IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SWEEPING AND CONVEYING AWAY REFUSE FROM STREETS, ROADWAYS AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM MARCH of 32 St Mary Axe in the City of London Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SWEEPING AND CONVEYING AWAY REFUSE FROM STREETS, ROADWAYS AND OTHER
PLACES to be as follows:-
The machine is intended to work behind a cart or wagon, or to form part
thereof, for the purpose of filling the same, and consists of a chain of brushes driven
by one of the road wheels, through gearing. The brushes sweep the refuse up a
trough into an elevator. Two taper bars, one at each side of the machine, are
centered on the axle. One of these bars carries one end of the front shaft of the
chain of brushes. The other end revolves in the lower part of a swivelled lever
depending from the opposite taper bar.
The two shafts of the chain of brushes are connected by right and left threaded
rods and nuts.
The elevator consists of an inclined case containing a chain of buckets which
work between the wheels and the chains. Below the top wheels are two smaller
ones, the shafts of which revolve in separate bearings fastened to the sides of the
case. When the buckets are discharged these small wheels serve to draw inwards
both the chains and their buckets, so that the shoot which receives the contents of
the buckets can be brought immediately under the buckets at their point of
discharge.
The machine is supported at its rear end by a caster.
turn sharp curves two casters are suspended in front
levers, raise the road wheels.
To enable the machine to
which being depressed by
In order quickly to disconnect one of the two horses when the wagon is filled &
to place the remaining horse in the middle of the splinter bar of the forecarriage,
the attachment is arranged by a system of hooks & eyes with a rod running through
all the hooks. By turning a handle fastened to the rod one way or the other the
When a wagon
eyes of one or both pairs of shafts are instantly engaged or released.
body is placed upon the machine itself it is tipped by a worm & worm wheel
quadrant with a tail piece attached carrying a thrust rod the upper end of which is
bolted to the body.
Dated this first day of January 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM MARCH of 32 St Mary Axe in the City of London Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SWEEPING & CONVEYING AWAY REFUSE FROM STREETS, ROADWAYS & OTHER PLACES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention consists of a machine for working behind a cart or wagon, or to
form part thereof, for the purpose of sweeping the roads as it is drawn along & at
the same time loading, with these sweepings, the cart or wagon in front of it.
Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the right hand side of the machine.
Figure 2 is an elevation showing the left hand side.
Figure 3 is a modification of the same.
Two short endless chains, with brushes or scrapers a a, are fitted upon the shafts b
& 61 upon which they revolve. The upper shaft is driven by a pinion c which gears
into a spur ring y bolted to one of the large road wheels. Each brush, when
necessary, is jointed or hinged in one or more parts of its length, so as to adapt
itself more readily to uneven roads.
The axle of the large road wheel, is placed in the front part of the machine.
The brushes sweep the refuse up an inclined brush-pan into the elevator case to
which the pan is hinged. Two short taper bars e, one on each side of the machine,
are centered at their large ends upon the axle collars. One of these levers carries
one end of the front shaft b. The other end of this shaft revolves, not in the
opposite lever, but in the lower end of a small upright lever depending therefrom &
which being pivoted by a bolt passing through both, enables the aforesaid pinion to
be thrown in & out of gear.
The two shafts of the chain of brushes are connected by a set of right & left
threaded rods & elongated nuts f, the rods being terminated by eyes in which both
shafts revolve.
The rear, or small, end of each of the levers is suspended from the angle iron
frame by means of a screwed eye bolt g which passes loosely through the frame &
has one nut above & one below the frame, whereby the brushes can be lowered to
the pan as they wear away.
The lower end of the brush pan is suspended at both sides by chains fastened
to cranks which are keyed to the rocking shaft above. The brush pan / supports
both ends of the hind shaft b' by means of another set of right & left threaded
rods & elongated nuts i, so that not only both the pan & brushes are raised
simultaneously by depressing the hand lever / of the rocking shaft, but both pan &
brushes are likewise free to rise over any unusual obstruction in the road.
The rocking bar crank on the right hand side of the machine, has a perforated
boss at its rear side about half way down. A rod connects this boss to the top of
the small upright lever whereby the pinion is thrown into & out of gear, as the
brush pan is either lowered or raised by the hand lever.
The elevator m consists of an inclined case, containing a series of buckets which
work inside or between the two chain wheels r¹ & their chains; the buckets being
attached to the chains by flaps cast on the links. A little below the top wheels are
two smaller wheels 8 which work upon short & independent shafts revolving in
bearings, one on each side of the case. The small wheels gather in the descending
parts of the chains, so that the buckets which are fastened to them, after discharging

page_text: their contents, are drawn inwards, whereby the inner edge of the shoot q can be
placed directly under the spot where the buckets begin to empty themselves.
