A LIQUID CONCRETE ELEVATOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FRANK WEST, Computing Clerk, of N° 12 Limes Grove Lewisham in the
County of Kent do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A LIQUID
CONCRETE ELEVATOR to be as follows:-
Two pairs of wheels (each wheel parallel to the other and each pair of wheels
keyed to separate shafts) are fixed with suitable bearings so that, one pair being
vertically over the other each of the two wheels above shall lie in the samo plane
as cach of the two wheels below. The peripheries of tho wheels are all of the
same dimensions and are all provided with tecth or projecting cogs upon which
catches the chain made to pass over them. Two endless parallel chains each
passing over one upper wheel and under one lower one, carry a system of buckets'
(their shape, inside, approximating to that of a wedge) cach one having two
projecting ears by which they are keyed to a shaft passing through and supported
by the parallel chains. No part of the bucket except the ear, lies between the
parallel chains but is suspended entirely clear of them. A hopper, fixed between
the upper pair of wheels and having in its bottom an endless exhaust screw the
shaft of which is made to revolve by its pinion being geared into a larger wheel
fixed to the face of one of the chain-wheels, receives the concrete when it is raised.
To that end of each shaft carrying the buckets which passes through and projects
beyond the chain, is keyed a small toothed wheel which (when the buckets are
elevated by manual power applied to the upper pair of wheels) comes in contact
and gears into a fixed radial rack, thus causing each bucket to revolve on its shaft
and to thus tip and empt its contents into the hopper beforementioned. A metal
bar is also keyed to the lower part of each bucket for the purpose of steadying it
and also, when the bucket is tipped, of striking a projection in order to free its
contents. On the concrete being tipped into the hopper and passing into the
bottom, the endless screw carries it along a pipe to the required destination. When
emptied, the lower end of the bucket falls back upon the chain and is kept in that
position by means of a wire guide-rope fixed parallel with the chain and pressing
against tho metal bars fixed to each bucket; this prevents them from toppling over
during their descent and further guides them into the proper position at the bottom
where the guide-rope is connected with a bent iron plate used for the purpose of
directing the buckets into the channel round the lower wheel, in order that they
may be filled. The buckets which elevate the concrete may be either self-filling or

page_text: may be filled by hand as they pass a certain point. For the automatic system
I employ a hopper fixed to the lower platform with an orifice near the channel
where the buckets begin to ascend and having a regulating valve at its month.
The hopper is so arranged that the material placed in it will gravitate towards tho
ascending buckets into the channel through which they pass and the concrete will
then be scooped up by the buckets somewhat in shovel fashion. The whole process
from this point repeats itself de novô.
As this concrete elevator has been specially designed to be used with the
“Portable travelling machine scaffold," described in Specification
of 1884,
there is no need of any special arrangement to keep the chain taut as that may be
done by raising the ascending stage as described therein. The elevator may also
be used for any height by inserting extra lengths of chain and buckets and also, if
found necessary, fewer or more buckets may be used on the chain.
To convey the concrete from the hopper to its place of deposit, I use a pipe in
which works an endless screw as before mentioned. The outlet end of this pipe if
of an extraordinary length, is supported from the travelling scaffold, before
mentioned, by a suitable arrangement.
I employ any means I think fit for filling the lower hopper and also any motor,
as well as hand power, to drive the elevator.
The advantages claimed are these:-Hitherto the ordinary elevators in use have
not been adapted to raising concrete on account of the peculiar nature of that
material which requires that there be very few working parts to become clogged
and also that the machine be simple. A machine has also been required which
could, by a slight alteration, be worked from any height. Other requisite points
have been lightness, cheapness, and portability. All of these I claim as well as the
great economy effected in time and labour when compared with the almost
universal system of raising and depositing concrete by band labour. I claim as
my invention:
(1) A machine for elevating and depositing liquid concreto: I am aware that
hitherto mortar and other such material has been elevated and deposited partly by
mechanical means and partly by hand labour, I do not therefore claim that; but
what I claim is the construction of a machine for elevating and depositing liquid
concrete, or any other material to which the machine is suited, substantially as
before described herein.
(2) The use of a vertical endless chain with self-tipping buckets and so arranged
that the chain does not interfere with the action of the bucket in the concrete and
also so arranged that the machine may be used for any height.
(3) And the arrangement by which the buckets are jarred in order to free their
contents, all substantially as described herein.
Dated this thirteenth day of June one thousand eight hundred and eighty

