Improvements in and relating to Elevators, Chiefly Designed for Loading Materials into Trucks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1891-Accepted, 25th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Elevators, Chiefly Designed for
Loading Materials into Trucks.
I, JOHN STEVENSON, of The New Conveyor Co. Limited, 1 Metal Exchange
Buildings, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to elevators, and more especially to elevators chiefly
designed for loading materials into trucks or the like and comprises the improvements
hereinafter set forth.
An important feature of my said invention is the combination of a steam or other
engine or motor with an elevator so that the said elevator can be moved, or caused
to travel from place to place, be fed slowly to its work, and the said elevator be
driven by means of the said steam or other engine or motor.
Another feature of my said invention is the provision of a swinging chute capable
of moving through a considerable arc, and by means of which the material raised
by the said elevator can be delivered over a comparatively wide area, without
having to adjust or alter the position of the apparatus.
My said invention comprises moreover means for preventing the material from
sticking or jamming in the said chute, an improved chain for use in the elevator,
and various other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a suitable framing formed
of wood, metal, or other suitable material. The said framing preferably forms a
rectangular triangle, and has an elevator supported upon the inclined side thereof
in such a manner as to permit the outer edges of the buckets or scoops of the said
elevator, to pass at a convenient distance from the ground, or surface upon which
the apparatus is standing, when the said elevator is operated. This framing is
supported upon wheels, mounted at convenient distances from the extremities of the
lower portion or base, those at the extremity nearest the elevator being smaller
than those at the other extremity thereof.
Upon the said lower portion or base of the framing I provide a combined
horizontal engine and boiler connected by means of suitable gearing with the larger
wheels of the apparatus, which thus form the driving or travelling wheels thereof.
The axle of the smaller wheels is so mounted that it can be pivoted or turned
relatively to the said framing for steering purposes, and the said wheels are pre-
ferably of such diameters that they are capable of passing under the lower part or
base of the framing. A chain and worm gearing which can be actuated by means
of a hand wheel placed within convenient reach of the engine driver, or other person
in charge of the apparatus, are provided for operating the said steering wheels
from the platform or foot plate of the apparatus.
The elevator consists preferably of two or other suitable number of endless
bands or chains having buckets, scoops or other receptacles for the material,
secured thereto at convenient distances apart and mounted upon suitable drums or
pulleys, those at the lower extremity of the said elevator being of smaller
diameter than those at the upper extremity thereof.
In order to admit of the said elevator being adjusted relatively to the ground or
other surface I prefer to mount the axles or shafts of the said drums or pulleys, in
slide blocks or pieces supported in suitable ways provided upon the framing, and
fitted with screw threaded spindles by means of which the said slide blocks or pieces,
and drums or pulleys can be moved or adjusted by unslackening or unscrewing the said
screw threaded spindles at one extremity of the elevator, and tightening or screwing
up those at the other extremity thereof, so as to raise or lower the said elevator.

page_text: The said screw-threaded spindles also serve for moving the said drums or pulleys
away from each other for tightening the endless bands or chains of the said
elevator.
The axle or shaft of the upper drums or pulleys are connected by means of
suitable chain gearing with the engine.
For feeding or moving the apparatus forward towards the material to be elevated
or loaded I provide suitable means for enabling the driving wheels to be connected
with the engine by worm gearing, toothed gearing or the like, so as to produce a
slow forward and feed movement corresponding with the amount of material
removed by the elevator.
Upon the vertical side of the framing I provide moreover a suitable chute into
the upper extremity of which, or into a hopper at the upper extremity of which,
the material raised by the elevator is intended to be delivered. This chute is
pivoted to the said framing so that it may be swung or turned through a con-
siderable arc in such a manner as to effect a delivery of the material over a
comparatively wide area. I sometimes provide suitable gearing for enabling the
engine driver or other person in charge of the apparatus to move or adjust the said
chute from the platform or foot-plate.
In some instances it would be found inconvenient to construct the framing of a
sufficient height to admit of the said chute being arranged at such an angle or
inclination as to permit the material raised by the elevator to drop or fall down the
said chute by gravity. In this case I provide in the upper extremity of the said
chute, or in the said hopper at the upper extremity thereof, an endless screw or
worm, driven from the engine by means of suitable gearing. In order to admit
of the said chute being moved or rotated upon its pivots without interfering with
the driving of the said endless screw or worm I prefer to employ the following
arrangement. That is to say:-I provide a vertical shaft or spindle supported
in suitable bearings upon the hereinbefore mentioned framing and connected at its
lower extremity with an horizontal shaft or spindle by means of bevel or mitre
gearing. This horizontal shaft or spindle is connected with the crank shaft of
the engine by means of a chain and chain wheels, or in any other convenient
manner. Upon the upper extremity of the said shaft or spindle I provide more-
over another bevel or mitre wheel which gears with a bevel or mitre wheel upon
the said endless screw or worm, through the medium of a corresponding bevel or
mitre wheel supported upon a spindle secured to the underside of the chute. This
idle or intermediate bevel or mitre wheel enables the said chute to be moved or
adjusted without interfering with the motion of the said endless feed screw or worm.
