Improvements in Apparatus for Scooping Up and Removing Earth for Levelling or for the Formation of Embankments and such like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Scooping Up and Removing Earth
for Levelling or for the Formation of Embankments and such
like.
I, RICHARD HITCHCOCK, of The Steam Plough Works, Taunton, in the County
of Somerset, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The apparatus is formed of a frame mounted upon wheels and carrying in the
centre a large scoop. The bottom portion of the scoop is supported along its
back edge by a horizontal bar below the main frame and can be turned around the
bar so as either to allow its front edge to drop down and cut into the ground so
that the scoop then fills with earth as the implement is drawn forwards or can be
raised into an upwardly inclined position when sufficient earth has passed into the
scoop.
The back portion of the scoop is fast with a shaft which passes across the
implement and is mounted in bearings at the two sides of the frame.
On the shaft is a worm wheel into which gears a worm the shaft of which cau
be turned by a hand wheel upon it so that by turning the hand wheel the back of
the scoop can be turned either into a position in which its lower edge butts against
the back of the scoop bottom or can be turned away from it when earth is to be
discharged from the scoop.
The sides of the scoop are in two parts one part fixed to the back and the other
to the bottom and these are made to overlap so that the sides are complete whether
the bottom or back be turned into one position or another.
The implement I adapt to be drawn over the land backwards and forwards by
haulage ropes.
The haulage rope for drawing the implement forwards is after passing over a
guide pulley at the front end of the frame secured to a bar which rises up from
the centre of the front edge of the scoop and which is strongly stayed to the scoop
at the two sides and the back.
When this rope is hauled on the bottom of the scoop is drawn down into a position
for its front edge to cut into the ground as the machine is drawn forwards.
The rope for hauling back the implement is after passing under a pulley at the
back of the frame passed over a pulley at the top of a standard which rises up
from the frame and then around a pulley at the top of the bar which rises up from
the front portion of the bottom of the scoop and then back again and secured to
the standard or other fixed point on the frame.
In this way when the back rope is hauled on the bottom of the scoop is drawn
into an upwardly inclined position and then forms together with the back of the
When the
scoop a hopper like basket or receiver holding the earth within it.
implement has been drawn back to wherever the earth is to be discharged the back
of the scoop is by turning the hand wheel, turned backwards, leaving an opening
through which the earth drops.
When this has been done the back of the scoop is turned back to its former
position and the implement is drawn forwards again to the place from which earth
is to be scooped up the bottom of the scoop being held up during this time by a
catch bar which is jointed to it.
When the scoop is to be allowed to cut into the ground the catch is released
and the bottom of the scoop at once drops into its cutting position.
The implement is steered by its front or its back wheels or by both.
Dated thin 7th day of Ontshox 1902

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Scooping Up and Removing Earth
for Levelling or for the Formation of Embankments and such
like.
1, RICHARD HITCHCOCK, of The Steam Plough Works, Taunton, in the County
of Somerset, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My improvements in apparatus for scooping up and removing earth for levelling
or for the formation of embankments and such like are illustrated by the drawings
aunexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 is a plan of an implement in accordance
with my invention.
The apparatus is formed of a frame a mounted upon wheels bb and c c and
carrying in the centre a large scoop. The bottom portion d of the scoop is
supported along its back edge by a horizontal bar e below the main frame and
can be turned around the bar so as either to allow its front edge d¹ to drop down
and cut into the ground so that the scoop then fills with earth as the implement is
drawn forwards or can be raised into an upwardly inclined position when sufficient
earth has passed into the scoop.
The back portion of the scoop is fast with a shaft 9 which passes across the
implement and is mounted in bearings at the two s.des of the frame.
On the shaft g is a worm wheel into which gears a worm the shaft of which
can be turned by a hand wheel i upon it so tha by turning the hand wheel the
back portion of the scoop can be turned either into a position in which its lower
edge butts against the back of the scoop bottom d or can be turned away from it
when earth is to be discharged from the scoop.
The sides of the scoop are each in two parts d' d and f¹¹ one part fixed to the
back and the other to the bottom and these are made to overlap so that the sides
are complete whether the bottom or back be turned into one position or another.
The implement I adapt to be drawn over the land backwards and forwards by
haulage ropes.
The haulage rope for drawing the implement forwards is after passing over a
guide pulley k at the front end of the frame secured to a bar which rises up from
the centre of the front edge of the scoop and which is strongly stayed to the scoop
at the two sides and the back.
When this rope is hauled on the bottom of the scoop is drawn down into a
position for its front edge to cut into the ground as the machine is drawn
forwards.
The rope for hauling back the implement is after passing under a pulley m at
the back of the frame passed over a pulley n at the top of a standard o which
rises up from the frame and then around a pulley p at the top of the bar / which
rises up from the front portion of the bottom of the scoop and then back again
and secured to the standard o or other fixed point on the frame.
In this way when the back rope is hauled on the bottom d of the scoop is drawn
into an upwardly inclined position and then forms together with the back of the
scoop a hopper like basket or receiver holding the earth within it. When the
implement has been drawn back to wherever the earth is to be discharged the back f
of the scoop is by turning the hand wheel i turned backwards, leaving an opening
through which the earth drops.
When this has been done the back of the scoop is turned back to its former
position and the implement is drawn forwards again to the place from which earth
is to be scooped up the bottom of the scoop being held up during this time by a
catch bar q and catch g¹.

page_text: When the scoop is to be allowed to cut into the ground the catch q¹ is released
by moving the handle and the bottom of the scoop at once drops into its cutting
position.
The implement is steered by its front or its back wheels or by both.
In the drawing ordinary steering gear is shown to be applied to the leading
wheels. r is the steering wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for scooping up and removing earth and consisting of a carriage
provided with a scoop made in parts each moveable around a horizontal axis; the
fore part of the scoop in such manner that its leading edge may be lowered to take
up the soil and raised when full and the hinder part of the scoop in such manner
that when the fore part is raised it can be opened away from the fore part to drop
the contents.
2. Apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 8th day of July 1893.
RICHD. HITCHCOCK.