IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS FOR CUTTING TRENCHES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN FREDRICK SANG of 65 Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Architect and Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS FOR CUTTING TRENCHES " to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the Excavator for which Letters
Patent were granted to me bearing date the 5th of June A.D. 1880 No 2284 and
consists of a peculiar combination or arrangement of parts whereby the action of
the machine is rendered more efficient and certain and facility is afforded for readily
adapting the same for transport by suitably folding or adjusting certain of the
parts into a small compass. According to my present invention I dispense with
the central supporting and driving wheel or wheels and drive the endless chains or
band carrying troughs retaining shelves or buckets which with the main adjustable
trough constitutes the elevator for raising and delivering the earth excavated by
the ploughs from a driving shaft situate at the rear end of the main framing and
driven by any suitable driving gear direct from the rear supporting and driving
wheel or wheels of the machine. On this shaft there is mounted a chain wheel or.
pulley round which passes a pitch chain or band for driving a corresponding wheel
or pulley on the axle of the lower driving pulley of the elevator. The main
driving wheel or pulley is connected with this driving shaft by any well known
coupling or clutch arrangement so that when the machine is travelling over the
surface of the ground or along a road for the purpose of transport the elevator gear
can be readily thrown out of action and brought into action again when the machine
is at work. The entire elevator pivots at its lower end on the axle of the lower
driving pulley or pulleys and is maintained at any desired height or vertical angle
by prope or supports provided with one or more projections at different heights and
hinged to the main framing so as to be capable of being folded down out of the
way when the machine is arranged for transport. The inclined shoots into which
the earth raised by the elevator is discharged are so connected with the upper end
of the elevator trough as to be capable of discharging or delivering the earth to
either or both sides of the Excavator as it is drawn along and of being folded up
and packed into a small compass when the machine is adjusted for transport. Cutters
and mould boards or ploughs of any convenient shape are secured to the fore
part of the main framing for cutting and directing the earth as fast as it is cut
into a receptacle in which the lower end of the elevator works. Immediately in

page_text: front of the said ploughs work two or more revolving disc cutters mounted on an
axle of their own carried in bearings in the main framing for the purpose of cutting
the earth vertically to the required depth just before it is acted upon by the plough
or ploughs. The depth of cut is regulated by a combined regulating and guiding
wheel or roller situate at the extreme front end of the main framing and capable
of vertical adjustment as well as of swivelling. By suitably raising or lowering
the said wheel and fixing it at any height the machine may be set to take any
desired depth of cut and by sufficiently lowering the guide wheel the cutters can
be lifted out of action the swivelling front wheel or roller being then used as a
steering wheel for guiding the machine when travelling. The machine may be
hauled by animal or steam power and the essential parts may be duplicated and
disposed both in front and rear in order to admit of its working or travelling in
either direction without the necessity for turning.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN FREDRICK SANG of 65 Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Architect and Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATORS FOR CUTTING TRENCHES" 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 improvements in the Excavator described in the
specification to Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 5th of June A.D. 1880
No 2284 and consists of certain modifications thereof and additions thereto whereby
its action is improved and facility is afforded for throwing the Elevator out of
action and for readily folding the same along with the side delivery shoots so as to
occupy a smaller space and render the machine more convenient for transport.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed represents a side elevation of the
Excavator with my present improvements applied thereto and as adjusted for
work.
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the rear end of the improved Excavator corresponding
to figure 1 and showing more clearly the positions of the adjustable side delivery
shoots as adjusted for action.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the improved Excavator as packed or folded for
transport.
Figure 5 is a rear end elevation corresponding to figure 4 and showing the
folded position of the side delivery shoots in edge view.
Figure 6 is a detail side elevation (looking on the opposite side to that shown in
Figure 1) of the arrangement for driving the elevator and the disengaging clutch
connected therewith.
Figure 7 is a plan of the same and
Figure 8 is a detail vertical section of the lower portion of the Elevator showing
the receptacle for receiving the earth from the Mould board of the plough.
