IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAPPLING AND HOISTING APPARATUS FOR REMOVING STREET REFUSE, DREDGING, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAPPLING AND HOISTING APPARATUS FOR REMOVING
STREET REFUSE, DREDGING, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication
from abroad by Frank Grant Johnson, of Brooklyn, New York, United
States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1880.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAPPLING AND HOISTING
APPARATUS FOR REMOVING STREET REFUSE, DREDGING, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES."
A communication from abroad by Frank Grant Johnson, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide an automatic grappling bucket or
apparatus, which is so constructed and operated that it will automatically penetrate,
grasp, and hoist a great variety of different materials, such, for instance, as the
heterogeneous mass of city refuse (usually composed of ashes, straw, garbage, street
sweepings, and the like), common dirt, sand, gravel, coal, manure, or submerged
oysters, and similar objects.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which,―
Figure 1 is an elevation of the entire apparatus mounted on a mast or standard
ready for use, and
Figures 2 and 3 are an elevation and underside view of portions of Figure 1,
shewing the method of connecting the boom and bucket hereinafter referred to.
Figure 4 is an elevation illustrating certain pulleys, hereinafter described, around
which the operating ropes pass, and also shews the method of attaching the said
pulleys to the foot of the mast or post.
Figure 5 is a plan of the grappling bucket when closed.

page_text: Figure 6 is a vertical section of portions of the said apparatus with the bucket
closed, and shews the arrangement of certain sheaves, hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the central part of the apparatus, shewn in
Figure 5.
Figure 8 represents a vertical section of the bucket and adjacent parts as they
appear when the said bucket is open.
Figure 9 is a plan or top view of part of the said bucket when open.
Figure 10 is a side view of a caster, hereinafter referred to.
Figures 2 to 10 are drawn to a scale larger than that of Figure 1.
D represents the bucket which, when closed, is in the form of a hollow half-
globe as seen in Figure 1; the said bucket is constructed by combining any
suitable number (according to the nature of the work to be performed) of equal
and similar sections of a half-globe, as shewn at d, d, so that when they are
placed in order adjacent to each other, as in Figure 1, they will complete or form
an entire half-globe. It is not essential however when the bucket is used for
some purposes that the sections should quite meet each other at their adjacent
edges. In the Drawing the half-globe is shewn as divided, and the bucket
composed of six sections. These several sections of the half-globe, which are
preferably made of steel plate, are each rivetted or bolted to suitable carrying arms
or ribs d, d¹, which extend over the outer surface and in the central line of the
sections d, d, and taper more or less to a point as they reach the points of the
sections, so that they may be more easily thrust into the material to be grasped.
The inner surface of these arms or ribs has the same curve as the outer surface of
the half-globe sections. Each of these arms or ribs at the upper or broad end of
the sections d, d, is bent at such an angle, and extended in such a direction and
to such an extent, as shewn at Z, Z, in Figures 6 and 8, as to be terminated and
hinged at the centre of the circle of which the central vertical line of its section d
is an arc, so that as the several sections enter the material to be hoisted, the force
employed in working the bucket will be expended in forcing the blades of the
bucket into the material rather than in compressing or otherwise disturbing the
latter. The centres of motion Z, Z, Figure 8, of the several sections of the half-
globe fall in a comparatively small circle.
The manner of securing and hinging the aforesaid arms or ribs d¹, d', at their
several centres of motion is hereinafter described.
E, E, represent a pair of sheave blocks, within which are arranged the sheaves
N, N, placed one above another. The lower block contains three sheaves, and
the upper one two of the same. These sheaves vary in diameter to allow the
hoisting rope g' to clear itself as it passes around the several sheaves, which are
enclosed within the aforesaid blocks to protect them from dirt. The lower sheave
block is stationary, and its lower end is extended so as to constitute a flange which
provides for securing and hinging the central ends Z, Z, of the carrying arms or
ribs d', d. The top of the lower sheave block is also provided with a flange.