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, FRANK WEST of N° 12 Limes Grove Lewisham in the County of Kent,
Computing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A LIQUID-
CONCRETE-ELEVATOR and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Two pairs of wheels (the wheel of each pair parallel to the other and each pair
of wheels keyed to separate shafts) are fixed with suitable bearings and frames so
that, one pair being vertically over tho other, each of the two wheels above shall.
lie in the same vertical plane as cach of the two wheels below; the two imaginary
planes being the length of each shaft apart. [Two views of the machine are shewn
in the accompanying drawing, A and B representing the pairs of wheels sliewn
both in elevation and section] The peripheries of the wheels are all of the same
dimensions and are all provided with teeth or projecting cogs upon which catches
the chain made to pass over them. Two endless parallel chains, C and D, each
passing over one upper wheel and under one lower one, carry a systein of buckets E
(their shape inside, approximating to that of a wedge) cach one having two
projecting ears by which they are keyed to the shaft I, passing through and
supported by the parallel chains. No part of the bucket, except the ears, lics
between the parallel chains but is suspended entirely clear of them. A hopper,-
fixed between the upper pair of wheels and having in its bottom an endless
exhaust-screw the shaft of which is made to revolve by being connected by a
(gimbal or) universal-joint to the shaft of the pinion G, gearing into the large
toothed-wheel H, fixed to the face of the chain-wheel A,-receives the concrete
when it is raised. To that end of each shaft, I, carrying the buckets, which passes
through and projects farthest beyond the chain, is keyed a small toothed-wheel J,
which (when the buckets are clevated by manual-power applied to the upper pair
of wheels) comes in contact and gears into a fixed radial rack Q, thus causing cach
bucket, E, to revolve on its shaft I and to thus tip and empt its contents into the
hopper F, beforementioned. As well as employing a toothed-wheel and radial-rack
for the purpose of causing the buckets to revolve upon their shafts, or axes, I also
employ friction-gear and preferably employ indiarubber for the contacting surfaces
in place of the toothed-wheel and rack. A metal bar K is also keyed to the lowor
part of each bucket for the purpose of steadying it and also, when the bucket is
tipped, of striking the projections L in order to free its contents. On the concrete
being tipped into the hopper F and passing into the bottom, the endless-screw
carries it along a pipe to the required destination. When each bucket is emptied,
its lower end falls back upon the chain and is kept in that position by means of a
wire guide-rope M, fixed parallel with the chain and pressing against the metal
bars K, fixed to each bucket; this prevents them from toppling over during their
descent and further guides them into their proper position at the bottom, where
the guide-rope M is connected with a bont iron-plate R used for the purpose of
directing the buckets into the channel round the lower wheel where they are filled.
The buckets E, which elevate the concrete may be either self-filling or may be
filled by hand as they pass a certain point. For the automatic system I employ a

page_text: hopper N, fixed to the lower platform O, with an orifice P near the channel where
the buckets begin to ascend and having a regulating valve at its mouth. The
hopper N is so arranged that the material placed in it will gravitate towards the
ascending buckets, into the channel through which they pass and the concrete will
then be scooped up by the buckets somewhat in shovel fashion. The whole
from this point repeats itself de novō.
process
As this concrete elevator has been specially designed to be used with the
"Portable travelling machine-scaffold" described in Specification 8929 of 1884,
there is no need of any special arrangement to keep the chains taut as that
may be done by raising the ascending-stago, as described therein. The elevator
may also be used for any height by inserting extra lengths of chain and buckets
and also, if found necessary; fower or more buckets may be used on tho chain.
To convey the concrete from the hopper F to its place of deposit, I use a pipe in
which works an endless-screw as before mentioned. The outlet end of this pipe if
of an extraordinary length, is supported from the travelling-scaffold before
mentioned, by a suitable arrangement. Provision is also made for connecting and
disconnecting extra longths of pipe with the scrow inside.
I employ any means I think fit for filling the lower hopper and also any motor,
as well as hand-power, to drive the elevator.
The advantages claimed are these: Hitherto the ordinary elevators in use have
not been adapted to raising concrete, on account of the peculiar nature of that
material which requires that there be very few working parts to become clogged
and also that the machine be simple. A machine has also been required which
could, by a slight alteration, bo worked from any height. Other requisite points
have been lightness, cheapness, and portability. All of these I claim as well as the
great economy effected in time and labour when compared with the almost universal
system of raising and depositing concrete by hand-labour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of a machine for elevating and depositing liquid, or plastic,
concrete: I am aware that hitherto mortar, and other such material, has been
elevated and deposited partly by mechanical means and partly by hand-labour.
I do not therefore claim that; but what I do claim is the construction of a machine
for elevating and depositing liquid concrete, or any other material to which the
machine is suited, automatically and substantially as before described herein. .
2. The use of a vertical endless-chain with self-tipping buckets and so arranged
that the chain does not interfero with the action of the bucket in the concreto and
also so arranged that the machine may be used for any height: substantially as
before described herein, and
3. The arrangement by which the buckets are jarred in order to free their
contents: substantially as described herein.
Dated this thirteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty-