An Improved Safety Apparatus Applicable to Cages or Hoists
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Apparatus Applicable to Cages or Hoists.
I SAMUEL KIRKHAM Smith in the employment of George Sims and Sons of
Sherwood Street Nottingham, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows:-
My improved apparatus consists of the following parts, within the shaft or well
in which the cage or hoist is used upon opposite sides I secure guides, slides, or
conductors, of metal in suitable lengths, each end of each length forms a flanged
bracket which can be turned true in a lathe to accurately fit the bracket of the next
adjacent length to which it is bolted these brackets and one or more smaller brackets
intermediately placed between the ends have bolts passed through them by which they
are secured to the sides of the shaft or well, the sides of the lengths facing each
other are toothed so as to form continuous racks the whole depth of the shaft
or well.
Above the top and below the bottom of each cage or hoist a pair of bearing
brackets are secured each carrying a toothed wheel which projects over the side of the
cage or hoist so as to gear into the toothed racks of the guides, slides, or conductors, the
toothed wheels are prevented from leaving the racks sideways by the projecting sides
of the rack between which sides the wheels turn. Between the wheel bearing
brackets and the centre of the cage or hoist above and below are secured a pair of
brackets in each of which a lever rocks the outer end of which is wedge shaped so as
to enter between the teeth of one of the wheels before named and prevent it revolving,
the entry of the wedge is effected by a spring placed between the cage and the outer
end of the lever, the lower pair of rocking levers are connected to the upper pair by
vertical links or rods close to the sides of the cage or hoist, the upper pair of levers,
have their inner ends suitably connected to a bolt or shackle attached to the top of

page_text: the cage or hoist so as to lift the inner ends of the levers and thereby always ensure
the outer wedge shaped ends being clear of the toothed wheels when the cage or
hoist is in use. But upon the hauling rope or chain breaking the weight of the
bolt or shackle, or the effect of the springs will simultaneously insert the wedge
shaped ends of the levers between the teeth of the wheels and instantly stop the
descent of the cage or hoist.
Dated this Seventeenth day of February 1887
An Improved Safety Apparatus Applicable to Cages or Hoists.
I SAMUEL KIRKHAM, Smith in the employment of George Sims and Sons of
Sherwood Street Nottingham Engineers 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:—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front view of a cage or hoist with my improved safety apparatus
applied thereto.
Figure 2, a plan of the same and
Figure 3, shows a side view of the upper pair of levers held clear of the ratchet
wheels while the cage or hoist is suspended to the hauling rope or chain.
My improved apparatus consists of the following parts, within the shaft or well in
which the cage or hoist A is used upon opposite sides I secure guides B of metal in
suitable lengths, the ends of each length forms a flanged bracket B' which can be
turned true in a lathe to accurately fit the bracket of the next adjacent length to
which it is bolted, the bottom ends of the two lowest lengths form brackets B² by
which they are bolted to the bottom or a cill on the bottom of the shaft or well, the
brackets B and one or more intermediate brackets "when the lengths of the guides
require them" have bolts passed through them, by which they are secured to the sides
of the shaft or well, the sides of the guides facing each other are toothed so as to form
continuous racks the whole depth of the shaft or well.
Above the top and below the bottom of each cage or hoist a pair of bearing
brackets Care secured, each carrying a flanged wheel having three rings of teeth,
the central ring having round ended teeth C which project over the side of the cage

page_text: or hoist so as to gear into the toothed racks of the guides B, the toothed wheels are
prevented from leaving the racks sideways by the projecting sides of the racks,
between which the periphery of the wheel turns, the outer rings have their teeth
pointed to form ratchet teeth (".
Between the toothed wheel bearing brackets C and the centre of the cage or hoist are
secured a pair of brackets D each of which is provided with an axle pin on which a
lever D¹ rocks the outer end of which is turned upwards and formed wedge shaped at
each side, so as to engage with the ratchet teeth of the flanged wheel and allow of
the flanges and central teeth C¹ to pass between them, the engaging of the wedge
shaped ends of the levers D' with the ratchet teeth Care ensured by a folded plate
spring D being placed beneath the outer end of each upper lever and secured to the
top of the cage or hoist, the lower pair of rocking levers are connected to the upper
pair by vertical links or rods D' being hinged to them, these rods lie close to the
sides of the cage or hoist, the lower pair of levers have their inner ends hinged and
held together by a screwed bolt and nut D, the bolt being passed through short slots
in the lever ends. The upper pair of levers have their inner ends hinged to a bolt or
shackle E the lower end of which is passed through the top of the cage or hoist and
is provided with a washer plate and lock nuts secured on it to prevent its withdrawal.
Upon the shackle E being attached to a hauling rope or chain, while the cage or hoist
is being raised, lowered, or suspended, the inner ends of the four levers D' will
assume the position shown at Figure 3 and thereby ensure the outer wedge shaped
ends being kept clear of the ratchet teeth and allow the wheels to revolve freely as
they pass up or down the racks B. But upon the hauling rope or chain breaking the
weight of the shackle E upon the inner ends of the upper levers D¹ together with the
upward pressure of the two folded plate springs D' will cause the wedge shaped ends
of the four levers to simultaneously engage with the ratchet teeth as shown at
Figure 1 and preventing them revolving will instantly stop the descent of the cage
or hoist.
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 :
The construction and employment of Improved safety apparatus for Cages or
Hoists substantially as described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Dated this Twelfth day of November 1887
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Agent.