IMPROVE- MENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oharles Wilson, of Glendowran House, Chelten-
ham, in the County of Gloucester, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINES."-A communication from abroad
by Peter J. Stryker, of New Brunswick, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 11th January 1876, and dated the 8th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th October 1875.
I, CHARLES WILSON, of Glendowran House, Cheltenham, in the
County of Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINES," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in excavating
machines.
The machine resembles an ordinary two-horse wagon, having at the
front a plough or shovel, and an elovating apron to load the earth cut
away by the shovel into a box suspended on the rear axle. The shovel

page_text: is carried at the lower ends of two racks, which gear with pinions on the
axle of the leading wheels. The axle can be set cither fast or loose
with the wheels by a clutch. When the axle is made fast with the
wheels and the machine is drawn forwards the shovel is raised abovo
the ground, and when the plough has been raised to its proper height 5
it is caught by a catch, whilst at the same time the clutch fixing the
axle to the wheels is automatically released.
The machine should be driven so as to make one furrow after another.
When the machine has been driven to the place from which the earth
has to be removed the driver by the pressure of his foot upon a treadle 1
releases the catch above mentioned and allows the plough or shovel to
drop into the ground and continues to drive on in a straight line; the
earth removed by the shovel passes from the back of the shovel on to
an endless band elevator, and is by it delivered to the earth box.
When the load is full the driver by moving a lever handle makes the 1
pinions fast with the front axle and causes the shovel or plough to be
raised. The machine is then driven to the place at which the earth is
to be deposited, and is discharged from the bottom of the earth box
through hinged doors which can be opened or closed by means of a
lever handle worked by the driver; the machine is driven on without 2
stopping until the load has been discharged; tho hinged doors of the
bottom are then closed and the machine is ready to take up another
load.
The roller over which the endless lifting band passos at the top of the
elevator has upon it a pinion gearing with a toothed wheel on the rear 2
axle, and a clutch is provided to set the elevator in or out of action as
required. This clutch is acted upon automatically so that the elevator
stops of itself when the load is full.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Wilson, Her special
license that I, the said Charles Wilson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Wilson, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING MACHINES," a communication to me from
abroad by Peter J. Stryker, of New Brunswick, in the United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles.
Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Oharles Wilson, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in excavating
machines.
The machine resembles an ordinary two-horse wagon, having at the
front a plough or shovel and an elevating apron to load the earth cut
away by the shovel into a box suspended on the rear axle. The shovel
is carried at the lower ends of two racks, which gear with pinions on
the axle of the leading wheels. The axle can be set either fast or loose
with the wheels by a clutch. When the axle is made fast with the
wheels and the machine is drawn forwards the shovel is raised above
the ground, and when the shovel has been raised to its proper height
it is caught by a catch, whilst at the same-time the clutch fixing the
axle to the wheels is automatically released.
The machine should be driven so as to make one furrow after another.

page_text: When the machine has been driven to the place from which the earth
has to be removed the diver by the pressure of his foot upon a treadle
releases the catch above mentioned and allows the plough or shovel to
drop into the ground and continues to drive on in a straight line; the
earth removed by the shovel passes from the back of the shovel on to an
endless band elevator, and is by it delivered to the earth box.
When the lond is full the driver by moving a lever handle makes the
pinions fast with the front axle and causes the shovel or plough to be
raised. The machine is then driven to the place at which the earth is
to be deposited and is discharged from the bottom of the earth box
through hinged doors, which can be opened or closed by means of a
lever handle worked by the driver; the machine is driven on without
stopping until the load has been discharged; the hinged doors of the
bottom are then closed and the machine is ready to take up another
load.
The roller over which the endless lifting band passes at the top of the
elevator has upon it a pinion gearing with a toothed wheel on the rear
axle, and the pinion is automatically put out of gear with this toothed
wheel when the load is full, and the shovel is lifted out of the ground,
so that the elevator is then put out of action and stops of itself.
The Drawings hereunto annexed shew various views of an excavating
machine constructed as above described.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a plan view, and Figure 3 a longi-
tudinal vertical section of the machine.
In these Figures A is the shovel secured to the rear end of the pole B;
O, C, are links coupling the pole B to the front axle D; E is the
driver's seat carried by the rear end of these links; F, F, are racks
connected at their upper end to an arm G attached to the rear end of
the pole; G is an adjustable stop carried by the arm G, and serving to
regulato the depth to which the shovel or plough can enter the ground.
The racks F gear into pinions H fast upon the front axle D. The front
carrying wheels turn loosely upon this axle, but one of them can be
made fast with it by a sliding clutch J, which can be moved to and fro
by a lever J' from the driver's seat. This lever is shewn in section at
Figure 2 of the Drawings, and also in the separate view of these parts
shewn at Figure 4.

