An Improvement in Overhead Travelling Cranes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Overhead Travelling Cranes.
JOHN MARSHALL Engineer JOHN FLEMING Engineer ALEXANDER JACK
Engineer all of Dellburn Works Motherwell, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In overhead travelling hand cranes where the motions of cross-travelling and
longitudinal travelling are actuated from the crab, we drive both these motions
from the same hand shaft, as follows,
A pinion on the hand shaft gears into either of two spur wheels, one of these is
keyed to the axle, the other runs loose upon it. The latter again gears into a third
wheel keyed to a shaft passing through the frame of the crab and driving a cross
shaft which in turn actuates the travelling gear at both ends of the crane. Thus
the same hand shaft drives both the longitudinal & cross-travelling motions, the
change from the one to the other being made by sliding the hand shaft on end or
by sliding the pinion along the shaft and putting it in gear either with one wheel
or the other.
Dated this 12th dar of Ail 1901
JOHN MARSHALL..
JOHN
FLEMING.
ALEXANDER JACK.
An Improvement in Overhead Travelling Cranes.
We, JOHN MARSHALL, Airbles Street, Engineer, JOHN FLEMING, Millar
Street, Engineer, and ALEXANDER JACK, Brandon Street, Engineer, all of
Dellburn Works Motherwell Lanarkshire, 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 and connected with the methods for
actuating the cross travelling and longitudinal travelling motions of overhead
travelling hand cranes, and is more particularly applicable when the cranes
are operated by hand power and when all the motions are actuated from the
crab.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to construct the crab with two hand
shafts, one of which is used for hoisting in the ordinary way, and the other is
arranged to drive both the cross travelling and the longitudinal travelling motions
together or separately as desired. And in order that the said invention may be
properly understood we append a drawing whereon Figs. I, II and III are
respectively the front elevation, end elevation and plan of the crab of an overhead
travelling hand crane showing one method of its application when the gearing is
single purchase.
A, is a spur pinion keyed to the hand shaft B. C and D are spur wheels on an
axle E of the crab. C is keyed fast to the axle while D runs loose.
In the position shown, with the pinion A engaging with the spur.wheel C, any

page_text: motion communicated to the shaft B is transmitted to the axle E, and the crab
travels across the crane. But by sliding the pinion A along its shaft, or in some
cases by sliding shaft and pinion together, A. will free itself from C and engage
with D.
If motion be now communicated to the hand shaft B, the pinion A will drive
the wheel D which, running loose on the axle, communicates no motion to it, but
acts as an idle or intermediate wheel driving another wheel F, keyed to a shaft G
which is geared to a cross shaft H, by bevel wheels in the usual way, and travels
the crane longitudinally.
Where there is double gear between the hand shaft B and the axle E, the
sliding pinion and the two wheels with which it gears may be either on the
1st power or the second power shaft.
The arrangement shown in Figs. I II and III, is that which we preferably
follow, but if necessary the relative positions of shafts B and G may be so altered
that the pinion A will engage directly with the wheel F and the use of the idle
wheel D, dispensed with. Or, we may use two pinions on the hand shaft, one for
each motion, each pinion permanently in gear with its spur wheel but not keyed to
the shaft. Either, or both the cross travelling and longitudinal travelling motions
are then started by clutches, locking one or both pinions to the shaft as may be
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
(1.) The application of a single hand shaft with a sliding pinion or pinions
gearing into either of two spur wheels, to drive both the cross travelling and
longitudinal travelling motions of overhead hand cranes.
(2.) In overhead travelling cranes the combination of a sliding pinion on the
hand shaft with a fast and a loose wheel on the axle of the crab, and a third
wheel gearing into the loose wheel, substantially as hereinbefore described and
.shown.
(3.) In overhead travelling cranes the combination of a single hand shaft with
pinions gearing into two spur wheels, one of which drives the cross travelling and
the other the longitudinal travelling motion, substantially as hereinbefore described
and specified.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895.
JOHN MARSHALL.
JOHN
FLEMING.
ALEXANDER JACK.