US991473A - Dredger. - Google Patents

Description

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COKE W. BALLARD, OF UNIVERSITY PLACE, NEBRASKA.

DREDGEZR'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1909.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Serial No. 514,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COKE W. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at University Place, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dredgers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dredgers and more particularly to clam shell dredgers, the object being to provide a dredger which is so constructed that when the hoisting cable is operated the scoops will be drawn together so as to gather the dirt between the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide a dredger in which the frames carrying the scoops are so connected that when the hoisting cable is drawn upwardly so as to swing the scoops on their pivots the frames will be drawn together.

Another object of my invention is to provide very novel means for swinging the scoops on their pivots so that the same will be loaded to their greatest capacity when drawn together.

Another object of my invention is to provide the dredger with very novel means for operating both ends of the same so that when the lower end is being pulled the upper end will be pushed whereby the strain will be relieved to a certain extent.

A still further object is to provide a dredger which is exceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one which is composed of a very few parts which are so mounted and connected together that all danger of the same becoming accidentally displaced is prevented.

A still further object is to provide means for tripping the scoops in order to dump their loads, said means comprising a tripping cable connected to the rear ends of the scoops which is also operated when the hoisting cable is operated so that when the tripping cable is released the scoops will swing on their pivots.

\Vith these various objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my im proved dredger showing the scoops in an opened position. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

In carrying out my improved invention, I employ a pair of frames A and B, the side bars of which are provided with outwardly projecting straps A and B which are overlappedand pivotally connected together as shown at C. The straps are provided with concave rollers E between which is adapted to pass the hoisting cable F which carries a block G at its lower end. Secured to the frames A and B are brackets H between which are mounted guide pulleys H over which pass the ends of the tripping cable J which are connected to the ends of the scoops as will be hereinafter fully de scribed. I

Pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the frames A and B are scoops K and L provided with bails K and L, the bail L being provided with a hook L for engaging the bail K when the scoops are brought together so as to hold the same in that position as will be hereinafter fully described. These scoops K and L are substantially rectangular in shape and are provided with oblique ends as clearly shown and are adapted to be normally held in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 1 when lowered so as to gather a load and as the scoops are raised they are swung on their pivots so as to turn the same in a horizontal position and at the same time they are brought together as will be later described.

Pivotally mounted between the side bars of the frames A and B are levers M and N which are carried by crank shafts O and P upon which they are fixed, said crank shafts extending out through the side bars of the frames A and B and being connected together by links Q, so that when the levers M and N are turned the frames A and B will be drawn together.

For swinging the levers M and N, I provide the lower ends of the same with pulleys M and N over which passes a cable R which has its free ends crossed and are connected to the bails K and L and the cable is connected centrally by a coupling member R to which a hook carried by the block G is connected so that when the hoisting cable F is raised the ends of the scoops will be drawn inwardly and at the same time the levers are operated so as to force the upper ends of the same outwardly.

Pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the levers M and N are pushing bars S which have their free ends pivotally connected to the closed ends of the scoops K and L so that when the levers are turned the upper ends of the scoops will be pushed outwardly at the same time that the lower ends are being drawn inwardly so as to relieve the strain on the lower ends of the scoops which prevents the same from becoming bent.

The lower ends of the tripping cable J are connected to eyes carried by the upper ends of the scoops K and L between the connections of the push bars S and it will be seen that when the scoops are drawn together by the hoisting cable the trip cable is also drawn upwardly so that when the proper height is obtained, then by releasing hoist cable and holding trip cable, the load is deposited.

The operation of my improved dredge is as follows: Supposing that the dredge is in the position shown in Fig. 1, ready to gather a load and the hoisting cable is operated the cable R will be drawn upwardly so as to ends of draw the lower ends of the scoops together at the same time the levers M and N and the crank shafts O and P are operated which causes the push bars to move the upper ends of thescoops-outwardly and the crank shafts to rock which will draw the frames A and B together so that the ends of the scoops will be brought together when they reach a horizontal position. It will be seen that after the scoops are moved into this position by swinging the boom carrying the dredge to the desired position it is only necessary to release the hoist cable and hold the trip cable to deposit the load.

While I have shown and described the levers and scoops constructed in this special manner it is of course understood that the scoops and levers can be made in various other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

at I claim is 1. A dredge comprising a pair of frames pivotally connected together, scoops pivotally carried by said frames, crank shafts mounted in said frames carrying levers, push bars connecting said levers to said scoops, links connecting said crank shafts and means operated by the hoisting cable for swinging said levers and drawing the the scoops together.

2. A dredge comprising a pair of frames pivotally connected together provided with guide pulleys and rollers, scoops pivotally mounted between the lower ends of said frames, crank shafts mounted in said frames carrying levers, push bars connecting said levers to said scoops, pulleys carried bysaid levers, a cable passing over said pulleys having its ends connected to said scoops and a hoisting cable connected to said cable.

3. A dredge comprising a pair of pivotally connected frames, scoops pivotally carried by said frames, levers mounted in said frames connected to said scoops, pulleys carried by said levers, a cable passing over said pulleys having its ends crossed and connected to said scoops and a hoisting cable connected to said cable for the purpose set forth.

4:. A dredge comprising a pair of frames pivotally connected together, scoops pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the side bars of the frames carrying bails, crank shafts mounted in said frames connected together by links, levers carried by said crank shafts connected to said scoops, push bars, pulleys carried by said levers, a cable passing over said pulleys connected to the bails of the scoops, a hoisting cable connected to said cable and a tripping cable connected to said scoops.

5. A dredge comprising a pair of frames pivotally connected together, at their upper ends, guide rollers and pulleys carried by said frames, scoops pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the side bars of the frames, crank shafts mounted in said frames connected together by links, levers carried by said crank shafts provided with pulleys, push bars connecting said levers to said scoops, a cable passing over the pulleys of the levers having its ends crossed and connected to the ends of the scoops and a tripping cable passing between said pulleys and rollers of the frames having-its ends connected to the scoops.

6. In a dredge the combination with a pair of frames pivotally connected together, of scoops pivotally carried by said frames, levers pivotally mountedin said frames connected to said scoops by push bars, pulleys carried by said levers, a cable passing over said pulleys having its ends connected to said scoops and a hoisting cable connected to said cable.

7. In a dredge the combination with a pair of frames pivotally connected together, of scoops pivotally mounted between the lower ends of the side bars of said frames provided with bails, crank shafts mounted in said frames, links connecting said crank shafts, levers carried by said crank shafts provided with pulleys at their lower ends, push rods pivotally connecting said levers to said scoops, a cable passing over the pulleys of said levers having its ends crossed and connected to the bails of the scoops and a tripping cable having its ends connected to the ends of the scoops between said pushing rods.

8. In a dredge the combination with a pair of frames pivotally connected. together and provided with guide rollers and pulleys, of scoops pivotally mounted on the lower ends of said frames, provided with bails, crank shafts mounted in said frames connected together by links, levers carried by said crank shafts provided with pulleys,

push rods connecting the upper ends of said rollers and pulleys having its ends consaid levers to the ends of said scoops, a cable nected to eyes carried by the ends of the passing over said pulleys having its ends scoops.

connected to the bails of the scoops a hoist- COKE W. BALLARD. ing cable carrying a block connected to said Witnesses:

coupling member passing up between said J. D. DE TAR,

rollers and a tripping cable passing between C. W. WINGARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

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