Year: 1888

page_text: I JAMES PRICE, Junior of 44 Harcourt Street, Dublin, Ireland, Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and mode of operating
dredging apparatus, whereby the same may be utilized with greater facility, and
efficiency than hitherto so far as I am aware.
My Invention deals in the first instance with the construction of the buckets which
consist of one complete ring, or belt combined with two half rings, connected rigidly
together by cottered pins passing through circular holes at opposite extremities of a
diameter in the complete ring, or belt in such a way that one of the half rings,
works outside the complete ring, and the other half ring works inside the opposite
half of the complete ring. To the outer half ring and the outer half of the
complete ring, plates, or teeth are attached as required to make up the bucket.
To the inner portion of the complete ring, and the inner half ring pulleys are
attached for closing the bucket with a chain, these inner arms thus forming lever
handles to close each half of the bucket as they are drawn together.
To the outer portion of the bucket so formed linked bars are hinged, connected
together at the top catch block which consists of a block of iron or steel with
trunnions projecting from each side, and a hook for the dead end of the chain on the
other side. At the side of the block is pivoted a trigger, which when set free shuts
in against the lifting chain and stops the bucket closing-Either outside or inside
the catch block a sliding piece is arranged with a disk at the top which is caught by
opening hooks in the crane head and when raised sets the trigger free to act
on chain.
When dropped the shock drives down the slide which puts the trigger out of gear
and allows the grab to close.
The bucket may also be operated in combination with a pole as follows. To the
pivots which connect the inner and the outer half rings an iron fork is attached the
arms of which are connected parallel at the top and between this parallel part a slide
block works each side of which is attached to the linked bars which suspend the

page_text: bucket Through the centre of the slide the pole passes after passing through a
harrow portion at the top of the parallel bars of the fork-To the lower end of the
pole a stop piece is attached which keeps the pole true between the parallels.
With a gripper or star wheel attached to the head of every crane the pole may be
held so as either to allow the grab to open when raised or to be held into its work
when filling.
The lifting chain closes in the same manner as in the first method of operating
bucket.

page_text: I JAMES PRICE Junior of 44 Harcourt Street Dublin, Ireland 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction, and mode of working
dredging apparatus whereby the same may be utilized with greater facility, and
efficiency than hitherto, so far as I am aware.
My invention deals in the first instance with the construction of the bucket; and
in the second place with arrangements for operating same, and will be readily under-
stood on reference to the accompanying Drawings whereof there are four sheets
containing in all six views. Fig. 1. represents a transverse section showing one form
of bucket made according to my invention and also mode of operating same-Fig. 2.
is a longitudinal section of portion of Fig. 1.-Fig. 3. is a transverse section of Fig.1.
showing the bucket open-Fig. 4 represents another form of bucket arranged as a
digger, and operated by pole and star wheel as hereinafter more fully described.
Fig. 5. is a section on line X X Fig. 4.--and Fig. 6 is a cross section of Fig. 4.
showing the bucket open.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and
likewise similar letters indicate corresponding parts in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
In fig. 1, the bucket is shown closed, lifting a load-A and A', are quarter spheres
of steel plate to which the bow levers B and B are rivetted rigidly, so that A and B
being connected work together, and A and B' likewise work together while turning
freely on the centre C-D and D' are suspension rods, the lower ends of which are
fastened to the quarter spheres (A and A¹) at opposite extremities of a diameter, and
the upper ends of which are secured to the trunnion pivot E, in the head piece G
(Fig. 2).
F, F, are pulleys whereby the lever arms B and B' are worked and F¹ is a similar guide
pulley working in the head piece; J is a slieve piece which slides freely on the
casting G and which gears with the catch trigger Q which grips the chain and
prevents the bucket from being closed when discharging its load as shown in
Fig. 3.
For the purpose of opening the grab or bucket a block L is suspended by four
adjustable chains M, M, from the sheave casting of the crane head-From this block
are hung four hooks N. N. and through its centre is passed a flanged tube O, provided
with a disc P, secured by adjustable lock nuts, or otherwise, so that when the tube
drops down through the block, the disc keeps the hooks separated as in Fig. 1. And
when the tube is pressed upwards the hooks close in and grip the flange of the slieve
piece J, as in Fig. 3.
The action of this form of apparatus may be described as follows.
In Fig. 1, the Grab is shown rising with a load, and as it rises the top of the
casting G strikes the disc tube O, lifting same and freeing the hooks N, Ń which
drop in, and grip the flange of the slieve piece J.
The lifting chain K is then slacked, and the weight of the grab or bucket draws the

