A New or Improved Locomotive Steam Engine and Hydraulic Crane Combined.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1888
Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Locomotive Steam Engine and Hydraulic
Crane Combined.
I WILLIAM CROSS, of the firm of R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company,
Limited, Engineers and Shipbuilders, of Forth Banks Works, and St. Peters
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, 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:
--
This invention relates to a certain new or improved locomotive steam engine and
hydraulic crane combined. Hitherto when locomotives and cranes (other than hand
power) have been combined so far as I am aware the crane has received its motive
power from steam generated in and delivered direct from the locomotive boiler to the
steam cylinders of the crane, and though this arrangement is well adapted for certain
work in cases where heavy weights have to be dealt with and where steadiness of action
is a requisite experience has shown that water pressure is a more suitable motor than
steam.
The object of my invention is to produce a machine by which water pressure may
be applied where required in a handy and economic manner, and the invention consists
in the combination with a locomotive steam engine of a jib crane adapted to be
operated by hydraulic pressure, and so arranged as to be practically independent of
the locomotive with the exception of receiving steam from the locomotive boiler to
actuate certain steam pumps directly operating rams for transmitting the requisite
water pressure to the various special rams of the crane.
The invention also consists in the particular arrangement and combination of
certain other parts hereinafter described, and in their application to the purposes
specified.
The working parts of the locomotive steam engine may be arranged in the ordinary
or any convenient manner the cylinders being preferably inside the frame.
It is almost unnecessary to observe that for carrying the weights due to the super-
structure and its load the frame work and parts of the locomotive engine must
be built of ample strength to properly convey the strains due to this construction to
the rails.
For compactness and economy I find it advantageous to pass the exhaust from the

page_text: steam pumps through the vortex blast pipe of the locomotive whereby the draft of
the locomotive furnace is increased, and when the locomotive is running both locomotive
and steam pump exhaust steam is delivered simultaneously through the one chimney. A
further advantage gained is that I am able to dispense with the use in locomotives
combined according to my invention of steam injectors, by feeding the boiler direct
from an hydraulic main under pressure from pump ram case arranged with stop valve
in the usual way.
As is usual in hydraulic work the several motions to be performed by the crane are
effected by combined or separate independent rams; thus for the lifting and lowering
of the weight I provide a lifting and lowering ram the return stroke being effected
by a specially arranged combined return ram, but as I will hereinafter show I also
provide an alternative means for dispensing with the necessity of the said return ram,
substituting therefor a specially designed double acting hydraulic cylinder one end of
which is arranged as a constant pressure end. For slewing the crane I provide
separate slewing rams arranged to swing the crane on its central pivot and live roller
ring by means of suitable connections acting on the drum or crane barrel in the
usual way.
Where it is necessary to traverse the monkey or jib' pulley in or out on the jib for
the purpose of altering the radius of lift of the crane, I provide traversing rams to
effect this purpose all arranged conveniently on the girder work of the crane and
acting in the manner usually adopted in hydraulic work.
I will now describe my invention more fully in detail reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, and throughout the figures similar letters of reference are
used to designate similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive engine and hydraulic crane, and
Figure 2 is a front end elevation of the same combined and arranged according to
my invention. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing one special
combination and arrangement of lifting cylinder compound ram and hydraulic pipe
connections thereto applied for lifting and lowering the weight. Figure 3ª is a cross
section on line y z thereof, and Figure 4 is a sectional plan of part of the same.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation or sectional plan of an alternative device,
consisting of an hydraulic cylinder arranged with a piston instead of a rain, more
particularly hereinafter referred to, and Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively a
sectional elevation and a sectional plan of the horizontal turning union for passage of
water between pressure pumps and rams or rams and exhaust tanks.
I construct the side water tanks a a of the locomotive preferably of cast iron or
steel, strongly bolted to the side plates bb. The water, tanks serve as abutments for
the superstructure which consists of a segmental arch cc or equivalent spanning the
boiler shell and preferably cast of steel in one with the central circular vertical crane
post or pivot and carrying the lower roller ring; concentrically upon this pivot is
fitted the crane barrel and top roller ring the rollers intervening; the crane barrel is
cast with square flanges or in any convenient manner to receive the girder work of
the crane.
