and Parts Connected therewith.
Year: 1885

page_text: Machinery and Parts Connected therewith.
We, ROBERT HITCHIN of Pentridge Mill, Burnley, in the county of Lancaster,
Mill Manager, JAMES TOWNSLEY PEARSON of 3, Albert Street, Burnley, Inspector
of Works, and THOMAS RICHMOND of Burnley aforesaid, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention for, IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS TO MACHINERY AND PARTS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows:-
"
This invention is applicable for the prevention of serious accidents to main and
spur gear wheels, to rope and strap driving, and overwinding in coal-pits.
In applying this apparatus to main driving wheels, a stave or flat piece of wood
or other suitable material capable of being eaisly severed is attached to a wire or
cord in position near the two driving wheels, so that in the event of a tooth of
either of them becoming broken, such tooth will be thrown against the stave or
rod, which, when severed, allows a drop pendent in close proximity to the stop
valve to fall upon a catch lever, which is thereby disengaged from the valve
spindle or parts connected there with, to immediately shut off the steam.
In applying the apparatus to rope or strap driving, the stave, rod or feeler is
placed across the ropes or straps, in such a manner as to be caught and severed by
the least strand or pertrubance of the rope or strap presenting itself, at which time,
the drop-pendent is allowed to disengage the catch lever from the valve spindle or
parts connected therewith, to shut off the steam, and arrest the engine as
previously described.
For the prevention of overwinding in coal-pits, the rod, stave, or like equivalent
is so arranged in position, that when the cage is raised beyond a certain point, it
severs the rod or like equivalent, which allows the drop-pendent to act upon the
catch lever, to shut off the steam, and arrest the engine in the manner above
described.

page_text: Machinery and Parts Connected therewith.
We ROBERT HITCHEN of Pentridge Mill, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Mill Manager, JAMES TOWNSLEY PEARSON of 3, Albert Street, Burnley, Inspector
of Works, and THOMAS RICHMOND of Burnley aforesaid, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS TO MACHINERY AND PARTS CONNECTED THERE WITH,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention of Improvements is designed to prevent the many serious
accidents, which so frequently occur to Machinery and parts connected therewith,
and to persons becoming entangled therein.
The Improvements consist essentially of a wire or other equivalent arrangement,
in combination with the knocking off motion or catch lever of a stop valve, or
equilibrium of an engine, which arrangement may be automatically or otherwise
acted upon as herein after described to knock off, or sever, the catch lever from the
valve spindle or parts connected therewith, and shut off the steam on the first
appearance of danger.
And in order that our invention may be properly understood, and readily carried
into practical effect, we have hereunto attached the accompanying drawings, marked
with figures and letters of reference. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 represent the apparatus as
applied for the prevention of accidents to ropes or straps whilst driving machinery.
a, is a stave or rod reduced in circumference, in several places, by grooves
sufficiently deep, that the stave or rod will be readily broken, when struck cross-
wise, but capable of sustaining a considerable pull or strain lengthwise. This
stave or rod is placed between the standards b and c, and attached by a cord or
wire at one end to b. A wire or cord d, from the other end of the rod, is led
through the eyelet e, and upwards to the ceiling or roof, where it passes over
pulley to the pulley G, and attached to the pendent h, which passes through a
hole in the arm G¹ of the catch lever G2, and terminates under the floor with a
weighted end G³. To the said pendent and above the arm G₁, is fixed an
adjustable boss or striking piece G*, which, with the pendent h, is suspended by
the wire or cord like arrangement d from the rod a, which in close proximity to
the ropes or straps, gaurds and protects them, and will immediately be severed,
should any of the ropes or straps show the least signs of breaking up in the
shape of a broken strand, or other protuberance presenting itself. Upon the
severance of the rod a, the pendent h falls, strikes the arm G¹, and disengages or
severs the connection subsisting between the hook of the catch G2 and stud i¹ of
the weighted link i, which being thus liberated, 'falls with the valve lever and
instantly shuts off the steam.
Fig. 4 shews the arrangement in connection with main and spur wheels, in
which arrangement, the lower end of the plane J is hinged at J¹, its upper end
resting upon a light, slender rod or bar supported by standards at m.
To this rod
or bar is attached the cord or wire d, from the drop pendent h, seen in Figs. 1

page_text: and 2, so that the instant a tooth of either of the wheels m² or m² becomes detached
or broken, it is thrown with sufficient force against the plane, as to sever the rod,
and liberate the drop pendent h, which then falls upon the catch lever G³ seen in
Figs. 1 and 2, and stops the engine as previously described.
Fig. 5 is an elevation; Fig. 6 a plan; and Fig. 7 a detached view of the
apparatus as applied for the prevention of overwinding in coal pits; which
apparatus is so arranged, that should the cage n or n² be raised beyond the
distance required, it will strike one or other of the prongs n² or n³ to lower and
disengage hook o from link p, which, bearing against the support 8 as seen in Fig. 7,
is prevented from being carried down by the hook o, at the time of its severance,
from the link p, whereby the drop pendent h is liberated to stop the engine in the
manner previous described.
Fig. 8 is a partial representation of three rooms, each in communication with
the catch lever or knocking off motion G2 of the engine. The upper extremities of
the pendent h, and the vertical rod T, being connected together by the wire or
cord d for this purpose, so that the person in charge may pull down the rod by
the handle T, and sever the connection between the catch lever G³, and stud i, of
the weighted link ȧ as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and shut off the steam as in the
foregoing description, in the event of any signs of an accident in whatever shape,
in which it is requisite, that the engine should be instantly stopped.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
Firstly, a rod or feeler in juxtaposition with the ropes or straps, and in
communication with the stop valve of an engine, substantially as, and for, the
purpose specified.
Secondly, the apparatus represented in Fig. 4 in combination with the knocking
off motion or catch lever G2, substantially as, and for, the purpose specified.
Thirdly, the apparatus represented in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, in combination with the
knocking off motion or catch lever G³, substantially as, and for, the purpose
specified.
Fourthly, a cord or wire like communication between, one or more rooms, and
the knocking off motion or catch, lever G² to shut off the steam, in the manner
described, in the event of danger to machinery or to persons becoming entangled
therein.