US241673A - knight - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. KNIGHT.' Snow and Earth Exoa vatork No. 241,673. Patented May 17,1881.

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Snow and Earth Excavator.

No. 241,673. Patented May 17,188].

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. KNIGHT, OF QUEBEC, PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, CANADA.

SNOW AND EARTH EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,673, dated May 17, 1881.-

Application filed December 23, 1880 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that LWILLIAM HENRY KNIGHT, of the city, county, and Province of Quebec, and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snow and Earth Excavators, of which the following is a specification. I I

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional side elevation of the improvement on line as x of Fig. 4. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a sectional plan view taken through the line :0 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is aside elevation. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a sectional end elevation on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of one of the subsidiary plow-plates, showing the inner surface. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a sectional elevation of one of the buckets.

The object of this invention is to furnish machines designed especially for excavating snow and earth upon lines of railway in course of construction or completed, but which may be used with advantage in excavating for other w purposes.

The invention consists in the combination, with the carriage, of i the journaled frame, the chain-wheels, and endless chain of buckets having drop-backs, and the inclined dischargeplates, whereby snow and earth can be taken up in front of the carriage and discharged at its sides; also,:in the combination, with the buckets and their drop-backs, of the springlatches and the trip-plates, whereby the dropbacks will be released automaticallyto discharge the contents of the buckets also, in the combination, with the elevator-frame, of the inclined plates and their adjustin g-screwand nut bar, whereby the inclined plates can be adjust ed higher or lower to discharge the contents of the buckets farther from or closer to the sides of the carriage; also, in the combination, with the inclined. dischargeplates, of adjustable plates, whereby the contents of the buckets can be discharged at either or both sides of the carriage; and also, in the combination, with the carriage having flanges upon its sides, of the adjustable hinged plates having flanges, whereby the said hinged plates can be adjusted for use as a snow-plow, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents the carriage, which is mounted uponwheels- B, twoof which are made large to serve as drive-wheels.

To the axle G of the drive-wheels B are attached cranks I), with which arerdetachably connected by rods N the rear ends of the piston-rods E of the steam-cylinders F. The piston-rods E project through both heads of the cylinders F, and their forward ends are detachably connected by rods 0 with cranks G, I

attached to the ends of the shaft H. The shaft H revolves in tubular bearings I, attached to.

the sides of the carriage A, and the inner ends of the said bearings serve as pivots to carry the frame J of the elevator.

To the shaft H, at the inner ends of the bearings I, are attached wheels or tumblers K, around which pass endless chains L. The endless chains Lalso pass around chain-wheels M, pivoted to the upper parts of the elevator-frame J. The chain-wheels K M are made withfour (more or less) faces, the said faces being made to correspond in length with the length of the links of the endless chains L.

To the alternate links of the endless chains L, or at any desired distance apart, are attached buckets P, the forward edges of the fronts of which project to take up the material to be excavated. The backs Q of the buckets P are separate, and are hinged at their forward edges to the forward ends of the links of the endless chains L, to which the buckets P are attached, or to rods connecting the said ends. The hinged back Q of each bucket P is held in place while the said bucket is being filled and carried up the elevator by a latch or bail, B, the ends of which are bent into crank form, pass through slots in the end parts of the bottom of the bucket P, andare pivoted to the ends of the said bucket, sothat the said latch R canbe swung forward beneath the lower end of the hinged back Q, and swung back to allow the said back Q to drop and discharge the contents of the bucket. The latch R is held forward to engage with the back Q and hold it in place by a spring, S, attached to the. bottom of the bucketP. The latchRis pressed back out of the way of the back Q when the said back Q is raised into place by a cam or inclined block, T, attached to the inner side of the rear part of the said back Q. The latch R is pushed back to release the hinged back Q by the outwardly-inclined rear upper corners. of the plates U, attachedto the pivots of the upper chain-wheels, A, or to the rear plate, V,

and the front plate, W, of the elevator. The upper end of the rear plate, V, is curved outward and extended into such a position as to raise the backs Q of the buckets 1? into place as the said buckets are carried over the said end, so that the said backs will be caught and held by the spring-latches It. The ends of the backs Q are cut away, as shown in Fig. 6, to

form openings for the passage of the edges of the trip-plates U, which openings are covered by arched caps X, attached to the sides of the buckets P. With this construction, as the buckets P pass over the upper chain-wheels, M, the backs Q are tripped and the contents of the said buckets I? drop into the interior of the elevator, fall upon the inclined plates Y, slide down the said inclined plates Y, and are discharged at the sides of the carriage A. The upper edges of the plates Y meet in the center of the elevator, so that the contents of the buckets P will be divided,part being discharged at each side of the carriage. The rear and front plates, V W, prevent the material being discharged from passing off at the side edges of the plates Y, and in connection with the said plates Yform discharge spouts or chutes.

Upon the upper side of each of the inclined plates Y is placed a sliding plate, Z, which is slotted longitudinally to receive the clampingbolt a, by which the said plate is secured to the plate Y. With this construction, by sliding one or the other of the inclined plates Z upward, the materialcan be discharged at one or the other side of the carriage, as may be desired.