As the above are only constructional parts of my arrangement and form no specific
part of my invention I do not consider it necessary to give further detail. dd are
the steam eylinders supplied with steam from the locomotive boiler actuating the
pump rams in the ram cases d² d², which are furnished with spring controlled relief
valves loaded to the requisite working pressure of the crane rams. The pump rams
take their water from the tanks a a and deliver it at the designed pressure (and
preferably without the use of an accumulator) through a pipe indicated by line d¹
direct from the ram case d² to the central valve case ³. Within the valve case dare
the various ports and hydraulic slides for effecting the various ram movements of the
crane, which are controlled by means of a series of hand levers indicated at d and. all
arranged in the usual way. These levers are arranged as follows:
An ordinary starting and reversing lever for locomotive engine: A-lever for
operating the slewing rams: A lever for operating the lifting and lowering rams; the
other details for feeding and working the other-parts-being arranged in any well

page_text: known manner. As before stated water is led from the pump rams d² through pipe d
and valve case d³ to the turning union d hereinafter referred to and delivered into the
back end of cylinder do containing the hollow lifting ram do. The pressure acting on
the exterior of ram de forces it outwards raising the crane chain the lift being pro-
portionate to the stroke multiplied by gear as required in the manner common to
hydraulic work generally. For returning the ram do I have designed the special
arrangement illustrated in figures 3 and 4. It will be observed that I do not employ
a separate cylinder for a separate return ram with cross head and pulley gear for the
purpose of effecting the return stroke of the lifting ram, but arrange the parts in the
following manner so that the lifting ram itself serves also as the returning ram-I
arrange a barrel or case do fixed at one end into the counterbalance at the rear end
of the jib as shown by cross bolt d, the other free end of which passes concen-
trically through a gland or stuffing box arranged within the outer end of the lifting
ram de of the lifting cylinder do, and working between the multiplying sheaves d¹²;
Upon this fixed barrel do as well as upon side motion bars arranged in the usual way
the hollow ram de reciprocates so that at the end of its outstroke the barrel do is almost
wholly within the ram do, and vice versa.
To supply the power for the return stroke a free connection is made from the ram
case by smaller pipe do continued through barrel do direct into the interior of the
ram which thus becomes a returning ram at a constant pressure; the effective
power therefore of the ram do is measured by its external area multiplied by the
pressure on it minus its internal area (being the return ram), multiplied by the
pressure on it.
The operation is as follows:-The outstroke having been completed as above
described the attendant operating the levers d' opens the exhaust for the cylinder d
and then the constant pressure from ram case & acting through pipe d, turning
union d³, and barrel do as shown in the drawings acts on the internal area of ram d
and forces it back, thus lowering the crane chain.
Instead of this arrangement I may adopt the alternative device shown in figure 5
which I will now describe: m is a cylinder furnished with openings m², m², m³, m*,
piston m³ and piston rod me the end of which is attached by a shackle or in any con-
venient manner to the crane chain leading to the jib head, and geared as required.
Its operation is as follows:-As in the case of the return ram above described, the
end M of the cylinder m is always under constant pressure through inlet m³ coupled
direct to pump ram case d² and the end M¹ is in connection with the pump ram
case dindirectly through inlet valve in case d³, and also with the tanks a a through
exhaust valve in case d³. In the case of lifting the attendant at operating handles d*
opens M through opening m² to exhaust tanks when the constant pressure from ram
case instantly acts in M and drives piston m³ towards M. The lift, is thus effected
and in order to lower, the attendant at handles d opens inlet valve in case d³ to
inlet m² putting the pressure from case d' on to piston m³ and as the area of piston
nearest M exceeds area of piston nearest M by the area of piston rod m it follows
that the piston must return towards M and thus the lowering is effected. I connect
the ends M M of cylinder m by pipe m' and I provide a relief valve at m³ so that
should any sudden jerk occur to the machinery during working the end M under
constant pressure shall have relief through loaded valve at m³ and pipe m' to end M'
of cylinder m and so to the exhaust tanks a a. I do not confine myself to the employ-
ment of one cylinder for one purpose and if the load for example was 15 tons instead
of having one cylinder equal to deal with such a load I may have for example three
cylinders, each designed to lift say 5 tons and arranged so that one or, more of such
cylinders may be disconnected from the crane chain by the piston being shoved right
in and the valve actuating such piston screwed down so that such cylinder might
remain idle until again coupled up. This arrangement is convenient for dealing with light
loads and in any case whether I use pistons or rams or rams within rams I may arrange
as many cylinders for the definite purpose as may be in practise found convenient, the
connection or disconnection of such rams to or from one another being readily effected

page_text: by means of gear arranged within the valve case d³, and thus under the immediate
control of the attendant at the handles dr.