In some instances the said vertical spindle forms the pivot upon which the said
chute can be rotated.
The engine is provided with reversing gear, and other usual fittings, and suitable
clutches, or other means are provided for enabling the hereinbefore mentioned
elevator, and endless feed screw or worm, or either of them to be thrown in or out
of gear as may be desired.
It will be seen that the apparatus is capable of travelling along the ground or
other surface to or from its work in a similar manner to an ordinary road locomotive,
and at any desired speed. When operating upon a heap of material the elevator
is fed towards the said heap by means of the slow movement, the said elevator and
the endless feed screw or worm being also operated simultaneously with the said
forward feed movement. The elevator can be directed towards any desired part
of the said heap by means of the hereinbefore mentioned steering wheels.
When the elevator is constructed with endless chains I prefer to form the links
of the said chains of steel and detachable. The bolts or pins for securing the
said links together are provided moreover with thimbles, sleeves, or tubular pieces
formed of steel which take the wear, and which can be readily replaced when desired.
I thus provide a travelling elevator which is exceedingly compact self-contained,
and easily managed, which is extremely efficient for loading material into trucks
or the like, and which creates a great saving of manual labour.

page_text: My improved apparatus can be very advantageously employed for loading coal
or coke, grain, sand, rubbish, or any material which is in a sufficiently fine condition,
to enable the elevator to operate upon it.
Although I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous method
of carrying my said invention into practice it is obvious that I can somewhat modify
the construction of my apparatus without however departing in any way from the
nature of my said invention. For instance instead of a combined horizontal engine
and boiler, I sometimes employ a combined vertical engine and boiler, or any other
suitable engine or motor. In place of the hereinbefore described elevator, I may
employ in combination with the said engine or motor an elevator of any well known
or suitable construction. Instead of the herein before described endless feed screw
or worm for obviating or preventing the striking or jamming of the material in
the chute, I sometimes employ an endless chain or chains, or band or bands, with
or without projections thereon, or a rammer, shaker or the like.
Dated this 18th day of September 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Elevators, Chiefly Designed for
Loading Materials into Trucks.
I, JOHN STEVENSON, of The New Conveyor Coy. Ld., 1 Metal Exchange
Buildings, in the County of London, 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:-
My invention is chiefly designed to provide for facilitating the loading of coal
and similar materials into trucks or the like.
For this purpose, I construct a portable apparatus comprising an elevator, an
adjustable chute connected therewith, and an engine or motor for working the said
elevator and for transporting the apparatus when required, and also for feeding it
slowly to its work. With this apparatus, I continuously elevate the coal or other
material from the place where it is stored, and deliver it through the said adjustable
chute into wagons or trucks on a railway-line, or into any other suitable con-
veyance. The said chute is adjustable about a vertical pivot or axis, so that the
material raised by the elevator can be delivered at any point throughout a com-
paratively wide area, without having to adjust or alter the position of the apparatus
for that purpose, and, during the feeding of the apparatus to its work, the said
chute can be adjusted as required to ensure the delivery of the material at the
desired point.
My said invention comprises, moreover, other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side clevation, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of one form of my improved apparatus.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout these figures.
A is the framing of the apparatus, B is the engine or motor, C is the elevator.
The said framing A is constructed of wood, metal or other suitable material, and
its general form is preferably that of a rectangular triangle, the elevator C being
supported upon the inclined side thereof, in such a manner as to permit the outer
edges of the buckets or scoops C of the said elevator to pass at a convenient dis-
tance from the ground or surface upon which the apparatus is standing, when the
said elevator is operated. The framing A is supported upon wheels A, A².
The motor B is secured upon the lower portion or base of the framing, and con-
sists preferably of a combined horizontal engine and boiler; the said engine is

page_text: provided with suitable reversing-gear and is connected, by means of suitable worm,
toothed or other gearing, with the wheels A', for the purpose of moving the
apparatus from place to place, or feeding it to or from its work. The axle of the
wheels A2 is mounted in a well-known manner so that it can be pivoted or turned
relatively to the framing for steering purposes, and the said wheels A2 are prefer-
ably of such diameter as to be capable of passing freely under the lower part or
base of the framing. The apparatus is, moreover, provided with suitable steering-
gear.
The elevator may consist of endless bands or chains having secured thereto, at
convenient distances apart, buckets, scoops or similar receptacles C', and mounted
upon suitable drums or pulleys D.
