US514829A - Dredger - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

s. P. HEDGES.

' DREDGER.

N0..514,829. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

Ill/Ill III/III m: NAIIONAL umuamumms COMPANY. wAsNINawN. o. c.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL P. HEDGES, OF GREENPORT, NEW YORK.

DREDGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,829, dated February 13, 1894.

Application filed December 20, 1892. Serial No- 455,834. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. Havens, of Greenport, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dredges, of which the iollowing is a full, clear, and exact descripion.

My invention relates to an improvement in dredges and it has for its object to provide a means whereby the dipper arm will be under the entire control of one individual, the construction being such as to enable that individual to swing the crane in any desired direction, control the upward movement of the dipper arm, the inward and outward movement of the arm, and likewise the downward or plunging movement to reach the soil to be removed, the operator being also enabled to hold the dipper arm in a fixed position while the dipper is receiving its load.

Another object of the invention is to construct the dredge in an exceedingly simple,

I durable and economic manner.

side view of the friction gear located upon.

the crane and adapted for the control of the dipper arm. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken'through the friction gearing. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the gearing; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of guide pulleys employed in connection with the hoisting rope or chain. I

The frame A is designed to be portable and readily placed upon a float B, one end of the frame extending over the edge of the float.

, In the construction of the frame its body portion a is preferably of an A-shape, and is vertical, the A section of the frame connecting with uprights a at its sides, and the said A section and uprights jointly support an upper cross head section a consisting ordinarily of two parallel beams 10 and 11, spaced a predetermined distance apart. The frame is angular or L-shaped in general contour, embracing in addition to its vertical portion a rear horizontal portion which rests upon the float, as shown in Fig. 1, the two portions of the frame being'connec'ted by suitablebraces 12. The uprights a, are adapted as guides for spuds 13, the spuds being used to anchor the float, as shown in Fig. 1. In the center of the A-frameashaft14,isjournaled,the bearing for the upper portion of the shaft being preferably placed upon the lower beam 11 of the upper cross head a while the lower end of the shaft is held to revolve in suitable bearings placed upon the connecting bar at the lower portion of the A -frame. A crane 15, is attached at its rear end to the upper portion of the shaft 14; and the crane is made with a longitudinal slot 16, extending nearly from end to end thereof. The crane is held in an upwardlyinclined position by means of braces 17, which braces are secured at their upper ends to the sides of the crane and at their lower ends to opposite sides of the lower portion of the shaft. The shaft 14, is ordinarily made polygonal in cross section, except where it enters its bearings, and the crane and the shaft are revolved at will through the medium of a lever 18. The lever is bifurcated at its outer end, the shaft passing through the bifurcated portion of the lever, while the outer end portion of the lever is secured to the crane braces 17, as is best shown in Fig. 1. The lever is 'pivotally connected with the crane braces, so

that it may be raised and lowered, while when the lever is carried in direction of either side of the frame the'shaft also is forced to turn and carries the crane with it.

The pp y be f any suitable or approved construction; preferably, however, it is provided with a drop bottom 19 and a bail 20, carrying the block 21 over which the hoist rope or chain 22, is passed. The dipper is provided with a handle or arm 23, securely fastened to it, and this handle or arm is provided in its upper portion with a longitudinal slot 24, and upon the inner face of the dipper arm or handle a rack 25, is formed, or attached. The slot 24, is produced in the dipper arm in order to permit the hoist rope or chain to pass through the arm. One end of the hoist rope or chain is secured to the crane and passes downward from the crane over the block 21, and thence upward over a friction pulley 26, located in the crane; and after leaving the pulley the hoist rope or chain passes through the slot in the dipper arm, thence between two guide pulleys 27 and 28, located upon the upper member of the cross head a and finally the hoist rope or chain passes downward over a third guide pulley 29, best shown in Fig. 5, to an engine or other hoisting mechanism.

