Improvements in Safety Apparatus Applicable to Cages or Hoist Used in Mines or in Buildings or other Places.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Safety Apparatus Applicable to Cages or Hoist
Used in Mines or in Buildings or other Places.
I EDWARD ORMEROD of Atherton in the County of Lancaster Colliery Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to the selfacting catches or grips used for arresting the fall
of the cage or hoist in the event of the breakage of the rope, band or chain employed
for hoisting; and also to the selfacting safety hooks employed for releasing and
holding the cage or hoist in the event of over-winding.
The class of selfacting catches or grips to which my invention is applicable is that
wherein the catches or grips are thrown into action by means of a spring or springs
the movement of which springs (under ordinary circumstances of raising and lowering)
is counteracted or overcome by means of a weight; but if in the event of the rope
band or chain becoming broken the cage or hoist is no longer suspended, its momentum
overcoming or neutralizing the weight releases the spring which then throws out
the catches or grips and instantly arrests the fall of the cage or hoist.
According to my invention I employ a dead weight fixed at the upper end of a
rod or spindle which passes vertically through a hole in an adjustable plate.
Above the adjustable plate and round the spindle is a coiled spring having a tendency
to lift the spindle but held down by the weight. Below the adjustable plate the
spindle is provided with a stud which acts upon a lever which works the catches
or grips.
In ordinary circumstances this lever remains down and holds the catches or grips
out of action but whenever the rope, band, or chain breaks, the coiled spring over-
comes the weight and the stud raises the levers and puts the catches or grips into
action ; a spring catch comes under the end of the lever and prevents the latter from
falling again and releasing the catches until the catch is withdrawn. This catch can
be put in or out of gear as may be required by means of a notched bar which holds it
in either position.

page_text: An arrangement is also made whereby the person in charge of the cage can at any
time by means of applying a lever to the spindle of the weight so as to raise the same
test the spring and see if it is in perfect working order, the said lever can also be
used to throw out the catches at any time required in the pit or shaft without the
rope chain or band being broken so as to enable him to hold the cage or hoist and
allow it to remain at any place for inspecting or repairing the sides of the pit or shaft
for any length of time required, and thus all the strain may be taken off the winding
rope belt or chain whilst the cage or hoist is at rest.
"
My improvements in self acting safety hooks relate to that class of disengaging
hooks which consist of two movable plates with hooks pivoted between two fixed
plates with straight slots, the former acting like what are known as "sister hooks
and being provided with inclined planes which when the hook is drawn or wound too
high pass through a hole in a fixed plate or ring which presses in the inclines and
opens the hooks and thus releases the rope and supports the cage or hoist.
The invention also applies to a modification of the above wherein a single plate
acts between two outer plates, the former having a straight slot and the latter being
formed like hooks.
It has been found in practise that that the hook formed on the plates is sometimes
liable to become broken when submitted to an unusual strain, and the object of this
part of my invention is to support these hooks and prevent them from breaking.
In the former case I prolong the ends of the outer plates below the hooks and I fix
a pin through the two outer plates which comes over the ends of the hooks when
closed and prevents them from rising thereby taking some of the strain off the said
hooks.
In the modification above named wherein the hooks are formed on the outer plates
I prolong the inner plate below the hooks of the outer plates and I fix the pin in the
former so that it projects on both sides and forms a support for the hooks.
T
1000
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Used in Mines or in Buildings or other Places.
I EDWARD ORMEROD of Atherton in the County of Lancaster Colliery Engineer
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 relates first to the self-acting catches or grips used for arresting the
fall of the cage or hoist; in the event of the breakage of the rope band or chain
employed for hoisting and secondly to the self acting safety hooks employed for
releasing and holding the cage or hoist in the event of over winding.
:
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the two sheets of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1. of the drawings Fig. 1. is a vertical section through a cage or hoist
showing the application of the first part of my invention thereto. Fig. 2. is an
exterior side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a section of a portion thereof
detached.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings Figs. 4 and 5 are section and edge views, and Figs. 6
and 7. are side and edge views of two forins of self-acting safety hooks showing the
application of the second part of my invention thereto.
The class of self-acting catches or grips for cages or hoists to which the first part of
my invention is applicable (see Sheet 1. of the drawings) is that wherein the catches
or grips a are thrown into action by means of a spring or springs the movement of
which springs, under ordinary circumstances of raising and lowering, is counteracted
or overcome by means of a weight, but if, in the event of the rope, band, or chain
becoming broken, the cage or hoist is no longer suspended, its momentum overcoming
or neutralizing the weight releases the spring which throws into action the catches or
grips and instantly arrests the fall of the cage or hoist b.
upper
end of a
According to my invention I employ a dead weight c fixed at the
rod or spindle d which passes vertically through a hole in an adjustable plate e.
Above this plate e and around the spindle d is a coiled spring f having a tendency
to lift the spindle d but held down by the weight c.
The position of the plate e can be adjusted by means of the lock nuts e¹ so as to
increase or decrease the power of the spring fas may be required.
Below the adjustable plate e the spindle d is provided with a stud or projection a
which acts upon the lever h which works the catches or grips a.

page_text: In ordinary circumstances this lever h remains down and holds the catches or
grips a out of action, but whenever the rope, band, or chain breaks, and the cage or
hoist consequently begins to descend too rapidly, the coiled spring f overcomes the
weight c and the study raises the lever and puts the catches or grips a into action;
a spring catch comes under the end of the lever hand prevents the latter from
falling again and releasing the catches or grips a until the said spring catch or stop i
has been been withdrawn. The latter can be put into or out of gear, as may be
required by means of a sliding notched bar which will hold it fast in either
position.
An arrangement is also made (see Fig. 2) whereby the person in charge can by
means of the lever (or by any other lever applied to the lower end of the spiddle d
so as to raise the weight c) test the spring f and see if it is in perfect working order.
The same lever can also be used (from inside the cage) to throw the catches or grips a
into action at any time and at any height in the pit as may be required, without the
rope, band, or chain being broken, so as to enable him to hold the cage or hoist and
allow it to remain at any place for inspecting or repairing the sides of the pit or
shaft for any length of time required, and thus all the strain may be taken off the
winding rope, band or chain whilst the cage or hoist is at rest.
In the drawing the invention is shown as applied to a cage or hoist having only
two guides (one on each side) but it will of course be evident that it is equally
applicable to those which are provided with three or four guides.
The second part of my invention (see Sheet 2 of the drawings) relates first to that
class of safety or disengaging hooks (Figs. 4 and 5) which consists of two movable,
plates m formed with hooks m¹ and pivotted between two fixed plates n with straight
slots n¹, the former acting like what are known as "Sister books" and being provided
with inclined planes m2 which, when the hook is drawn or wound too high, pass
through a hole in a fixed plate or ring which presses in the inclined planes, m³,
and opens the hooks m', and thus releases the rope and supports the cage or
hoist.
It has been found in practise that the hooks formed on the upper ends of the plates
are sometimes liable to become broken when submitted to an unusual strain and the
object of this part of my invention is to give support to these hooks and prevent them
from breaking.
For this purpose I prolong the ends of the outer plates above the hooks m¹ and I
fix a pin or a block o through or between the two outer plates on each side of
the slot n' which come over and support or form an abutment for the tops of the
hooks when closed and prevent them from opening out or rising, thereby taking off a
great portion of the strain from such hooks and preventing their becoming broken.
This part of my invention also applies to a modification of the above (see Figs. 6
and 7) wherein a single plate pacts between two outer plates 9, the foriner having
a straight or sloping slot, and the latter being formed like hooks. In this case I
prolong the inner plate p above the hooks of the outer plates q and I fix the pin
in the former so that it projects on both sides and forms a support for the hooks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. In cages or hoists of the class hereinbefore referred to the combination of
the dead weight coiled spring, spindle and stud acting on the lever which throws
the catches or grips into action, substantially as herein before described and illus-
trated by sheet 1. of the drawings annexed.
Secondly. I claim in such cages or hoists the combination with the dead weight
spindle and spring of the adjustable plate, for regulating the power of the spring.
Thirdly. I claim in such cages or hoists the combination with the lever which
works the catches or grips of a spring catch for supporting the end of the same with

page_text: a sliding notched plate or its equivalent for keeping the said spring catch in or out of
action.
Fourthly. I claim in Safety or disengaging hooks of the class hereinbefore referred
to, the use of fixed pins, studs blocks or other similar fixed abutments placed
immediately above the ends of the hooks for the purpose of relieving any undue
strain thereon so as to prevent their becoming opened out or broken.
1 11.9 101 1
T1 1000
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.