The upper sheave block is movable and is provided with a flange at its top and
bottom. Passing through these several flanges are four similar frame rods f, f,
arranged in the form of a square. These rods are rigidly fastened to the bottom
flange of the lower sheave block, and their upper ends are securely held in their
relative position by being fastened to a suitable cap-plate F. It will be seen that the
upper sheave block E is capable of sliding up and down on the four frame rods f, f.
To operate the several sections d, d, of the bucket to open and close them, each of
the carrying arms or ribs d' is connected to the top flange c¹ of the upper sheave
block by means of connecting rods d², d². Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the manner
of connecting the said rods d² to the upper flange of the upper sheave block, and
the central ends of the working arms or ribs d¹ to the lower flange of the lower
sheave block.
The top flange c¹ is extended in diameter and enlarged to form a circular rim,
which I term a containing ring, and is horizontally cut in two halves, so that the
upper part or half can be removed. This upper half of the flange is secured to the

page_text: lower part by means of suitable screws or bolts s. In the two halves of this rim
of the flange c¹ I provide a circular and continuous hole or aperture, and between
the two halves of the said rim and within the said hole is clamped an iron or steel
ring, upon which before it is clamped in position are slipped the several connecting
rods d². To enable these rods to perform their motion as the movable sheave
block is worked up and down, slots or openings are cut through the rim of the
flange c¹ to allow the connecting rods d² to pass through and work on the aforesaid
ring clamped between the two halves of the rim. By this means of constructing
the working joints I am enabled to secure the necessary strength, and to increase
the number of sections in the half-globe formed bucket to adapt it to a great
variety of work.
To fully open this half-globe shaped bucket, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9, so as
to give the lower points of the same the proper spread or expansion, it becomes
necessary that the lateral or upper corners of alternate sections shall pass by each
other, that is to say, alternate ones under and over each other, as shewn in
Figure 9. To accomplish this I simply make the shank end of the alternate
working arms or ribs d', d', a little longer than the intermediate ones, thereby
allowing the lateral corners of the alternate sections d to pass each other and the
bucket to be thus opened to its fullest capacity.
The opening and closing of the bucket are performed by means of two ropes, one
of which g" I will term the opening and discharging rope, and the other g¹ the
closing and hoisting rope. The opening and discharging rope g", Figure 8, is
fastened to the upper end of the upper or movable sheave block E. The closing
and hoisting rope g¹, Figure 6, is fastened to the lower end of the upper sheave
block. This closing and hoisting rope may be woven or passed around one, three,
or five (or any number that may be provided) of the sheaves N, N, according to
the amount of resistance offered by the material to be penetrated and grappled.
After passing around a suitable number of the sheaves, this closing and hoisting
rope g' passes up through the upper sheave block and the cap plate F.
C is a light straight pole, the bottom of which is secured to the top of the cap
plate F by means of a socket and key-pin F1, Figure 8. The object of this pole
(which I term the counteraction pole) is to hold the bucket down while the closing
rope closes and fills it. To prevent this counter action pole C from rising when the
bucket is being filled, I employ a clamping device (see Figure 3), which is bolted on
the lower side of the end of the boom B. This clamping device consists of a pair
of crossed levers, the long arms L, L, of which are connected by a spring cross-tie M,
which tends to keep the clamp open when not acted upon, and serves in connection
with the clamping rope c' to draw the clamp together. The short arms 1, 1, of this
lever clamp are bent into a semi-circular form to fit closely around the counteraction
pole C. These levers are joined together and to the boom B by a suitable swivel
bolt . This counteraction pole is further secured to the end of the boom by a
suitable bracket b, through which the said pole slides in its upward and downward
action.
Referring to Figure 1, A is the mast, which may be rigidly set on a deck or
erected on a scow or other vessel. To this mast is attached the horizontally
swinging boom B, rigidly held vertically by the braces a, a.
Attached to the spring M of the clamping device is the aforesaid rope k', which
extends along and under the boom B, and passes over the fixed pulley k on the
lower side of the butt of the boom; the said rope then passes down to the fixed
pulley k at the bottom of the mast A, and then to the short arm of the lever k², to
which it is fastened. By the movement of the long arm of this lever k² (which I
term the clamping lever), the clamping device can be made to grasp and hold the
counteraction pole C at any point, and can be caused to instantly liberate it by
reversing or letting go the lever.
