IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND DELIVERING GRAIN OR OTHER MATERIAL ON TO AN ELEVATED PLATFORM OR FLOOR to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: TROYIDIONAL DI PULTIVATION
I FRANCIS LEY of Vulcan Iron Works Derby, Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
RAISING AND DELIVERING GRAIN OR OTHER MATERIAL ON TO AN ELEVATED
PLATFORM OR FLOOR to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for raising and
delivering grain or other material on to an elevated platform or floor.
In the apparatus which I employ for this purpose there is a pair of horizontal
and parallel girders mounted at their ends upon wheels capable of traversing along
rails. These girders are immediately beneath the floor or platform to which the
material is required to be elevated, and over the basement of the building or other
place from which the material is to be taken.
The length of the girders corresponds to the width of the receiving floor and the
rails along which they are able to traverse extend from end to end of this floor so
that the apparatus is able to command the whole arca.
The girders receive between them a frame on which an endless chain with
buckets is mounted. The frame is mounted upon trunnions and these trunnions
are carried in bearings upon the girders.
By an axis at the trunnions and by suitable driving gear motion is imparted to
the endless chain of buckets as usual in elevators Driving gear is also provided to
cause the girders to traverse when necessary along the rails beneath the receiving
floor.
The elevated floor is provided with flap doors at suitable distances apart, which
are opened to admit of the frame with the endless chain and elevating buckets
projecting upwards through the floor; at other times these flap doors are closed and
the grain or other material may be deposited over them.
By inclining the frame carrying the buckets, these can be made to dip down
amongst the grain or material to be raised; this may be laid in a heap or coutained
in a railway truck, a canal boat or storage bin or other receptacle according to the
circumstance of the particular case.

page_text: For the purpose of moving the clevating apparatus from place to place, the frame
with the endless chain of buckets is first brought to a horizontal position between
its two supporting girders, and the whole is then traversed along the supporting
rails to the position required; then the flap doors of the receiving floor having
been opened the elevator frame is turned about its trunnions, being raised at one
end so as to pass through the floor whilst at its other end it is lowered amongst
the grain or material to be taken up by the chain of buckets.
An elevator thus constructed is available for delivering grain or other material
at any point upon a floor of considerable width and of any length.
Dated thin 4th dow of Cambahan 100%

page_text: I FRANCIS LEY of Vulcan Iron Works Derby Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
RAISING AND DELIVERING GRAIN OR OTHER MATERIAL ON TO AN ELEVATED
"
PLATFORM OR FLOOR and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for raising and
delivering grain or other material on to an elevated platform or floor.
The apparatus which I employ for this purpose is intended to meet frequently
occuring requirements, of material of some kind having from time to time to be
raised from one floor in a building to the one above it, but delivered at different
places on this upper floor. Instead of employing fixed elevators at each of the
places where the matorial intermittently has to be delivered, the same ends can be
attained by the use of my apparatus. The apparatus can also be used for elevating
material from railway trucks or barges onto a raised floor.
The apparatus is composed of a frame supporting an endless elevator, which
frame pivoted in the centre, can be canted and held in any position between
desirable limits in a vertical plane. The supports for it rest on the centres of
two parallel girders attached at each end to a carriage, which can be run on rails
in a direction lengthways of the building. By means of an endless rope, passing
over pulleys at each extremity of the distance traversed, and driven as may be
convenient, the gears both for traversing and elevating can be worked. It is
obvious that the two gears must not be worked at the same time also that means
must be provided for allowing either gear easily to be thrown into or out of
operation. Near each of the places on the upper floor where the material handled
has to be delivered an opening of a sufficient size and in a suitable position has to
bo provided. In order then to deliver at any particular place, the elevator frame
being brought in a nearly horizontal position, so as to bring it below the upper
floor, it is by means of the carriages above referred to run under the corresponding
opening, then canted in the most convenient position for elevating and the elevating
gear brought in operation. This proceeding has naturally to be repeated at each of
the places the elevator is intended to supply. The advantages gained by an
elevator of this kind over a number of intermittently working fixed ones are
obvious and numerous. Not only are both floors in this case free from any
obstruction, but in addition the advantage arising from ability to dispense with
the necessarily many transmissions needed for several elevators constitutes an
mportant consideration.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have shown various views of elevating
apparatus constructed in the manner I prefer for carrying out my invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation on a small scale of the elevating apparatus with some
of the parts omitted. Figure 2 is a side elevation on a larger scale. Figure 3 is a

