IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND CONVEYING BODIES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Taylor, of Britannia Works, Birkenhead,
in the County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND CONVEYING
BODIES."
Sealed the 30th July 1869, and dated the 5th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1869.
I JAMES TAYLOR, of Britannia Works, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for Int
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND CONVEYING
BODIES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to machinery for raising, lowering, and
conveying bodies by steam power, and more particularly to that
description of such machinery known as "steam cranes."
ry

page_text: Such machinery has heretofore been worked by steam cylinders of
small capacity, the motion of which is transmitted by power-increasing
This arrange-
gearing to the barrel for winding up the chain or rope.
ment has the disadvantage that even when raising light weights the
chain is hauled in at a slow speed, causing loss of time.
Now my present Invention has for its object both to obviate this
defect and to simplify and consequently cheapen the construction of
such machines. For this purpose I provide the same with steam
cylinders of long stroke, the piston rods of which are connected either
directly (if oscillating cylinders are used) or by connecting rods to a
crank or crank plate on the ends of the chain barrel, so that the
motion of the piston directly effects' the rotation of the barrel without
the intervention of gearing.
To regulate the action of the steam cylinders according to the load to
be raised, and for lowering, the valves are actuated by a link motion so
arranged that when the one end of the link is made to act on the valves
full steam is admitted into the cylinder for raising the greatest weight
for which the machine is intended, while when the other end of the link
is brought into action either the supply of steam is entirely out off
or just sufficient steam is admitted to serve as a brake in acting against
the motion of the piston when objects are being lowered. By bringing
any intermediate point of the link into action the power and conse-
quently the speed may be regulated exactly according to the load.
The link motion is by preference connected to a spring or weight in
such a manner that when the lever by which it is actuated is let go of
the spring or weight will draw the link into that position in which the
steam is either cut off or the piston merely cushioned with steam. The
steam cylinders are provided with blow-off or escape cocks and pipes
leading into the water tank of the crane, so that any accumulation of
water in the cylinders arising from the condensation of steam thercin
may be allowed to escape. The chain barrel may be provided with any
suitable brake apparatus for regulating the lowering and the stopping of
the motion in addition to the before-described action of the steam
cylinders. The turning or swinging of the crane and (when arranged
for travelling) the traversing of the same is effected by separate small
steam cylinders actuating gearing connected to the rotating platform of
the crane and to the wheels upon which it runs.

page_text: The above-described Invention is applicable not only to travelling
cranes, but also to fixed cranes, steam crabs, and other hoisting gear
worked by steam for ships' purposes, mining operations, or hoisting of
any kind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAYLOR, of Britannia Works, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Taylor, Icr special licence
that I, the said James Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Taylor, my executors, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND CONVEYING BODIES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Taylor, 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 James Taylor, 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, reference being had to the accompanying

page_text: Sheets of Drawings, and to the ngures and retters maraca m
is to say:-
My Invention has reference to machinery for raising, lowering, and
conveying bodies by steam power, and more particularly to that
description of such machinery known as steam cranes, winch crabs, or
hoists.
Such machinery has heretofore been worked by steam cylinders of
small capacity, the motion of which is transmitted by power-increasing
gearing to the barrel for winding up the chain or rope. This arrange-
ment has the disadvantage that even when raising light weights the
chain is hauled in at a slow speed, causing loss of time.
Now my present Invention has for its object to obviate this defect,
and to simplify and consequently cheapen the construction of such
machines. For this purpose I provide the same with steam cylinders
of long stroke, the piston rods of which are connected either directly (if
oscillating cylinders are used) or by connecting rods to a crank or crank
plate on the ends of the chain barrel, so that the motion of the piston
directly effects the rotation of the barrel without the intervention of
gearing.
To regulate the action of the steam cylinders according to the load to
be raised, and for lowering, the valves may be actuated by a link motion
so arranged that when the one end of the link is made to act on the
valves full steam is admitted into the cylinder for raising the greatest
weight for which the machine is intended, while when the other end of
the link is brought into action either the supply of steam is entirely cut
off or just sufficient steam is admitted to serve as a brake in acting
against the motion of the piston when objects are being lowered. By
bringing any intermediate point of the link into action the power and
consequently the speed may be regulated exactly according to the load.
The link motion is by preference connected to a spring or weight in
such a manner that when the lever by which it is actuated is let go of
the spring or weight will draw the link into that position in which the
steam is either cut off or the piston merely cushioned with steam; the
motion of the barrel may also be governed by means of a throttle or
other valve on the exhaust pipe from the steam cylinders. The steam
cylinders are provided with blow-off or escape cocks and pipes leading
into the water tank of the cranc, so that any accumulation of water in

