US502934A - Dreoging-machine - Google Patents

Description

` 'No Model.)

N0.502,934. Patented Aug.8,189s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF-FICE. l

WILLIAMB. PLEss, or SANZ FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AssiGN'oR T o THE PLEss-DREDGING AND RECLAMATICN-CoMPANY,"oF NEVADA."

DR-EDGING-MAoH-INE., f

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 502,934, dated Agust s, 189s. Application led September. 21', 1892. Serial Ne. 446,391. (No model.)

T01` aZZ whom it may concern/.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM B. PLEss, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of lSan Francisco and State of Oaliforn-ia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging-Mae chines; and I do hereby'declare that the following is a full,- clear, and exact description thereof.

Thisinventi'on relates to dredgingmachines, and more especially to that class ofdredgers in which a bucket composed of two sections hinged together,'is suspendedfrom'a swing' ,ing boom or derrick, and connected to suitablehoisting mechanismfcarried by afloating hull or scow.

In Letters Patent N o. 426,681, granted to me April 29, 1890, I described and showed a dredging apparatus of the type above referred to; and my. present invention consists in certain improvement-s upon'the construction of the bucket shown in that patent and upon the means for hoisting, lowering, opening, and closing the hinged sections or jaws of the bucket. The mechanism for supporting the boolnand for swinging itto rdischarge the bucket are preferably like that shown'in the said patent, but form an essential part of the ypresent invention which will befully understood byfreference tothe following detailed description, and to the accompanying draw@ ings in'whichd Flgure 1, is a side elevation of the whole dredging apparatus. Fig. 2, is an elevation of the bucket with the jaws opened. j Fig.` 3,1

is a detail view lof the lend of the boomv showing the cap 'and sheaves for the passage of the hoisting chains. f Fig. 4, is an end eleva tion with the jaws closed. 1

Afrepresents the hull of the -dredger'hav-l ing a deck` house to contain the boilers, en

gine and winding machinery. B is a hollow rotary mast, stepped in the hull, and having secured near its lower end thefoot of the projecting boom '0. D is a turn-table secured to the mast, and connected to the boom by jaws 1, as in my former patent, or by chains if preferred. The turn table is connected t; the winding machinery by a chain 2. All these 5o parts are substantially as shown in my former patent, and are of the construction I prefer to use, but form no part of my present invention. They are all shown in the drawings however, in order to give a general idea of the relative positions' and operations ofthe boomv 4mast and winding mechanism. 'j'

The dredgebucketis illustrated-in detail in Figs. 2 and 4. It consists 'of two sections E and, F,preferably of heavy boiler iron, each,

in side elevation being approximately lin the shape of avquadrantof a circle. To each end of each section is firmly bolted a heavy arm G, each pair of vvsuch arms bein'g pivoted te-` In like manner i was connected to each section. Each sheave' block was then suspended.` by an independent chain fixed to the extreme end of the boom, then passing, first, around its appropriate block, then backto., a pulley on the boom, and thence to the mast and winding gear. devices/have'proved to be unnecessarily complica-ted and`l though Iobtained such a purchase' as togive a power much in excess of that required,the lhoisting movements werev kextremely slow and the Working capacity-of the machine was not more than fty percent.

of that `of -a dredge constructed according' to These v my present` invention. v There are other dis-1.

advantages of .the sheaveblock systemof suspension .which I-shall explain in connection.

with the detailed description of my present imp rovements.- v

Referring to Figs. 2' and 4 it will be seen that four chains'H are secured to the corners of the bucket sections .and extend to a simple ring I upon which they can move freely.

From this ring a single suspension chain J passes over a sheave at the extremity of the boem and thence to the mast and windingv mechanism. The chains K by which the movements .of the bucket sections are controlled,

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s y i 502,934

are secured to linksjL, each composed of two bars 4,. ',.secured together by pins 6, 7, to one lof which the'chain is connected and by the Vseveral reasons the links are preferable.

other of which the linksare pivoted to the outwardly bent extensions G on thearms G. The chains K are then connected to a rin n: L', from which the single suspension chain' Mextendsv over a sheave at the extremity of the boom and thence to the lmast and winding machinery. ItA-might be possible toconnect shown: by Fig. 2, if the chains were attached directly to the ends of thelevers they would interfere 4with the action of the armsand bucket by chaiingand friction. By using'the links, the-chainswor'k entirely free-without obstruction. It will be observed that the 'links are four in number, being duplicated on 4each side; arm extensions.l .They are sustained laterally, during therststrain of closing the bucket. Whensofoldedgon the. arm the apparatus-is compact and the short cross chainskare heldV free from entanglement, byreasonof their connection with the ring.' As the buckets closreitheilinks` unfold and extend the connectionsfbetween the arms and,r ring and thus`- relieve the lateral 4strain in hoisting.

It will be seen that by these improvements allsheav'e blocks and tackle of that charac pull from thehoistn g machinery to the bucket is direct. FurthermorethechansH are self ada listing in.the-supportingringso that if by y' chance. oneside of the bucket should not enter the soil, thechains in oneside'will slacken 'and thusrelieve the strain which would probablyfensue if ade'vice which creates such frictionas asheaveblock were-nsedfor supporting the chains. As in this case `both support-' ing,` chains pass over the boom at. its extremity, and at that point only, Iam able to use the construction shown in Fig. 3, which would be impracticablewith the device shown in my former. patent. VIn thatV patent I showed both hoisting; chains passing through a hole and over sheaves in the wooden. boom. My present improvement` consists in a hollow cap and sleeve mounted upon the extreme end of "theA boom,.which is `formed into a bearing for, it. This cap whichisa single steel. casting con- When .down theyrclose uponthe tains the sheaves over which lthe hoisting ropes pass; and beingloose on the end of the boom, although held in place by the weight of the bucket will remain in "place and keep theV sheaves in line in case theboom itself should become twisted from. any cause. The

lcast cap moreover prevents all the wear to which the wooden boom is'subjected by the old construction. C 'In operating the bucket, both suspension chains are wound up,"lifting'the"bucket -and at the same time opening,r the section; 4both f chains are then slackened,lowering thebucket upon the bottom. The chain J is then wound lcausing the sections of the bucket to close and take the load which is then elevated. The boom is then swung around to thefproper positition to discharge and the chainJ is slack-'- cned, whereby the weight of the load causes the bucket to open= and discharge itsload. lTheboom isthen swung back tothe dredg-` ing point and dropped upon'the bottom again,

r the same operation proceeding as long as may be necessary.

What I claim is- Y l. In combination withtheboom of adredge. l having sheaves fondnplicate-chains, a dredge bucket composedof two sect-ions each; having` anA army G with outwardly bent extensionsfG,

linksLpivoted to the outer ends of theseexy tensions, and connected at; their upperends Yby a ring -to-achain-M,.achain1.l connected by chains H t'o the corners of therbucket sec tions, the chainsJ and M beingzarrangcd ontheyboomsheaves, all:4 substantially as de scribed. ter are entirely done away with,and that the i 2.. Incombination with thebuck-et sections. an arm G fixed toeach. side-of each-V section,

`and havingan outwardly' bent extension, a jlinkl composedr of two bars pivotedonxthe 'outer endlofeach extension and connectediat its upper endE by a' chain to aring, and a chain Y M, connected to said ringgallv substantially as described. l

3. In a dredgingmachine, aswinging boom;

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in combination witha' loosesleeve and cap at In testimony whereof I` have axed `my sig nature, in presence ot'l two'witnessesythis 5th day of September, 1892.

' WILLIAM B. PLESS.`

Witnesses:

YL. W. SEELY,.

THOMASMULLIGAN.

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