IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RUNNING TRAMS, WAGONS, OR OTHER CARRIAGES OFF AND ON TO CAGES OR OTHER PLATFORMS OF HOISTS USED FOR WINDING COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS OR ARTICLES FROM COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Fisher, of the Clifton Colliery Company, Limited,
Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RUNNING
TRAMS, WAGONS, OR OTHER CARRIAGES OFF AND ON TO CAGES OR OTHER
PLATFORMS OF HOISTS USED FOR WINDING COAL AND OTHER MATERIALS
OR ARTICLES FROM COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th August 1878, and dated the 5th July 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Fisher at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1878.
HENRY FISHER, of the Clifton Colliery Company, Limited, Nottingham. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RUNNING TRAMS, WAGONS, OR OTHER CARRIAGES
OFF AND ON TO CAGES OR OTHER PLATFORMS OF HOISTS USED FOR WINDING COAL
AND OTHER MATERIALS OR ARTICLES FROM COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means of unloading and
loading the trams, wagons, or other articles from cages or other platforms used in
colliery and other hoists in order more speedily to perform the operation of running
the wagons off and on to the cages than when performed by manual labor.
In the cages as now used the wagons or trams are pulled off the cages, and
simultaneously other wagons are pushed on the cages by manual labor. Now
according to my Invention, and for this object, I cause the rails of the cage, either
at the end, or preferably between the ends, to be hinged or swung on axles and
bearings or other suitable means, and provided at one end with feet or Z pieces, and
the other (where the rails are swung between the ends) with suitable resting levers
1 ...מי

page_text: and links or other suitable means, in such a manner that when the cage is set
down on the props or other usual supports (forming no part in this Invention) the
rails of the cage are tilted or inclined to such an inclination as to cause the wagons
or trams to run off the rails or platform.
The wagons are held in position on the cage when winding by stops, which are
lifted up to allow the wagons to run off the cage (but forms no part in this
Invention).
The rails or platforms on the cage work, or are swung on the axles and bearings
in such a manner as to right themselves from the position assumed when the cage
rests on the supports to their normal position when the cage does not not rest on
the supports, and springs may be used to reduce the concussion of the cage when it
is being rested on the supports, and to assist the rails or platform to assume its
normal position.
Simultaneously with the cage resting on the supports and tilting or inclining the
rails, it presses down a tappet rod, which is connected with and gives motion to an
Llever or crank, to which is connected one end of a rod, the other end of which is
connected to a tap, cock, or other suitable valve or slide, and by this or other suitable
means the valve or cock is opened and admits steam, compressed air, water, or other
fluid (under a pressure) through a port or pipe to a suitable cylinder, either
oscillating or fixed, preferably the former, in which case the cylinder is swung or
oscillates on trunnions or other suitable means.
The cylinder is fitted with a piston and rod, the upper end of which is attached
or connected by suitable means to a cross head or other appliance connected to the
rails or platform upon which the wagons or other articles to be placed upon the
cage are run. These rails or platform are connected to the ends of four
or other number of levers, the other ends of which work on rocking shafts placed
in such a position to each other that when the piston is acted upon by the steam or
other fluid or pressure the levers and rails or platforms are raised to an inclined
position in a line with and at the same angle as those on the cage when resting on
the supports, and by this means the wagons or other articles are run on to the
cage.
The cylinder is provided with a pneumatic or other elastic cushion at the upper
end to prevent the piston striking the top cylinder cover.
When the cage is raised from the supports a weight or spring attached to a lever
of the valve falls or springs back, and closes the admission port to the cylinder, and
at the same time opens the exhaust port of the valve or cylinder, allowing the
piston with the rails and platform or apparatus to fall to the usual level required to
enable more wagons or articles to be run on for loading.
In order more fully to describe my Invention and the mode of performing the
same, I have attached hereunto two Sheets of Drawings, wherein,―
Figure 1 shews elevation of a cage with the apparatus and wagons at rest.
Figure 2, elevation of apparatus for running the wagons on to the cage with wagons
at rest.
Figure 3 shews plan of a cage with the apparatus for running the wagons off the
cage.
Figure 4, plan of the apparatus for running the wagons on to the cage.
Figure 5, elevation of cage, shewing the apparatus in position for running the
wagons off the cage.
Figure 6 shews elevation of apparatus raised in position for running the wagons
on to the cage.
Figure 7, sectional view on the line A, B.
Figure 8 shews sectional view on the line C, D.
Figure shews sectional view on the line E, F.
Figure 10 shews sectional view on the line G, H.
Figure 11 shews sectional view on the line K, L.
Now according to this Invention when the cage is set down on to the props

