IMPROVEMENTS. IN SAFETY APPARATUS TO BE CONNECTED WITH CAGES FOR MINES AND SHAFTS."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Clarke, of Ponkey, in the County of
Denbigh, and Lot Hughes, of Ohristionydd, in the said County of
Denbigh, Administrator of John Hughes, of Ponkey, deceased, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN SAFETY APPARATUS TO BE CONNECTED
WITH CAGES FOR MINES AND SHAFTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Clarke and
John Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 3rd June 1871.
We, EDWARD CLARKE and JOHN HUGHES, both of Ponkey, in the
County of Denbigh, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAPETY APPARATUS TO BE CONNECTED WITH CAGES FOR
MINES AND SHAFTS," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to prevent accidents in mine and
other shafts from the breaking of the winding rope or from over-
winding, and the Invention consists, first, in an improved arrangement
of apparatus to be connected with the cage for the purpose of auto-

page_text: matically arresting the descent in case of the rope breaking, and for
the purpose of enabling the occupants of the cage to retard the descent
if necessary; and, secondly, in an improved uncoupling spring catch to
prevent accidents from overwinding.
Our apparatus to be connected with the cage is composed of a 5
rectangular frame to which the winding rope is attached. Two links
are attached to this frame at each end. These links have squeezers at
each end for the purpose of squeezing the ordinary wire rope guides,
and there is a horizontal shaft along cach side of the frame to work the
squeezers. These shafts have attached at their ends levers which can be 1
worked by a rod in connection with a chain running through the rope
shackle or ring, and fastened to the top of the cage by a catch or
otherwise.
Our apparatus is distinct from and is placed immediately above the
cage, but the levers before mentioned work in slotted links firmly ]
fastened to a cross bar which is attached to the cage by bolts at each
end.
In case the winding rope breaks a strong spring which is attached to
the links presses upon the squeezers so as to move them against the
wire rope guides, and as the weight of the cage and contents then comes
upon the levers the squeezers are pressed forcibly against the guides, and
the cage is thus securely held; or in case the cage is descending too
rapidly the occupants by pulling on the chain before mentioned can act
upon the squeezers, and thereby retard the descent.
Slight modifications in the apparatus, as will be well understood, will
adapt it for the wooden guides used in some mines where wire rope
guides are not adopted.
Our improved uncoupling spring catch consists of springs connected
to the rope and placed or arranged between curved straps which extend
down into a box from which the cage is suspended. The rope runs å
through a counter-edged iron ring or mortise attached to the pit head
frame below the pulley. The box retains the curved straps, but in case
of overwinding the spring catch is drawn into the ring or mortise, the
curved straps are therefore forced together so that the box will no longer
retain them, and the rope is thus uncoupled from the cage;
the
cage
will then be securely held on the guides by the apparatus herein-before
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Edward
Clarke and Lot Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
CLARKE, of Ponkey, in the County of Denbigh, and LOT HUGHES, of
Christionydd, in the County of Denbigh, Administrator of JOHN HUGHES,
of Ponkey aforesaid, deceased, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Edward Clarke and Lot Hughes, Her special
licenco that we, the said Edward Clarke and Lot Hughes, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Clarke
and Lot Hughes, our exccutors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY APPARATUS TO BE CONNECTED WITH CAGES FOR
MINES AND SHAFTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Edward Clarke and Lot Hughes, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
on or before the Twenty-fifth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Olarke and Lot Hughes,
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 thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of our Invention is to prevent accidents in mines and other
shafts from the breaking of the winding rope or from overwinding, and
the Invention consists, first, in an improved arrangement of apparatus
to be connected with the cage for the purpose of automatically arresting

