Improvements in Braking or Safety Apparatus for Arresting the Descent of Colliery Cages, Lifts, Hoists, Elevators, or the like on the Breaking of the Hoisting Rope or Cable.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
TRUVIDIONAL DEBIT
Improvements in Braking or Safety Apparatus for Arresting the
Descent of Colliery Cages, Lifts, Hoists, Elevators, or the like
on the Breaking of the Hoisting Rope or Cable.
We, THOMAS MAYBRICK and WILLIAM JAMES ASHWORTH both of 40
Dickinson Street, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Hydraulic Packer and
Engineer, respectively, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved brake or safety apparatus for
automatically arresting the descent of colliery cages, lifts, hoists, elevators or
the like on breaking of the rope or cable or other accident to the hoisting
machinery.
This invention consists in using a brake or wedge for stopping the descent of the
cage under certain conditions. This brake is controlled by a governor so that if
the rope or cable breaks or the cage descends too rapidly, the governor balls will fly
out and put the brake on, bringing the cage to a standstill.
This can be done in a variety of ways, but the plan we prefer is to arrange a
stationary rope or band in proximity to the path of the cage, which, passing over
suitable pulleys, drives the governor by frictional contact when the cage is in
motion. One of these pulleys is fixed on the end of the governor shaft and the
other (an adjustable one adapted to take up the slack in the rope or band) is carried
by one end of a pivotted lever, the other end of the lever being preferably provided
with a rod extending downwards into the cage where it is provided with a suitable
locking gear so that the pulley can be adjusted at pleasure to impart the required
tension to the rope or band. To the sliding sleeve on the governor spindle is
connected the end of a lever arm whose vertical oscillations when the governor
balls rise or fall are communicated to a wedge or wedges located underneath the
cage and in close proximity to the framework or guides of the hoist.
The mode of action in the case of fracture of the hoisting rope or its apparatus is
as follows:—
As the cage is raised cr lowered, the fixed cord or band passing round the
aforesaid pulleys actuates the governor, and if the rope breaks or the speed of the
cage is suddenly increased, the circle of revolution of the balls widens as the speed
of the cage increases, thus actuating the sliding sleeve on the governor spindle and
forcing the wedges between the cage and the guides, thus bringing the cage to a
standstill. Rollers are preferably attached to the bottom of the cage where the
wedging takes place.
It will be obvious that in place of wedges, any suitable brake device may be
employed, also that the governor can be of any ordinary type, even the hydraulic,
but we prefer the ordinary ball governor normally held to the off brake position by
the weight of the balls, or if horizontal, by a spring counterweighted or its
equivalent.
Dated this 1st day of September 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Braking or Safety Apparatus for Arresting the
Descent of Colliery Cages, Lifts, Hoists, Elevators, or the like
on the Breaking of the Hoisting Rope or Cable.
We, THOMAS MAYBRICK and WILLIAM JAMES ASHWORTH both of 40
Dickinson Street, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Hydraulic Packer and
Engineer respectively do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an improved brake or safety apparatus for
automatically arresting the descent of colliery cages, lifts, hoists, elevators or
the like on breaking of the rope or cable, or other accident to the hoisting
machinery.
This invention consists in using a brake or wedge for stopping the descent of the
cage under certain conditions. This brake is controlled by a governor, so that, if
the rope or cable breaks or the cage descends too rapidly, the governor balls will
fly out and put the brake on, bringing the cage to a standstill.
This can be done in a variety of ways, but the plan we prefer is set forth in the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations taken at right angles with each other;
Figure 3, plan with part removed;
Figures 4 and 5, details of machinery.
In these-
A, is the cage; B, a stationary rope or band in proximity to the path of the
cage, which, passing over suitable pulleys C and D, drives the governor by
frictional contact when the cage is in motion. One of these pulleys C is fixed on
the end of the shaft E which is geared to the governor shaft E', and the other, D
(an adjustable one adapted to take up the slack in the rope or band) is carried by.
one end of a pivotted lever d, the other end of the lever being preferably provided
with a rod G extending downwards into the cage A, where it is provided with a
suitable locking gear H so that the pulley D can be adjusted at pleasure to impart
the required tension to the rope or band B. To the governor spindle or a sliding
collar thereon is connected, by lever F and rod F¹ and links I', one end of each of
lever arms I whose vertical oscillations, when the governor balls rise or fall, are
communicated to a wedge or wedges M and located underneath the cage and in close
proximity to the framework or guides K of the hoist. The pivots of lever arms I
are adjustable in slotted guides N.
The mode of action is as follows:-
As the cage is raised or lowered, the fixed cord or band passing round the
aforesaid pulleys actuates the governor, and, if the rope breaks or the speed of the
cage is suddenly increased, the circle of revolution of the balls widens as the speed
of the cage increases, thus actuating the governor spindle or collar thereon and
forcing the wedges between the cage and the guides, or against the guides, thus
bringing the cage to a standstill. Rollers L are preferably attached to the bottom
of the cage where the wedging takes place.
It will be obvious that, in place of wedges, any suitable brake device may be
employed, also that the governor can be of any ordinary type, even the hydraulic,
but we prefer the ordinary ball governor normally held to the off brake position by
the weight of the balls, or, if horizontal, by a spring counterweighted or its
equivalent.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improvement in braking or method for ensuring safety in the descent
of colliery cages, lifts, hoists, elevators or the like, which consists in connecting
braking wedges with a governor in such manner that, whenever the speed of the
cage or other like structure abnormally increases, the said wedges shall be brought
in contact on one side with a roller or abutment on the cage or its equivalent, and
on the other side, with the guides or with the surface of other stationary object,.
substantially as described.
2. The mechanism for braking or safety apparatus for arresting the descent of
colliery cages, lifts, hoists, elevators or the like, consisting of a governor, means for
driving the governor synchronously with the descent of the cage or its equivalent,.
wedges actuated by an abnormal increase in speed of the governor, abutments
against which the wedges press on the one side, and a stationary surface against.
which they bear on the other, substantially as set forth.
3. The special arrangement of safety mechanism substantially as herein described
and illustrated.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and London,.
Patent Agents.