IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PURCHASES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES, AND FOR EXTRACTING ROOTS AND STUMPS OF TREES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ludvig Levison, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL
PURCHASES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES, AND FOR EXTRACTING
ROOTS AND STUMPS OF TREES."-A communication.
Sealed the 16th February 1858, and dated the 22nd August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ludvig Levison, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd August 1857.
I, LUDVIG LEVISON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANICAL PURCHASES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES, AND
EXTRACTING ROOTS AND STUMPS OF TREES," which has been communicated to me
by a foreigner residing abroad, to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a main lever or shaft of any requisite length
mounted on wheels at both ends; the lever is furnished with a series of loops
or staples in front, and one such loop or staple at the back and central with
those in front; to the back loop is attached an anchor chain by which the
apparatus is moored to an adjoining stump when the apparatus is used for
extracting stumps; or to some suitable fixed point when used for other
purposes. Two arm chains are hooked at one end to the loops in front of
the lever, and at the other to a take-up chain which passes over shears
planted over the stump to be drawn out; the take-up chain is then made
fast to the stump. Power is then applied to one end of the main lever,

page_text: shifting that end farther away from the anchor stump, and consequently
slackening the inner arm chain. The attendant then releases that chain, and
re-attaches it as far along the take-up chain as it will reach. The power is
then applied to the main lever in the reverse direction, drawing that end
towards the anchor stump, and consequently slackening the outer arm chain;
this is then shifted, as before described, and attached farther up the take-up
chain, and the operation repeated until the stump is drawn.
The apparatus described, namely, the main lever on wheels, the anchor
chain, arm chains, and take-up chain, working by this backward and forward
movement, hand over hand, will apply also to the removal of other bodies
than the stumps of trees, and will afford assistance also in the felling of
trees.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ludvig Levison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUDVIG
LEVISON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ludvig Levison, Her special licence that I, the said Ludvig Levison,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Ludvig Levison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PURCHASES TO BE EMPLOYED FOR HOISTING PUR-
POSES, AND FOR EXTRACTING ROOTS AND STUMPS OF TREES," (which Invention.
was communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad), upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Ludvig Levison, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ludvig Levison, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The apparatus consists of a main lever or shaft of any requisite length,
mounted on wheels at the ends. In front of this lever are a series of loops
or staples, and one similar loop or staple, termed an anchor loop, is attached
at the back, and plays through a mortice in the lever centrally with respect
to those in the front. To the anchor loop is connected an anchor chain, by
which the apparatus is to be moored to a fixed point (in extracting stumps of
trees this point may be an adjacent stump). The anchor loop thus forms the
fulerum upon which the lever works. Two arm chains are hooked at one
end each to one of the loops in front of the lever, and at the other end to a
take-up chain, which passes over shears planted over the stump to be drawn.
A stump chain is linked to the take-up chain, which stump chain is made fast
to the root to be extracted. Horse or other power is then attached to one
end of the lever, and as it exerted the inner arm chain becomes slack.
The attendant then releases that chain, and hooks it on as far along the
take-up chain as it will work. The power is then applied to the main lever
in the reverse direction, by which the outer arm chain in its turn becomes
slack, which must then be shifted further up the take-up chain, and thus the
operation is repeated until the stump is removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a view of the apparatus at work; Figure 2 is the anchor
chain; Figure 3, the arm chain, which is connected to Figure 4, the take-up
chain; Figure 5, the form of rod used with the take-up chain; Figure 6, the
shears, having two small links in front, to be connected to rods, shewn in
Figure 8, and two larger links in the rear, to be attached to the stump chain;
Figure 7 is the pole, of which there are two used in raising the shears, as seen
in Figure 1; Figure 8 are the linked bars connected with the ring at the top
of the shears; Figure 9, the root or stump chain; Figure 10, a ring link and
hook, used in noosing the stump chain round the stump; Figure 11, a C link,
which may be used at the back of the shears if requisite; Figure 12, a tri-
angular link, useful in removing buildings.
(A, Figure 1) is the main lever mounted on the wheels (B), to one of

page_text: which, as represented in the Drawing, a horse is yoked. The horse must be
moved from (C) in the direction of (D), and the hook of the arm chain (E)
must be connected to the take-up chain (F) at a point as far towards (G)
as it will reach; then turn the horse, and let the power be exerted in the
direction of (H), and connect the hook of the arm chain (I) as far along the
take-up chain (F) as it will extend. The process must be repeated until
the stump is drawn. (K) is the anchor stump, to which the whole apparatus
is moored by the anchor chain (L); (M) is the root under operation; (N),
the root chain; (0), the shears; (P), the pike poles. These last named,
with the shears, are not always required, but are useful in removing large
stumps. When they are not used the stump chain should be always hitched to
the root on the opposite side to which the lever is placed.
I have described the Invention in its application to the extraction of roots
and stumps of trees. It will readily be seen that the main lever, anchor
chain, arm chains, and take-up chain form apparatus which, working by this
backward and forward movement, will apply equally well to the removal of
buildings and other heavy bodies, and also to the felling of trees.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, which has thus
been communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that that
which I claim is the combination of the several mechanical appliances
herein described, and shewn in Drawings, or the mere equivalents of the
same, viz, the main lever on wheels, with the arrangement of chains, rods,
and links, by which this backward and forward motion, working hand over
hand, is obtained, forming apparatus applicable to the removal of heavy bodies,
to hoisting purposes, and to the extraction and clearing of roots and trees, as
herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ludvig Levison, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
LUDVIG LEVESON. (L.S.)