To the lower sides of the inclined plates Y are attached the ends of a cross-bar, b, to the center of which is swiveled the upper end of a screw, 0. The screw 0 passes through a screw-hole in a bar, (I, the ends of which are attached to the elevator-frame J, so that the inclined plates or chutes Y can be raised and lowered by turning the screw 0 to cause the contents of the buckets to be discharged farther from or closer to the sides of the carriage, as may be required.

To the screw 0 is attached a hand-wheel, e, for convenience in turning the said screw.

To the sides of the upper part of the elevator-frame J are pivoted the upper ends of two bars, f, to the sides of the lower ends of which are pivoted small wheels or rollers g, which are placed in grooves or channels h, formed in the sides of the carriage A or in bars or plates attached to the said sides.

To the bars f, at a little distance from their rear ends, are attached the ends of cords or chains 1', which pass around pulleys j, pivoted to the sides of the forward part of the carriage A, and around pulleys k, attached to the ends of the crank-shaft l. The crank-shaftl works in bearings attached to the upper rear part of the sides of the carriage A. With this construction, by turning the crank l, the elevator J can be adjusted into a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1 3, and 4, or inclined forward or rearward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.3, as circumstances may require.

In using the machine upon high banks or drifts or in deep cuttings, it is designed to remove the upper part of the bank or drift first, so that there can be no burrowing, and consequently no caving in of the bank or drift to injure the workmen or the machine.

To the axle O of the drive-wheels B is journaled the rear end of aframe, m, which extends forward and has a shaft, a, pivoted to its forward end. The shaft n is driven by a band. 0, which passes around a pulley, 19, attached to the axle G, and around a pulley, q, attached to the shaft n,- or shaft a may be driven by beveled gearing.

To the shaft n are also attached two brushes, 4", of metal or other suitable material, which project through slots in the bottom of the carriage A, so as to brush off the rails in front of the drive-wheels B. The brushes 0 are held down to their work by the weight of the frame m or by weights attached to the said frame m. The brushes 0' can be adjusted to bear with more or less force against the rails by placing blocks beneath the frame m or by other suitable means.

When the machine is being moved from place to place the piston-rods E are disconnected from the driving-cranks G of the elevator, and when the machine is at work the piston-rods E are diseon nected from the cranks D of the drivewheels, and the machine is fed forward by extraneous power; or the drive-wheels are provided with graduated gear-wheels, so that the machine can be fed forward as the buckets cut their way into the bank or drift.

When the machine is at work in gravel or other hard substance the forward sides of the buckets Pshould have serrated steel plates attached to them to receive the wear.

If desired, the bars f can be operated to ad just the elevator by racks and pinions in place of the cords an d pulleys hereinbefore described,

or by other suitable means. In either'case the adjusting mechanism should be provided with pawls and ratchet-wheels or other suitable I means for holding the elevator securely in place when adjusted.

To the upper and lower parts of each outer side of the forward part of the carriageA are attached two flanges, s t, to receive the flanges a o, attached to or formed upon the upper and lower parts of the inner sides of the plates w 00, which plates are hinged to each other at their adjacent edges, as shown in Fig. 5. The lower flange, o, of the hinged plates w w rests upon small wheels or rollers y, pivoted in slots in the flange t, so that the said plates was can'be easily moved out and in. The edges of the lower flange, o, of the hinged plates w w are bent downward to overlap the inner sides of the rollers or wheels y, to keep the said plates in place. With this construction, by drawing the forward ends of the sides of the carriage A, the

forward plates, to, can be swung inward until their forward edges meet at an angle, and can then be securedto each other by hooks z or other suitable means. With this construction the plates to 00 form a very efficient snow-plow for removing snow of moderate depth from a railway-track.

In the flanges s t and u o are formed holes to receive pins 1, for securin g the plates 20 w in place when in either position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an excavator, the combination, with the frame A, provided with the grooves or channels h, of the jonrnaled frame J, the bars f, provided With the rollers g, the pnlleysj 7c, and the rope orband i, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an excavator,the combination, with the frame A, the adjustable journaled frame J, and the piston-rodsE of the steam-cylinders, of the endless chain of buckets I, the chain-wheels K M, the crank-shaft G H, and the connecting- ;od 0, substantially as and for the purpose set orth.

3. In an excavator, the combination, with the buckets P and the endless chain L, of the back Q, latch R, the spring S, and the trip-plate U, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an excavator, the combination, with the elevator-frame J, of the inclined plates Y, the swiveled screw 0, and the nut-bar d, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the inclined plates can be adjusted to discharge the contents of the buckets farther from or closer to the sides of the carriage, as set forth.

5. In an excavator, the combination, with the inclined discharge-plates Y, of the adjustable plates Z, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the contents of the buckets can be discharged at either or both sides of the carriage, as set forth.

6. In an excavator, the combination, with the carriage A, having flanges s t, of the adjustable hinged plates 10 00, having flanges u v, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said hinged plates can be adjusted for use as a snow-plow, as set forth.

WILLIAM HENRY KNIGHT.

Witnesses JOHN H. THORN, FRANK G. AUSTIN.

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