IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINE SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Taylor, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINE SHAFTS,
AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th June 1865, and dated the 24th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Taylor at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1864.
I, CHARLLS HENRY TAYLOR, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINE
SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the mechanical arrangements herein-after described
for preventing the descent of. a skip or cage in a mine shaft on. the accidental
breaking of the chain or rope to which the skip or cage is connected, and by
which it is being drawn up.
The said mechanical arrangements may also be applied to the prevention
of accidents in ascending lifts used in warehouses, hotels, and elsewhere.

page_text: I will describe my Invention in connection with a mine shaft. At opposite
sides of the mine shaft parallel vertical racks are situated, the said racks,
extending from top to bottom of the mine shaft. The cage or skip to be
raised and lowered in the mine shaft works between guides on either side
the said racks.
In a box or chamber situated either above or below the skip or cage is the
following mechanism :-At those sides of the box opposite the racks are toothed
wheels or pinions, one on each side, the axes of which work in uprights in the
said box; the teeth of the said toothed wheels or pinions engaging with the
teeth of the fixed racks. On the axis of each toothed wheel or pinion is a
ratchet wheel and two vertical levers, the upper ends of which are formed into
palls, are situated between the ratchet wheels. By means of a sliding horizontal
wedge, the lower ends of the said levers may be operated upon, so as to lift
the palls from the ratchet wheels. Or the said sliding wedge may be moved
so as not to affect the said levers, in which case springs acting on the said
levers press the palls upon the ratchet wheels. The direction of the teeth of
the said ratchet wheels and the positions of the palls with respect to the said
ratchet wheels are such that when the said palls are in gear with the said
ratchet wheels the toothed wheels or pinions can rotate in the direction
impressed upon them by the rising skip or cage, but are incapable of rotation
in the contrary direction. The chain or rope for raising and lowering the
skip or cage is connected to the top of the box described, or to the skip or
cage, and in case of the accidental breaking of the chain or rope during the
ascending motion of the skip or cage, the said skip or cage is suspended
between the two racks by the palls, preventing the rotation of the ratchet
wheels and toothed wheels or pinions in the direction necessary to permit the
descent of the said skip or cage. When the skip or cage has accended to
the top of the mine shaft, the sliding horizontal wedge may be made to throw
the palls out of gear with the ratchet wheels, when the skip or cage can readily
descend. When the loaded skip or cage is about to be raised, the attendant
at the bottom of the mine shaft moves the sliding wedge so as to cause the
palls to engage with the ratchet wheels, when the skip or cage can be raised
without risk of accident on the breaking of the chain or rope.
'When requisite friction breaks may be applied to the axes of the toothed
wheels or pinions gearing with the racks, so as to produce any required amount
of resistance to the descent of the skip or cage, so that in case of accident to
the chain or rope when the skip or cage is descending, its fall may be so
checked as to prevent or reduce any injurious effect. It is, however in

page_text: ordinary cases, only necessary to provide against accident during the ascent of
of the loaded skip or cage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HENRY TAYLOR, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Henry Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Henry Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Henry Taylor, my 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINE
SHAFTS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Henry Taylor, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, 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 performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Charles Henry. Taylor, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the mechanical arrangements herein-after described
for preventing the descent of a skip or cage in a mine shaft on the accidental
breaking of the chain or rope to which the skip or cage is connected.

