Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Inven-
tion to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to construct and combine the parts of hydraulic
cranes in an improved manner.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the crane with a vertical hydraulic
cylinder fixed between a pair of I-section bars, and having the ram working through
a stuffing box at the upper end of the cylinder. The ram operates on a rope or chain
by means of tackle pulleys some of which are carried by the ram the others being
carried by brackets fixed to the bottom of the cylinder. The jib has its upper end
connected by stays to the top of the cylinder, its lower end being jointed to a foot-
step piece to which the lower end of the cylinder is fixed, and the footstep being.set
in a bearing in a base plate. The cylinder is carried by means of the footstep piece,
and by means of a pair of short arms fixed to the upper part of the cylinder and
hinged by a joint pin to a bracket fixed to any convenient structure. The crane can
thus swing or move through a horizontal angle about an axis to which the cylinder is
eccentric. For effecting the swinging movement two small hydraulic cylinders are
fixed upon the main cylinder and a chain or a wire rope is arranged to be acted on at
its ends by the rams of the small cylinders, and is passed round guide pulleys and
round a grooved pulley rim formed or fixed on the base plate. The chain or rope is
at one point fixed to the fixed pulley rim, so that when either end of the chain or rope
is strained the crane is thereby made to swing. The crane may be modified by fixing
the small hydraulic cylinders on the base plate the grooved pulley rim being in that
case formed or fixed on the footstep piece so as to turn with the crane.
The pipe or pipes for connecting the cylinder or cylinders with the valve apparatus
are provided with swivelling stuffing-box couplings placed in the axis about which the
crane swings.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of August 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Cranes.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to construct and combine the parts of hydraulic
cranes in an improved manner; and examples of such cranes as made with my improve-
ments are shown upon two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a side elevation of parts of an hydraulic
crane, another part of the same crane being shown in figure, 2, on sheet, 2, Figure, 3,
on sheet, 2, is a side elevation of parts of a second modification of my improved
cranes. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated,

page_text: The crane shown in figures, 1, and 2, is constructed with a vertical hydraulic
cylinder, 5, in the position of the upright post or vertical member of an ordinary crane,
and this cylinder has a ram, 6, working out through a stuffing box. 7, at its upper
end. The ram, 6, operates on a rope or chain, 8, indicated by dotted lines, by means
of tackle pulleys, some, 9; of which are carried by the ram, 6, the others, 10, being
carried by brackets or frame pieces, 11, at the bottom of the cylinder, 5. The jib, 12,
has its upper end connected by stays, 13, to the top of the cylinder, 5, its lower end
being jointed to a footstep frame piece, 14, to which the lower end of the cylinder, 5,
is fixed by means of the brackets, 11. The frame piece, 14, has fixed to it a footstep
pin, 15, which is set in a bearing in a base plate, 16; and the cylinder, 5, is carried
by means of the framepiece, 14, and by means of a bracket, 17, fixed to the upper
part of the cylinder and hinged by a joint pin to a bracket, 18, fixed to any convenient
structure, such as the deck house, 19, of a ship. The crane can thus swing or move
through a horizontal angle about an axis to which the cylinder is eccentric that is to
say, the cylinder is at the front or forward side of the axis and on the same side as
the jib. For effecting the swinging or slewing movement two small hydraulic cylinders, 20
(of which only one is shown in the figure the other being directly behind it) are fixed
upon the frame piece, 14, (or it might be on the main eylinder, 5, itself) and a chain, 21,
or it might be a wire rope) is arranged to be acted on at its ends by the rams of the
small cylinders, 20, and is passed round guide pulleys, 22, and round a grooved pulley
rim, 23, formed or fixed on the base plate, 16. The chain, 21, is at one point fixed to
the fixed pulley rim, 23, so that when either end of the chain is strained or hauled the
crane is thereby made to swing.
The pipes, 24, 25, for leading the water or motive liquid to and from the hydraulic
cylinders, 5, 20, are provided with swivelling stuffing-box connections, 26, 27, placed
in the axis about which the crane swings. The valves and levers or gear for working
them may be arranged on the stationary framing or in any convenient situation
pipes, 24, 25, with the swivelling couplings, 26, 27, being connected directly to the
cylinders. In the arrangement shown in figures, 1, and 2, however, the valves and
gear are arranged upon the crane or swinging framework itself, the stuffing
boxes, 26, 27, being connected by pipes, 28, 29, 30, 31, to valve boxes, 32, 33, the
valves of which are worked by means of band levers, 34, 35. These valve lovers, 34, 35,
are shown as connected by rods, 36, 37, to hand levers, 38, 39, arranged to be
worked by an operator standing on a stage, 40, fixed upon the jib, as provided for
convenience upon some existing cranes. In connection with the valve box, 33, for
the slewing cylinders, 20, there is an additional automatic valve in a box, 41, for
shutting off the water or motive liquid when a predetermined extent of slewing move
ment has been effected. This valve is worked by a lever, 42, connected to the ram of
one of the slewing cylinders, 20.
In the modification shown in figure, 3, the main bydraulic cylinder, 5, consists of
a tube of wrought-iron or steel and is fixed between two I-section bars, 43, which
have fixed to them a pair of short arms or brackets, 17, hinged by means of a pin to
the fixed bracket, 18. The small hydraulic cylinders, 20, for swinging or slewing the
crane are fixed on the stationary base plate, 16, and the grooved pulley rim, 23, which
has connected to it the slewing chain, 21, acted on by the cylinders, 20, is fixed to or
formed on the frame piece, 14, which turns with the crane.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination of parts constituting my improved bydraulic crane and com-
prising a main cylinder forming part of the vertical member of the crane, with the
upper part hinged to a fixed bracket and with a pin at the lower part supported in
a footstep hearing, the cylinder or vertical member of the crane being eccentric to
the axis of the hinge and footstep and placed in front thereof, together with a pair

page_text: of hydraulic cylinders either moving with the crane or stationary and arranged with
accessory parts for swinging or slewing the crane, substantially as herein before described
and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
EDMUND HUNT,
Per pro. D. Ferguson,
Applicant's Agent.