Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Tipping of Coal and other Materials from Railway Wagons.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec. 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Tipping of Coal
and other Materials from Railway Wagons.
L, WILLIAM SHAPTON of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
―
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for facilitating the
tipping of coal and other materials from railway wagons.
I employ a cradle similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent
No. 5480 in the year 1882 but differing in some important particulars.
These cradles as described in the said specification are so made that the wagon can
only run on and off at one end the rails on the cradle being turned up at one end to
stop the wagon when in position. I attain this end by means of hooks jointed to the
cradle and by a movable handle these hooks can be raised into position to engage the
leading axle of the wagon in running on. They can also be lowered down out of
the way so that the wagon can run over the hooks in running off. I provide a
gantry crane to lift the cradle.
I joint to the gantry two ramps one on either side and when the cradle is lowered
it desconds between these ramps which guide the cradle to its place on the rails always
truly beneath the lifting tackle.
The ramps also carry the inclines which lead the wheels of the wagon up from the
railway rails on to the rails laid upon the cradle; and down which also the wheels
descend as the wagon runs off. I provide additional rails to aid in supporting the
ramps.
Sometimes I employ a jib crane instead of a gantry crane in which case I clamp
the ramps to these supporting rails so that they may not shift thoir positions in
working.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Tipping of 'Coal
and other Materials from Railway Wagons.
T, WILLIAM SHAPTON of 8 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster, Civil
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 :—
I employ to lift the wagon in which the mineral is contained a cradle similar in
some respects to that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to Percy
Graham Buchanan Westmacott No. 5480 in the year 1882 but differing from it in
some important particulars.
The cradle is so constructed that a full wagon may be run on to it at one end and
after tipping the empty wagon may be run off from it at the other end. The cradle is
used in connection with ramps, and these enable the cradle to receive the wagon at
any point along the line of railway.
The cradle and ramps can be used either with a jib crane or with a gantry crane
but in the two cases the ramps are somewhat differently arranged.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION Ur THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cradle as it appears when suspended; the position
of the wagon upon it is indicated, one half of the wagon being shown in dotted lines
and the suspending tackle is also shown but in separate parts, the sheet not being
sufficiently large for the figure.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same parts.
Figure 3 is a plan of the cradle.
Figure 4 is a half plan of the moveable ramps as employed with a jib crane; the
railway rails and the supporting rails are also shewn.
Figure 5 is a half side elevation, and
Figure 6 is a half end elevation of the parts shewn in the plan.
Figure 7 shews to a smaller scale an end elevation of the lower part of the framing
of a gantry crane with the ramps in two parts jointed to it. The cradle is represented
in its place and a wagon is indicated upon it.
a is the cradle frame, bb are the rails upon the cradle frame which receive the
wagon, c care two hooks which can be raised to engage with the fore axle of the
wagon and retain it so that the wagon cannot run off when the hinder end of
the cradle is raised in tipping to discharge the contents of the wagon. The hooks c
are carried upon an axis on which is an arm with an arc of teeth d.
The teeth of the arc engage with a pinion and on the same axis with the pinion is a
handle è by means of which the hooks can be raised into position.
After the wagon has been lifted and emptied and the cradle lowered down again
these hooks descend out of the way and the wagon runs over them in passing off from
the cradle.
The cradle is provided with lugsff at its four corners and these are so formed as
to cooperate with the rainps to lead the cradle into position when it is lowered down
between the ramps on to the railway rails: 9 9 is the lifting tackle connected with
the four lugs of the cradle. is the tipping tackle connected with the two lugs at the
hinder end of the cradle.
In Figures 4, 5, and 6, only one half of the frame is shown as the two ends of the
frame are in all respects similar; and so are also the two sides.
...are the ramps, they constitute. a rectangular frame which rests upon the railway
line kk and upon the additional supporting rails. The rails also serve for the
jib crane to run upon. The crane can put the ramps down on the rails in any desired
position and they are then secured to the rails by the screw clips m m.
are
the inclined sides and ends of the ramps which serve to lead the cradle to its
place when it is lowered down. nn are the inclines fixed to the ramps which rest
upon the rails kk and sarye to lead the wheels of the wagons on to and from the
rails on the cradle. When the cradle is in place the upper ends of the inclines >
are continuous with the rails bb.
-In Figure 7-o o are the two side frames of a gantry crane for lifting a cradle
such as described. p p are the ramps, in this case they are in two parts one on
either side and hinge jointed to the frames o o at o o; otherwise they are in all
respects as already described. The ramps are supported by rails as before but
other rails q q are provided for the crane to travel along.
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:-
1. A cradle substantially as described with rails upon it so arranged as to admit of
wagons running on to it at one end and off at the other and with hooks jointed to
the cradle to hold the wagon during tipping and gear for raising the books as herein
set forth.
2. The moveable ramps substantially as described carrying the inclines over which

page_text: the wheels run as the wagon ascends into and descends from the cradle and which
ramps also serve to direct the cradle to its place on the railway line as herein set
forth.
3. The combination substantially as described consisting of the cradle the moveable
ramps and their supporting rails on either side of the railway line as herein set
forth.
4. The combination substantially as described consisting of the cradle, and moveable
ramps carried upon the framing of a gantry crane as herein set forth.
Dated this 25th day of September 1889.
W ML.
W.
M. SHAPTON.