page_text: The said mechanical arrangements may also be applied to the prevention of
accidents in ascending lifts used in warehouses, hotels, and elsewhere.
I will now describe my Invention in connection with a mine shaft. At
opposite sides of the mine shaft parallel vertical racks are situated, the said
racks extending from top to bottom of the mine shaft. The cage or skip to
be raised and lowered in the mine shaft works between guides on either side
the said racks.
In a box or chamber situated either above or below the skip or cage is the
following mechanism :-At those sides of the box opposite the racks are toothed
wheels or pinions, one on each side, the axes of which work in uprights in the
said box, the teeth of the said toothed wheels or pinions engaging with the
teeth of the fixed racks. On the axis of each toothed wheel or pinion is a
ratchet wheel and two vertical levers, the upper ends of which are formed into
palls, are situated between the ratchet wheels. By means of a sliding
horizontal wedge, the lower ends of the said levers may be operated upon so
as to lift the palls from the ratchet wheels. Or the said sliding wedge may
be moved so as not to affect the said levers, in which case springs acting on
the said levers press the palls upon the ratchet wheels. The direction of the
teeth of the said ratchet wheels, and the positions of the palls with respect to
the said ratchet wheels are such that when the said palls are in gear with the
said ratchet wheels the toothed wheels or pinions can rotate in the direction
impressed upon them by the rising skip or cage, but are incapable of rotation
in the contrary direction. The chain or rope for raising and lowering the skip
or cage is connected to the top of the box described or to the skip or cage,
and in case of the accidental breaking of the chain or rope during the
ascending motion of the skip or cage, the said skip or cage is suspended
between the two racks by the palls, preventing the rotation of the ratchet
wheels and toothed wheels or pinions in the direction necessary to permit the
descent of the said skip or cage. When the. skip or cage has ascended to the
top of the mine shaft, the sliding horizontal wedge may be made to throw the
palls out of gear with the ratchet wheels, when the skip or cage can readily
descend. When the loaded skip or cage is about to be raised, the attendant
at the bottom of the mine shaft moves the sliding wedge so as to cause the
palls to engage with the ratchet wheels, when the skip or cage can be raised
without risk of accident on the breaking of the chain or rope.
Instead of using palls for preventing the rotation of the toothed wheels, a
slide having teeth on either side may be employed for that purpose.
When requisite friction breaks may be applied to the axes of the toothed

page_text: wheels or pinions gearing with the racks, so as to produce any required
amount of resistance to the descent of the skip or cage, so that in case of
accident to the chain or rope when the skip or cage is descending, its fall may
be so checked as to prevent or reduce any injurious effect. It is however in
ordinary cases only necessary to provide against accident during the ascent of
the loaded skip or cage. The toothed slide described may be used for preventing
the fall of the descending skip or cage on the accidental breaking of the chain
or rope.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, partly in vertical section, machinery or
apparatus constructed according to my Invention to be applied to a skip or
cage in a mine shaft for preventing its descent on the accidental breaking of
the chain or rope by which the skip or cage is raised and lowered, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts in Figures 1 and 2.
a, a, are two parallel racks situated at opposite sides of the mine shaft, the
said racks extending from top to bottom of the said shaft. The said racks a
are connected to the guides b, b, between which the skip or cage to be raised
or lowered in the mine shaft works. To the said skip or cage a box or chamber
c is connected, the said box or chamber containing the mechanism for pre-
venting the descent of the skip or cage on the breaking of the rope or chain,
when it is either ascending or descending the mine shaft. The said box c is
connected to the chain or rope d, for raising and lowering the skip or cage in
the manner represented. At either side of the box c and opposite the racks a is
a toothed wheel or pinion e, the axis f, of which works in bearings carried by the
uprights g fixed to the base of the said box. The teeth of these toothed wheels or
pinions e are constantly in gear with the teeth of the racks a, a. On the axis of
each of the toothed wheels e is a ratchet wheel h, and between the said ratchet
wheels are two vertical levers i, i, turning on the common centre ³. The
upper ends of these levers are made into palls which can be made to engage
with the ratchet wheels h, or be lifted therefrom at pleasure.
by the sliding horizontal wedge k, working on the base of the
When
the wedge is in the position represented, the lower ends of the levers i are
not acted upon by the said wedge, but the said ends are pressed inwards by
the springs. The palls at their upper ends are thereby made to press upon
the ratchet wheels h, h. When the wedge is moved outwards by pulling the
This is effected
box c.