page_text: .
transverse vertical section and Figure 4 a part end view on the same scale as
Figure 2.
-
In these figures A is the swinging elevator frame pivoted at the centre on the
shaft this shaft being free to revolve in the sleeve t attached to the frame and
by means of which it is supported. B and B are the girders in the centres of
which the pedestals C and C supporting the shaft H are fastened. D and D' are
the carriages or wheel frames, to which the girders are attached. E and E¹ are the
traversing wheels running on the rails F and F'. The distance from the floor to
the rails depends on the length of the swinging frame and on some other con-
siderations determined by the requirements of any particular case.
G is a rope
wheel (double grooved) operated by the endless rope referred to. This wheel is
keyed to the shaft H extending to nearly half the length of the girders. The
further extremity of this shaft passes through a bevel wheel J operating the
elevating gear, but is not keyed to it. In like manner it passes through a spur
pinion K near its other end. Both the bevel wheel J and the spur pinion K form
at the ends opposite to each other part of a clutch coupling. Between these two
wheels there are two counterparts L and L' of the just mentioned coupling parts
sliding on feather keys on the shaft. These coupling parts L and L' are connected
together by a wrought iron pipe M of somewhat larger internal diameter than the
shaft, by which any lateral motion of the one is partaken of to the same extent by
the other. This connecting piece is not however intended to transmit any torsional
strain whatever, each coupling part sliding on a feather key. On the pipe M there
are fastened two collars N and N₁ at a convenient distance between each other, and
in the annular space thus formed, two pins fastened to the levers O, O, project.
The levers O, O, being rotated on the shaft P by means of the lever Q and the
ropes fastened to each end of it, a lateral motion of the pipe M and the therewith
connected coupling parts L and L' is produced by which either the one or the
other is caused to engage with its counterpart on the bevel wheel J or the spur
pinion K or both placed. in a position where they are disengaged in which laiter
case the shaft H revolves free and in which relative position the coupling parts
are shown on the drawing. The spur pinion K gears into the wheel R which is
keyed to the shaft S extending the whole length of the girders from one wheel
frame to the other and supported by the bearings. T and T¹. On this shaft S two
pinions U and U' gearing into the wheels V and V₁ keyed to the shafts on which
the traversing wheels E and E¹ are shrunk. The bevel wheel J on the other hand
gears into the bevel wheel W keyed on the shaft X supporting the elevator frame
but which shaft as already has been mentioned is free to revolve relative to the
frame. On the other end of the shaft X a chain wheel Y is keyed from which the
motion is transmitted by means of a driving chain to the chain wheel Y¹ keyed on
the shaft a which drives the elevator wheel Z. This last is also a chain wheel as
also is the wheel on the other end of the frame. The elevator chain runs over
these two wheels. It will consequently be seen that when the bevil wheel J revolves
with the shaft H it causes a motion of a certain velocity of the elevator chain, this
velocity in relation to that of the shaft H depending on the ratio between the
wheels J and W and on the size of the chain wheels. On the other hand when
the spur pinion K is revolving with the shaft H the traversing velocity in relation
to that of the shaft H depends on the compound ratio of the wheel pairs K and R
and U and V and the size of the traversing wheels. It is consequently very easy
in designing an elevator of this class to have both the traversing and elevating
speed conform with the practically established most satisfactory values for any
particular case the speed of the rope being given or chosen.
From the construction it will be seen that in order to obtain a reversed traversing
motion, from that resulting from the shaft H revolving in a certain direction it
cannot be brought about except by reversing the motion of this shaft itself. There
must consequently be provided ready means of reversing the motion of the endless
rope.