page_text: Upon the rear end of the sliding clutch is a short screw thread, upon
which works a nut K. When the shovel is dropped and allowed to
enter the ground the clutch J turns with the axle, and the nut is
thereby traversed into a position to allow of the sliding clutch J being
shifted whenever desired along the shaft by its lever handle into a
position to make the wheel before mentioned fast with the axle. When
the wheel and axle are thus locked together, and the machine continues
to be drawn forward, the axle rotates with the wheel, and the shovel or
plough is thereby raised out of the ground. When it has been raised
to the required height a lever catch L is by a spring caused to drop
behind a projection upon the axle, and so prevent the axle from turning
back. A separate view of this catch lever and catch is shown at
Figure 5. At the same time the screw at the back of the clutch turning
in the nut K, and the nut K being unable to move towards the wheel,
the clutch is gradually drawn back, and the axle is thereby disengaged
from the wheel, and ceases to turn with it so soon as the axle has been
locked by the catch L, and thereby prevented from turning back, con-
sequently the scoop remains in its raised position. M are the rear
wheels carrying an earth box N; the front end of this earth box is by
irons N' coupled to the back of the shovel or plough, as shown. O is the
endless elevating apron to carry up the earth from the shovel into the
earth box. The axis of the upper roller, around which this endless
apron passes, is free to rise and fall in guides upon the sides of the earth
box as shown. Upon it are toothed pinions P gearing with toothed
wheels P' fast with the hind wheels, and motion is thereby transmitted
to the endless apon when the machine is travelling and the plough or
shovel is in the ground. Upon the axis of the roller are links Q;
adjustable grooved collars upon these links are embraced by the ends of
a forked lever R, which turns upon axes R' carried by the sides of the
earth box. The opposite end of the lever is by a link R³ coupled to the
rear ends of the irons C, by which the rear end of the pole is linked to
the front axle. By this means, when the shovel is raised out of the
ground, and the front end of the earth box is raised with it, the
pinions P are lifted out of gear with the toothed wheels P', and the
endless elevating apron ceases to have motion given to it.
3
The manner in which the endless apron is supported at intervals by
rollers is shown at Figure 3.

page_text: plough and endless apron have been put out of action as above
explained, the machine is drawn to the spot at which the carth in the
carth box is to be discharged.
To facilitate the discharge of the earth the bottom of the earth box is
composed of doors S. The back edge of cach door rests upon a lip
upon the door next to it, and the back edge of the rearmost door rests
upon a lip at the bottom of the back of the earth box; this back at its
upper end is free to turn upon pins. Its lower end is prevented from
moving back away from the bottom by levor arms T' on an axis T;
upon this axis is another arm T, to which is coupled a rod U passing to
the driver's seat. When the earth is to be discharged from the earth
box the driver by pulling upon this rod turns the axis T, and thereby
draws back the back end of the earth box; the doors S forming the
bottom of the earth box then drop in succession, and the earth is
discharged. When the driver wishes to again close the earth box he
draws towards him the upper end of a lever V; this lever carries
collars V', through each of which passes a rod W. The back end of
each rod W is connected to an arm fixed to one or other of the bottom
doors; upon the front ends of the rods are adjustablo nuts. When the
upper end of the lever V is drawn towards the driver the collars V'
upon it come in succession against the nuts upon the rods W, and raise
the doors in succession until the back door is again caught and retained
by the hinged back; the machine is then ready to take another
load.
The machine when loading is as before mentioned driven so as to take
one furrow after another in the same manner as with an ordinary
plough. The shovel or plough is adjusted to cut about four or five
inches deep.
When the machine has been driven to the place of loading the driver
depresses the treadle L and allows the plough to drop, and drives on in
a straight line until the load is full; ho then, by means of the clutch
lever J', throws the clutch J into gear, and the shovel or plough is
elevated from the ground as before explained.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,—
First. The construction of excavating machines, substantially as
herein-before described.

page_text: Second. The combined arrangement of apparatus, whereby the snovel
or plough is whenever desired caused to be lifted clear of the ground,
and is held in its raised position; also the arrangement by which the
elevating apron is at the same time put out of action, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wilson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.