An Improved Device for Releasing Haulage Clips.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Releasing Haulage Clips.
WILLIAM DENNIS HODGKINSON Newthorpe Nottingham Miner and Iron
monger that I Wм. D. HODGKINSON do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
That this unclipper is a self-acting contrivance, which releases clips from haulage
ropes, while the said ropes are in motion.
It has two parallel sides above the base or foundation, & is constructed of
metal, or the base part may be wood, with metal plates laid on the top, the whole
being securely bolted to the sleepers which support the rails, or tram line, by bolts,
pins, or screws, in the centre of the line, between the tram rails.
The two parallel sides, which forms a groove or channel are seperated from
each other running parallel with the rope, the rope running between the two said
parallel sides, the latter being no obstruction to the said rope, as both entrance &
outlet are open, said entrance beginning in a wedge shape, & rising until the
delivery or outlet end is reached. The limit to the rise being the tram axles,
which axles must pass over without touching. The width of groove at top, is
regulated, so as to admit the jaws of clip, which jaws are wider than remaining
bottom part of clip. But the hoop of clip being wider than jaws, & wider than than
surface of groove, does not euter, so that hoop remains on the top of unclipper
throughout the time of disconnection.
The top or surface of these parallel sides, are provided with notches each notch
rising in the direction of which the rope & clip are travelling, the clip being drawn
forward by the rope, & each notch being higher than the last, the clip falling from
the top of one notch'on to the next, driving the hoop upwards until the hoop looses
its gripping power over the clip & rope, the clip being released or unclipped from
When the tram which carries the clip, reaches the terminus or limit
of unclipper, the hoop again falls on to the jaws of clip, but the rope has left
the rope.
the clip.
Inside the groove or channel, & just below the unclipping surface, the said groove
is wider, this is to allow the clip's jaws to open wide enough for the rope to fall out.
The length of unclipper and length & depth of notches are regulated according
to the work to be performed.
The length of unclipper will be from 3 ft. to 6 ft. & up. & the length of or
distance from one notch to another, will be from about 8 in. to 18 in. & up. &
depth from 1 in. & up.
As the clip travels through the unclipper, it is the work of the unclipper, to lift
up or knock up the hoop, while the said hoop is rising & falling from one notch
to another.
Deted this Wountcanth day of December 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Releasing Haulage Clips.
I, WILLIAM DENNIS HODGKINSON, of Newthorpe, in the County of Nottingham,
Miner and Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
5 in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved device for automatically releasing haulage
clips from haulage ropes while the said ropes are in motion.

page_text: The
In carrying out my invention I employ two stepped inclined planes placed side
by side with a space between them and constructed of metal or of wood with metal
plates laid on the top. The two parts are securely bolted to the sleepers which
support the rails or tram line and in the centre of the line between the rails.
space between the two inclined planes forms a groove or channel in which the
haulage rope runs, there being no obstruction to the rope as both entrance and
outlet are open; the entrance is at the commencement of the inclined planes and
the delivery or outlet at the highest end thereof. The rise of the inclined planes
will be limited by the tram axles as these axles must be able to pass over the device
without touching it. The width of the groove or space between the two parts of
the device is such as to admit the jaws of the clip, which jaws are wider than the
upper part of the clip, but the hoop of the clip being wider than the jaws and
wider than the upper part of the groove will not enter but will ride on the inclined
top of the releasing device until it reaches the highest part thereof, the rope in the
meantime having been released. The groove or space between the two parts of the
device is wide enough at the lower part to allow the jaws of the clip to open to
release the rope.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device for releasing haulage clips:
Figure 2 is a plan of the device; and,
Figures 3 and 4 are a front elevation and a rear elevation respectively of the
same.
a, a represent the two stepped inclined planes placed side by side, b is the space
between the planes forming the groove or channel for the haulage rope c. In the
drawings the inclined planes are shewn as being made of wood provided with metal
plates on the top thereof, the inner edges of which project over the edges of the
space b so as to diminish the width of the opening at the top. It will be obvious
that the inclined planes may be made entirely of metal.
The two parts a, a of the device are securely bolted to the sleepers which support
the rails d of the tram-line. e is the entrance to the device at the commencement
of the inclined planes, the delivery or outlet end being at f at the highest end of
the device, the height of which must be slightly less than the height of the axles
of the trucks from the sleepers to allow the trucks to pass over the device without
touching it. g represents a haulage clip attached to the tug h of a truck i in the
usual manner. The clip is for the purpose of illustration similar to the clip
.forming the subject of my former Patent No. 7996 dated the 28 April 1892.
By this arrangement if a truck i be hauled along by the rope c, as soon as the
clip g reaches the releasing device the jaws j of the clip holding the rope will
enter the space b, the collar k of the clip riding over the steps of the incline, which
steps are marked 1 to 7. The collar of the clip having passed over, say, the first
step will impinge against the next step 2 and riding up the same will drop
onto step 3, as clearly shewn in the drawings, and so on; and as the clip drops from
one step to the next the collar k as it falls or strikes against the steps will be forced
upwards so as to gradually open the jaws to release the rope as shewn in Figure 4,
the lower part of the space b being sufficiently wide as hereinbefore mentioned to
allow of the jaws opening while the upper part is of less width than the diameter
of the collar of the clip.
The length of the incline planes forming my releasing device and also the depth
of the steps will naturally vary according to the work to be performed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A device for automatically releasing haulage clips consisting of two stepped
incline planes placed side by side with a space between them and fixed between the
tram-rails as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. The manufacture and use of the described improved device for automatically
releasing haulage clips from haulage ropes while the said ropes are in motion, the
said device being arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the several figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of September 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.