing and diminishing speed. This
arrangement renders the counterweight usually employed to take back
the carriage unnecessary.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the
manner of performing the same, I. wish it to be understood that I do
not intend to limit myself to the details given, as the same may be
varied or modified, and I claim,-
First. The general combination and arrangement of the parts forming
an improved warehouse hoist or crane, as shewn and described.
Secondly. Placing the beam of the carriage in a diagonal instead of
a horizontal position, as shewn and described.
Thirdly. The upright shaft and parts acting in combination there-
with, for stopping and starting the various parts of the hoist or crane,
as shewn and described.
And, lastly. The double scroll
or its equivalent, and cord or chain m
for drawing back the carriage, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Barker have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five.
TATT