IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHMENTS TO MINING CAGES OR LIFTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank William Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHMENTS TO
MINING CAGES OR LIFTS." A communication from abroad by Samuel
Heurard, of Linares, in the Kingdom of Spain.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Frank William Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1881.
FRANK WILLIAM HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ATTACHMENTS TO MINING CAGES OR LIFTS." A communication from
abroad by Samuel Henrard, of Linares, in the Kingdom of Spain.
These improvements relate to safety-brake-apparatus intended for mining-cages
or lifts, and are as follows, reference being had to the annexed Drawings:-The
apparatus fixed to a cage is represented in plan by Figure 1; in section (taken on
line X, Y, of Figure 1) in Figure 2; in side view, Figure 3. The details are
shown by Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Figures 10 and 11 show the modification that
is to be made when the guides are simple wire-cables. The description of a half
of the apparatus only is given as it is symmetrical. The principal part of the
apparatus consists of a block of good iron (form and dimensions plan Figure 1, and
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, Figure 4), in which two wedges can move (CD, IJ, and.
EF, KL, Figures 4 and 7). The sides IJ and K L of these wedges are vertical
whilst the sides CD and EF form an angle of about 8° 30' with the vertical ones.
These wedges are supplied on their oblique faces with ribs placed longitudiually,
which in section, Figure 7, show the form of a swallow's tail. The ribs
move in a groove of the same shape, made in the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. All
the parts of the wedges and the faces of the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H where
the wedges move must be planed in order to obviate friction. Between the
vertical faces of the wedges the guides pass in such a manner that when the
cage is moving there is a slight play between every face of the wedge and
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page_text: guide. The advantage of the ribs in swallow-tail form above mentioned
is to constantly maintain the faces CD, DJ, EF, and EL of the wedges in
contact with the corresponding faces of the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. The
play between the vertical faces of the wedges and the faces of the guides can be
thus regulated while the cage is working. The safety-apparatus begins to act when
the rope or the chains attaching the rope to the cage break. The wedges are raised
mechanically, and fill the space between the vertical faces of the wedges and those of
the guide while the cage is falling, and presses the wedges more strongly against the
guides the greater the weight is. Therefore after a very short movement the cage
stops completely and remains still. The mechanism that causes the wedges to
move upwards consists of a round rod s furnished with a square part T crossing
the wedges (Figure 7). The square part T is bedded in the wedge so that it cannot
turn, and fixed above the wedge by a nut U and washer V which is also sunk into
the wedge, preventing it from descending below the upper surface of the part A, B,
C, D, E, F, G, H. The square rod T terminates on the side of the oblique face of the
wedge in a jaw W, Figures 3 and 7. Pivot W is cylindrical, and is held in the two
forks f, f, (Figs. 2 & 8) of a horizontal lever pivoted on an axle a. The extremity
of lever is held by means of a chain n, Fig. 2, to a counterweight P, which is
fastened on the rod t and by a chain s to the ring fastening the main chains to the
cage. Rodt passes through a plate o serving as the roof to the cage. The cage
going regularly the counterweight p is kept at the height determined by the rod t,
and the fork-lever fastened to the weight p is kept horizontal. But on the rope
breaking the weight p falls because of the loosening of rod. t, and exercises a
sudden pull upon the extremity of lever 1, which through its forks f, f¹, raises the
two wedges. The rod t of the weight.p is supplied with a shoulder m placed below
the plate o of the cage-roof, and the chain's holding the rod t is made so as to
offer less resistance to breaking than the rod t. These arrangements are intended
to prevent the rod t from being raised more than a slight amount by the rope when
the cage-chains break instead of the rope. The chain s of rod t breaks and nothing is
damaged in the mechanism of the wedges. The lever is fastened to the weight p
by a chain instead of a rigid rod for the following reason:-1stly. A man placed in the
he raises
cage can stop it in descending if he presses upon the levers, that is to say,
the wedges, which he could not do if rigid rods were used; 2ndly, when the cage
begins to move again after having once rested on the blocks, the wedges might
become lifted somehow, and adhere to such an extent that at the moving of the
cage the rod t would sustain a great shock and easily damage the mechanism.
however there is a flexible connection between the levers and the counterweight
the rod t raises the weight without any effort on the levers, and the chains of the
cage effect the loosening of the wedges and lift the cage. The two forks f, f¹, are
fastened to the same arm of lever in order to lift the two wedges with one effort
simultaneously, and in order to simplify the construction. The lever is attached
to the cage by means of axle a in the following manner:-A metal-piece r, s,
Fig. 9, furnished with two cross-pieces 2, and provided in the middle of its length
with a cylindrical hole, is fixed to the upper frame d, e, n, n¹, Fig. 6, of the cage
by means of two bolts b1, b2 On both sides of the piece 7, 8, two pieces of flat-
The lever is placed
metal g and g' are fixed vertically by means of four bolts b³.
between them, and they serve as journals to the axle of the lever. These plates
are made large enough that the guided lever may always remain in one vertical
plane.
