IMPROVEMENTS IN SLINGS OR APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND PLACING BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, OR STONE, OR OTHER BLOCKS FOR CONSTRUCTING OR BUILDING BREAKWATERS, HARBOURS, DOCKS, FORESHORES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Mellor, of York, Mechanical Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLINGS OR APPARATUS FOR
LIFTING AND PLACING BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, OR STONE, OR OTHER BLOCKS FOR
CONSTRUCTING OR BUILDING BREAKWATERS, HARBOURS, DOCKS, FORESHORES FOR
Sealed the 16th September 1873, and dated the 14th May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Mellor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th May 1873.
I, GEORGE MELLOR, of York, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLINGS OR APPA-
RATUS FOR LIFTING AND PLACING BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, OR STONE, OR OTHER BLOCKS
FOR CONSTRUCTING OR BUILDING BREAKWATERS, HARBOURS, DOCKS, FORESHORES FOR
PROTECTING RIVER OR SEA BANKS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
-
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement, herein-
3:04:

page_text: blocks of concrete or stone, or other blocks for constructing or building
breakwaters, harbours, docks, foreshores for protecting river or sea banks,
and for other like purposes.
By my Invention great facility in the use of the slings is secured, and
the ordinary Lewises and the holes in the centre of the blocks for
receiving the said Lewises are rendered unnecessary.
In constructing the said slings or apparatus according to my In-
vention I arrange four clamps or angular saddles of strong iron plates
for embracing the corners of the block to be lifted, the said clamps or
saddles being lined inside with hard wood. On the outside of each of
these clamps or saddles guides or eyes are fixed, through which the sling
chains pass. By means of these guides the sling chains are preserved in
their proper places on and prevented from slipping or dropping from the
clamps or saddles. Two sling chains are used, the said chains passing
through the guides of the clamps and around the block, and meeting in
the middle on each side of the block. The ends of the sling chains are
connected together by trip hooks, to which they are hooked in the
manner herein-after described, the said hooks being carried by a bar
crossing the top of the block, to which bar the lifting chains are
shackled by two long shackles, the outer ends of which are bolted to
the cross bar and the inner ends meet over the centre of the block, and
are coupled together by a link, to which is attached the lifting chain.
The hooks to which the ends of the sling chains are connected consist
of a fixed part and a jointed arm or tongue, jointed at about the middle
of the hook. One end of each of the sling chains is linked to the fixed
part of the hook at one side of the block, and the other end of each of
the sling chains is linked to the jointed arm or tongue of the other hook
at the opposite side of the block. Each of the jointed arms or tongues
of the hooks is held in position during the lifting of the block by a catch
jointed to the fixed part of the hook in a slot, in which catch the tongue
or jointed arm of the hook engages. By tightening the lifting chain
after the sling chains have been hooked to the hooks described, the
clamps or saddles at the corners of the block are pressed firmly against
and made to grip the said block. By working the lifting chain the sling
raises the block gripped or held by it.
To the outer end of each catch of the hooks a trip line is connected,

page_text: deck of a derrick, barge, or stage, or other convenient place. When the
block of stone or other material has been lifted and placed in its position
the releasing of the sling chains is effected by pulling one of the trip
lines described. By this means the tongues or jointed arms of the hooks
are released, and the links of the sling chains engaged with them slip off
them, and all the parts are free and clear of the deposited stone and
ready for hoisting.
.
In working on land I prefer to connect to the shackles of the cross
bar described a light iron frame, from the four corners of which the
clamps or saddles herein-before described are connected by chains. The
clamps or saddles are by this means kept distended in the proper position
for dropping over the corners of the block.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Mellor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
MELLOR, of York, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Mellor, Her special
license that I, the said George Mellor, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Mellor, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SLINGS OR APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND PLACING BLOCKS OF CONCRETE, OR STONE,
OR OTHER BLOCKS FOR CONSTRUCTING OR BUILDING BREAKWATERS, HARBOURS, DOCKS,
FORESHORES FOR PROTECTING RIVER OR SEA BANKS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PUR-
POSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Mellor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing

page_text: •
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Mellor, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
5
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement, herein- 1
after described, of the parts of slings or apparatus for lifting and placing
blocks of concrete, or stone, or other blocks for constructing or building
breakwaters, harbours, docks, foreshores for protecting river or sea banks,
and for other like purposes.
By my Invention great facility in the use of the slings is secured, 1
and the ordinary Lewises and the holes in the centre of the blocks for
receiving the said Lewises are rendered unnecessary.
In constructing the said slings or apparatus according to my In-
vention I arrange four clamps or angular saddles of strong iron plates
for embracing the corners of the block to be lifted, the said clamps or
saddles being lined inside with hard wood. On the outside of each of
these clamps or saddles guides or eyes are fixed, through which the sling
chains pass. By means of these guides the sling chains are preserved in
their proper places on and prevented from slipping or dropping from the
clamps or saddles. Two sling chains are used, the said chains passing
through the guides of the clamps and around the block, and meeting in
the middle on each side of the block. The ends of the sling chains are
connected together by trip hooks, to which they are hooked in the
manner herein-after described, the said hooks being carried by a bar
crossing the top of the block, to which bar the lifting chains are
shackled by two long shackles, the outer ends of which are bolted to
the cross bar and the inner ends meet over the centre of the block, and
are coupled together by a link, to which are attached the lifting chains.
The hooks to which the ends of the sling chains are connected consist
of a fixed part and a jointed arm or tongue, jointed at about the middle
of the hook. One end of each of the sling chains is linked to the fixed
part of the hook at one side of the block, and the other end of each of