To admit of the said elevator being adjusted relatively to the ground or other
surface, and to provide for the tightening of the endless bands or chains thereof, I
prefer to mount the axles or shafts of the drums or pulleys D in slide-blocks or
pieces E supported in suitable ways F, which are provided upon the framing A,
and are fitted with screw-threaded spindles G by means of which the said slide-
blocks or pieces, and drums or pulleys can be moved or adjusted.
The axle or shaft of the upper drums or pulleys is connected by means of suitable
chain or belt gearing H with the engine or motor B.
I is a chute, having at its upper extremity a hopper I¹ into which the material
raised by the elevator C is to be delivered. The chute I is so connected with the
framing A that it can be swung or turned about a vertical pivot or axis through a
considerable angle, thereby enabling the delivery of the material to be effected over
a comparatively wide area. In some instances, suitable gearing is provided for
enabling the engine-driver or other person in charge, to move or adjust the said
chute from the platform or foot-plate of the apparatus.
When it is inconvenient to construct the framing A of such height that the
chute I can be arranged at a suitable angle or inclination to ensure the descent of
the material by gravity, I provide, in the said chute I, an endless chain or other
conveyor J, which is also driven from the engine or motor B by means of chain or
belt gearing or otherwise; or I provide in the upper extremity of the said chute I,
or in the said hopper I', an endless screw or worm driven from the engine by means
of suitable toothed gearing. The said gearing should be so arranged as to admit
of the chute being moved or rotated upon its pivot without interfering with the
driving of the conveyor. For this purpose, I sometimes employ the following
arrangement, that is to say :-I provide a vertical shaft or spindle supported in
suitable bearings upon the framing A and connected at its lower extremity with a
horizontal shaft or spindle by means of bevel or mitre gearing. This horizontal
shaft or spindle is connected with the crank-shaft of the engine by means of a chain
and chain-wheels, or in any other convenient manner. I connect the upper extremity
of the said shaft or spindle by suitable gear-wheels with the conveyor in such a
manner that the said chute can be moved or adjusted without interfering with the
motion of the said gearing. In some instances, the said vertical spindle forms the
pivot about which the said chute is arranged to be rotated.
K is a box or scoop firmly secured to the framing A, a short distance in front of
and at one side of the lower end of the elevator C. L is a worm or feed-screw
mounted therein and driven in any convenient manner from the engine or motor B.
M is a plate or guard for keeping the material against the said worm or screw. The
box or scoop K clears the material from the space in front of one of the wheels A',
so as to permit the feeding of the apparatus forward as the material is raised by the
elevator; the material taken up by the box or scoop K is fed or delivered in front
of the elevator by the worm or screw L.
Suitable means are provided whereby the elevator and endless chain or other
conveyor, or either of them, may be thrown in and out of gear as may be desired.
The apparatus is capable of travelling along the ground or other surface to or
from its work in a similar manner to an ordinary road-locomotive and at any desired
speed. When operating upon a heap of coal or other material, the elevator is fed

page_text: slowly towards or alongside of the said heap, the elevator and the chain or other
conveyor in the chute being simultaneously operated so as to raise and deliver the
material. The elevator can be steered or directed towards any desired part of the
said heap by means of the aforesaid steering-gear.
It is evident that, by my invention, I provide a travelling or portable apparatus
which is very compact, and is self-contained and easily managed, and which is very
efficient for loading material into trucks or the like, thus effecting a great saving of
manual labour.
My improved apparatus can be very advantageously employed for loading coal or
coke, grain, sand, rubbish or any material which is in sufficiently small pieces for
the elevator to operate thereon.
Instead of a combined horizontal engine and boiler, I sometimes employ a
combined vertical engine and boiler, or an engine or motor of any other suitable
and well known construction. I may employ, in combination with the said engine or
motor, an elevator of any suitable construction. For obviating or preventing the
sticking or jamming of the material in the chute or in the hopper at the upper end
thereof, I sometimes employ a rammer, shaker or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I claim :-
First. A portable apparatus for the purpose above specified, comprising an
elevator, an adjustable delivery-chute (with or without a conveyor) connected with
the said elevator, and an engine or motor adapted for driving the elevator (and the
conveyor if such is employed) and for moving the apparatus from place to place,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination, with the elevator, the adjustable delivery-chute and
the engine or motor, of a suitable device for clearing the material from the space in
front of the wheels on one side of the apparatus, substantially as described.
Third. The combination, with a portable apparatus such as I have hereinabove
described, of a box or scoop provided with a conveyor for feeding to the elevator
the material taken up by the said box or scoop, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing, for the purpose specified.
Dated this 16th day of June 1891.
JOHN STEVENSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.