IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXCAVATING MACHINERY" communicated to him from abroad by Paul
Jacquelin and Victor Chèvre both of Paris France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th December 1882.
"
JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINERY [communicated to
him from abroad by Paul Jacquelin and Victor Chèvre both of Paris France]
This invention relates to machinery for excavating cuttings such as those for
railways and canals. On a base mounted on wheels or rollers so that it can be
advanced along rails or the ground are placed a steam boiler and engine for
driving the excavating machinery which is mounted on the base and is arranged in
the following manner. On the front part of the base is a turntable carrying an
upright revolving frame which has an upper bearing in a fixed framing carried on
the base. On the front part of the revolving frame are mounted a series of chain
wheels round which passes a chain of excavating or dredging buckets. The
direction taken by these buckets as guided by the chain wheels is from the bottom
where they begin to dig into the bank in front, up and along a slope projecting
forwards, then from the top where they leave the slope charged with excavated
material, back in a nearly horizontal direction to a point where they are turned
over to discharge themselves, then again forwards and downwards to the bottom;
and so on continuously, motion being given to the chains by one of the chain
wheels driven from the engine. In the front ascending part of their course the
chains pass over rollers mounted on strong springs so that the buckets can yield
backwards if they should meet with a serious obstruction. While the buckets are
thus moving and excavating, the whole revolving frame which carries them is
made by means of a small engine with suitable reversing gear to turn partly round
its axis and back again through a sufficient angle to deal with the width of the
cutting. The turning over of each bucket at the point of discharge is effected by a
horn on it encountering a fixed guide which cants the bucket, and after passing
ID 31

page_text: this, the bucket is turned back to its proper attitude by the pull of a chain. The
excavated material is discharged into shallow buckets of a second endless chain
which travels backwards, carrying the material to the hinder part of the machine
at a high level where it is discharged into shoots that conduct it into trucks below.
This second chain of buckets is mounted on the upper part of the revolving
framing in such a position that the bucket which at any time is receiving the
material from the dredging bucket is that which is passing over the axis of the
revolving frame, so that, however the frame, turns, the material discharged always
descends by gravity into a receiving bucket. Also the chain of the receiving buckets
can be turned round the axis of the revolving frame so that these can deliver the
material into shoots at either side to be received in trucks behind the machine.
For widening a cutting already made or cutting the face of an exposed slope the
machine is simplified by dispensing with the revolving frame and gradually
advancing the base and the whole machine as the buckets cut the slope at the side
of the track on which the base travels. In this case the chain of receiving buckets
is also dispensed with, the dredging buckets delivering directly into a shoot which
conducts the material into trucks at the side of the machine farthest from that on
which the cutting is effected..