The crane carries the friction gear E, and this gear is preferably located between the central portion of the crane and its inner or lower end. The friction mechanism consists of a box 30, secured between the members of the crane, and this box carries at top and bottom of its outer or forward end friction rollers 31, while at its rear or inner end the box has journaled in it the trunnions of a pinion 32, the pinion being located opposite the space between the two friction rollers. Therefore, as a matter of convenience, the box 30 is made somewhat of a triangular shape, its con tracted end facing inward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4; and the space between the pinion and the rollers 81, is just snfiicient to receive the dipper arm 23, the outer or smooth portion of the arm engaging with the two friction rollers, while the rack 25, engages with the pinion 32. As two rollers are employed they have equal bearing upon the dipper arm, and cause that arm to engage evenly with the pinion.

Upon one trunnion of the pinion 32, which extends beyond the side of the crane, a friction brake wheel 33, is firmly secured, the said friction brake wheel consisting of a pulley having a grooved peripheral surface, the said groove in the periphery being adapted to receive a brake strap 34 of spring metal, and one end of the brake strap is attached to the outer end of the lever 35, said lever being fulcrumed between its center and outer end upon the crane, while the other end of the brake strap is secured to the lever at the rear of its fulcrum, as is best shown in Fig. 2, while the extreme inner end of the lever 35, is connected by a link 36, with the main brake lever 18, as shown best in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the device, after the dipper is loaded the hoisting mechanism is set in operation and the dipper and arm elevated. Just prior to the elevation of the dipper and arm the attendant presses down upon the brake lever 18, thereby applying the friction brake, and when the dipper arm is raised it will be elevated without moving inward or rearward. Vhen the dipper is to be brought close into the frame or immediately beneath the crane, pressure upon the brake lever is relieved, and as the dipper arm is drawn upward it is likewise carried rearward, the rack meshing with the pinion 82. When the dipper has been brought to a proper position horizontally, the brake lever is again applied, and by moving the brake lever laterally the crane may be swung in direction of either side of the float so as to dump the load from the dipper wherever required. The load being dumped the hoisting rope or chain is slackened, the attendant raises the lever, and the dipper arm will assume a vertical position, and the dipper drops to engage with the material to be removed, and when such an engagement is made the brake is again applied, and by that means the dipper arm is held in a fixed position while the dipper takes its load. The drop bottom of the dipper is closed by its striking the water as the dipper descends.

From the foregoing description itis evident that the dredge is under the perfect control of a single person, and by means of one lever the brake may be applied or removed and the crane swung in whatever direction found most desirable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a dredge or like device, the combination with a frame and a shaft journaled therein, of a crane supported by the shaft, a dipper arm carried by the crane, a brake in engagement with the dipper arm, and a lever having a slot which receives the shaft and connected with both the crane support and brake, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a dredge or like device, the combination, with a frame and a shaft journaled in an upright position therein, and a crane attached to and carried by the shaft, of a dipper arm having vertical movement in the frame, a friction brake carried by the crane and adapted for engagement with the dipper arm, a lever pivotally attached to the crane and engaging the shaft, and a connection between the lever and the friction brake, substantially as shown and described, whereby the lever is used both for swinging the crane and for applying the brake, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a dredge or like machine, the combination, with a frame, a shaftjournaled in an upright position in the frame, a crane attached to the shaft, and braces connected with both the crane and the shaft, of a dipper arm, a brake engaging with the arm, a lever fulerumed upon the braces of the crane and passing rearward in engagement with the sides of the shaft, and a connection between the lever and the friction brake, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a dredge or like machine, the combination, with a frame, a shaft journaled in an upright position in the frame, a crane secured to the upper portion of the shaft, braces connecting the crane with the lower portion of the shaft, and a lever pivoted to the braces and slotted to receive the shaft, of a brake mechanism consisting of a box located in the crane, carrying friction rollers and a pinion, a brake wheel connected with the pinion, a lever mounted upon the crane,a strap brake carried by the lever and engaging with the duced upon one face, engaging with the pinfriction wheel, and a link connection beion, as and for the purpose specified. tween the upper lever and the main lever connected with the braces of the crane, and Witnesses SAMUEL HEDGES' 5 a dipper arm having sliding movement in the J M ol'ml ON RAYNOR 7 box between the friction rollers and the pin- L'EWELEN F TERRY ion, the said dipper arm having a rack pro-

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