IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTING OFF THE STEAM AND OPERATING UPON THE BREAKS OF ENGINES EMPLOYED IN LOWERING INTO AND LIFTING PROM MINES OR PITS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jesso Law, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lan-
caster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTING OFF THE STEAM
AND OPERATING UPON THE BREAKS OF ENGINES EMPLOYED IN LOWERING INTO
AND LIFTING PROM MINES OR PITS."
Sealed the 19th July 1861, and dated the 25th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jesse Law, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th January 1861.
I, JESSE LAW, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTING OFF
THE STEAM AND OPERATING UPON THE BREAKS OF ENGINES EMPLOYED IN LOWERING
INTO AND LIFTING FROM MINES OR PITS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is intended to prevent the overwinding of pits' cages, and the
sad accidents resulting therefrom. It consists of a screw shaft, which may
be a continuation of the driving or any other shaft in connection with the
engine employed in winding. The said screw shaft is furnished with a suspen-
sion lever, through one end of which it works, but the other end being
free the said suspension lever hangs down vertically from the said screw shaft,
and is caused to traverse the same backwards and forwards from end to end as
the shaft is turned in either direction. The distance it. is allowed to traverse
the said screw shaft is regulated by set nuts or otherwise, in accordance with
the length of rope to be wound from the pit. It will readily be understood that
when the engine is started the said suspension lever is caused to traverse the said

page_text: screw shaft by its turning until it arrives at one end of the same, when it is at
once brought to a stop by coming in contact with a collar or set nut, which
lifts it, and causes it to strike simultaneously against catches or stops on the
ends of two horizontal lovers, one of which is connected with and puts on the
engine break, and the other being in connection with the slide valve shuts off
the steam, or reverses the engine; if the latter, then the said suspension lever
traverses back to the other end of the screw shaft, and acts upon other two
levers with the same result as before. During the above operations one cage
has been drawn up from and another let down into the pit.
My Invention may be used as above described, or may be adapted to and
used in connection with existing arrangements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jesse Law in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JESSE
LAW, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lancashire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jesse Law, Her special licence that I, the said Jesse Law,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Jesse Law, my executors, administrators, and assigns should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHUTTING OFF THE STEAM AND OPERATING UPON THE BREAKS OF
ENGINES EMPLOYED IN LOWERING INTO AND LIFTING FROM MINES OR PITS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jesse Law, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jesse Law, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My said Invention is intended to prevent the overwinding of pits' cages or
skips, and the sad accidents resulting therefrom, and for which purposes I.
employ a screw shaft, which may be a continuation of the driving or other
shaft in connection with the engine employed in winding. The said screw
shaft is furnished with a pendent or suspension lever, through one end of which
it works, but the other end being free the said suspension lever hangs down
vertically from the said screw shaft, and is caused to traverse the same back-
wards and forwards from end to end as the shaft is turned in either direction.
The distance it is allowed to traverse the said screw shaft is regulated by set
nuts, or otherwise, in accordance with the length of rope to be wound from the
pit. It will readily be understood that when the engine is started the said
pendent lever is caused to traverse the said screw shaft by its turning, until it
arrives at one end of the same, when it is at once brought to a stop by coming
in contact with a collar or set nut, which lifts it, and causes it to strike
simultaneously against catches or stops on the ends of two horizontal levers,
one of which is connected with and puts on the engine break, and the other
being in connection with the slide valve shuts off the steam or reverses the
engine; if the latter, then the said pendent lever traverses back to the other
end of the screw shaft, and acts upon other two levers in the same manner
and with the same result as before. During the above operations one cage or
skip has been drawn up to the pit's mouth, and another let down into
the pit.
My Invention may be used as above described, or may be adapted to and
used in connection with existing arrangements.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawings is a front view of the break of a
winding engine, shown in connection with the apparatus constructed according
to the said Invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
The same
letters of reference denote the same parts in both the Figures.
Letter (a) is the break wheel; (6) is the screw shaft; (c) is the pendent
or suspension lever, working backwards and forwards on the same; (e) are
nuts for use as set nuts in adjusting the distance on the screw shaft, through
which the said pendent lever shall work, which must be proportionate to the
depth of the mine; (f) are the horizontal levers in connection with the
break; (g) are catches or stops on the same; (h) are the horizontal levers in

page_text: connection with the engine for shutting off the steam, and (j) are their
catches or stops. When the said pendent lever has traversed the said screw
and is in contact with the set nuts or collar with which it is furnished, the
said lever strikes against the said catches, and lifts the horizontal levers (ƒ)
and (h), thus shutting off the steam and putting on the break at the same
time. Letter (k) is an ordinary foot lever for putting on the break; and (l)
are hand levers for operating on the steam valves.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the use of apparatus con-
structed in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jesse Law, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 22nd day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
PETER MAGEE,
Schoolmaster,
Hallinwood
J. LAW. (L.B.)