IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING AND CUTTING INTO EARTHY AND STONY MATERIALS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Walter D'Alton of Fenchurch Street in the City
of London Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING AND CUTTING INTO EARTHY AND STONY
MATERIALS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Walter D'Alton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1882.
PATRICK WALTER D'ALTON of Fenchurch Strect in the City of London
Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING AND
CUTTING INTO EARTHY AND STONY MATERIALS."
I substitute direct acting cylinders and pistons for the toothed gearing and chains
hitherto employed in machinery for excavating, motion is imparted to the pistons
by fluid under pressure such as steam water or compressed air. These pistons are
by lever connections and an upright swinging post or pillar frame made to actuato
the scoop or other excavating or cutting tool or tools so that the latter may at the
operator's will receive a forward digging or cutting motion and if desired in a
more or less upward or downward direction a receding motion to clear the face of
the material operated on, a rising or falling motion, a swinging motion round the
upright post and in some cases a partially rotating motion. The cylinders are by
preference actuated by water under steam pressure and contained in vessels.
According to one arrangement the machine consists of a frame supported on
wheels which frame carries at one end a steam boiler, and near the other end a
crane post forming the upper bearing for an upright pillar frame. The upper and
lower ends of this frame are fitted with pivots so that it can rotate. To this frame
near the lower end is connected a second frame which I call the lever frame and
which can swing up and down.
To the top of lever frame is jointed a third frame which I call the scoop frame
or arm; to the lower end of this is fixed an excavating scoop or other digging or
cutting tool; near the bottoin end of the pillar frame are bearings which carry the
trunnions of an oscillating cylinder containing a piston the outer end of the rod of
CD 1021

page_text: which is jointed to the scoop arm at some point between the pivot at the top of it
and the scop at the bottom of it.
To some point on the pillar frame I fit a second cylinder containing a piston the
rod of which is pivotted to the lever frame; close to the steam boiler before men-
tioned place vessels which are steam tight; these vessels are provided with pipes
which put them in communication with the boiler and also with the cylinders
before mentioned; the pipes are fitted with suitable valves by which the
communication can be opened or closed.
By means of a third cylinder and piston and a rack and pinion or other equivalent
means I cause the rotation of the pillar frame round its pivots.
The machine when used for excavating earth or comparatively soft or loose
materials is worked as follows, being brought up on rails to the face of the soil to
be excavated, steam is permitted to pass into one of the close vessels hereinbefore
mentioned. The water is driven from thence by the steam pressing on its upper
surface (with an intervening loosely fitting piston or float if desired) into the space
below the piston in the cylinder first named. The piston moves outwards and
upwards and causes the scoop arm to make about one fourth of a revolution on a
vertical plane, the scoop filling itself with earth as it rises; then the pillar frame is
caused to rotate swinging round the scoop frame and filled scoop to a position at
right angles to the rails carrying the machine, and thus bringing the scoop over the
wagons which convey the earth away.
The scoop is then emptied into a wagon in the usual manner, water under
pressure is then admitted as before described into the cylinder actuating the lever
frame which proviously leant forward at the top is now drawn back into about
vertical position. The water beneath the first named piston is allowed_to_escape
back to one of the closed vessels from which the steam has been previously dis-
changed. The piston falls and the lever frame descends in a different path from
that in which it ascended thus clearing the earth to be removed. The pillar frame
has been previously caused-to.rotate back to its original position. This process is
repeated, the machine being shifted up to the earth to be excavated from time-to-
time, as the work proceeds.
For cutting into sandstone chalk or similar materials I prefer to give the cutting
tool a forward and downward movement.
According to another arrangement I work the arm carrying the excavating or
other tool backwards and forwards by a cylinder at the opposite end of the tool
and work it up and down by a cylinder placed beneath the tool arm.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Patrick Walter D'Altou in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th August 1882.
PATRICK WALTER D'ALTON of Fenchurch Street in the City of London
Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING AND
CUTTING INTO EARTHY AND STONY MATERIALS."