According to my present invention I drive the elevator from the axle A of the
rear supporting roller or wheels B bearing the greater portion of the weight of the
machine and therefore less liable to slip in lieu of from the axle of an intermediate
supporting roller or pair of wheels (which I now dispense with) situate near the
middle of the framing of the Excavator or between the front guiding and rear
supporting wheels as shown in my said former specification.
The power may either be taken directly from the axle A or from a second motion
shaft C in gear therewith as shown in my drawings. On the said shaft O there is
mounted a chain wheel or pulley D round which passes an endless pitch chain or
band E for driving a corresponding chain wheel or pulley F, fast on the axle G of
the lower or actuating pulley or barrel H (figure 8) of the endless series of buckets
or troughs I of the Elevator which pass round a carrier drum or pulley H' (figure 1)
at the upper end of the elevator frame. The main driving chain wheel or pulley D
is fast on its shaft C but the spur wheel D¹ is loose on the said shaft and gears

page_text: with the wheel D₁ fast on the axle A of the rear supporting roller or wheel B.
The spur wheel D¹ is coupled with the shaft O or uncoupled therefrom as required
by any well known coupling or clutch arrangement K (see figures 6 and 7) so that
when the machine is travelling over the surface of the ground or along a road for
the purpose of transport the Elevator gear can be readily thrown out of action and
brought into action again when the machine is required for actual work. The
elevator frame L is free to turn or pivot at its lower end round the axle or shaft G
so as to be readily adjustable to different elevations or vertical angles as indicated
by the large dotted arc in figure 1 and provision is further made for maintaining it
fixed at any desired elevation by the employment of special props or adjustable
supports M hinged at N to the main framing O and capable of being readily raised
when required to support the elevator frame L as shown in figure 1 and of being
also turned down out of the way to admit of the elevator with its side delivery
shoots P being lowered or folded down inside or upon the main framing of the
Excavator when the machine is to be adjusted for transport (as shown in figure 4).
The said props or supports M may be provided with two or more notches or
projections at different heights so as to support the Elevator frame at any desired
angle or elevation or they may be made so as to be adjustable to any desired length.
The inclined side delivery shoots P into which the earth raised by the elevator is
first discharged are provided with moveable bolts or catches Q for fixing them in
their adjusted position as hereinafter described for discharging the earth at any
desired elevation on either side of the trench or on both sides simultaneously, either
direct onto the ground or onto delivery bands such as are described in my
specification No 2622 A.D. 1883 or into or onto other appliances for removing or
transporting the soil. These two shoots moreover besides being hinged together
at R are so connected or jointed to the elevator frame by links S S as to be
capable of being folded together back to back and packed between two fixed
uprights T when the Elevator is lowered or adjusted for transport as shown in
Figures 4 and 5.
Two or more rotary disc shaped cutters U and plough V with mould board of
suitable shape are mounted in the fore part of the main framing O and serve to
cut, and direct the earth as fast as it is cut, into a receptacle W formed in the
lower part of the adjustable frame L of the Elevator through which receptacle the
endless series of buckets or troughs I of the Elevator work; but according to my
present invention in lieu of using two rotary disc cutters only mounted one at
each end of the axle of the front guiding roller itself X which was thereby
prevented from swivelling when the cutters were in the ground and could not be
used advantageously when travelling along a road, I now mount the said cutters on
a separate and independent axle or shaft Y of their own turning in bearings secured
to the main framing O and situate between the front swivelling guiding wheel or
roller X and the plough V and I add one or more intermediate disc cutters U¹ to
the two outer ones which guage the width of cut so that the earth shall be cut
vertically to the required depth at each traverse of the Excavator not only along
each side of the trench but also along the centre portion thereof whereby it is
more readily broken up by the action of the plough and raised and directed by the
mould board into the receptacle W to be lifted by the buckets of the Elevator.