page_text: the sling chains is linked to the jointed arm or tongue of the other hook
at the opposite side of the block. Each of the jointed arms or tongues
of the hooks is held in position during the lifting of the block by a catch
jointed to the fixed part of the hook in a slot, in which catch the tongue
or jointed arm of the hook engages. By tightening the lifting chains
after the sling chains have been hooked to the hooks described, the
clamps or saddles at the corners of the block are pressed or drawn firmly
against and made to grip the said block. By working the lifting chains
the sling raises the block gripped or held by it.
To the outer end of each catch of the hooks a trip line is connected,
the said lines passing over pulley blocks, and being conducted to the
deck of a derrick, barge, or stage, or other convenient place. When the
block of stone or other material has been lifted and placed in its position
the releasing of the sling chains is effected by pulling one of the trip
lines described. By this means the tongues or jointed arms of the hooks
are released, and the links of the sling chains engaged with them slip off
them, and all the parts are free and clear of the deposited stone, and
ready for hoisting.
In working on land I prefer to connect to the shackles of the cross
bar described a light iron frame, from the four corners of which the
clamps or saddles herein-before described are connected by chains. The
clamps or saddles are by this means kept distended in the proper position
for dropping over the corners of the block.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan, Figure 2 in side elevation, and Figure 3
in end elevation, a sling or apparatus for lifting and placing blocks of
concrete and other blocks for constructing or building breakwaters and
for other purposes, the parts of the said sling or apparatus being con-
structed and arranged according to my Invention. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in each Figure.
A is the block of concrete or other block to which the sling is applied;
D, D, are the sling chains, and B are the clamps or angular saddles
situated at and made to embrace the corners of the said block A. The
said clamps or angular saddles B are lined internally with hard wood,

page_text: marked be, elm being preferred. On the outside of each of the clamps B
are eyes or guides C through which the sling chains D, D, pass.
These trip hooks
By an examination of the plan, Figure 1, it will be seen that each of
the sling chains D, D, passes round one half of the block, the ends of the
said chains meeting nearly in the middle of the two longer sides of the
said block. The ends of the sling chains D, D, are connected together
by the trip hooks E, E³, on opposite sides of the block.
are carried by a bar F crossing the top of the block. To the said bar F
two long shackles G, G, are bolted near the outer ends of the said bar
(see Figure 3), the inner ends of the said shackles meeting over the
centre of the block A, and being coupled together by the link G³, to
which link G² the lifting chains are attached. Each of the trip hooks
consists of a fixed part E which is connected by the chains. I with the
cross bar F, (see Figure 2) and a jointed arm or tongue E jointed at Es
to the fixed part E. Each of the sling chains D, D, is connected to the
trip hooks in the following manner :-One end of the sling chain is
linked by a short link to the fixed part E of the trip hook on one side of
the block A, and the other end of the said chain is linked by a long link
to the jointed arm or tongue E³ of the trip hook on the opposite side of
the block, as will be understood by an examination of Figures 1 and 2.
In Figure 1 only one trip hook is represented, and it will be understood
that the jointed arm E of the trip hook on one side of the block is
turned in a direction opposite to that of the trip hook on the opposite
side of the block. Each of the jointed arms or tongues E³ of the hooks
is held in position during the lifting of the block by the catch J, jointed
at Ja to the fixed part E of the hook. The said jointed catch J has a
slot at Js made in it, in which slot the upper end of the tongue or
jointed arm E³ of the hook engages as represented.
To the eye on the outer end of each of the jointed catches J of the
hooks a trip line L (see Figure 2) is connected. These trip lines L pass
over pulleys and are connected together and conducted to the deck of a
derrick, barge, or other convenient place. When the sling chains D, D,
have been passed through the eyes C of the clamps or saddles B, and
connected to the trip hooks E, E³, in the manner described, the
tightening of the lifting chains connected to the link G³ causes the 8
said clamps or saddles to be drawn or pressed firmly against and made
to grip the block A. By then working the lifting chains the sling
raises the block gripped or held by it. When the block A has been

page_text: lifted and placed in its position either on a truck or barge, or break-
water, the releasing of the sling chains D, D; is effected by pulling one
of the trip lines L. On pulling the said line the catches J are lifted and
disengaged from the tongues or jointed arms E' of the trip hooks, which
tongues or jointed arms turn on their centres, and the links of the sling
chains slip off them. The clamps or saddles B are thus released from
the corners or angles of the deposited block A, and are free to be hoisted
from the said block.
The light iron frame which I prefer to use in combination with my
improved sling, when the latter is used on land or on a steady platform,
is marked H. From the four corners of the said frame H the clamps or
saddles B are suspended by chains h'. By the use of the said frame H
the clamps B are kept distended or supported at the required distances
apart for dropping over the corners of the block A. It has been found
impracticable to use the said frame H when the sling is used on a
derrick, barge, or other floating body. In the latter case I dispense with
the iron frame H, and suspend the clamps B by chains from the link G*
to which the lifting chains are connected.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and
illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in
slings or apparatus for lifting and placing blocks of concrete, or stone, or
other blocks for constructing or building breakwaters, harbours, docks,
foreshores for protecting river or sea banks, and for other like pur-
poses,
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for connecting
the lifting chains with the block to be lifted, that is to say, arranging at
the corners or angles of the block clamps or angular saddles, which are
drawn firmly against and made to grip the block by the tightening of
the lifting chains, the said lifting chains acting upon the clamps or
angular saddles through sling chains, substantially as described and
illustrated; also the combination with the said clamps or angular saddles
of a light iron frame as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for connecting

page_text: the sling chains with the lifting chains, and also for connecting the ends
of the sling chains together.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Mellor, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
GEORGE MELLOR. (L.S.)