According to this Invention and instead of toothed gearing and chains hitherto
usually employed I employ direct acting cylinders and pistons for effecting the
various motions required in machines for excavating and I impart motion to such
pistons by fluid under pressure such as steam water or compressed air. These
pistons are by lever connections and by an upright swinging post or pillar-frame
made to actuate the scoop or other excavating or cutting tool or tools so that the
latter may at the operator's will receive a forward digging or cutting motion and if
desired in a more or less upward or downward direction, a receding motion to get
clear of the face of the material operated on, a swinging motion round the upright
post, and in some cases a partially rotating motion. The aforesaid power cylinder
pistons are by preference actuated by water exposed to steam pressure and
contained in vessels.
And in order that this my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe one arrangement with reference to the accompanying
Drawings of which Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation and
Figure 3 a plan and Figures 4 and 5 are detail views in end elevation and
longitudinal vertical section respectively of a part of the rotating pillar D
Figure 6 is a horizontal section of same on line AB of Figure 5. Figures 7 and 8
are respectively end elevation and vertical longitudinal section shewing in detail a
different arrangement or modification of the arrangement of joint and gland for
pipes passing through upright pillar D. Figure 9 is a side view and Fig. 10 a
plan of gear for rotating the pillar D.
The machine is arranged on a strong wrought iron bed frame A, which is
supported on four wheels A' these latter run on rails. The frame A carries at one
end an upright steam boiler B with donkey engine B¹ or other boiler feeder. The
bed frame A carries near its other end a crane like post C also made of wrought
iron and forming the upper bearing C' for the wrought iron upright pillar frame D,
this latter is at top and bottom fitted with pivots D' and D² respectively, so that
it can rotate around its axis. To the frame D near the lower end is connected a
second frame E which I call the lever frame and which can swing up and down
round a pivot or gudgeon E¹, the lever frame E is doubled or consists of two
side pieces which are united by intermediate diagonal bracing connecting pieces.
To the top of the lever frame E is jointed a third frame F which call the
scoop frame or arm which is made double consisting of two sides each having
three parts or members forming a triangle and with a strut piece between the
base and the apex. To the lower end of the scoop frame F is fixed an excavating
scoop F (or it might be some other digging or cutting tool); the scoop is in this
case shown as provided with a lower central pick F and two lateral picks F; it
has also the usual lever gear for detaching and opening the bottom F* when the
contents of the scoop are to be discharged.
The Drawing shews the manner in which the parts of the scoop frame F are
rivetted together. The scoop F' is united to the scoop frame F by means of a joint
bolt Fs and in order that the position or inclination of the scoop F or picks F³, F³
may be adjusted as the work requires it the scoop is also united to a gudgeon G²

page_text: on the scoop frame F by means of two links G G that connect on to gudgeons G¹
on the scoop and are made adjustable in length by means of the right and left
handed running sockets or nuts C³.
Near the bottom end of the pillar frame D (in fact as here shewn in the line of
the axis of the gudgeon E' on which the lever frame E swings) are bearings which
carry the trunnions of an oscillating cylinder H containing a piston, the outer end
of its piston rod H' is jointed to the scoop arm F by means of the gudgeon H² at
some point between the pivot E at the top of it and the scoop F¹ at the bottom of
it. His a helical spring connecting the cylinder H to the lever frame E for the
purpose of exerting an upward pull on the cylinder H so as to relieve the piston
rod from the weight of the cylinder.
To some point on the pillar frame D I fit a second cylinder I (see Figures 1, 4
and 5) the piston rod I of which by means of crosshead 12 and two chains Is
passing over guide pulleys It is connected to the upper end of the lever frame E,
this latter is also by a guy chain 15 secured to the pillar frame D.
Close to the steam boiler B I place two vessels K K' which are steam tight,
these vessels are by means of the breeches pipe L connected to a common pipe L'
from the steam space of the boiler, steam is admitted from the boiler B to the
pipes Land L and cylinders K K' by the stop valve L. On the top of each
vessel K K there is a slide valve MI, which by. means of levers M¹ and M²
respectively admits of letting the steam into the vessels K or K' and of letting this
steam escape into exhaust pipes M³ and M. The vessels K K' are charged with
water or other suitable liquid by means of pipes N from a water tank N¹. The
vessel K communicates with the cylinder H by means of the pipe O, Figures 1 and 5
which passes down through the vertical axis of the pillar frame D and enters the
cylinder I at the top as shewn in Figures 1 and 5. The vessel K communicates
with the cylinder H by means of the pipe O' Figures 1 and 5 which is continued
into the pipe 0, this latter is large enough to form an annular space around the
upper-part-of-the_descending vertical inner pipe O, seen best at Figure 5;
O Figures 1 and 5 is a stuffing box provided on the lower-end-of-the-outer
pipe 0; from the bottom end of the inner pipe O the bent pipo 0³ is carried
down to the top of the cylinder I and from the stuffing box part 0* (which by
lateral openings communicates with the annular space O²) a pipo Os leads to the
trunnion of the cylinder H; a modification of this arrangement is shewn at
Figures 7 and 8. P and P¹ are handles for admitting the water by means of cocks
or valves P² to the pipes O¹ or O as desired.
