IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Barclay, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 27th October 1877, and dated the 5th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Barclay at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1877.
ANDREW BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING APPARATUS."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in excavating apparatus, has
reference to that class of such apparatus cominonly known as steam navvies."
"
The present improvements consist, firstly, in placing on the jib of the crane which
suspends the shovel or scoop, a second engine or pair of engines, geared either
directly or indirectly to a shaft or wheel carrying the chain, by which the thrust
arm of the shovel or scoop is drawn or forced outwards or inwards. This same
engine or pair of engines is coupled by bevilled gearing or its equivalent to a
vertical shaft, which carries at its lower end a pinion, or is coupled to a screw shaft,
by means of either of which the crane is slued round into any required position.
A platform or stage is fixed upon the crane in the neighbourhood of the engines,
and near to it are handles for the purpose of actuating the reversing gear of the
other engines by which the shovel or scoop is operated. Near or upon the stage or
platform there are also treadles or handles for actuating the slueing gear, and a
friction brake, when such is used.
By means of these arrangements, one engineman standing upon the before-
mentioned platform or stage can perform all the operations required for actuating
the excavator.
In addition to the foregoing improvements, besides operating the entire machine
by one man, as herein-before described, in cases where heavy and constant work is
required, a second man may be employed for operating both the raising and lowering
engines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Andrew Barclay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th January
1878.
ANDREW BARCLAY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN EXCAVATING APPARATUS."
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in excavating apparatus, has
reference to that class of such apparatus commonly known as "steam navvies."
And in order that my said Invention. may be. fully understood, I have hereunto
appended two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in the several Figures of which
corresponding parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
On Sheet 1 of the Drawings I have indicated that part only of my Invention
which relates to the arrangements for slueing the crane of the apparatus and its
appendages; a modification of the slueing mechanism, together with the other parts
of my improvements, being fully shown on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a side elevation of the carriage and crane to the under part
of the jib A, of which the second set of engines B is shown attached. The engines B
rotate the crank shaft C, which, by means of the spur pinion and wheel D and E,
shown in dotted lines, actuate the horizontal shafts and F¹ and the vertical
shaft G by means of the bevil gearing H and I. At the lower end of the vertical
shaft G is a spur pinion J, which gears into the spur circle K fixed at the foot of
the crane post L,.and concentric therewith. Accordingly then to the direction in
which the engines B are driven, so is the slueing gear, consisting of the shafts and
gearing, herein-before described, rotated, and the crane moved round on its post L
in a right or left hand direction. To the jib A. there is fixed the platform M upon
which the engineman stands, and the bevil pinion H on the shaft F is provided
with the clutch fork O for throwing it in and out of gear with the other bevil
pinion on the horizontal shaft F1, when required to use the engines B for slueing
the crane or for operating the digging or excavating bucket, as herein-after described
with respect to Sheet 2 of the Drawings. The clutch fork O, as more particularly
seen at Figure 2 (Sheet 1) which is an end elevation of a portion of the jib, showing
*parts of the frames A, of which it is constituted, is coupled, by means of a rod P
connected to the shaft and lever P¹, to a treadle or lever Q, by which the attendant
'standing on the platform M can, by pressing his foot upon, throw the bevil gearing into
or out of gear; or if he is not standing upon the platform but on the ground, he can
operate the clutch gear by applying his hand to the treadle or lever Q. The shaft R,
which is that by the action of which, in hauling in a chain, the digging or excavating
bucket is operated, is also provided with a clutch, not shown in the Drawings, for
throwing it into or out of gear with the engines when required.
On Sheet 2 of the Drawings, the slueing gear, in. place of being operated by the
- engines attached to the jib A, is driven from the main engine B¹ on the carriage.
The arrangements by which this is effected are shown by Figures 1 and 2, which
. are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the "steam navvy" with my improve-
ments applied thereto. From the crank shaft of the engine the horizontal shaft 1
is driven by bevil gearing, as shown. The bevil pinions 2 are fitted with a clutch 3,
as more particularly seen in Figure 2, which is thrown into gear by means of an
ordinary clutch lever, not shown in the Drawings, with either of the pinions 2,
according to the direction in which it is desired to slue the crane. The horizontal
shaft 1 is provided with a tangent screw 4 which gears into a corresponding worm
wheel attached to the foot of the jib, and by the action of which, as they are
operated from the engine B¹, the slueing is effected. Steam is led from the boiler
to the second pair of engines by the pipes.S which are fitted above the centre of
the crane post L with a joint T, capable of being rotated. with the crane, and the
arrangements in other respects are such that one attendant standing near the main
engines B¹ can start or stop the engines B, or if the attendant should be near the
engines B, he can start or stop the engines B¹. The means by which one engineman

page_text: is thus enabled to operate both pairs of engines, consists of the system of levers and
coupling rods, seen in side elevation at Figure 1 (Sheet 2). The lever 5 is the
ordinary starting lever for the engines B¹, and it is formed with a short arm by
which it is coupled, through the rod 6, to the short arm 7 of the lever S. The
lever 8 is carried by a bracket 9 attached to the crane post L, and its form is that
of a slightly elliptical ring surrounding the crane post L, as shown in plan of this
part at Figure 3.