The turning rams d' as already stated are operated by. hydraulic pressure conveyed
to them from the pump rams through the valve case d³. They are arranged so that
when one ram is making its outstroke and slewing the crane in one direction the other
ram is being returned by its rope or chain connection to the crane drum, and exhaust-
ing its water through the valve case d³ back to the supply tanks a a.
Referring to figures 3 and 4 the lifting chains d¹³ may be connected at the fast end
to lugs cast on or bolted to the cylinder sides, but in order to avoid the danger of
sudden jerks and consequent strains during working I provide volute springs d¹ of
suitable compressile resistance, against which the ends of the lifting chains are caused
to abut. This provision effects the double purpose of relieving the strains aforesaid,
and where the two chains d¹³ have to be connected by a cross head to pass their load
to the one chain leading to the jib head it is evident that any unequal wear or
expansion causing unequal lengths in the said chains d¹³ will be effectually provided
for by the resilience of the springs d¹ aforesaid.
Referring to figures 6 and 7 which represent a sectional elevation and a sectional
plan of the horizontal turning union d³, the particular device by which the constant
water pressure to the return ram de is conveyed through pipe d' and the water to
and from the lifting ram is conveyed through pipe d and the method by which
such jointing is arranged so that the slewing of the crane shall not interfere with
the uniform flow of water through the joint is clearly illustrated. The pipes d² d³
are arranged in one coupling capable of one complete horizontal revolution to suit
the swing of the crane jib.
The pipe d¹ passes up through the crane barrel into the lower part of the vertical
coupling cylinder s, and the pipe d' is also led thereinto and carried up concentrically
as illustrated Side ports are formed in the upper part of the cylinder .and the
horizontal outlet part of the pipe d' is made with an eye fitting watertight over the
vertical cylinders and baving an internal annular port covering the side ports s'-
about which it can freely revolve.
The upper turning part of the vertical pipe d³ is carried concentrically down into
the said cylinders to meet the low fixed portion d' as illustrated, and in both cases
leakage is prevented and the joints made watertight by packing and screw down
glands secured by bolts.
I am well aware that special hydraulic machinery has been applied for specific
purposes in great variety, and I wish it to be understood that I lay no claim to the
separate parts going together to form my novel combined machine except in the
particular arrangements and combinations applied for the specific purposes hereinafter
specially defined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is―.
1. The combination of a locomotive steam engine and a jib crane adapted to be
operated by hydraulic pressure substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. The application to a combined locomotive steam engine and hydraulic jib crane
of an apparatus for lifting and lowering wherein the lift is effected by the full
hydraulic pressure acting on a ram or piston of certain area and on exhaust thereof
lowering is effected by a constant hydraulic pressure acting on a smaller area on
reverse side of same ram or piston.
3. The apparatus for lifting and lowering described in reference to figures 3 and 4
consisting of the combination of ram cylinder and hollow ram, fixed barrel do and
constant pressure pipe passing into interior of said hollow ram, and hydraulic con-
nections all arranged and applied substantially as setforth.
'
4. The lifting and lowering device cousisting of the arrangement and combination
of parts illustrated in figure 5 applied and operating substantially as hereinbefore
setforth.

page_text: 5. In a combined locomotive steam engine and hydraulic jib crane the arrange-
ment and combination of parts forming the horizontal turning union applied
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore explained more
particularly in figures 6 and 7.
6. In a combined locomotive steam engine and hydraulic jib crane the provision
in combination with lifting and lowering devices such as are described and claimed
above and the crane chains of volute springs applied substantially as and for the
purposes setforth.