A NEW OR IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Taylor Shipley Hunter, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Contractor, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINE."
Sealed the 10th July 1874, and dated the 16th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Taylor Shipley Hunter
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th May 1874.
I, TAYLOR SHIPLEY HUNTER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINE,'
"to be as
follows, that is to say:-
:
This Invention, which relates to a new or improved arrangement or
construction of mechanism to be used for excavating purposes, has for
its object to lift or raise mud, sand, clay, or other materials at places
where cylinders or other foundations are to be sunk or excavations
made.

page_text: The mechanism consists of shovel-like blades which are connected by
arms to the lower part of a central rod. Connecting links couple the
shovel-like blades also to a block moveable on the central shaft, and
a "monkey" and ram are provided, the latter when raised upwards and
released striking in the act of falling upon the block herein-before
referred to, forces the shovel-like blades into the soil.
When the apparatus is lifted, the blades close by the action of the
links and arms, and gather in the material into which they have been
forced, so that when the apparatus is lifted the material is raised also.
J
In the form of the machine now described it is suspended from one
chain, but the "monkey" may be dispensed with, in which case it is
suspended from two chains, one of which carries the shovel-like blades
and parts connected therewith, the other chain suspending and operating
the ram.
The crane from which the excavating machine (when arranged as last
described with two chains) is suspended, is provided with two chain
barrels, so that each chain is kept independent, and is or may be worked
independently.
An important feature of this Invention is the suspending of several
of the aforesaid excavating machines together from a triangular or other
shaped frame carried by a crane, so as to excavate over a larger area at
one operation, either for sinking cylinders or other purposes, than is
practicable when using one such excavating machine only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Taylor Shipley Hunter in the Great Seal Patent 25
Office on the 16th November 1874.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, TAYLOR
SHIPLEY HUNTER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Contractor, send greeting.
;
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, Her special license that
I, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, my
executors, administrators, or 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 “A
NEW OR IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention, which relates to a new or improved arrangement
or construction of mechanism to be used for excavating purposes, has
for its object to lift or raise mud, sand, clay, or other materials, at
places where cylinders or other foundations are to be sunk or excavations
made:
<
The mechanism consists of curved shovel-like blades, which are con-,
Onected by arms or levers to the lower part of a central rod and also to
a block moveable upon the said central rod. The apparatus may also
be provided with a monkey "and ram, which latter, when lifted and
released, falls upon the aforesaid moveable block, and thereby forces
the curved shovel-like blades into the material to be excavated; but-
5 the said "monkey" and ram need only be used in cases where the
material to be excavated is of such consistence that the weight of the.
apparatus itself is not sufficient to sink the blades thereinto, ..

page_text: When the apparatus is lifted the curved shovel-like blades close or
converge towards a common centre forming when closed a hemispherical
or approximately liemispherical cup, which contains the material dis-
placed or excavated by the blades, and the apparatus thus closed may
be hoisted to any suitable height, and the material contained therein
'discharged at another part of the works, or into trucks, punts, or such
suitable receptacles.
It is preferred that the crane or hoisting apparatus from which the
excavating machine is suspended, be provided with two chain barrels,
upon one of which is coiled the hoisting, and upon the other the
lowering chain of the apparatus; and in operating my Invention, two
independent chains may be used for the hoisting and lowering of the
apparatus, or one chain and chain barrel may be employed for these
purposes, the hold of the said chain being transferred from the central
rod to the moveable block of the apparatus, or vice versa, by the
employment of any suitable arrangement of mechanism.
An important feature of this Invention is the suspending of several
of the aforesaid excavating machines from a triangular or other shaped
frame carried by a crane, so as to excavate over a larger area at one.
operation, either for sinking cylinders or other purposes than is
practicable when using one such excavating machine only.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed to describe and more particularly ascertain the system,
mode, or manner, in or under which the same is, or may be used, or
practically carried into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet
of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of-
the excavating apparatus constituting my Invention, in the position
which it assumes when lifted by the chains A; Figure 2 is an elevation 3
of the apparatus as shewn in section at Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial section of the machine as it appears when
suspended from the chain B, Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a complete
plan of Figure 3.
As shewn by these Figures, the apparatus consists of four curved shovel- 3
like blades C having levers or arms D secured to their inner surfaces,
the said levers or arms D being also attached by, and moveable upon,.