page_text: The contrivance employed for canting the elevator frame which through its mode
of suspension is nearly balanced consists of a chain b fastened near each end of the
frame and running over a chain wheel c keyed to the shaft & supported by the
brackets e.
On the shaft d there is also keyed a worm wheelf which is rotated
by the worm g fastened to the shaft h to which the chain wheel i in like manner is
secured. This wheel is worked by the chain j reaching to near the lower floor.
It is consequently readily seen that by pulling the chain j. in either direction a
corresponding canting motion is imparted to the frame A. By using a worm gear
the apparatus is self locking in any position..
As already has been stated the lever Q is partly rotated between certain limits by
means of two ropes fastened to each end of it and reaching to near the ground floor.
As is understood this rotation may cause one of the couplings for the traversing
or elevating gear to engage. It being necessary to provide for some axial pressure
on the coupling when in gear to prevent its disengaging various devices can be
used to accomplish this purpose. The arrangement shown to which no importance
is attached and to which it is not proposed to remain bound consists of a thin iron
bar and a sufficiently heavy weight 1. The ends of the ropes m and m¹ aro
fastened to the bar k in such a manner that when the couplings have the relative
position to each other shown in the drawing the ropes hang vertically and the
bar has a horizontal position. In the centre of tho bar k there is a notch of a
length corresponding to that of the weight which has a rectangular hole through
its centro of a size sufficient to allow of it being easily slid along the bar. When
the bar is in a horizontal position and the weight dropping down between the
vertical edges of the notch, its position is evidently secured and it resists in
proportion to its weight any attempt to bring the bar out of its position and at the
same time against any accidental tendency or cause to slide the couplings in gear.
To engage either of the couplings the weight is lifted up sufficiently to clear the
upper edge of the bar and slid towards the slide which corresponds to the coupling
to be engaged. The bark consequently takes an inclined position and when the
coupling once is in gear the weight supplies the axial force needed to keep it in
gear.
It would obviously be attended by very serious consequences to the whole
construction were the traversing gear to be put in motion while the elevator
frame projects through one of the openings in the upper floor. To guard against
carelessness or accident some automatic contrivance has to be provided which
effectually will prevent this contingency. The device shown in the drawing
consists of a bracket n fastened to one side of the upper end of the swinging
frame. When the frame is brought into a nearly horizontal position this bracket
engages with a bell crank shaped lever o imparting to it a rotary motion as
the frame descends. The other arm of the lever has a weight 8 attached to it.
This lever o is keyed to the shaft p supported by the pedestal q. To this shaft p
is also keyed a lever r which is of a size and in a position to allow it to be rotated
between the coupling parts belonging to the traversing gear, when disengaged,
The relative positions of the levers to each other and the angular position of the
elevator frame are so chosen that when the frame is in its lowest position and the
bracket n having pressed the lever o into a certain position the lever does not
offer any hindrance against the coupling parts which operate the traversing gear
engaging. But when the frame is being raised the traversing gear naturally then
disengaged and the bracket n releasing the lever o the weight a descends causing
the lever r to rise until it strikes against the shaft H and thus forms an absolute
obstacle against any attempt to throw the traversing gear into operation while the
elevator frame is not in a safe position to allow of it.
It is evident that various modifications may be made in the arrangement of
gearing for traversing the carriages, for canting the elevator frame and for driving
the elevator I do not therefore limit my claim to the precise arrangement of the
gearing shown in the drawing.

page_text: 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 combination of an elevator frame rotted at its centro to the centre of
girders which at their ends are attached to carriages which run on parallel rails
substantially as described.
2. The combination of apparatus for raising and delivering grain or other
material on to an elevated platform or floor substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed..