CONNECTING COAL TUBS, CORFS OR WAGONS TO A HAULING ROPE BY MEANS OF A "PORTABLE CLIP FORK
Year: 1884

page_text: PROTIONAL
DE EVIFICATION.
We WILLIAM RUTHERFORD of South Derwent Colliery Ann Field plain Lintz
Green in the county of Durham Colliery Viewer and THOMAS. THOMPSON of the
same place Colliery Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
CONNECTING COAL TUBS, CORFS OR WAGONS TO A HAULING ROPE BY MEANS OF
A "PORTABLE CLIP FORK" to be as follows:-
An Invention for placing on the Top, Bottom, or sides, of Coal Tubs, Corfs or
Wagons for connecting them to a rope travelling Horizontally at a slow speed,
Hauling either on the surface or Underground.
The rope is directed into the centre between the elliptical faced clips "A" "A"
(see plan and sections Figure 2) gravitates to the Bottom B. comes in contact with
the Faces of the clips which rotate from centres O. C grasps the Rope equally on
each side and thus the necessary compression is obtained to haul the Tubs Corfs or
Wagons.
"
The Clips work each other either with or without teeth, are automatic in action
consequently sufficient compression is obtained to haul upon any rising gradient or
hold down any falling gradient.
Dated this ninth day of February 1884.
WILLIAM RUTHERFORD.
THOMAS THOMPSON.

page_text: We WILLIAM RUTHERFORD of South Derwent Colliery Ann Field plain, Lintz
Green, in the County of Durham Colliery Viewer and THOMAS THOMPSON of the
same place Colliery Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"CONNECTING COAL TUBS, CORFS OR WAGONS TO A HAULING ROPE BY MEANS
OF A PORTABLE CLIP FORK" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our Invention has for its object to provide a clip fork which can be readily
applied to and removed from Coal Tubs, Corfs, Wagons or the like for connecting
them to a hauling rope or chain the said fork being so arranged that it is situated
in the central line of the wagons or the like and of the haulage and so that-the 1
grip upon the rope is automátically applied in both directions.
We will describe our Invention with reference to the accompanying Drawing
wherein Figures 1 and 2 are views at right angles to each other of a Fork
constructed according to our Invention. Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the fork,
and Figure 4 is a plan of the table upon which the gripping parts turn. Figure 5
illustrates a modification of the fork as hereinafter described.
A is the post and B the hook or hanger by which the device is attached to the
wagon or the like. The post A has at top, a table C upon which are mounted clip
pieces D capable of a motion of partial rotation upon centre pins E E. The inner
faces of the said clips are curved, or shaped to such a figure that their end parts
at d d are further from the centres on which the said clips turn, so that when the
said clips are in their central position the rope is not gripped, but so that when
the said clips are moved by the rope the parts at d of the clips approach each other
as the said clips turn on their centre in either direction and the rope is thereby
seized and gripped firmly by the said parts d d of the clips. The bauling rope F is
placed between the said clip pieces D and the motion of the said rope causes the clip
pieces to turn upon their centres E E so that the said clip pieces grasp the said
rope on each side thereof and the said rope is held firmly and the load is thereby
hauled by the said rope. This action will take place in whichever direction the rope
is hauled. In order to cause the clip pieces D to each have the same movement their
bases may bear upon or against each other there being preferably engaging teeth
formed on each as shewn at G. With this clip fork sufficient compression is
automatically exerted upon the rope to cause the load to be hauled along the
bench or up an ascending gradient, whilst the load is automatically held on any
descending gradient.
The modification Figure 5 is like that herein before described, but in order to
prevent the rope from leaving the clips vertically, the lower parts of their inner
faces are formed with grooves d² d³ to receive the rope. The said clip pieces are
hinged at d³ ³ to allow the clip pieces to yield when they are in their mid position
for the insertion or withdrawal of the rope, but when the pull is on the rope and the
clip pieces are gripping in either direction the bases of the said clip pieces prevent
them from turning upon the hinges d³ d³ and the rope cannot rise from the
grooves d³ d'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declaro that what
we claim is,
First In clip forks for connecting coal wagons or their equivalents to a
hauling rope (or chain) the employment of clip pieces capable of being automatically

page_text: turned upon centres by the movement of the rope or chain so as to grip the said
rope or chain for hauling the load substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second: In clip forks for connecting coal wagons or their equivalents to a
hauling rope or chain, the employment of clip pieces geared together or caused to
move in concert, and capable of being automatically turned upon centres by the
movement of the rope or chain so as to grip the said rope or chain for hauling
the load, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Third-The clip fork consisting of the arrangement and combination of parts
berein before described and illustrated in figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying
drawings, and also the modification herein before described and illustrated by
Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
WILLIAM RUTHERFORD.
THOMAS THOMPSON,