Improvements in Safety Hooks for Mine Cages in part Applicable to other Cage Hooks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Hooks for Mine Cages in part Applicable
to other Cage Hooks.
I WILLIAM HEWITT, of Nostell Colliery, near Wakefield, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of safety hooks for use
in mine cages and applies particularly to the class of hooks which detach when
overwinding occurs.
The object of my invention is to improve the construction of such hooks in such
manner as to secure absolute certainty of action when overwinding occurs and also
to diminish the friction of mine cages upon their guides due to the twist of the
rope.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a safety hook which consists
cssentially of two L shaped levers or arms pivoted together at the bottom by a
suitable bolt or pin so that when the longer or upright arms of each are placed
together the horizontal or shorter arms below form an inverted T. The horizontal
arms carry at each extremity a pin from which depends a shackle. From these two
shackles the mine cage is suspended, and also from the centre pin when required.
The upper ends of the vertical part of each lever are formed with external
projections or shoulders, the exterior edges of which are parallel to each other
when the levers are pressed together. The ends of the vertical levers are so shaped
out or recessed that when their inner surfaces are pressed together a conical recess
is formed, into which conical recess fits the conical circular end of an eye bolt to be
hereinafter described.
Below the said conical recess formed by the two levers is arranged a slot also
shaped out of both levers on their inner faces. This slot is preferably of circular
termination at its upper extremity and of incline or wedge shaped termination at
its lower extremity.
Over the shoulders 1 fit a hoop capable of sliding down past the shouldered part
to the smaller portion of the vertical levers, and this hoop I attach or compress
firmly on the shouldered end by means of a bolt and nut, the bolt passing through
holes on both sides of the hoop and through the slot resting at its upper extremity.
The lower or wedge part of the slot is occupied by a rubber block clipped in place,
by the closing of the vertical ends of the levers.
The eye bolt hereinafter referred to is firmly held in the conical recess formed
in the upper ends of the levers and it is attached to the winding rope by suitable
connections such as flat links and bolts or pins. The cage is thus securely
suspended from the winding rope as the conical recess holds the conical end of the
eye bolt the two parts of the hook being firmly held together by the hoop
surrounding the shouldered parts. At the same time the circular conical end of
the eye bolt allows the winding rope freedom to rotate due to untwisting or twisting
at each end of the travel of the cage and so obviates the tendency of the rope to
twist the cage against the guides which action causes in ordinary arrangements
very considerable friction. By the use of my conical or circular ended eye bolt
this friction is avoided, and so this part of my invention may be applied with
advantange to any cage hook whether detaching or not.
The safety part of my invention acts in the following manner :-Above the pit
mouth I securely mount a flat metal plate having a hole in it through which passes
the winding rope. This hole is sufficiently large to allow the eye bolt and plate or
other attachments to pass through freely in the event of overwinding; but it is too
small to permit the hoop surrounding the shouldered end of the hook with its bolt

page_text: and nut to pass through. If the cage be overwound the hoop is thus forced down-
wards over the shoulders and the bolt comes into contact with the rubber block in
the wedge end of the slot; this at once forces apart the two vertical arms of
the levers and the shoulder projections which have passed through the hole
in the striking plate seize upon the upper side of the plate and prevent the cage
from falling back into the shaft. The action of the bolt upon the rubber block
and wedge slot is such that the arms are opened with great rapidity and this action
is assisted by the weight of the cage suspended from the shackles attached to the
horizontal arms.
I thus obtain an exceedingly rapid opening of the vertical arms
of the detaching hook in the event of overwinding and the winding rope is at once
detached from the cage. The striking plate is strongly supported to withstand the
shock of detaching.
The position of the rubber block is so arranged with reference to the depth of
the hoop and the position of the bolt clipping the hoop, that if in ordinary work
the hoop should shake loose it can only fall down to a position where the bolt
comes in contact with the rubber block and in this position the hoop has not
slipped off the shoulders so that the vertical ends of the levers are firmly held
together and the cage remains safely suspended.
An
This arrangement also acts in the event of the cage being slightly overwound
causing the hoop to strike the striking plate but without forcing it entirely down.
In this case also the cage remains securely suspended to the winding rope.
additional striking plate is sometimes arranged above the first plate to ensure the
immediate liberation of the conical ended eye bolt from its recesses.
It will be readily understood that my invention may be carried into effect with
various modifiations in detail but in all modifications characteristic features are
retained of the conical or shouldered end eye bolt and the rubber block acting in
conjunction with the hoop and bolt.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1801
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety. Hooks for Mine Cages in part Applicable
to other Cage Hooks.
1, WILLIAM HEWITT, of Nostell Colliery, near Wakefield, in the County of
York, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of safety hooks for use
on mine cages and applies particularly to the class of hooks which detach when
overwinding occurs.