In order to rotate the pillar frame 1 round its pivots D¹ D³ I may employ an
arrangement as shewn in detail in Figures 9 and 10 (but not in the general views
Figs 1, 2 and 3) where S is a third cylinder with piston and a rack T and
sector wheel U the latter being fixed on the pillar frame D. All the cocks and
valves described are accessible from the platform Q for the attendant. The
machine when used for excavating earth or comparatively soft or loose materials is
worked as follows. Being brought up on rails to the face of the soil to be
excavated the machine is steadied or temporarily secured in position by screwing
down the four shoes R on to wooden blocks or planks R' which rest on the
sleepers or on the ground. Steam is then permitted to pass into the vessel K¹ by
suitably opening the slide valvo M. The water is thereby driven from the
vessel K the steam pressing on the upper surface of the water therein (with an
intervening loosely fitting piston or float if desired); the water is forced through
the pipes and 0 into the space below the piston in the cylinder H causing this
piston to move outwards and upwards and causing the scoop arm F to move
radially round the gudgeon E about one fourth of a revolution in a vertical plane,
the scoop F' filling itself with earth or other soil as it rises. Then the pillar frame D
is caused to rotate (by admitting water under pressure into the cylinder S)
swinging round the scoop frame F and the filled scoop F¹ to a position at right
angles to the rails which carry the machine, and thus bringing the scoop over the
waggons which convey the earth away; the scoop is then by means of the lever

page_text: gear for detaching and opening the bottom F* emptied into the waggon in the
usual manner. By means of the lever M' steam is now admitted to the top of the
water surface in the vessel K whereby water under pressure through the pipes
O' Os is admitted to the upper part of the cylinder I depressing the piston therein
and by means of the piston rod 1', cross head I and chains 13 13 pulling back or
raising the lever frame E. This latter which previously leant forward at the top
is now drawn back into about a vertical position. The water above the piston in
the cylinder I is allowed to escape back to the vessel K from which the steam has
been previously allowed to escape into the exhaust pipe M³ by suitably moving
the lever M. The piston in the cylinder I will now be raised by the weight of
the scoop F', scoop lever F and the parts connected thereto the lever frame E
descends in a different path from that in which it ascended thus clearing the earth
to be removed. The pillar frame D has been previously caused to rotate back to
its original position. This process is repeated the machine being shifted up to the
earth to be excavated from time to time as tho work proceeds.
For cutting into sandstone chalk or similar materials I prefer to give the cutting
tool a forward and downward movement.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention and the
manner in which it is or may be carried into effect I declare that I claim :-
First The combination of parts forming the improved excavating machine
consisting of the following main parts viz, a bed frame mounted on railway wheels
and carrying at one end a steam boiler and at the other end an upright pillar
frame having its upper or neck bearing in a crane like post and provided with a
lever fraine which can be raised and lowered by chain connection to the piston rod
of a cylinder on the pillar frame the said lever frame carrying an arm or frame to
the lower end of which the scoop or other tool is connected, a cylinder being
connected by trunnions to the pillar frame and by its piston rod to the scoop frame
so that the latter may thereby be swung backwards or forwards round its fulcrum
on the lever frame, the pistons of the said two cylinders being actuated as required
by suitable valve gear for admitting steam or water under steam pressure from
corresponding closed vessels on the bed frame and for exhausting said steain all
substantially as described and shewn.
Second: The application of water under direct steam pressure in closed vessels
for actunting pistons in cylinders connected to parts of excavating machines as
described.
Third: The combination of the crane post C, upright pillar frame D, lever
frame E scoop frame F, and tho cylinders I and H as shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Patrick Walter D'Alton have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Ninth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two