US184176A - Improvement in street-sweepers - Google Patents

Description

- I `z sheets-sheen.' J. RoBINsoN, Y STREET-SWEEPERS. i

` Patented Nov. 7, 1876.

JAMES ROBINSON, OF HESTON NEAR HO'UN SLOW, ENGLAND.

l MPROVEMENT IN `STREET-SWEEPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,176, dated November 7, 1876; application led July 6, 1876. i

` To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES ROBINSON, of

`Heston near Hounslow, in the county of Middlesex, England, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Street- Sweeping Machines; and I, the said JAMES ROBINSON, 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:

My invention relates to certain details of -construction and arrangement as fully described hereinafter, andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l Vis a side elevation, with the outer v drive-wheel, and one of the hand-wheels on shaft I removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view, with Vthe elevator-chains and buckets removed.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, and Fig. 4 is an under-side View, of so much of the machine to illustrate the arrangement of dirt-receiver and elevator or conveyer.

Similar letters of reference are employed in y lall the figures to indicate corresponding parts wherever they may occur.

A is the main frame, ofsuitable form, to receive the operating mechanism and conveyer, and consists ofthe upper and lower longitudinal girts a, al, respectively, curved at their forward end, as shown at a2, where they are connected together by vtransverse pieces a3, to

hitched, as fully shown by Figs. 1 and 4.

The longitudinal girts a al are further con-y nected together by means of the rear trian gular uprightsa, the upright a5, and the rear triangular transverse pieces a6, the upper transverse piece a7, and the braces a3, thus forming a light and substantial frame-work for the operating mechanism. G G are the main drive or ground Wheels mounted upon an axle, c, which has its bearings in the center of the upper longitudinal girts a of the main frame. The inner face of the hub-of these wheels is provided with teethwhich engage with corresponding teeth formed ou the outer face ofthe hub of two gear-wheels, D D1, which latter are loosely mounted upon the shaft c, and by means of whichand the following mechanism the operating devices are thrown in and out of gear. d d are two grooved pulleys formed on 'the inner faces of the hubs of the gear-wheels D D1, and EE are two clutch-levers, which have their fulcra in bearings ex, which project from the upper longitudinal girts a of the frame. The forks e at the forward end of the levers E E are provided with pins which run in the grooves of the pulleys d, and the rear ends ofwsuch levers are also forked, as at el, and. are at that point pivoted to swivel-blocks e2, which latter are respectively provided with right and left screw-threaded perforations to receive the correspondingly-threaded ends of a transverse shaft, F, mounted in standards f secured to the main frame at the rear of the machine. The shaft F carries two collars, f1, which serve as lstops to limit the motion -of the swivel-blocks, and said shaft carries at its outer extremities a hand-wheel, f2.`

lt is evident from the description of this part of the mechanism that by turning either or both hand-wheels to the right or left the toothed hubs of the gear-wheels D D1 are caused to engage with, o r be disengaged from, the toothed hubs of the main Vdrive-wheelsA C, thus throwing the operating devices in or out of gear as required. G is the brush-shaft, carryingafseries of brushes mounted thereon `in any suitable or preferred manner, and has a gear-Wheel, G1, mounted at onel end which meshes with the gear-wheel D', from which it receives motion through the intervention of the drive-wheels (l. This shaft has its bearings in swinging levers g, the upper or forward ends of which are loosely mounted upon the main axle o, while their lower rear ends, forming-the bearings for` the brush-shaft, are provided with projection g1, to which the lower forked ends h, of the connecting-rods .EI are pivoted, while their upper forked ends l1.l are pivoted to crank-arms i mounted on the outer ends of a transverse shaft, I, which has its bearings in brackets secured to the rear end of 'chemin frame, said shaft I lying tellow the shaft F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The shaft I carries a short forked standard, il, between the fork of which is pivoted the block Z2, which latter has a screw-threaded perforation for the reception of the screw K, the rear end of which carries a hand-wheel, k1, and has its bearings in a forked standard, k, secured to the rear end of the main frame. This mechanism serves to adjust the brushshaft and brushes to the surface of the ground or to compensate for the wear of the brushes. It will be evident from what has been said with regard to this portion of the mechanism that when the hand-wheel k1 is turned in either direction the screw K will cause the shaft I to rock or rotate backward or forward, thereby raising or depressing the crank-arms t', and with them the connecting-rods H and the levers g, and consequently the shaft G.

Instead of the screw K a lever and ratchetwheel may be mounted on the shaft I and a pawl to engage with said ratchet-wheel to hold the shaft G in any desired position. I prefer, however, the arrangement shown and described above as being more convenient and especially more substantial, and not liable, when the machine is jolted, to release the brush-shaft.

L M is the dust or dirt receiver, which serves to receive the sweepings and deliver them to the lower end or dirt-box ot' the elevator O. This receiver is made in two sections, L M, the rear section L being composed of a series of independent curved plates which are hinged to the front section or plate M,

. which forms the delivery platform or chute over which the sweepings are delivered tothe receiving end of the con veyer.

The curved plates Z1 Z2 Z3 of the rear section L correspond to the arc of the circle described by the brushes, and these plates are rigidly connected together by means of a transverse rod', Z, which, in its turn, is connected at both ends to vertical rods Z4, which latter slide freely in bearings or ears projecting from the side of the swinging levers g, which levers form the bearings for the brushshaft G, as already described.