The closing and hoisting rope g¹ passes over a swinging pulley g attached to one
side of the end of the boom B, and over the swinging pulley g attached to a short
arm fastened to the mast A, then down to the swinging pulley g attached to one

page_text: side of the bottom or near the bottom of the mast, and then over the hoisting
drum H, which is worked by the hoisting engine or other power, which may be
applied to the crank h. The opening and discharging rope g" passes over a swinging
pulley on the opposite side of the end of the boom B, and over a swinging pulley
opposite to the pulley g, on the opposite end of the cross-bar on the mast A, and
down over the swinging pulley g on the opposite side of the foot of the mast (see
Figure 4), and then over the loose drum I.
When the bucket is being raised by the hoisting drum H the opening and
discharging rope g" will become slack. To take up the slack of this rope when
the bucket is being raised, the loose drum I is revolved by means of the rope G
reversely wound around the same. This rope G is actuated to take up the slack
of the opening and discharging rope g¹¹ by means of a suitable weight G₁, the rope G
for this purpose passing over a fixed pulley at the top of the mast. This loose
drum I is controlled in its reverse action by means of the brake lever i, acting upon
one end of the said loose drum.
In order to prevent the points of the sections d, d, damaging the decks of scows
or other vessels, I apply to each of such points a socket o (see Figure 10), at the
base of which is a roller p secured between bifurcated arms q. This device is in
effect a caster roller, and is secured to the section by a set screw r so as to be
easily attached thereto or detached therefrom.
The operation of my Invention is as follows, that is to say:-
Referring to Figure 1, I will suppose the bucket to be full; if now the brake i
be forced against the loose drum I, thereby preventing the latter from revolving
and liberating the hoisting drum H, the weight of the bucket and its load will
be taken off of the closing and hoisting rope g', and thrown upon the opening and
discharging rope g₁, which will raise the upper sheave block, and so open the
bucket and discharge its contents. To lower the open bucket (as seen in Figure 8)
it is only necessary to slacken the brake i. As the bucket is thus lowered to the
material to be hoisted, the rope G will be wound around the loose drum I. When
the open bucket is lowered and falls on the material to be raised, the brake i is
withdrawn. The brake is now applied, which clamps the counteraction pole C to
the boom B, and power is applied to the closing and hoisting rope g¹. The several
sections of the bucket are thereby driven into the material to be hoisted until their
lower points practically meet, and the bucket is closed and filled. By now letting
go the lever k², the counteraction pole C will be liberated from the clamping device
on the boom, and the continued application of power to the hoisting drum H will
raise the loaded bucket to the desired height.
The object of employing several sheaves in the sheave blocks E, E, is to increase
the clamping and penetrating force. By the employment of a suitable number of
these sheaves, together with the counteraction pole C, and by reason of the
movement of the several sections of the bucket being in the direction of their
own curvature, the bucket is made to penetrate very resistant material.
The object of making the bucket in the form of a half globe is to provide pointed
sections d for penetrating the material to be hoisted. This peculiar form of the
bucket therefore constitutes one of the chief features of my Invention.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. An automatic grappling bucket or apparatus for grasping and hoisting
various materials, consisting of equal and similar sections of a half-globe in
combination with the working arms or ribs d' and connecting rods d², substantially
as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Second. An automatic grappling bucket or apparatus, consisting of equal and
similar sections of a half-globe in combination with the working arms or ribs, the
connecting rods d², the sheave blocks and sheaves, the frame rods f, the closing and.
hoisting rope, and the opening and discharging rope, all arranged substantially in
the manner and for the purposes specified,

page_text: Third. In an automatic grappling bucket or apparatus, the combination of the
connecting rods d², the split flange and rim c, and its containing rim or ring,
substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. The combination of the bucket, the counteraction pole, the boom, the
clamp L, the rope, and the lever k³, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes above set forth.
Fifth. In a hoisting apparatus, the combination of the loose drum I, the rope G,
the weight G', and the brake lever i, substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
Sixth. The caster rollers or equivalent devices arranged upon the points of
the sections d, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)