US442457A

US442457A - Railroad-ditcher

Info

Publication number: US442457A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1907-12-09

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. PRESCOTT.

RAILROAD DITGHER. No. 442,457. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. PRESCOTT. RAILROAD DITO'HER.

Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

Mice TATES \YILLIAM PRESCOTT, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

FORT MADISON, IOYVA.

R AILROAD-DITCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,457, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed April 15,1890. Serial No. 348,007. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Pnnscor'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, Lee county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad- Ditchers, of which the following is a specifi cation.

The object of this invention is to construct an efficient and easilybperated ditcher capable, among other things, of being adjusted to different widths of road and to different heights, and adapted when not in use to be swung around, so as to occupy little, if any,

more space than the width of the car on which it is mounted; and the invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ditcher with the parts in position for transportation; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with the parts in position for working; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a portion of the ditclier, showing one of the scoops and the derrick for carrying the same; and Figs. 4, 5, and -6, detail views of the adjusting mechanism.

A is the car on which the ditcher is mounted; B, the horizontal frame-work of the ditcher; 13, a turntable; B, a vertical frame-work attached to the frame B; C C,the excavating buckets or scoops; C, the arms supporting the same; D D, the derricks in which the scoops are supported and operated; (1, blocks in which the upper ends of the derricks are pivoted; D, similar blocks in which the lower ends of the derricks are pivoted; E, a shaft supported in suitable bearings 6 upon the frame-work E, drums on such shaft; I ropes attached to the buckets and adapted to be wound upon the drums; G, a belt passing over the axle of the car; II, a clutch; II, a brake; I I I I, hooks engaging with the framework B; I 1 1'1, latches engaging with such hooks; J, rods attached to the derricks D and hooking into a block j on a rod J; K K and K K, braces, and L L shovels.

The flat car A, which supports the ditcher, is made in the ordinary well-known manner, and, since its construction will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings, requires no further description. To this car is attached the turn-table 13, consisting of an iron ring with a central boss upon which the frame of the ditcher rests. The frame 15 is constructed, preferably, of heavy timbers, and substantially in the form shown in the drawings, consisting of two longitudinal timbers joined by five cross-timbers. It is supported, as above stated, upon a turn-table to allow it to be swung around, as hereinafter set forth. At each end ofthis frame and at a point near the end thereof stands a vertical frame B", consisting of two timbers fastened to the frame 13 and joined at the upper ends by a block or plate D, preferably of metal. The derricks D are also preferably made of wood and substantially in the form shown. They are pivoted at their upper ends in blocks d and at their lower ends in blocks or boxes D". The block d is dovetailed into the block D, and a screw passes through a lug on such block and is fastened to block (1, so that as it is revolved in one direction or the other the block (1 will be moved sidewise, carrying with it the upper end of the derrick pivoted thereon. In like manner the blocks D" are slid back and forth upon the front timber of the frame B by means of suitable screws passing through lugs In this manner the derricks can be adjusted at various distances from the sides of the car, thus enabling the scoops to operate at different points and excavate a greater or less width of road. The scoops 0r buckets Care made in the ordinary form, and

are provided with automatically-1ocking hinged bottoms c, to which are attached ropes c for the purpose of unfastening them when it is desired to discharge the contents of the scoops. The scoops are fastened at a point near their middle to arms 0', exteudingabout at right angles to the scoops. inch arm is pivoted at its other end between two plates secured to the vertical timbers of the derrick. These plates are provided, as shown, with a number of holes, so that the scoops can be adjusted at different heights, ropes and pulleys N being provided for the purpose of raising the arms.

A shaft E is journaled in suitable hearings on the frame 13, and at either end thereof at a point behind the derricks is attached awinding-drum E. Chains or ropes I are attached forward dip or inclination.

to the bails of the buckets, and, passing over pulleys on the derricks and frames B", are attached to these drums. On this shaft is mounted aloose pulley of thowell-known form, and a belt G (shown in dotted lines in 1) runs over this pulley and over a drum upon one of the axles of the car from whence the operating power is derived. A suitable clutch ll is rigidly secured to the shaft, moved by means of a lever 71. If desired, this clutch and loose pulley may be situated on the axle of the car and operated by a lever extending up through the car-floor or other suitable means. In this case the belt will pass over an ordinary pulley fixed to the shaft E. I also prefer to provide a brake II for this shaft, consisting of a strip of metal partially" embracing a disk fixed to the shaft and tightened on such disk by means of a hand-lover 71.. mounted on the frame of the machine.

