Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-02-13
SAFETY INVENTION.
A Device 20 Prevent Accidents aa
Elevators and Mining Cages.

A Device 20 Prevent Accidents ~
Elevators and Mining Ca9es.
The risks that are run and the
lives that have been lost through
the faulsiness or Incompetence of
elevators, both in building and min
ing shafts, has been the cause Of
much comment, and world Of
speculation has been INDUCED in
in hopes that some device or appli-
ance might he invented that would
secure safety to the lives Of those
whose necessities compel them daily,
and sometimes hourly, TO make use
Of these methods of ascension and
descension. The New York
Mail and Express, in an article on
the subject, says that there are
100, 600 elevators in constant use in
that city, carrying more people TO
and from their business than all the
railroads of the city combined. and
that accidents are Of common oc-
currencc. In one instance, where
the elevator rope l.roke and eleven
persons were killed and nine seri-
ously injured. there 10 now pending
lawsuit involving more than q
million Of dollars.
A year ago an accident occurred
ut Angels. Calaseras county, Cali
fornia. where, by the parting Of a
cable, the skip was dropped $50 feet
down the shaft and nine men were
killed. The frequency of these oc-
currenccs set the inventive mind Of
IA. w. Bracken to work, and he has
invented what il claimed the most
beneficial safeguard to human life
and property that has yet been
found. Il is simply and plainly a
life-saving safety clutch, and its
practical utility and usefulness ID
now daily demonstrated at one Of
the mines in the county named. In
fact, 30 thoroughly convinced was
the superintendent Of it's efficiency
that he showed his fearless faith in its
merits by standing on loaded skip
i'm the shaft when connection was LET
go by cutting the rope or unclutch-
ing the hosting reel. In each case
perfect success was the result; the
sudden drop was instantly checked
By the prompt action of the safety
device clutehing fast and immova'
bly, to the guides on each side
Speaking of it afterward, he said
1T 10 the long sought safety device
worthy Of the name. IL is positively
impossible for a skip. cage or ele'
vator 10 fall having this safety de
vice attached.
The novel feature Of this safet,
clutch is that Il is independent o
the cable altogether, and Ia attached
to the bottom or the top Of the cage
The safety clutches are operated b,
the pressure of the air upon air
wings or arms. which receive tn
pressure of the mir in the shaft
thereby operating the clutch. Th'
frame 10 formed of iron, and thu
wings of light sheet metal inserted
in axles. and a housing Of shee
metal sufficiently strong to hold tn
pressure of air. In any undesiret
rapid descent of the cage in tn
shaft the air il met directly by tn
wings. These wings then rise, re
volving the dogs and causing then
to clutch the guides. This devic
can be adjusted so as to descend b.
n limited speed, and viii stop fol
as readily from an unclatched rec
, as from a broken rope over or nnde
a sheave. Thus, any undesired rat
of speed will cause il TO instantl
+ clutch the guides and hold the cage
The operation is 20 immediate tina
there il no opportunity for the Gag
10 attain a speed sufficient to hrea
. the clutches or tear out the guides
This is a new principle in eng
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