As
The attachment of the safety-apparatus to the cage, and of the two parts of the
safety-apparatus together, is provided for as follows:-The part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H,
(Figure 4) is provided with a mortice M, N, O, P, (Figure 4) equal to the depth n, n²,
(Figure 6) of the flat iron of the upper frame of the cage, and equal to the depth 1, l',
of the slide (Figure 6). In the mortice a vertical flat iron a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, (Figure 6)
of the same width but of different thicknesses is held, and the face turned towards
the interior of the cage is planed on its entire length. The projections caused by
the various thicknesses appear therefore on the other face only. At e, f, the metal-

page_text: piece is the depth of the flat iron of the upper cage-frame plus that of the mortice CK;
then by a height d, c, equal to the height n, n', of the flat iron of the upper cage-
frame, plus the height n, b, of the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, it has the depth C, K,
of the mortice; finally, from b to a it has exactly the depth of the mortice. That
part is fixed by passing it up from below to such a distance that the head b, a,
emerges from the mortise and rests against the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, by its
flange bc; then the flat-iron on edge d, e, n, n', of the upper frame is attached
on ea, of a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, whilst the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, reposes upon
the same frame. For fixing that part another part i, j, k, m, of the same width as
the mortice, and as high as A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, is introduced into the gap i, j, k,
left in the nortice. That piece having also a head of the same height as that of the
part a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and slight projection is also attached on kl of part A, B, C, D,
E, F, G, H. In order to complete the union between the safety-apparatus and cage
there are two bolts 61, 62, with their heads sunk into slide e, e¹, of the cage which
connect together the slide e, e¹, the upper cage-frame n, n¹, part a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and
the two cramps i, w, x, y, of the flat-iron (Figure 6). The mode of fastening either
part of the safety-apparatus to the cage is as follows:-For fastening the two parts
of the safety-apparatus together the part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, has three bolt
holes R, R2, R3, (Fig. 4) (see also Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6), and a strong iron-frame of
the width AH of part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, is placed on edge and fastened to
either part of the safety-apparatus, that the faces ĴL of either piece be well in the
prolongation of the slides of the cage. This conjunction is effected at each
part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, by three bolts with sunk heads passing through the
said holes;
the middle bolt serves also for keeping i, h, m, l, k, j, (Figure 6) so that
it cannot rise. The frame is placed slightly lower than the level of the upper
part A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and is covered with a thin metal plate, forming part
of the cage-roof, which plate gives considerable rigidity between the parts of the
safety-apparatus by its support u, u, (Figure 6) against A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. The
roof of the cage is completed by two other plates o¹ and o², obliquely placed
(Figure 3), on one side fastened to the frame t, p, u, q, z, s, (Figure 6), and pz
(Figure 2), and on the other side to the upper frame of the cage z, w, i, x, y, z.
All these plates are joined to the frames by cramps and small bolts.
In the case of a cage being guided by wire cables I adopt the following modi-
fication Sockets HI, LM, and JK, NO, (Figure 11) fitted to receive the wedges
are made in a rectangular block of iron A, B, C, D, E, F, Figure 10, formed of two
similar pieces ABCD and BCEF, and joined by two bolts G. The vertical face
of the wedges is shaped cylindrically according to the cables (Fig. 10), so that the
cable guide P is closely surrounded. In the event of the cable breaking the
wedges rise and press by the weight of the cage on the cable-guides in such a
manner that the cage must stop.
I claim,
Firstly. A system of wedges which in the case of breaking of the rope or of the
chain that connects the rope to the cage, will press with their vertical surface
against the guides, and cause the cage to gradually stop without detriment to the
guides, and even without shock, such effect being produced by a counterweight,
which, by special disposition, drops when the rope or chain breaks, and acts upon
levers which cause the wedges to rise and to press against the guides, substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The combination of the small chain 8, the rod t, bearing base or
head m, in order to cause the breaking of the little chains, in the event of the
chains breaking, and the cage being only sustained by the rope. The rope would
exert all its force on the rod t, and would impair the entire mechanism by lifting the
weight. This is prevented by the breaking of the small chain, which does not
allow of any connection between the weight, the rod, and the rope, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The modification of attaching the weight to the lever by means of

page_text: little chains instead of rigid rods, in order to enable the man in the cage to stop it
en route, and for other purposes, substantially as described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The manner of fastening the levers which act upon the wedges to the
cage (Figs. 6, 9, and 9bis), substantially as described and illustrated.
Fifthly. The manner of fastening the levers and the safety-apparatus to the cage,
and the two parts of the latter to each other, which forms a rigid ensemble of
cage and safety-apparatus (Figs. 4 and 6), substantially as described and illustrated.
Sixthly. The joining of the two parts of the safety-apparatus (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6), substantially as described and illustrated.
Seventhly. The particular disposition of the pressing wedges and their cylindrical
form in the case of the cage being guided by round wire-cables, substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank William Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of June, A.D. 1881.
FRANK WILLIAM HADDAN. (L.S.)