page_text: passing round the pullies G H I carried by the frame B¹; E' is an endless chain'
with trays into which the excavated material is discharged from the bucket N¹¹
through the hopper 7. N is the driving shaft imparting motion to the driving
drum D of the chain buckets, and to the endless chain E. F is a double shoot
through which the material from the trays E is delivered either to the right or the
left, enabling two trucks to be loaded at a time.
'
7.11
connected
The steel
The framing A which is constructed of trough shaped and irons, is carried
by three pairs of wheels, the axles of which run in axle. boxes either fixed directly
on the framing or connected thereto by springs. The vertical shaft B is carried at
bottom in a socket m¹ on the framing and at top by a bracket fixed to the
beams bb fixed to the framing. The shaft B is fixed by keys to the frame B¹
resting upon rollers cc arranged in a circle on the framing. To cheeks ff on the
frame B¹ is fixed the support Z for the chain buckets; the frame has at bottom a
toothed ring B with which gears a pinion d actuated by the worm wheel e and
worm g. This is driven either by the gearing g h or ij which, by means of the
pulliés klm, effect its rotation either to the right or to the left, according to the
position of the driving straps. The parts h h of the support Z are firmly bolted to
the cheeks ff of the frame B¹. The support carries the guide pullies G HI and
the driving drum D'for the chain buckets, the latter being kept stretched by means
of springs K' K¹ K' secured to the support by links, and bolts o q and carrying
guide rollers against which the chain buckets run; the rollers are connected
to the springs by castings S, shewn in Fig. 2, Sheet I, which are
together by a bar Lon which run rollers G₁ carried by the buckets.
bar L is connected at its lower ends by an eye to the axis o¹ of the pulley G and
is secured by bolts a between cheeks M' of the castings S; its upper end is slotted
and is secured by a bolt d to the support. Each bucket N is composed of an
angular iron frame m¹¹ m111 having at the angle two sockets I I, through which
passes a steel bolt A¹ by means of which the bottom plate of the bucket is pivotted
to the links of the endless chain, the bolt serving at the same time, as the con-
nection of the links. The bottom plate of the bucket swings loose on the bolt A¹
and can assume the positions ✗X X Fig. 5: On the said plate is a projecting
finger Y.by means of which it is caused to turn so as to discharge the contents of
the bucket. The bottom of the bucket has a hole through which passes a small
chain V by means of which it is brought back into its original position when the
contents are discharged. Fig. 5 shews the manner in which the bottom of the
bucket is made to turn over when the finger Y comes in contact with the stop Y¹.
The bucket has at T and T two cross bars, of which the first serves to guide the
small chain V, while the second serves as abutment for the discharge of the bucket
in passing over the pulley I. The bucket also carries two stops UU" which come
consecutively in contact with a projecting pin u of the endless chain, and serve to
maintain the bucket in its different positions.
The machine operates as follows:-The drum D¹ being rotated by the engine
causes the chain buckets to travel round the pullies G, H, I; in passing round G
each bucket begins to scoop away the material from the face of the working, as
shewn at Fig. 1, and when it arrives charged at the pulley H, it is guided round
the same by the guard plate V, so as to assume the position a', resting with its
stop U¹ on the chain. In this position it passes to the pulley I; where the stop U
comes in contact with the latter, so that by the continued motion of the chain
the bucket is raised and has its contents discharged, assuming during this time
the positions shewn at Fig. 5. During these movements the projection Y comes
in contact with the stop Y¹, thus causing the hinged bottom plate to turn over
and to push the material out of the bucket, after which it is drawn back again
by the chain as described. The bucket then passes round the drum D and down
to the pulley G again:
It will be evident that instead of causing the hinged bottom plate to turn
relatively to the bucket, the former 'imight be fixed relatively to the chain, and 'the
hukatha mindata tran
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page_text: The material discharged from the buckets falls into the hopper Z¹, from which
it passes into the trays of the endless travelling chain E¹ which convey it to the
shoots F and thence into the trucks.
f
From the above described construction of the buckets and the mode of
f actuating,
the same, it will be seen that even the most liquid materials will be retained
therein until they are discharged into the hopper. In order to prevent any of the
material from falling on to the stop Y¹, two sheet metal plates R are provided,
which are connected to the links of the chain and serve as guides to direct any
escaping material into, the hopper Z¹. The movement of the drum D, and
consequently of the chain buckets, which is effected by means of a pitch chain
driving the wheels f¹, is independent of the movement of the pivot B, and can
take place, no matter what be the position of the frame B', the discharge into the
hopper being in all positions vertically over the pivot..
The alternate lateral to and fro motion of the frame and chain buckets is
effected automatically by means of a fork R¹ which shifts the driving belt and
which is actuated at the end of each motion of the frame from the point L to the
point L' by means of a rod t¹ lifting a counterweight that acts on the fork R'
after it has passed the vertical line, causing the fork to shift the strap from the
pulley to the pulley m. The shaft of the former drives a pinion i which drives
the wheel by means of a pitch chain; the shaft of is hollow and drives a
pinion g gearing directly with the wheel h, so that by these two arrangements
of driving gear the worm gl is rotated alternately in contrary directions and
imparts the necessary to and fro motion to the frame B₁ by the gearing B",
d and e
In the arrangement for excavating in a direction along the face of the working
the endless chain with trays for transporting the material to the shoot is dispensed
with, as is also the workman required for distributing the material at that point
and the mechanism for imparting the before described to and fro motion to the
frame and chain buckets. In this case a shoot L shewn in dotted lines at Fig. 4
Sheet II is necessary to convey the material into trucks running on a line of rails
parallel with those of the excavating machine. With the addition of a screen, the
apparatus may be made to separate the stones from the soil.
In the arrangement of the excavating machine for working along the face shewn
at Figs. 1 and 2 Sheet III, the motion is imparted by means of toothed gearing
directly to the drum D which works the endless chain buckets, as in the former
case. The frame B is, in this case, fixed rigidly to the travelling carriage. The
engine M which moves the machine along the rails, drives the one wheel axle
directly by means of a worm and worm wheel as in the former arrangement.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim-
First. The construction of excavating machines combined and arranged as herein
described with reference to Sheets I and II of the Drawings.
Second. The construction of excavating machines combined and arranged as
herein described with reference to Sheet III of the Drawings.
Third. Constructing buckets of excavating machines with a hinged bottom lying
in a direction parallel with the endless chain during its action on the face of the
working, but which is made to move forward into the bucket when this turns
over, so as to insure the discharge of the whole contents thereof, substantially as
herein described.
Fourth. The herein described elastic bearing surface for the buckets on which
these travel while at work, whereby they are enabled to yield sufficiently in coming
in contact with obstacles to prevent injury thereby.
Fifth. The herein described method of imparting an automatic rotary reciprocating
motion to the frame carrying the chain buckets, while these are at work.
Sixth. The herein described arrangement whereby the chain buckets are made

page_text: to discharge into a hopper vertically over the pivot of their frame, so that they
will always deliver correctly at whatever angle the frame is situated.
Seventh. The use in combination with excavating machines of a double shoot
with regulating slide for discharging the material in the one direction or the other
into trucks situated on each side of the machine.
->
In Witness whereof the said John Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twelfth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-three.