page_text: shewn at a, a, a, a, or other supports (forming no part of this Invention), the feet
b, b, and the levers c, c, are forced up, which being connected to the rails d, d,
working on rocking shafts c, e, tilts them to such an inclination as to cause the
wagons to run of themselves off the cage, as shown in Figure 5.
The wagons are held in position on the cage when winding by stops shewn at
ff, on Figures 1 and 3, which are lifted up to allow the wagons to run off the cage,
as shewn on Figure 5 (but forms no part of this Invention).
The rails c, d, on the cage work on rocking shafts e, e, fixed in such a position as
to right themselves from the position shown on Figure 5 to that shewn on
Figure 1.
When the cage is lifted from the supports a, a, a, a, springs h, h, are used to reduce
the concussion of the cage when it is being rested on the supports a, a, a, a.
Simultaneously with the cage resting on the supports a, a, a, a, and tilting the
rails c, d, it presses down a rod i, which is connected and gives motion to an L
lever or crank j, to which is connected one end of a rod k, the other end being con-
nected to a tap or other suitable valve l. By this or other suitable means the valve
is opened, which communicates with a suitable cylinder, in this case an oscillating
cylinder K working on trunnions m, m, and containing a piston n, which is worked
by steam, compressed air, or hydraulic power; the piston rod o is connected to a
cross head p, which is secured to the rails q, q, q, q. These rails are connected to
levers 7, 7, and 8, 8, working on rocking shafts t, t. The rocking shafts of these
levers are fixed in such a position to each other that when the piston o is acted on
by steam or other pressure the levers p, p, and 8, s, and the rails q, q, q, q, are raised
to the position shewn by Figure 6 for the wagons to run on to the cage. When
the cage is raised from the supports a, a, a, a, the weight w attached to a lever
of the valve falls, and closes the admission port, and opens the exhaust port of the
valve when the apparatus falls in the position shewn by Figure 2.
The wagons are shewn by M¹, M², M², M²; N, N, N, N, shews timbers; and
0, 0, 0, 0, shews brickwork or other masonry.
In place of raising the rails or platform carrying the wagons or other articles to
be run on to the cage by a cylinder and piston, as shewn and described, it may
be raised by an arrangement of lifting levers actuated by the cage itself in such a
manner that when the cage is set down on the supports it rests at the same time
on and lowers the end or ends of one or more levers which work on rocking shafts,
and raises the other end or ends which are connected to or bear against the levers
carrying the rails or platform by connecting links, or truck, or other suitable
appliance, and by this means raises the rails or platform to the required position or
inclination to enable the wagons or other articles to be run on to the cage.
In place of raising the rails or platform carrying the wagons to be run on to the
cage, for the purpose of running them on to the cage the wagons may, as is now
sometimes practiced, be brought to rest on a permanent incline, from which they
can when desired be allowed to run forward on to the cage by removing stops
which previously held back the wagons.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First. The combined arrangements, substantially as herein-before described, for
running trams, wagons, and other carriages off and on to cages or other platforms of
hoists used for winding coal and other materials or articles from coal or other mines,
and for other purposes.
Second. The tilting or inclining of the rails or platform of colliery or other cages
and hoists in such a manner that the wagons and other articles run off the cages by
nature of their own gravity.
Third. The means of inclining the rails or platform of cages or other hoists upon
which the wagons or other articles are placed on the cage, substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The means of inclining the rails or platform upon which the wagons or

page_text: other articles are placed before being run on to the rails or platform of the cage or
hoist, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Fisher, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
HENRY FISHER. (L.S.)