Safety Catch for Colliery Cages.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICA ION.
Safety Catch for Colliery Cages.
THOMAS MORRIS & Incline Row Ton Pentre Pontypridd Glamorganshire Fitter do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the prevention of fatal and other accidents in pit or mine
shafts, so often caused by the breaking of the rope or chain to which the "cage" is
suspended by means of the adoption of safety appliances attached to the cage and
operating when required in case of accident, to stop and hold the cage in position in
the shaft.
My "safety catch" is substantially made of wrought iron or steel, and I propose to
fix one catch for each guide-rope in the shaft and that each guide rope shall pass
through an aperture in its respective appliance. The following description of
construction and action of one of the "safety catches" will serve for each one placed
on the cage.
My invention is similar to a parallel vice having one end fixed to cage by means of
a strong bolt, but it is able to revolve on that bolt. The other end rests ou a sill fixed
to the cage to keep the appliance in an horizontal position. To the one end of the
spindle of vice is fixed a spring-drum (on the same principle as a watch spring) which
is regulated by a pulley (fixed to the same spindle) having a chain attached. The
other end of the chain is connected to the main rope of the cage, having passed round
a pulley at the bottom of the same face of the cage, thus holding the spring tight and
the jaws of the vice open, in which the other end of the spindle revolves. Upon this
latter end of the spindle a thread or screw is made, which turns in the movable jaw
of the vico. The movable jaw has a halfround aperture to correspond to the halfround
aperture in the fixed jaw, the circumference of both apertures when jaws are in contact
being less than the circumference of the guide. Through this the guide runs.
If the main rope break, the chain above mentioned loses its tension (and coils round
the pulley on the appliance). The spring being no longer restrained forces the spindle
to revolve, which by the action of the thread brings the movable jaw as near as
possible to the fixed jaw, and they grip the guide firmly. It is impossible for the
movable jaw to slide back unless the spindle be turned.
Again, when the chain gives way the end of the appliance which rests on the sill
rises and assumes an inclined position. This makes it doubly sure that the cage will
be secured and be held in suspension.
Deted this 20th day of March 1880
THOMAS MORRIS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Safety Catch for Colliery Cages.
I, THOMAS MORRIS, of 8 Incline Row, Ton Pentre, Pontypridd, in the county of
Glamorgan, fitter, 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 consists in a safety catch for colliery and similar cages. It is
designed to be applied to the guide ropes of such cages and is arranged to grip the
guide ropes, and thus hold and retain the cage, on the occurrence of slackening or
severance either of the main rope through the medium of which the cage is raised and
lowered, or the chains connecting the cage with the main rope.
The catch is composed of a fixed jaw formed on a base plate pivotted at one end to

page_text: one of the uprights of the cage and situnted in convenient proximity to a guide rope,
and of a sliding jaw which by the action of a coiled spring tends to close upon the
fixed jaw. At the end opposite to the pivot the base plate lies on a sholf provided by
a plate fixed. to the cage. Each jaw of the catch is recessed to receive the guide rope.
Above the recess is a spindle which passes through both jaws. A pulley is fixed upon
the spindle. That end of the spindle which is passed through the fixed jaw is provided
with screw threads which work in the jaw as a nut. The coiled spring, which tends
to close the catch, is fixed at one end to the spindle and at the other to a box situated
behind the pulley. To the pulley is attached one end of a chain or cord which after
having been passed below a pulley situated under the catch is carried up and attached
to the ring of the main rope. When the latter is in tension the jaws of the catch are
open and the free movement of the cage is not thereby affected, but in event of the
main rope, or the ropes or chains connecting the main ropo with the cage, becoming
slack or severed, the coiled spring of the catch being thereby released from the
restraining action of the chain which connects the catch to the main rope, forces the
sliding jaw towards the fixed jaw and the guide rope is gripped between them. The
whole catch becomes tilted upward on the guide rope and deflects it, thus imparting
further security against descent of the cage.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents in elevation a cage of
the kind employed in the shafts of collieries.
It is illustrated as fitted with my improved safety catch. A, A are the cage
uprights; H, H the guide ropes; J the main rope through the medium of which the
cage is raised and lowered; jj the chains connecting the ring L of the main rope J
with the cage; and the dotted lines K, K indicate the ropes or chains by which the
pulleys D of the catches are connected to the ring L. P, P are pulleys around which
the ropes or chains K., K pass, as shown. At Fig. 2 is represented a plan and at
Fig. 3 a front view of my improved catch which consists of a fixed jaw B provided
on a base plate 6 which is pivotted at O to the uprights A of the cage.
At the opposite end the base plate 6 normally rests on the upper end of the plate I
bolted, as shown at Fig. 1, to the cage. O is a jaw capable of sliding along the base
plate b. Both jaws B and C are recessed to an approximately equal extent at F.
G is a spindle which is passed through lugs l, above the recess F.
That end of the spindle G which passes through the lug is provided with screw
threads and works in the lug as a nut.
Between the lugs l, is a hoss N formed on the spindle G. This hoss is of larger
diameter than that part of the spindle passed through the lug. The pulley Dis
keyed or otherwise secured on the spindle G. Within the box E, fixed to the bearing
at the inner end of the catch, is a spiral or helical spring one end of which is
secured to the spindle G and the other to the box. It is arranged after the manner
of a watch spring and bas a constant tendency to rotate the pulley D and spindle G
in such direction as to screw the screw threaded end of the latter into the lug l.
In applying the catch to a cage, the guide ropes are received between the jaws
at F. The jaw C is drawn away from the jaw B by turning the pulley D in the
direction requisite for compressing or winding up the coiled spring contained, as
aforesaid, within the box E. After the jaw C has been drawn apart from the jaw B
it is kept away by connecting the pulley D to the ring L by means of the rope or
chain K, and whilst this rope or chain is kept in tension the jaw cannot move towards
the jaw B. But, if the main rope or chain J, or the chains jj, be slackened or
severed, the tension on the ropes K, K is removed and the coiled spring in the box E
being no longer restrained by the ropes K K unwinds and drives the jaw towards
the jaw B. The guide ropes H, H are thus gripped and the cage arrosted and held.
The arrest of the cage causes the base plate b to tilt upwards on its pivot O, whereby
a deflection is produced in the guide rope, as seen at Fig. 4, and the catch acts as a
brake imparting further security to the cage. Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4.
When tension of the ropes K, K is resumed, the jaw is drawn away from the
jaw B and the cage is free to be raised or lowered.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:-
1. The improved device for gripping the guide ropes of colliery cages and other
like lifts, consisting of a fixed jaw and a sliding jaw between which the guide rope is
received, both jaws being carried on a common hase attached to the cage, the sliding
jaw being operated by a spring to close towards the fixed jaw and cause the guide
rope to be gripped by the jaws when the tension of chains or ropes norimally
restraining the spring from so acting is relaxed, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination, as a catch for gripping the guido ropes of colliery cages and
other like lifts, of the spindle G with screwed end working in the jaw B, a movable
jaw (actuated by a coiled spring), and a base plate 6 pivotted to the cage, all
constructed, arranged and operating in connection with the main rope or chain by
which the cage is raised and lowered, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
T: 7
1000
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Bristol Bank Buildings, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.