page_text: head piece G down until the slieve J takes the position shown in Fig. 3, when the
trigger is then free to act.
The slacking of the chain is continued till the Grab is full open, and the load
discharged (Fig. 3).
Then the main chain is tightened and the trigger grips the chain and prevents
the grab closing, at the same time jambing the slieve piece close, up to the flange I,
at top of casting G.
The slight lift that now takes place causes the flange of the slieve piece J, to
force open the hooks N, sufficiently to allow the disc P to drop between them keeping
them open and thus setting the Grab free for lowering.
The Grab is then lowered open, and in its descent pulls off the chain until it
strikes the bottom to be dredged.
The shock thus caused with the consequent slackness of the chain is sufficient to shake
down the slieve piece J into the position shown in Fig. 1. whereby the trigger Qis
thrown out of gear, and the chain set free which is then wound in and closes the Grab
by drawing together the two lever arms B and B¹.
The form of the quarter spheres A and A' may be varied according to the nature
of the work to be done.
If a level bottom must be left, they may take the form of quarter cylinders. If
the material to be dredged be stiff clay (such as made embankments or dams) the
quarter spheres are provided with steel teeth rivetted to the lower edges.
Again if the material be quarry rubbish, coal, or stones, they may consist of a
number of straps forming a crib bucket.
The form shown in the Drawings is that considered from experience of working,
most suitable for soft material such as dock cleaning, silt, sand, or small ballast, or for
cylinder sinking.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6, illustrate the formation of the Grab when used as a digger and
mode of operating same by pole and star wheel arrangement.
As will be seen the construction of the Grab in this case is similar to that already
described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with the exception that instead of using
quarter spheres, cylinders are substituted consisting of segments of metal A and A
with steel teeth a, a, a attached-These cylinders are closed and opened by the bow
levers B and B as in the former case-On the pivots C C turns freely the jaw piece J
from which rises two pieces of Channel iron N, N' forming slides with a top stop
piece I Through this stop piece slides freely the rack M which has guide pieces 0, 0,
attached to its lower end. This rack may be of any suitable length-The pulley Fi
is carried on the sliding block G-The suspension rods D and D₁ are hung on the
pins E and E-The top pulley of the crane is shown at P, over which the lifting
chain passes, and S is a star wheel keyed to the same shaft as the break drum T,
carried on the extended portion of the crane head-This drum is fitted with a band
brake actuated by a rod worked either by screw or lever.
The action is as follows-In Fig. 4 the Grab is shown rising with a load, when at
any desired height the brake is put on, and the main chain then slacked when the
Grab will remain suspended from the star wheel S.
The slacking is then continued until the Grab is full open and the load discharged
as in Fig. 6.
The main chain and the brake band are then both thrown loose and the grab allowed
to drop down till it strikes the bottom when the band brake is again gripped which
causes the rack M, to press on the jaw J and thus keep the Grab buried into its
work, until it is closed by the pulling in, of the lifting chain. When the Grab is
thus closed the band brake is slacked and it is ready for lifting, when the above
described action is repeated.
This form of Grab is specially designed for dredging in stiff clay, and making
river embankments from side cuttings-It would also be found suitable for railway
cutting in any material except rock, or blue boulder clay. The arrangement can be
worked on any ordinary hand, or steam crane with the alteration only of the head
piece and sheave.

page_text: Amongst the advantages of the invention may be mentioned the following.
(1) Capability of being worked on any crane by one man.
Lightness as compared with capacity.
(3) Light head gear causing little shock to machinery when dropped.
(4) Capability of lifting large boulders, owing to absence of any cross axle.
Speed of working.
(6) Adjustability of speed of drop.
Good distribution of strains which allows lightness of all the parts.
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.
First In apparatus used for dredging, the arrangement and combination of
bucket sides A and A' and bow levers B and B₁ in the manner substantially as
herein specified and set forth.
Second In apparatus used for dredging, the method of closing with pulleys F, F,
on the bow levers, and one end of the chain pulling down the head piece, and thus
acting to compress the suspension rods D, D³, in the manner substantially as herein
described.
Third-In dredging apparatus the combination formed by the head piece G, the
slieve piece J, and the trigger Q, all arranged and operating as described and illustrated
in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, of accompanying drawings.
Fourth In dredging apparatus the combination formed by the pole M, the
vertical guide pieces N, N, the jaw J, the star wheel S, and break drum T, all
arranged and operating substantially in the manner, and for the purpose as herein
specified and illustrated in Figs. 4. 5. and 6. of accompanying Drawings.
Dated this Thirteenth day of March 1889.
J. K. FAHIE & SON,
9, Westland Row, Dublin,
Agents.