page_text: ring, the said wedge is made to operate upon the lower ends of the levers i,
and press them outwards and thus raise the palls from the ratchet wheels
h, h. The wedge & is maintained in its withdrawn position by a spring bolt m,
entering a recess n in the side of the wedge. By pressing upon the spring
bolt m, its end is withdrawn from the recess n, and the wedge is moved to the
position represented by the springs o, and the palls are again made to engage
with the ratchet wheels h, by the action of the springs on the ends of the
levers i. The direction of the teeth of the ratchet wheels h, and the positions
of the palls with respect to the said ratchet wheels are such that when the
said palls are in gear with the said ratchet wheels, the toothed wheels e, e, can
rotate in the direction impressed upon them by the rising skip or cage, but are
incapable of rotation in the contrary direction. The parts of the mechanism
being in the positions represented the skip or cage is ready to ascend the mine
shaft. Should the chain or rope & break the skip or cage is suspended
between the two racks a, a, by the palls preventing the rotation of the
ratchet wheels h and toothed wheels e in the direction necessary to permit the
descent of the said skip or cage. When the skip or cage has ascended to the
top of the mine shaft, the sliding horizontal wedge k is withdrawn and fixed
in the manner already explained so as to throw the palls out of gear with
the ratchet wheels h. The toothed wheels e can now turn in either direction
and the skip or cage is at liberty to descend the mine shaft. When the
loaded skip or cage is about to be raised, the attendant at the bottom of the
mine shaft withdraws the spring bolt m when the palls are made to engage
with the ratchet wheels, and the skip or cage can be raised without risk of
accident on the breaking of the chain or rope. The arrangement of parts
already described only prevents the descent of rising skip or cage by the
action of the palls on the ratchet wheels h. When however the said palls
are lifted from the ratchet wheels h, to permit of the rotation of the toothed
wheels e for the descent of the skip or cage, I prevent the rotation of the said
toothed wheels e, and suspend the skip or cage in case of accident to the
chain or rope by means of the toothed slide p, situated between the toothed
wheels e, and working through a slot in the top of the box c. The said slide p
consists of a wedge shaped plate having teeth on either side, the said teeth
being capable of engaging with the teeth of the toothed wheels. c. The said
toothed slide p is suspended in the manner represented to the chain or rope d,
by which the skip or cage is raised and lowered, and the said slide p is pulled
down when it is at liberty to move by means of a coiled spring. On the descent
of the skip or cago in the mine shaft the toothed slide p is suspended by the

page_text: tightened rope or chain d in the position represented, and the toothed wheels
e, e, are free to rotate. If however the chain or rope d breaks the said toothed
slide p is suddenly pulled down by its spring, and engaging with the toothed
wheels e, e, prevents their rotation and thus suspends the skip or cage in the
mine shaft.
The toothed slide described may also be used for preventing the rotation
of the toothed wheels in case of accident to the chain or rope either when the
skip or cage is ascending or descending the mine shaft.
In this case I prefer to arrange the parts in the manner represented in side
elevation (partly in vertical section) in Figure 3, and plan (partly in hori-
zontal section) in Figure 4 of the Drawings. In this arrangement the ratchet
wheels h, h, palls 2, and sliding wedge k, are dispensed with, the box or
chamber c, containing only the toothed wheels e, which gear with the vertical
racks a and the toothed slide p², the said toothed slide p³ works through the
top of the box c. It is suspended to the chain or rope by which the skip or
cage is raised and lowered in a manner similar to that represented in Figure 1,
and is pulled down when at liberty to move by the coiled spring q. When
the skip or cage is making its ascent or descent in the mine shaft, the toothed
slide p² is raised by the tightened rope or chain from the toothed wheels e, and
the said toothed wheels are free to move in either direction, and to work upon
the racks a. In case the rope or chain breaks the toothed slide p² is pulled
down by the action of its spring 9, and made to engage with the toothed
wheels e, and prevent their rotation, and thus arrest the descent of the skip
or cage.
The arrangements or combinations of parts described and illustrated in the
Drawing may also be applied to the prevention of accidents in ascending lifts
used in warehouses, hotels, and elsewhere.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the Drawing,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention ;
but I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts described and
represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing for suspending
the skips or cages used in mine shafts, and lifts used in warehouses, hotels,
and elsewhere in case of the accidental breaking of the chains or ropes by
which the said skips or cages and lifts are raised and lowered.
Secondly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts described
and represented in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawing for

page_text: suspending the skips or cages used in mine shafts and lifts used in warehouses,.
hotels, and elsewhere, in case of the accidental breaking of the chains or ropes.
by which the said skips or cages and lifts are raised and lowered.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles. Henry Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
CHARLES HENRY TAYLOR. (L.S.)