page_text: me desce Awar
the occupants of the cage to retard the descent at other times if neces-
sary; and, secondly, in an improved uncoupling spring catch to prevent
accidents from overwinding.
Our apparatus to be connected with the cage is a rectangular frame.
There are two links at each end. These links have squeezers for the
purpose of squeezing the ordinary wire rope guides, and there is a
horizontal shaft along each side of the frame to work the squeezers.
These shafts have attached at their ends levers which can be worked by
rods in connection with a chain running through the rope shackle or
ring.
Our apparatus is distinct from and is placed immediately above the
cage, but the levers before mentioned work in slotted links firmly
fastened to cross bars, which are attached to the cage by bolts at
each.end.
In case the winding rope breaks strong springs which are attached to
the links press upon the squeezers so as to move them against the wire
rope guides, and as the weight of the cage and contents then comes
upon the levers the squeezers are pressed forcibly against the guides,
and the cage is thus securely held; or, in case the cage is descending
too rapidly the occupants by pulling on the chains before mentioned can
act upon the squeezers and thereby retard the descent.
Slight modifications in the apparatus, as will be well understood, will
adapt it for the wooden guides used in some mines where wire rope
guides are not adopted.
Our apparatus to be connected with the cage will be understood on
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed Drawings, Figure 1
being an elevation partly in section through the line A, A, of Figure 2,
Figure 2 being a plan, and Figure 3 a section through the line B, B, of
Figure 2.
a is the cage, and b, b, are the wire rope guides; c, c, are links, two
at each end of the apparatus, secured by bolts to the centre pieces d, d.
The outer ends of these links are shaped to receive the guides b, b.
e, e, are squeezers fitted in the links, and also shaped to receive the
guides. These squeezers are mounted on horizontal shafts f,f, which
have attached at their ends levers g, g, to which are connected rods h, h,
these rods being in their turn attached to a chain i running through the
rope shackle k. The levers 9, 9, work in slotted links 1; 1, firmly fastened

page_text: to cross bars m, m, which are secured to the cage a at each end by bolts
as shewn; n, n, are strong springs secured at their centre to the
pieces d, d, while their outer ends press upon the squeezers. When
the cage is suspended from the rope the levers 9, 9, are maintained at
the top of the slotted links 1, 2, as seen in Figure 1; but should the
rope break the springs n, n, press upon the squeezers e, e, causing them
to move against the guides b, b, and as the weight of the cage and
contents then comes upon the lovers g, g, the squeezers are pressed
forcibly against the guides, and the cage is thus securely held; or in
case the cage is descending too rapidly the occupants by pulling on the
chain i can act upon the squeezers and retard the descent.
Our improved uncoupling spring catch consists of springs placed or
arranged between curved straps which extend down into a box from
which the cage is suspended; the rope is connected to the spring catch
and runs through a counter-edged iron ring or mortise attached to the
pit head frame below the pulley. The box retains the curved straps,
but in case of overwinding the spring catch is drawn into the ring or
mortise, the curved straps are therefore forced together so that the box
will no longer retain them, and the rope is thus uncoupled from the
cago; the cage will thus be securely held on the guides by the apparatus
herein-before described.
"
This uncoupling spring catch is represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6.
a, a, are curved straps having placed between them springs b, b, which
tend to force them outwards. These straps extend down into a box c,
from which the cage is suspended.
It will be seen in Figure 4 that the curved straps hook themselves
under the box c and the cage is thus securely held; but in case of
overwinding the curved straps by being drawn into a ring or mortise
attached to the pit head frame, as before mentioned, are forced together,
as seen in Figure 5, so that the box c will no longer retain them, and
the rope is thus uncoupled from the cage, which will then be securely
held to the guides by the apparatus before described. Figure 6 shews
the spring catch with the parts in the position they occupy when
released.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,―
First. Constructing apparatus, substantially as herein-before described
and represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, for automatically arresting the

page_text: descent of a cage in case of the rope breaking, and for enabling the
occupants of the cage to retard the descent at other times, if necessary.
Secondly. We claim the improved uncoupling spring catch con-
structed substantially as herein-before described and represented in
Figures 4, 5, and 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Clarke, for myself and
on behalf of the said Lot Hughes, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.