page_text: the cylinders arising from the condensation of steam therein may be
allowed to escape. The chain barrel may be provided with any suitable
brake apparatus for regulating the lowering and stopping of the motion:
in addition to the before-described action of the steam cylinders. The
turning or swinging of the crane and (when arranged for travelling).
the traversing of the same is effected by separate small steam cylinders
actuating gearing connected to the rotating platform of the crane and to
the wheels upon which it runs.
The above-described Invention is applicable not only to travelling
cranes, but also to fixed cranes, steam crabs, and other hoisting gear
worked by steam for ships' purposes, mining operations, or hoisting of
any kind.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention I' will now proceed
more particularly to describe the manner of performing the same, for
which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying Drawings, shewing one
of the various arrangements by which my Invention can be carried into
practice.
Figure 1 on Sheet I. shews a side elevation of a travelling steam crane,
with my improved system of raising and lowering applied thereto;
Figure 2, Sheet II., shews a front elevation of the same without the jib;
Figure 3, Sheet II., shews a plan of the same; and Figure 4 on Sheet I.,
and Figures 5 and 6 on Sheet II. shew detached details. Similar letters
of reference indicate similar parts in each of the Figures.
In this arrangement the barrel A of the crane by which the chain or
rope A' is hauled in or let out is actuated directly by means of two long-
stroke oscillating steam cylinders B, B, oscillating on centres at X, and
connected at right angles to the pins of the crank plates C, C, fixed on
the ends of the barrel shaft, the length of stroke, diameter of cylinder,
and pressure of steam being calculated in accordance with the greatest
weight required to be lifted. By this arrangement the load is capable
of being raised and lowered at a great speed, and with little or no noise
as compared with ordinary arrangements, the position of the crank pins
at 90 degrees causing a constant strain to be maintained on the barrel
shaft so as to effect the raising and lowering with great steadiness. The
steam is admitted to and exhausted from the cylinders and the motion of
these reversed by means of the ordinary link motion D and excentrics D'
on the barrel shaft actuating the slide valve rods E by means of the

page_text: counter-levers F, the speed of the lift being regulated at will by the
attendant by means of the lever G connected to the link motion by the
rod H. For regulating the lowering of a weight the pistons of the cylin-
ders B are held in equilibrium by the throttle valve I (shewn in detail at
Figures 5 and 6) on the exhaust steam pipes J from the cylinders, which
valve regulates the flow of the exhaust steam from the cylinders; or in
place of a throttle valve a slide valve may be employed. This valve is
connected to and operated by the same lever G that works the link
motion, as shewn at Figures 1 and 5, so that the action of reversing the
engine closes the valve, whereby if the weight just raised be at that time
in suspension it will be caused to remain so, while any small motion of
the lever G will so regulate the opening of the exhaust valve that the
weight may be lowered at as great a variety of speeds as it can be lifted.
In addition to this arrangement for regulating the lowering of weights
the peripheries of the crank plates C are provided with brake straps K
actuated by the levers L, rod M, and foot lever N, whereby additional
security will be afforded in working the crane under perfect control.
For swinging the crane in either direction, and for feeding the boiler O,
a separate donkey engine P fixed to the framing V is provided, driving
the shaft Q, which imparts motion, firstly, to the plunger of the feed
pump R, and, secondly, it is caused by means of the ordinary three-
wheel reversing clutch apparatus S to actuate the shaft T carrying the
pinion V, Figure 4, in gear with a toothed rim on the carriage W. The
swinging of the crane may however also be regulated by a similar
arrangement to that described for the hoisting gear. Y is the steam
pipe to the cylinders B. The other parts of the crane and boiler are of
well-known construction, and therefore require no further description.
:
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I in no
way limit myself to the arrangement of the same shewn on the accom-
panying Drawings, as these only serve to indicate one of the various
modes in which my Invention may be carried into effect; but what
I claim is, constructing machinery or apparatus for raising, lowering,
and conveying bodies wherein such raising or lowering is effected by
imparting motion to the chain or rope barrel by means of long-stroko
steam cylinders, the piston rods of which are connected either directly
or by means of connecting rods to cranks or crank plates on the barrel

page_text: shaft, the pistons of such cylinders being capable of being held in
equilibrium or cushioned by the steam, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taylor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.