The object of my invention is to improve the construction of such hooks in such
manner as to secure absolute certainty of action when overwinding occurs and also
to diminish the friction of mine cages upon their guides due to the twist of the
горе.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings: In
carrying my invention into effect I construct a safety hook which consists
essentially of two shaped levers or arms A, A' pivoted together at the bottom
by a suitable bolt or pin as A' so that when the longer or upright arms of each L
are placed together, the horizontal or shorter arms below forin än inverted T. The
horizontal arms carry at each extremity a pin from which depend shackles C, C¹.
From these two shackles C, C the mine cage is suspended, and also from the
centre pin A when required."
The upper ends A2, A3 of the vertical part of each lever A, A' are formed
with external projections or shoulders H, H', the exterior edges of which are

page_text: parallel to each other when the levers are pressed together. The ends A², A³
of the vertical levers are so shaped out or recessed that when their inner
surfaces are pressed together a conical recess is formed, into which conical
recess fits the conical circular end E of an eye bolt D' to be hereinafter
described.
Below the said conical recess formed by the two levers is arranged a slot K
Figure 1 also shaped out of both levers on their inner faces. This slot K is
preferably of circular termination at its upper extremity and of incline or wedge
shaped termination at its lower extremity.
Over the shoulders I fit a hoop B capable of sliding down past the shouldered
part A, A³ to the smaller portion of the vertical levers A, A', and this hoop B 1
attach or compress firmly on the shouldered end by means of a bolt and nut B', the
bolt passing through holes on both sides of the hoop and through the slot K resting
at its upper extremity.
The lower or wedge part of the slot is occupied by a rubber block G clipped in
place by the closing of the vertical ends of the levers.
The eye bolt D hereinafter referred to is firmly held in the conical recess
formed in the upper ends of the levers and it is attached to the winding rope by
suitable connections such as flat links D and bolts or pins. The cage is thus
securely supended from the winding rope as the conical recess holds the conical
end E of the eye bolt, the two parts A, A' of the hook being firmly held together
by the hoop B surrounding the shouldered parts A2, A3. At the same time the
circular conical end E of the eye bolt D allows the winding rope freedom to rotate
due to untwisting or twisting at each end of the travel of the cage and so obviates
the tendency of the rope to twist. the cage against the guides which action causes
in ordinary arrangements very considerable friction. By the use of my conical or
circular ended eye bolt this friction is avoided, and so this part of my invention
may be applied with advantage to any cage hook whether detaching or not.
The safety part of my invention acts in the following manner: Above the pit
mouth I securely mount a flat metal plate F (see Figure 3) having a hole, in it
through which passes the winding rope. This hole is sufficiently large to allow the
eye bolt D' and plate or other attachments D to pass through freely in the event.
of overwinding; but it is too small to permit the hoop B surrounding the shouldered
end of the hook with its bolt and nut B¹ to pass through. If the cage be overwound
the hoop B is thus forced downwards over the shoulders H, H' and the bolt comes
into contact with the rubber block G in the wedge end of the slot K; this at once
forces apart the two vertical arins A, A' of the levers and the shoulder pro-
jections H, H which have passed through the hole in the striking plate F seize
upon the upper side of the plate and prevent the cage from falling back into the
shaft. The action of the bolt B₁ upon the rubber block G and wedge slot Kis
such that the arms are opened with great rapidity and this action is assisted by the
weight of the cage suspended from the shackles C, C attached to the horizontal
arms. thus obtain an exceedingly rapid opening of the vertical arms of the
detaching hook in the event of overwinding and the winding rope is at once
detached from the cage. The striking plate is strongly supported to withstand
the shock of detaching.
The position of the rubber block G is so arranged with reference to the depth of
the hoop B and the position of the bolt B' clipping the hoop, that if in ordinary
work the hoop should shake loose it can only fall down to a position where the
bolt 13 comes in contact with the rubber block and in this position the hoop B has
not slipped off the shoulders so that the vertical ends A, A³ of the levers are
firmly held together, and the cage remains safely suspended.
This arrangement also acts in the event of the cage being slightly overwound
causing the hoop to strike the striking plate but without forcing it entirely down.
In this case also the cage remains securely suspended to the winding rope. An
additional striking plate is sometimes arranged above the first plate to ensure the
immediate liberation of the conical ended eye bolt from its recesses.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side and end elevations showing the hook
closed.
Figure 3 shows the hook open and suspended by the shoulders H, H' from the
detaching plate F.
Figure 4 is a section through the line a, a Figure 1 with the hook closed.
Figure 5 is a section on the line y, y Figure 3 with the hook open.
It will be readily understood that my invention may be carried into effect with
various modifications in detail, but in all modifications characteristic features are
retained of the conical or shouldered end eye bolt and the rubber block acting in
conjunction with the hoop and bolt..
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 :-
(1) A safety hook for mine cages it which a conical ended suspending bolt is
held in a conical recess formed by the ends of two pivoted levers to enable the rope
to twist without twisting the cage substantially as hereinbefore described.
(2) A safety hook for mine cages in which a bolt or projection in a band
holding the parts together when knocked away presses against a rubber block
SO as to cause the rubber to force out levers substantially as hereinbefore
described.
(3) The arrangement and construction of safety hooks hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of February, 1892.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.