The purpose of forming the lever S in this oval form is that it may either operato
or be operated by the lever 9' at whatever angle the crane A may occupy with
respect to the carriage. The lever 9' is connected by the rod 10 to the lever 11
near the platform M. It will thus be seen that the attendant can not only start
and stop the engines B, when standing near them, by the handle or lever 5 operating
the regulator in the ordinary manner, but he can also perform the same operation
when on the platform M or near it, by means of the lever 11. In a similar manner,
that is to say, by a second set of levers and rods, like those numbered from 5 to 11,
now last described, the attendant may start or stop the engines B when standing on
the carriage in the neighbourhood of the engines B'.
Further, by means of additional sets of such levers and rods the reversing gear
or the several clutches and brakes with which each engine is provided, may be
operated without requiring the attendant to move from the place at or near to
either engine which he for the time occupies, and thus the necessity for a second
attendant is avoided.
In place of carrying the system of levers and rods, now last described, in the
position shown at Figure 1 (Sheet 2) they may be carried at a high level, as shown
in the diagram, Figure 4. In this case, at 12, the levers 13 and 14 are formed with
a ball-and-socket joint, that is to say, immediately in line with the centre of the
crane post L, to allow of the crane being siued without interfering with the relative
action of the levers 13 and 14 upon one another. In a similar manner, several sets
of such levers and rods may be arranged for the several other operations which may
be required, namely, reversing and working the several clutches and brakes, in
which case it will be preferable that the other levers corresponding to those marked
13 and 14 in Figure 4, be arranged immediately above each other and with the
ball-and-socket joints in the axis of the crane post.
The engines B are coupled to the crank shaft C, as shown, and by means of the
spur gearing T, U, actuate the shaft R, on which is carried the chain drum for
operating the thrust arms V and excavating bucket W, by the chain which is
attached to each end of the thrust arms V being passed round the drum. A clutch
and lever W' are also provided for engaging or disengaging the gearing T, U, as
required. A brake W2 is also applied for releasing or retaining the gear.
my
As it is generally the case that excavating apparatus of the kind to which
improvements apply, as shown on the annexed Drawings, is of considerable weight,
and as it frequently happens that the lines of rails on which they are traversed are
roughly laid, and on soft or uneven ground, and a considerable shake or shock to the
apparatus is sustained at the instant of the front pair of wheels, when being
traversed, passing over a joint from one rail to the next, I, in order to avoid such
shake or shock at such instant, apply. to the carriage a third axle and pair of
wheels X a short distance behind the front axle, as shown at Figures 1 and 2
(Sheet 2). The pair of wheels X has the effect of supporting the carriage upon tho
rails, from off which the front pair are passing, until they have passed well over the
joint and are supported on the adjoining rail, and vice versa, if the apparatus is
being traversed backwards, the pair of wheels y support the weight of the carriage
and apparatus until the wheels X have passed well over the joint and find support
on the adjoining rail.
As the other parts of the apparatus, shown on the annexed Drawings, form no
part of my Invention, but are common to apparatus of the "steam navvy" class,
it is unnecessary here to further refer to those parts.
It is to be understood that in cases where the second set of engines B are not

page_text: used, the system of levers and rods for operating the engines B¹ may be applied
so as to enable the attendant to remain near the hand gear, which in such case
would replace the engines B on the jib, or, vice versa, the arrangement may be
reversed so that the attendant at the engines B¹ may, from that position, operato
the gearing for the thrust arms.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application to excavating apparatus of the "steam navvy" class, of a
pair of engines attached to the jib, for the purpose of either operating the slucing
gear or the excavating or digging bucket, substantially as herein-before described,
and shown on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The arrangement of levers and rods, by means of which the starting or
stopping or reversing of the engines, or the operating of the several clutches and
brakes or hand gear are effected without requiring the attendant to remove from
one engine to the other, or to or from the hand gear, substantially as herein-before
described, and shown on the annexed Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Barclay, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
ANDREW BARCLAY (L.S.)