To hold the frame B in its working position across the car, hooks I are provided, adapted to engage, as shown in Fig. 2,with this frame. To look these hooks, I provide latches I, which swing down behind the hooks and keep them from unfastening. The timbers K, extending from suitable sockets on the car to the corners of the frame B, act as braces to strengthen such frame and aid it to stand the strain to which it is subjected. Braces K K serve to takethe strain that would otherwise come upon the scoops. Levers 7a are used to raise these braces out of the way when the frame B is rotated upon the turn-table.

At each side of the car, preferably at a point near the forward trucks, is attached a shovel L, which serves to push away any dirt falling too near the track. The shovels are carried upon vertical bars Z, that slide between two uprights attached to the car, and can be adjusted to various heights by means of pins Z, passing through the bars I and resting on the tops of the uprights. A hose may be provided to wash out the scoops, if desired.

The mode of operation is as follows: The clutch being in engagement with the loose pulley, as the car is moved the shaftand drums are revolved, winding up the chains and raising the buckets. \Vhen these are raised as high as desired, the clutchis thrown out and the buckets held by means of the brake. On reaching the pointwhere the ditching is to be done the brake is released and the scoops fall by their own weight, the speed at which they fall being regulated by the brake. Thebuckets then stand, as shown in Fig. 3, nearly horizontal, but with a slight The car is then moved forward until the scoops are filled, when the clutch is again thrown in and the scoops raised and held by the brake as the car passes to the dumping-place, when the bottoms of the scoops are unlocked by pulling 011 the ropes c, and, falling, discharge the contents of the scoops. The car then moves forward to fill the scoops, and they are filled, .raised, and discharged, as before. hen it is desired to swing the frame B on the car, thelatch es are raised, the hooks thrown back, and the braces K K removed, and the ditcher then swung on the turn-table into line with the car. The rods J are then unhooked from the block j and the derricks also swungint-o line with the car. In this position, which is shown in Fig. 1, the ditcher takes little, if any, more room than the car itself, so that it can pass through bridges, tunnels, and narrow points on the road without having to be taken apart for such purpose.

Any other manner of connecting the framework to the car that will allow it to swing around thereon may be employed instead of a turn-table, if desired.

I claim 1. In a railroad-ditchcr, the combination of the car A, frame B, rotatably mounted thereon, frames B, attached to frame B, derricks I), mounted in such frames, and scoops pivotally supported in such derricks, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of a car A, frame B, pivotally mounted thereon, hooks I, and latches I, whereby the frame is held in position for working, substantially as described.

8. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of the frames B and B, a derrick D, mounted therein, and means for securing the sidewise adjustment of such derrick, substantially as described.

at. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of the car A, frames B B, sliding blocks cl D, scoop carrying derricks pivoted in such blocks, and means for moving such blocks back and forth, whereby the der *icks and scoops are adjusted sidewise, substantially as described.

5. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of frames B and B, derricks D, mounted thereon, scoops O, pivoted in such derricks, a shaft E, journaled in frame B, carrying windingdrums E, and ropes or chains attached to the scoops, whereby as the shaft is revolved the scoops are raised, substantially as described.

(3. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of derricks D, scoops 0, supported therein, and vertically-adj ustable braces K, secured to the machine and extending to and engaging with the back of the scoops to receive the strain when the scoops are in use, substantially as described.

7. I11 a railroadditcher, the combination of the car A, frames B and B, derricks mounted therein, scoops pivotally supported in such derricks, a shaft E, journaled in frame B and carrying drums E, ropes leading from the scoops to such drums, and means whereby the revolution of the car-axle revolves the shaft to raise the scoops, substantially as de scribed.

8. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of a car A, frame B, shaft E, carrying drums E, means whereby the revolution of the ear-axle revolves the shaft E, and a brake H for reguthe shaft and raises the scoops, substantially as described.

1l.. In a railroad-ditcher, the combination of a derrick I), provided with perforated plates M, an arm C carrying a scoop C, and a suitable pin adapted to pass through the perforations in the plate M and a hole in the end of the arm 0, whereby the end of such arm may be vertically adjusted, substantially as described.

WILLIAM PRESCOTT.

Witnesses:

J. V. STEVENSON, GEORGE E. STEWART.