Improved Apparatus for the Prevention of Overwinding, and for Arresting the Descent of Cages in Mines on the Breakage of the Rope.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improved Apparatus for the Prevention of Overwinding, and
for Arresting the Descent of Cages in Mines on the Breakage
of the Rope.
I, JAMES WALTER STABLES of N° 16 Wensleydale Parade, Batley, Yorkshire
Engine Fitter do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF OVERWINDING AND FOR ARRESTING THE
DESCENT OF CAGES IN MINES ON THE BREAKAGE OF THE ROPE" to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention has reference to a new arrangement of apparatus
to be used in connection with cages working up and down mine shafts, and my
improvements consist in the employment of a pair of pulleys at each side of the
cage, and placed in near contact with the usual vertical guide rods employed in
guiding the cage up and down the mine.
These pulleys are connected by a stud eccentrically to a cross bar secured to
the sides of the cage; whilst another cross bar or bracket is employed and
connected to the pulleys by short links.
This bracket is supported by and connected to the rope, and so long as the rope
remains intact and hold of the cage, the bracket and links keep the pulleys clear
of the guide rods, but, should the rope break, or become disconnected with the
bracket, a spiral spring connected to the bottom thereof would pull the bracket
and links downward causing the pulleys to oscillate on their eccentric studs in such
manner as to bring the periphery of the pulleys in keen contact with the guide
rods, thereby immediately arresting the descent of the cage, consequently preventing
accidents which would happen if the cage was allowed to descend.
It is not however advisable to stop the descent of the cage too soon, as the
sudden stoppage thereof might injure the mechanism, and also have a tendency
to throw the workmen or coals out of the cage, I therefore place adjustable
bearings on that part of the bracket which slides upon the guide rods, so that the
nip of such bearings on the guide rods may be regulated and adjusted by set
screws, whereby the sudden stoppage of the cage can be regulated to be sooner, or
later.
Secondly. My Invention has reference to means to be employed for preventing
the overwinding of the cage which takes place if the rope is wound past a certain
point in consequence of inattention on the part of the Driver or the Steam Engine
becoming unmanageable.

page_text: For this purpose I attach to the end of the rope a link or arm having an
enlargement at its upper end, which enlargement is placed into and fits a
corresponding hole formed in a pair of hinged jaws or pincers, which are closed
and held fast by a sliding plate or loop, which, when fixed is prevented from
moving out of its place by two or other suitable number of copper pins.
At a convenient place above the cage I affix a plate having a hole therein
through which the rope passes as it is winding the cage up and down the mine,
the said hole in the fixed plate is not however large enough for the loop which
holds the jaws to pass through, consequently if the cage was being overwound
from any cause whatever,' the said loop would be brought violently against the
fixed plate, causing the loop to cut the copper pins by which means the rope would
be detached from the cage, allowing the cage to descend the mine, but the eccentric
pulleys as described in the first part of the Specification would be forced against
the guide rods consequently preventing the descent of the cage, and so avoiding
dangers and evils arising from overwinding.
TASKER & CROSSLEY
Patent Agents, Halifax,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: DIEVITICATION.
I, JAMES WALTER STABLES of N° 16 Wensleydale Parade, Batley, Yorkshire
Engine Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF OVERWINDING, AND FOR ARRESTING THE
DESCENT OF CAGES IN MINES ON THE BREAKAGE OF THE ROPE" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The first part of my Invention has reference to a new arrangement of apparatus
to be used in connection with cages working up and down mine shafts, and my
improvements consist in the employment of a pair of pulleys at each side of the
cage, and placed in near contact with the usual vertical guide rods employed in
guiding the cage up and down the mine.
Such being the nature and object of my invention I'will now proceed to describé
same which is illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of drawings wherein Fig 1 is
front elevation of a miner's cage having my improvements applied thereto.
A is the bottom of the cage, B the top thereof which is connected by chain C to
the winding rope, and D are the usual vertical guide rods which extend from top
to bottom of the mine.
