IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Dodman, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Mechanic, and William Bellhouse, of the same Place, Shop-
"
keeper, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS."
Sealed the 19th July 1861, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Dodman and
William Bellhouse at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th December 1860.
We, GEORGE DODMAN, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic,
and WILLIAM BELLHOUSE, of the same Place, Shopkeeper, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to apparatus to be attached to hoists for the purpose
of preventing accidents should the rope break or otherwise become slack.
The hook to which the rope is attached is connected to levers, which at their
other ends carry rods by means of which crank pins are caused to turn
excentric rollers upon their axes. When the rope is distended these rollers

page_text: are so turned as to be free from guides placed between them, but when slack,
the said rollers are caused to bring their larger radii into operation so as to
press against the guides, and prevent the descent of the hoist.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said George Dodman and
William Bellhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
DODMAN, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic, and WILLIAM
BELLHOUSE, of the same Place, Shopkeeper, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said George Dodman and William Bellhouse, Her special licence
that we, the said George Dodman and William Bellhouse, our-executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Dodman
and William Bellhouse, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HOISTS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said
George Dodman and William Bellhouse, or one of us, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, (or under the hand and seal of one of us,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within seven calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Dodman and William Bell-
house, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner.
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to
say)-
Our Invention relates to. apparatus to be attached to hoists for the purpose
of preventing accidents should the rope break or otherwise become slack.

page_text: The levers i, *,
Fig. 1 is a side view of the hoist; Fig. 2, a view looking at: right angles to
Fig. 1, with a portion of the cage removed, in order to expose certain of the
parts; and Fig. 3, a plan. The cage, which may be formed of iron or wood-
work, as desired, is shewn, at a, and the guide rails at b. To the upper part
of the cage is fixed a cross bar c, which is embraced by a link d, to which the
winding rope or chain e is attached, and by this bar and link the hoist is
therefore raised or lowered. Between the bar c and link d, however, is
another link f, through which a spring 9, connected. at each end to the
framework of the cage passes. At i, i, k, k, are two pairs of levers, the
centres of each pair being connected by a pin so that they are caused to move
together, the said pin being adapted to them through slots.
k,, turn loosely upon shafts 1 fixed to the framework of the cage, and carry
rods m at their outward ends, which rods are connected by means of crank
pins to excentrics o, mounted so as to turn loosely upon fixed shafts p.
According to the position shewn in the Drawing, the rope or chain e is sup-
posed to be distended, and the cage is being raised or lowered by the cross
bar c; the consequent drawing up of the link d will also draw upward the
other link f, and this will cause the spring g to be distended. Suppose now
that the rope or chain should break, or should by any other cause become
slackened, then the spring g being relieved, will draw downward the link f,
and through it the other link d, which by pressing on the ends of the levers
i,, k, k, will cause them to turn upon their centres l. This action will
elevate the outward ends of the said levers, and by drawing up the rods m,
will cause the excentrics o to turn upon their centres p, so as to bring an
increased diameter in contact with the guide rods b. The parts thus brought
to bear against the said rods we furnish with notches, and immediately the
contact is effected they receive a tendency to turn still further by the friction
of the guide rods against their surfaces, the locking becomes complete, and the
cage is arrested in its downward motion.
It has been observed, that the excentrics o are mounted loosely upon the
shafts ; each excentric may therefore turn independently of its fellow, so
that the one cannot prevent the other from gaining a firm hold of the guide
rod. When the chain or rope is again adapted to the cage and distended, it
will, by drawing upward the links f, d, liberate the rollers so that they may
fall clear of the guide rods. To the levers we adapt a link q, which may be
drawn downward so as to cause the said levers to turn upon their centres and
effect the locking, as above described. This link is adapted for the purpose of
enabling a person within the cage to arrest the motion thereof should it be
descending too rapidly.

page_text: Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, the use of the excentrics and parts connected therewith, as
above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Dodman and William Bell-
house, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one.
GEORGE DODMAN.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM BELLHOUSE. (L.S.)