The receiver L M is supported from the main frame by means of angular pivoted levers or links N, which form bearings .for the short axles n formed on the outer curved plates Z1 Z3 of the rear section L a little in front of the hinged axis of the two sections, as shown by Fig. 4. The upper arms nl of the angular links N carry stop-pins n2 to limit the oscillation of the two sections upon their axis n3. v

By this arrangement and construction of receiver its rear section is adjusted to the surface of the ground or to the wear of the brushes, simultaneously with the brush-shaft G, as it will be evident that when the levers g are raised or lowered by means of the devices above described, the connecting-rods Z4 are also raised or lowered, and with them the rear section L of the receiver L M, so thatall these devices, the brush-shaft, the receiver, and the conveyer, may be adjusted to the surface of the ground or the wear ofthe brushes. The connecting-rods Z4 as above stated, slide freely in the ears g2 on the levers g, for the purpose of allowing the rear section L to automatically rise or fall when the machine is traveling over uneven ground or meets with any obstacles in its path. O is the elevator or conveyer, consisting of the endless-chain frame P, to which is bolted or otherwise secured the inclined elevator-platform o, having a receiving-box, o1, and a chute or discharge-hopper, o2. The endless chains carrying the elevator-buckets p travel over octagonal or other suitable groovepulleys '101, mounted upon two shafts, Q Q. The shaft Q has its bearings in the upper part of the frame P, said bearings consisting of sliding blocks q1, which slide freely in recesses formed in the sides of the frame P, and

by means of the set-screws q2 the tension of the chains may be regulated and maintained. The lower shaft Q has its bearings in the sides of the main frame and forms the pivotal axis of the conveyer, upon which it is free to turn when the inclination of such conveyer is adjusted. This shaft carries on its outer end a pinion, R, which meshes with the gear-wheel D, from which it receives its motion through the intervention of the drive or ground wheels C, to operate the conveyer-buckets. Thus, when one or both the hand-wheelsf1 are turned to throw the brush-shaft in or ont of gear by means of the devices already described, the operating mechanism of the elevator is also thrown in or out of gear, as will be readily understood. s

According to the nature of the workthe machine is performing, or the nature of the ground over which lit is traveling, the in clination of the elevator must conform, and to regulate this inclination I employ the following means: S S are two connecting-rods pivoted to the chainframe P at or near its upper extremity, as shown at s, the outer or rear end of said rods being connected to a transverse arm, T, to form a yoke or bail. The arm AT has a screw-threaded sleeve, t, formed in its center for the reception of a screw, t1, which carries at its outer rear end a hand-wheel, t2, said screw T being supported from and having its bearings in a forked bracket, t3, bolted or otherwise secured to the rear end of the main frame, and in the center thereof immediately over or to the standard a5. It will be evident that when the handwheel t2 is turned in either direction the yoke or bail will move the elevator forward or backward to give it the desired inclination, and to that ei'ect it is also necessary that the receiver L M should have a yielding motion to accommodate its delivery-platform M to the receiving' end of the conveyer, and enable it to .move with the said receiving end of the conveyer as the inclination is varied. n,

Instead of the screw t1 and the yoke or bail,

a transverse shaft, carrying two drums, may be employed, and the elevator may be counected to such shaft by means of chains, which latter may be caused to Wind upon the drums when the shaft is rotated by means of a handlever mounted upon its extremity, and a ratchet and pawl may be suitably arranged to hold the conveyer in any desired position. I prefer, however, to employ the mechanism above described, and shown in the drawings, as being more convenient and eiective.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of an adjustable elevator with a sectional dirt-receiver, having a yielding motion, to allow the delivery platform or plate of said receiver to follow the movements of the receiving end of the elevator when its angle of inclination is changed,

K substantially as described.

2. The combination, with -the conveyer, of a bail or yoke, S T, the transverse arm T of which has a threaded sleeve, andthe screw t1 carrying a hand-wheel, t2, substantially as described, for thepurpose specified.

3. The adjustable hinged receiver L M, in

` combination with the pivoted angular bearof said receiver, substantially as described,

for the purpose specified.

4. The rear section L of an oscillating sectional receiver, constructed as described, in combination with the transverse rod Z, the vertical rods Z4, sliding freely in ears or brackets, and the levers g, to allow said front section to rise and fall automatically, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The rear section L of an oscillating sectional hinged receiver, t'ne transverse rod l, and the rods l, with the swinging levers g, connecting-rods H, shaft I, and the screwK, carrying a hand-Wheel, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6. The brush-shaft G, in combination with the swinging levers g, connecting -'rods H, shaft I, and screw K, carrying a hand-wheel, substantially as described, for the purpose specified 7. The combination, with the clutch or grooved pulleys d, the gear-wheels D D', and the drive-wheels C, and axle c ofthe clutchlevers E, and shaft F, carrying hand-Wheels f2, all constructed to operate substantially1 as described, for the purpose specified.

I JAS. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES BARLow,

23 Southampton Buildings,

. London, Patent Agent, H. E. B. MENGE,

23 Southampton Buildings,

London.

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