To the framing of the cage is attached an adjustable cross rail E, which extends
from one side of the cage to the other, and this cross-rail carries two grooved
pulleys F working eccentrically upon studs a, the groove of the pulleys being just
clear of the rods D when the several parts are working satisfactorily. G is a
crosshead the upper part of which is connected to the bridge H and a loop b
connects the bridge to the main ring c whilst the bottom part of the said cross-
head G is connected to a spiral spring d and passes through a long boss I by which
it is steadied. This crosshead is connected at each side by links J to the
eccentric pulleys F so that any upward and downward movement of the crosshead
imparts to the pulleys an oscillatory motion. When therefore the parts are working
satisfactorily the pulleys are clear of the rods D, but should the winding rope
break or become disconnected with the top of the cross-head, the spiral spring d
which is always ready for action would immediately draw the cross-head down
as shewn in Fig 2 causing the links J to oscillate the pulleys and bring their
periphery against the vertical rods, which would quickly arrest the descent of
the cage, consequently preventing accidents which would occur if the cage was
allowed to descend.
It is not however advisable to stop the descent of the cage too soon, as the
sudden stoppage thereof might injure the mechanism, and also have a tendency to
throw the workmen or coals out of the cage, I therefore place adjustable bearings K

page_text: on the brackets E, so that the nip of such bearings on the guide rods may be
regulated and adjusted by set screws e whereby the sudden stoppage of the cage
can be regulated to be sooner or later. In addition to the use of the adjustable
bearings for preventing the sudden stoppage of the cage, the cross rail E is made
with a slots so as to allow the cage to descend some little distance further after
the pulleys are in contact with the guide rods, and in doing which the long boss I
would be brought on the top of the collar t so that the whole weight of the cage is
then suspended by the eccentric pulleys, which are being forced more and more
against the guide rods, by which means any further descent of the cage is rendered
impossible.
Instead of employing the cross-head for giving oscillatory motion to the pulleys,
I operate them in one direction by spiral springs L as shewn in Fig 3. In this
case I dispense with the cross-head, and instead thereof I connect the bridge H to
the pulleys by means of chains, M so that when the rope is intact, and the bridge
held up that the pulleys will be clear of the guide rods, the studs f on the face of
each pulley as it comes into contact with the cross-rail E determines how far the
pulleys shall be drawn upward. As soon therefore as the cage becomes disconnected
with the rope the spiral springs L will draw the pulleys downward, causing the
periphery thereof to bind against the guide rods, and so stop the descent of the
cage, but as there are objections to the absolute and sudden stoppage of the carriage
I arrange that the studs a. upon which the pulleys rotate shall be placed in slots
formed in the brackets. T, so that when the springs L have drawn the pulleys
against the rods D that the studs a can slide up the slotted brackets until the
projecting stud f comes into contact with the underside of the cross-rail E, whereby
the cage would have been allowed to descend some little distance after the rope
ceased to support it.
Secondly My Invention has reference to means to be employed for preventing
the overwinding of the cage which takes place if the rope is wound past a certain
point in consequence of inattention on the part of the driver, or the steam engine
becoming unmanageable.
For this purpose I attach to the end of the rope a link or arm having an
enlargement at its lower end, which enlargement is placed into and fits a corre-
sponding hole formed in a pair of hinged jaws or pincers, which are closed and
held fast by a sliding plate or loop, which when fixed is prevented from moving
out of its place by two or other suitable number of copper pins.
For this purpose I attach to the end of the rope a link or arm N having an
enlargement h formed on its lower end which enlargement is placed into and fits a
corresponding shaped hole formed in a pair of hinged jaws P. These jaws are
closed and held fast by a plate or loop R which is capable of sliding up and down
the jaws for the purpose of locking and unlocking the liuk.
When the loop is placed in position so as to hold the link N as shewn in Fig. 1
the loop is itself secured to the pincers by copper pins i passed through holes made
in the loop and the pincers.
At a convenient place above the cage I affix a plate S having a hole therein as
shewn in dotted line through which the rope passes as it is winding the cago up
and down the mine, the said hole in the fixed plate is not however large enough
for the loop R to pass through, consequently if the cage was being over-wound from
any cause whatever, the said loop would be brought violently against the fixed
plate causing the loop to cut the copper-pins, by which means the rope would be
detached from the cage as shewn in Fig 2 allowing the cage to descend the mine,
but the eccentric pulleys as described in the first part of the Specification would
be forced against the guide rods D consequently preventing the descent of the cage
And so avoiding dangers and evils arising from overwinding.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Firstly The employment of the eccentric pulleys F operated in the manner
substantially as herein shewn and described for arresting the descent of the cage.
Secondly The employment of the link N, loop R, and hinged jaws P operated
in the manner substantially as herein shewn and described for disconnecting the
rope from the cage whereby overwinding of the cage is prevented.