Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1914-02-03

it is also likely that on account OF
its absolute safety laws will be
passed to enforce its use.
The method used in the Ballet
system OF counterbalancing is to
place a sheave or pulley over the
shaft in addition to the one over
which the hosting cable runs. An
other cable, entirely Independent OF
the hoist engine, is attached at the
other end to a vertically moving
! counterweight, sliding on a guide.
Thus far the operation is similar to
the old fashioned we'll with two
buckets suspended. where the empty
bucket goes down as the loaded
bucket comes up, except that M
stead of the empty bucket going
down, a weight descends as the
loaded cage up. On the I'm
der side of this weight is fastened
a long chain OF proper weight per
foot for the depth Of the shaft, and
weight of the cable and age. This
chain is one-half as long as the
shaft is deep, with one end fastened
to the shaft timbers half way down
the shaft. and the other end to the
counterweight. Thus wnen the coun-
terweight is at the top, and the
cage is at the bottom to be loaded.
the weight Of the chain is added TO
the counterweight, and when the
loaded cage is hoi5ted to the top.
the weight Of the heavy chain hangs
suspended from the timbers and the
counterweight just rests On the
bottom. or bumper that i set for 1t
to rest upon. When the empty cage
i, to be returned the lightest weight
in on the counterweight. AS the
a z descends, and more cable IS
pulled into the cage compartment,
the counterwcight is gaining weight
by pulling more and more chain
after itself. Thus the heaviest
weight is up to help lift the loaded
bucket off the bottom and hoist it,
while it is highest when returning
the empty skip.
This is economical and a power
saver, but it likewise prevents the
cage from accelerating in case it
falls. The increasing counterweight
does not let the cage gain speed in
falling, hence it reaches the bottom
and stops without the force of the
ordinary cage. At the top the guide
Of the cOunterweight is tapered
thicker so that the cast iron weight
runs up till it wedges itself fast.
With a thirty foot stump below the
lowest level the counterweight will
wedge itself fast and gradually stop
the cage in about twenty feet, pre-
venting a jar to anyone riding on 1t,
and not damaging the cage. or in
juring the timbers, or crushing any
one working under it. The cage
being suspended by its counter
weight. no damage is done, Again,
an additional chainweight is sus-
pended near the top of the shaft,
which trips in case of Over-winding,
and becomes effective to stop rum
away cages. 1t can be tripped by
the hoist runner also. In case OF a
broken brake or clutch, or broken
brought to rest suspended by the
CC~u1lterWelSnt ABOUT ZO 1eet lTOIl
the bottom. The stop is easy and
gradual and without jar or jolt, and
without damage or injury TO persons
riding thereon, or TO those who may
be under it.
1t can be seen that a runaway
cage cannot descend to the bottom
under any circumstances, and there
fore it cannot crush wOrkmen hat
may be working in the bottom of
the shaft. nor will it injure anyone
riding OF it, for it simply comes to
a rest suspended. The speed of the
descending cage is not high, and
has no serious effect upon the nerves
Of the passengers.
The cost Of the entire installa-
ton is the cost OF a pulley, or sheavc
wheel, the cable, chain, and acast
iron weight of about 500 pounds.
To this may be added the labor
costs of installation, but no changes
are necessary to cage, skip or shaft.