I regulate the depth of cut for each traverse of the Excavator by adjusting and
fixing for the time being the height of the vertical stem Z which carries the front
regulating and guiding wheel or roller in the vertical bearing or support a bolted
to the front end of the main framing O. The front guiding wheel is thus not only
free to swivel and guide the machine during its forward movement but is also
capable of governing or regulating the depth of each cut. The height of the
guiding wheel or roller may be fixed by a cross pin passing through a loose collar b
mounted on the vertical stem and contained within the bearing a said pin passing
also through one or other of a series of holes made through the stem as shown in
figures 1 and 4 or any other suitable adjusting and fixing arrangement may be
adopted. By sufficiently lowering the guiding wheel the cutters can be lifted

page_text: entirely out of action or clear of the ground as in Figure 4 in which case the front
wheel or roller X. will serve as a guiding supporting wheel when travelling.
The machine may be hauled from the draught hook or bar c on the loose collar b
either by animal or by steam power (as for example by wire ropes and drums or
other known means) and the essential parts namely the guide wheels cutters plough,
and elevator may be duplicated and disposed at both ends of the framing in order
to admit of the excavator working or travelling in either direction without the
necessity for turning as is well understood.
1
: F
When in actual work the front supporting wheel or roller X may be fixed or
prevented from swivelling if desired by locking the collar b to the bearing a by
inserting the locking pin d down through the bearing and collar as shown in
Figure 1. The before mentioned links S, S, which connect the side delivery
shoots P to the elevator frame are when the excavator is adjusted for work, locked
at their lower ends to the main props M by a hook or catch e (figures 1 and 4) and
between the said links there is pivotted a plate f through which the pin of the
hinge R of the two shoots is passed. This plate is provided with holes or notches g
(see figure 5) for the reception of the ends of the bolts or catches Q (see figure 1)
which hold the shoots in position. h is a prop or support jointed at its upper end
to the outer side of the shoots at a point corresponding to the position of the
hinge R or thereabouts said prop resting at its lower end, when the shoots are
adjusted for work, in a socket in the main framing as shown in figure 2. In
adjusting the Excavator for transport the bolts Q are withdrawn the shoots brought
together back to back the catches e are opened to allow the links S S to swing
outwards as shown by the dotted arc and arrow in figure 1. The folded shoots are
then along with the pivotted plate f reversed and dropped by the lowering of the
elevator frame L, between the fixed uprights T T the prop h having been already
reversed and disposed partly between the folded shoots as shown in figures 4 and 5.
In lowering the Elevator frame it is first lifted from off the main supports M, these
are then lowered onto the frame O and the Elevator frane L is lowered to the
position shown in figure 4. Should it be found necessary one or more guide
pulleys k may be fitted to the underside of the framing O to support the driving
chain E and prevent it from sagging.
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
1. In an Excavating machine of the kind herein referred to driving the elevator
from the axle of the rear supporting roller or running wheels either directly or
through a second motion shaft in gear with the said axle in lieu of driving the
Elevator from the axle of intermediate bearing wheels whereby owing to the
greater weight thrown on the rear supporting wheels they are less liable to slip or
skid and the action of the elevator is rendered more certain substantially as
specified.
2. In an Excavating machine of the kind hereinbefore referred to the combination
of a clutch or other coupling with the driving gear of the Elevator whereby it can
be readily thrown out of action during transport as specified.
3. In an Excavating machine of the kind hereinbefore referred to the use in
combination with the Elevator frame of adjustable props or supports connected
with the main framing of the Excavator and capable of being raised into position
for supporting the Elevator at any desired vertical angle for actual work, or of being
removed to allow the Elevator to be folded down onto the main framing when the
machine is required for transport substantially as specified.
4. In an Excavating machine of the kind herein before referred to the connecting
the side delivery shoots with the adjustable framing of the Elevator in such a'
manner as to admit of them being folded or packed securely along with the Elevator
into a small space for transport and of being readily opened out or adjusted and
fixed to any desired angle for use substantially as specified.

page_text: 5. Making the front guiding and supporting wheel or roller of the said Excavating
Machine adjustable vertically so as to regulate the depth of cut as specified.
6. In an Excavating machine of the kind hereinbefore referred to mounting two
or more disc cutters on an independent axle or shaft of their own situate between
the front guiding and supporting wheel or roller and the plough of the Excavator 5
substantially as specified.