The bolt & which supports the sliding block is prevented from uncrewing by a
small angle plate, the horizontal part of which has a hole in it a little larger than
the bolt & works freely up & down on the bolt. When the angle plate rests upon
the bolt head, its upright or inner side intervenes between the bolt head & the
case, nearly filling up the space, so that the bolt head cannot turn until the angle
plate is raised. The elevator is driven by a spur ring on the left hand large wheel;
& the pinion is thrown in & out of gear in the same way as that of the brushes-
the necessary intermediate pinion being keyed on to a short shaft revolving in the
lever t; while the. lower end of the lever is centred upon the lower shaft of the
elevator, or upon the circular bearing of that shaft, as shown in Figure 2.
upper end of this lever has a pin t¹ fixed into it.which slides in a slot in the shoot
lever u, so that when the pinion lever is drawn back to disengage the gear, it, at
the same time, raises the shoot q-the slotted lever u & eyes of the shoot being
keyed to the rocking shaft working in eye straps fastened to the case.
The
The lever t
is held in position by a moveable pin which passes through the guide frame win
which the lever works. The machine is supported at its rear end by a small castor
wheel n.
The machine is coupled to the wagon by an upright hook o the rear part of
which slides freely up & down in a round hole of a block or jaw piece p fastened in
front of the case. The fore part of the hook is square & enters a square hole of an
iron block bolted underneath & at the end of the wagon. A catch falls under the
block to prevent the hook from rising. Or the connection may be made by a rod
bent at right angles, the upper or horizontal part having, at its rear end, a cone
which enters a conical socket bolted underneath the wagon, a pin securing them
together; or by any other equivalent device whereby the machine is free to turn in
any direction, & moreover cannot sway from side to side when following the
wagon.
The
When the machine is coupled to the wagon a second horse is worked abreast of
the shaft horse without requiring a second pair of shafts, in the following manner :-
The splinter bar has three eyebolts, with a stout rod running through them.
two eyebolts of the shafts slide upon the rod to the right or left, &, in either
position, butt against two of the splinterbar eyebolts. When the chain horse has
to be attached the shafts are slid over from the middle to the
wagon, & are kept there, as formerly, by a pin which passes through one of the two
holes drilled in the rod. A stout hook is fastened to the "off" side of the
splinterbar to take the leading bar or whippletree of the chain horse.
"
near side of the
Should it be required to dispense with a separate wagon & to place a wagon
body, or receptacle for the sweepings, upon the machine itself, it is done as shown
in Figure 3 by carrying the large wheels further back & placing the small wheel n
in front of the elevator & causing it to revolve in an arched pedestal with a perch
bolt at the top for locking. To this pedestal a splinterbar or pole socket is
attached for one or two horses. The elevator case will then incline inwards & the
buckets will run in the opposite direction. Each of the large wheels has a spur
ring bolted to it as previously described, but driving chains are needed to carry the
motion to where required. The body is supported on a hinge fixed to the under
frame, & is tipped by a worm & a segment of a worm-wheel. The bearings of the
worm shaft & the necessary mitre-wheel shaft are bolted to the fixed frame upon
which the body rests.
The tailboard is hung at the top by two short trunnions having horns projecting
upwards & outwards. To the tops of these horns are fastened rods or chains which
are carried forward to the tops of iron standards bolted to the fixed frame. The
standards being of the requisite height & in the right position, draw the horns
forward & open the tailboard in proportion as the body tips.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention & what manner the same is performed I would have it understood

page_text: that I do not confine myself to the exact arrangement of all the parts herein
described which may be varied without departing from the nature of my invention;
& I declare that what I claim is :---
First The adaptation & use of the apparatus for the purposes aforesaid, capable
of being attached to or drawn behind a cart or wagon for receiving the refuse,
substantially as described & shown in the drawings.
Second The adaptation & use of the apparatus aforesaid in combination with
the receptable for refuse, all being mounted on one carriage, substantially as
described.
Third The adaptation & use of the several parts consisting of the levers k & t &
what they operate on & their mode of operation; the spur ring y; the pinion c with
its lever pivoted in lever e; the screwed eyebolt g & the other parts necessary for
lowering & adjusting the brushes; the coupling hook o & its catch under the wagon
block; the loose angle plate of the sliding block bolt d; the tipping of the
receptacle of the combined machine; the opening of the tailboard; & the mode of
adjusting the shafts & leading bar, all herein before described.
Fourth The combination of the several parts herein before described as shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this first day of October 1884