page_text: studs E to a block F secured by a nut to the lower part of the central
rod G of the apparatus. An eye is formed at the upper part of the central
rod G, by which it is attached to the hoisting chain B, and its lower
part is reduced in diameter from a downwards, so that a check is formed
thereon, by which the sliding block H is prevented from rising beyond
the point. a. The blades C are connected to the sliding block H by
means of forked arms I, which are attached by pins J to the levers or
arms D, herein-before described as secured to the inner surfaces of the
curved blades C, the upper parts of the forked arms I being attached by
pins K to the moveable block H. The lowering chains A may either
be attached directly to the sliding block H, or, as illustrated upon tho
Drawings, a weight or ram L may be employed, to which the chains A
are attached, and through which the sliding block H is actuated by the
employment of rods M passing through the weight L, the lower, parts
of which rods M are secured to the lower sliding block H, while their
upper parts are tied together by a gland N moveable upon the central
rod G.
To regulate the height of drop of the weight L tubes O of any
required length, are slipped over the upper parts of the rods M, the said
tubes acting as stops to prevent the weight L from approaching nearer
to the gland N, and thus shortening the after descent of the weight L
upon the block H.
The herein-before described curved shovel-like blades may either be.
constructed in the manner shewn at the Figures herein-before. referred
to (that is to say, with the points or apexes of two opposite blades cut
off, so as to present a straight edge to each other, thus giving a greater.
scraping or excavating surface to the blade), or the blades may be.con-
structed so that all their points or apexes will converge to and meet at.
a common centre, as shewn by the dotted lines at Figure 5, the lines in.
full being a diagram plan of the manner of construction of the blades,
as illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings.
My Invention is operated as follows:-The excavating machine is
suspended from a crane or other suitable hoisting apparatus, which it
is preferred should be provided with two chain barrels x and y, Figure 6,
the said barrels operating independent chains, by one of which A the
apparatus is discharged and lowered to the place of excavation, whilst
by the other B the blades are closed, and the apparatus hoisted to the
position for being again discharged.

page_text: As has been said, while the apparatus is being lowered to the placo
of excavation the blades are in the position shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 6,
on reaching the material to be excavated the blades sink thereinto,
either by the weight of the apparatus itself, or by being driven into the
material by the weight or ram L being lowered quickly down upon and
striking the block H, so as to force the blades C into the soil; or when
excavating very hard or stiff material a "monkey" may be employed
whereby the weight or ram L may be entirely released from the chain,
and allowed to fall upon the block H. When the blades C have been
thus sunk sufficiently into the soil the hoisting chain B attached to the
central rod G is brough into operation, causing the blades C to converge
and close, forming a hemispherical cup, which encloses the material
dislodged or excavated by the blades.
By continuing to operate the chain B the apparatus containing the
material excavated, as herein-before described, is hoisted up to any
required level, and thereafter discharged by operating the lowering
chain A, by which the blades are again thrown open, allowing the
material to fall into any place or receptacle provided for it.
In order to excavate with one crane over a larger area than is possible
when only one excavator is employed, I suspend from the heaving
chain of the crane a triangular or other shaped frame, as illustrated at
Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, an excavating
machine is hung by chains Q from each of the points R, S, and T of
the said triangular frame. The lowering and opening chains V, which
are passed over pulleys W, situate on the triangular frame in proximity
to the chains Q, are attached to a ring whereto the continuation V¹ of
the chains V is also secured, the said chain V¹ being passed over the
crane and operated by a barrel thereon. When the triangular frame
and diggers suspended therefrom have been raised to the desired level
by the crane the diggers being closed previous to raising by the hauling
action of the chains Q, the weight or ram attached to each chain V.is
raised by winding up the chain V₁, whereby the upper side of each
weight or ram is made to strike against tubes placed as at o, Figure 2,
the blades of the diggers are thereby opened and the diggers deposit
the material excavated in the receptacles placed to receive it. In again.
lowering the diggers the barrel on which the chain V₁ is wound is.
reversed, whereby the whole apparatus is lowered to the situation at.
which the excavation is being made.
...
.

page_text: Having now described an particularly ascertained 'the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement and combination of excavating machine
illustrated on the appended Drawings wherein a weight or ram, with or
without the addition or employment of a "monkey" in conjunction
therewith, is used for the purpose of driving or forcing the blades of
the digger into the material to be excavated, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. Suspending two, three, or other number of excavating
machines from a frame, triangular or otherwise, operated by one crane,
substantially as herein-before described in reference to Figures 7 and 8
of the Drawings, whereby in driving two, three, or other number of
cylinders placed close together the mud, sand, or other material is
excavated from their interiors and the cylinders are sunk simultaneously,
or whereby a larger area may be excavated at one time than when only
one excavator is used.
Third. The arrangement of crane or hoisting apparatus provided with
two chain barrels and chains, substantially as shewn at Figure 6 of the
Drawings, and the employment thereof as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Taylor Shipley Hunter, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.